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Saturday, October 14, 2006

here's why ~j.'s having the...

...BEST WEEK EVER!!!

It all started last Sunday with the offer of dinner from a kind lady in the ward (yay!), followed shortly by a diss from the compassionate service leader (boo!), but all was well on Monday morning with the surprise recorded call from one Dwight K. Schrute (yay!). Of course, Tuesday morning's phone call telling me that I had a nurse and a room waiting for me (yay!) helped, too. Got all hooked up, and watched The Price Is Right (yay!) for the first time since...the last time I was in the hospital. Sweet neighbors and friends (yay!) helped out by watching the girls while I was in labor. At 11:am, I decided that I needed an epidural (yay!), and the anesthesiologist had two students tailing him (yay!). He inserted the needle (boo!) and said, "Oops, see that? Looks like I hit a blood vessel. Better try again." (boo!) The second time, he said to the two students, "Now, see, I may have hit another. Let's see...yep. Gonna have to go again." (boo!) "This time, I'll go a 'notch' up, but it's still in the epidural space." And the epidural began to work (yay!), but it numbed me from the waist UP instead of the waist DOWN. (BOO!!!!!) Yes, that's right, I could feel the contractions but not my shoulders. I could feel the catheter but not my lungs. After much crying by me and much checking by a confused yet attentive anesthesiologist, that epidural was removed (yay!), and the right kind was inserted (yay!). Four pokes in my spine (boo!).

Dr. B. was on call (yay!) and had a resident tailing him, too (yay?), and the delivery experience was really, really wonderful - I can only describe it here as saying that I owned it; it was not a sterile procedure being performed from a distance, but I pushed that kid out (yay!). The good doctor did everything he could to not give me an episiotomy, but alas, I needed one, so I got one (yay!). The only drawback to the delivery was that I couldn't get the breaths I needed to push well because, you know, what with all that numbing medication near my lungs, I still couldn't feel my chest (boo!).

Baby. Yay, yay, and yay some more. My biggest: 7 lbs., 14 oz., 21" long. Or tall. Depending.

Tried to nurse right away, but didn't trust my arms and their no-strength for a few hours (boo!), so Papi held him instead (yay!).

Recovery room. Best nurses ever (yay!). Except for the one (boo!). Lovely, lovely visitors (yay!). Lots of crap television, including interviews with Suzanne Somers every ten minutes (boo!), to which I cry, "Nobody cares!"
For a bit, the doctors thought that Bubby had a heart murmur (boo!), so we met with the pediatric cardiologist (yay!) who very thoroughly reviewed the results of the echo, told us everything was fine (yay!), and sent us on our way. I was so nervous about the circumcision (boo!), but I was right there with him for the whole thing (yay!), and, you know, not to brag, but he did require the biggest sizes of instruments to perform said procedure...if you know what I talking.
Now, we're home, and Bubby is a fantastic baby. The girls are wonderful with him - excited to have him here, and not too eager to scratch his face off (or anything of that nature). As for myself, there has been much laundry-doing, and much pain pill-taking (yay!).
I have the best friends (yay!) who are furnishing dinner for me for a week (yay!) because THEY KNOW that cooking is a struggle for me at this point. Such wonderful friends showing actual compassionate service (yay!).

And THAT'S why ~j.'s having the BEST WEEK EVER!

24 comments:

La Yen said...

And I'm not there! (Boo.)

Carina said...

But I was (yay!)

I've been telling random people about the friend who was numbed from the waist UP and everyone is totally shocked. Urban legend already!

Emmie said...

Yay! Congratulations!! I'm so happy for you, your baby, and your family.

I think the epidural gone wrong will definitely become an urban legend.

cabesh said...

Hooray! Hooray! Cuddles for Bubby!

b. said...

Urban legend indeed! I can't wait to go to work tomorrow and say to my co-workers..."...did you hear about the lady...." Congratulations on your new boy and be well.

This is me said...

Congratulations all around! I, too, had to have the epidural reinserted three times (boo! indeed). I think the guy's exact words mumbled behind me were, "Um, I just can't seem to find the right spot." But, I escaped unscathed and unparalyzed (yay!). Glad to hear you did, too.

C. Jane Kendrick said...

It's too bad that Rachael Ray couldn't be your compassionate service leader. She would totally hook you AND Bubby and Mocoface and Curly and Lil J and that husband of yours up with some nice lasagne.
I LOVE YOU Mrs. J!

Bek said...

Wish I was there...but Yeah for baby and yeah for being home....

So excited to see pictures. Wishing you sleep and easy nursing!!

LuckyRedHen said...

Dinner? ;O)

dalene said...

Thanks ~j for saving me from the trauma-room drama of the entrance from life-flight arrival. Instead I was peacefully looking down at darling Quinn and witnessing the dawnings of the best epidural urban legend ever (wait a minute, aren't urban legends inherently untrue? This really happened!).

Glad I could be there (yay!) Mad I wasn't brave enough to hold your beautiful baby (boo!)

You get one of my specialties on Monday. I think comfort food is definitely in order for a friend in epidural-gone-bad recovery.

Dang you make cute babies! (yay!)

Geo said...

My sore throat is gone now (yay!) so I can kiss da baby on Wednesday when I bring you chocolate cigars (yay!)

But maybe you're morally opposed to chocolate cigars (boo!)?

sue-donym said...

So happy Bubby is here, healthy and home (yay!)
SO glad you survived the epidural ok so we can all tell everyone the cool story. (Just remember to take out the magician's metal plate next time)
So jealous that your good neighbors and friends are volunteering dinners and I am the shmuck who didn't even think to offer. (Boo!) (I guess that's what happens when you have a friend who doesn't cook).

On Tues morning did you say "Darin Quinn, come on down!"?

QueenScarlett said...

And... you have time to type all this up - WOW. I'll always remember Bubby's bday - that's our anniversary! 10/10 in Chinese is PERFECTION... so YAY for you. CONGRATS CONGRATS CONGRATS! CHEERS! (course...can't wait to see pics!)

kiki said...

I ain't never heard of such a thing as being paralyzed from the waist up from an epidural! That's crazy and weird. I can't feel half of my scalp right now, and it's kinda freaky. I'm glad everything is good and wonderful and you have good friends to take care of you and your family.

Tori :) said...

Did you deliver at UVRMC? I had a bum epidural there by the old guy with rainbow suspenders...
COngrats Jenny! So happy for y'all!

Lyle said...

If ever there was a reason to have a best week ever, this would be one of them. Congradulations.

~j. said...

Urban legend? Wow...just like Steve Martin, and the sister missionaries with the guys in white standing behind them.

sue - I wish I would have thought to say that, instead of the old, "I can't breathe! I can't breathe!"

queen - Thanks for the info on 10/10 -- is that why you have such a lovely marriage? Perfection!

tori - Yes, UVRMC. I've had the suspenders guy twice and he was brilliant. I presume that the guy I had this time is usually good, too, but everyone has their day, I suppose. This guy was seriously confused at what was going wrong.

everyone -- thanks for the nice wishes. Things are going well. Bubby is a champ at nursing, and he is just so happy. I can't wait until he smiles on purpose (right now he's just doing the accidental smiles that the babies do).

and to cw, geo, lucky, and others...thank you, thank you, thank you.

Guileless Mom said...

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!!!

Rachel said...

yay, yay, and more yay!

Anonymous said...

Hopefully, when your son grows up and he finds out he had the most sensitive part of his penis skinned alive, crushed and amputated without his consent, you can show him this post so he can see the sexual joke you made about his loss.

~j. said...

Anonymous - You are cordially invited to grow a pair.

Anonymous said...

But the kid was given sugar water...so that works out.

Geo said...

~j., I want you to be my PR person. Will you accept the job? Name your salary!

Rachel said...

yikes, anonymous! you'd think someone with your strong personal view on circumcision would let other people have their own view without making them feel barbaric. you can disagree with the procedure, but sometimes its best to disagree in silence, not just anonymity.