Re: Dreading C-section #2

[Jamie Clark]

Goodness, Nan, that is shocking. I'm sure seeing ones own intestines is a
scary thing. Gack! I think although, "it happens," it can't be good or
normal, and like you, I'd tend to blame the surgeon who performed your
c-section, and perhaps the OB who took the staples out without examining you
closer to see if perhaps you needed more than just some steri-strips.

I'm so glad that all is well now!
--

Jamie & Taylor
Earth Angel, 1/3/03

Check out Taylor Marlys -- www.MyFamily.com, User ID: Clarkguest1,
Password: Guest
Become a member for free - go to Add Member to set up your own User ID and
Password

Check out our Adoption Page at http://home.earthlink.net/~jamielee6


"Nan" > wrote in message
...
> On Tue, 8 Jun 2004 14:24:38 -0700, "Circe" > wrote:
>
> >All right! We can institute entire new traditions and celebrations around
> >our RDs. I love it.
>
> Sounds wonderful. Coming close to buying the farm has made me have a
> greater appreciation for life!
>
> >I never did actually read what happened to you, as I was in Greece at the
> >time. I went and looked through the archives on Google, but I never found
an
> >exact description of what transpired. I gather you had an automobile
> >accident and that opened up your incision, but that's about all I know.
Can
> >you explain more (or provide a link to a post on Google that does)?
>
> Well, I'm sure you're aware I had a second c/s after attempting a
> VBAC.
> My incision had trouble healing and was bleeding heavily one evening
> (after I'd been released from the hospital). The OB on call that
> night said I could come to the ER, but she felt it was likely a
> "pocket of blood" that needed to drain out.
> Since dh was at work, it was 1 am and I was with both kids, I chose
> not to go to the ER, but went to the clinic the next day.
> That OB said all was well (I was still bleeding) and he'd take my
> staples out in two days.
>
> Fast forward 2 days: Still bleeding (but not as much) and in pain, I
> go to the OB appt. His nurse informs me, "he said the staples are
> coming out today, no matter what". Okay... they were becoming
> embedded anyways.
> Staples out, Steri-strips in their place.
> We went to the drug store to get my Rx, and while I was waiting, I
> felt my stomach starting to burn and sting. I thought the Steri
> strips were pulling, so I pull the waistband of my pants out to loosen
> it, and to my horror, I see my intestines bulging out of my incision.
>
> I had to leave all my purchases on the counter and try to make my way
> to the parking lot with my 4 year old, where dh was waiting in the car
> with the baby. A cashier called 911 and I got my first ever ambulance
> ride. The paramedic told me he'd never seen an evisceration in the 15
> years he'd been a paramedic.
>
> Ack. It got kind of long... sorry :-)
> But no, no accident, no physical exertion, no nothing on my part. It
> simply happened. Every time I tried to ask "why", I got an "it
> happens sometimes" answer. Frustrating!
> I may be wrong, but I blame the OB/surgeon that did my c/s.
>
> Nan
>

[Circe]

Nan wrote:
> On Tue, 8 Jun 2004 14:24:38 -0700, "Circe" >
> wrote:
>> All right! We can institute entire new traditions and celebrations
>> around our RDs. I love it.
>
> Sounds wonderful. Coming close to buying the farm has made me have
> a greater appreciation for life!
>
I feel the same way. It's definitely life-affirming, though it's definitely
not a course I'd recommend for everyone (too much chance of it going the
wrong way, doncha know?).

> We went to the drug store to get my Rx, and while I was waiting, I
> felt my stomach starting to burn and sting. I thought the Steri
> strips were pulling, so I pull the waistband of my pants out to
> loosen it, and to my horror, I see my intestines bulging out of my
> incision.
>
Yowwww! Now *that* is an experience I *definitely* think I could go my
entire life without having! There are certain things that are meant to stay
on the insides, and I'm a firm believer that intestines definitely fit that
bill. I think I'd have passed out on the spot! You really kept your wits
about you under the circumstances.

> But no, no accident, no physical exertion, no nothing on my part.
> It simply happened. Every time I tried to ask "why", I got an "it
> happens sometimes" answer. Frustrating!
> I may be wrong, but I blame the OB/surgeon that did my c/s.
>
Well, I don't blame you for blaming the surgeon. It happens just isn't a
good answer for something like that, IMO.

Anyway, I'm glad you made it and I'll be making note of your Resurrection
Day next year <g>!
--
Be well, Barbara
Mom to Sin (Vernon, 2), Misery (Aurora, 4), and the Rising Son (Julian, 6)

Aurora (in the bathroom with her dad)--"It looks like an elephant, Daddy."
Me (later)--"You should feel flattered."

All opinions expressed in this post are well-reasoned and insightful.
Needless to say, they are not those of my Internet Service Provider, its
other subscribers or lackeys. Anyone who says otherwise is itchin' for a
fight. -- with apologies to Michael Feldman

[Leslie]

Nan said:

>I may be wrong, but I blame the OB/surgeon that did my c/s.

Frankly, Nan, I would consider legal action if I were you. I had never heard
the whole story before. That is simply terrible, and outside the realm of
acceptable as "just one of those things that happens."

One reason I would look into legal action is to protect yourself in the future
regarding insurability. I recently found out that complications after my last
birth have caused me to be rated for life insurance. I haven't tried to obtain
private medical insurance since then but I expect that I may run into
difficulty. It's a long story, but all the tests I had to undergo which made
it seem as though I am at risk for heart problems are a simple result of no one
bothering to check my blood before I left the hospital. This has caused a blot
on my medical record that will now follow me for the rest of my life, even
though my health is perfect. Had I pursued legal action, at least there would
have been some record that there was nothing wrong with *me*.

I don't know whether this applies to your situation, but it's something to
think about.

Leslie

[Nan]

On Tue, 8 Jun 2004 16:03:50 -0700, "Circe" > wrote:

>I feel the same way. It's definitely life-affirming, though it's definitely
>not a course I'd recommend for everyone (too much chance of it going the
>wrong way, doncha know?).

Absolutely.

>Yowwww! Now *that* is an experience I *definitely* think I could go my
>entire life without having! There are certain things that are meant to stay
>on the insides, and I'm a firm believer that intestines definitely fit that
>bill.

I'd have to agree with you <G>
Having the paramedic utter "oh my god, ma'am" when he had to cut my
clothing off didn't do much to boost my confidence either, hehe.

> I think I'd have passed out on the spot! You really kept your wits
>about you under the circumstances.

Part denial, part shock and mostly trying to not become hysterical in
front of my 4 year old. She was frightened enough as it was.
I wish I would have gotten the name of an elderly lady that helped put
dd back into her carseat and waited with us until the ambulance came.
I consider her an angel in disguise. Dh was trying to keep me from
fainting in the parking lot, bless him.

>Well, I don't blame you for blaming the surgeon. It happens just isn't a
>good answer for something like that, IMO.

He was on call that day, too! I fired him off my case once the
drug-induced fog lifted from my brain, though. Having him tell me,
"you're fine, it doesn't hurt" when he was hurting me was too much.

>Anyway, I'm glad you made it and I'll be making note of your Resurrection
>Day next year <g>!

Cool :-)
I keep telling the family I'm still around because Someone wants me to
make them crazy <G>

Nan

[Nan]

On Tue, 08 Jun 2004 22:57:20 GMT, "Jamie Clark"
> wrote:

>Goodness, Nan, that is shocking. I'm sure seeing ones own intestines is a
>scary thing. Gack! I think although, "it happens," it can't be good or
>normal, and like you, I'd tend to blame the surgeon who performed your
>c-section, and perhaps the OB who took the staples out without examining you
>closer to see if perhaps you needed more than just some steri-strips.
>
>I'm so glad that all is well now!

Thanks Jamie
I was in denial about it, initially. When dh came into the trauma
room with the babies is when I lost it, but kept a brave face so as
not to scare my 4 year old. Poor kiddo was frightened enough.
Fortunately, a nurse was starting to administer the morphine right
then, lol.

Both doctors got "fired". <G>

Nan

[Nan]

On 09 Jun 2004 02:34:14 GMT, (Leslie) wrote:

>Nan said:
>
>>I may be wrong, but I blame the OB/surgeon that did my c/s.
>
>Frankly, Nan, I would consider legal action if I were you. I had never heard
>the whole story before. That is simply terrible, and outside the realm of
>acceptable as "just one of those things that happens."

You know, if just one of those doctors would have said, "I'm sorry you
went through that", I'd be fine. I'll never hear it though... they
need to cover their collective butts, I guess.

>One reason I would look into legal action is to protect yourself in the future
>regarding insurability. I recently found out that complications after my last
>birth have caused me to be rated for life insurance. I haven't tried to obtain
>private medical insurance since then but I expect that I may run into
>difficulty. It's a long story, but all the tests I had to undergo which made
>it seem as though I am at risk for heart problems are a simple result of no one
>bothering to check my blood before I left the hospital. This has caused a blot
>on my medical record that will now follow me for the rest of my life, even
>though my health is perfect. Had I pursued legal action, at least there would
>have been some record that there was nothing wrong with *me*.
>
>I don't know whether this applies to your situation, but it's something to
>think about.

I don't know about legal action, but I'm sure my record is marred now,
too. I had a bunch of tests done due to complications, in which
everything turned out fine.
But they'll see "congestive heart failure" in there and assume the
worst, I suppose.

Nan

[Nan]

On 09 Jun 2004 03:44:43 GMT, (Leslie) wrote:

>Nan said:
>
>>But they'll see "congestive heart failure" in there and assume the
>>worst, I suppose.
>
>Exactly! I had an EEG and an EKG and a CT scan and a VQ scan and I don't even
>remember what all else, all of which were perfectly normal, and somehow I have
>a black mark now. All I needed was a couple of pints of blood. If they would
>have just given me that when I got there, I would have been spared pain, fear,
>a blot on my record, and a $10,000 hospital/specialist bill.
>
>Leslie

I had the EEG and CT scan, too. What is a VQ scan?
In my case I had severe edema and was finally given diuretics. Well,
duh! Stop pumping me full of IV fluids and I might not swell up so
much!
I felt like a cash cow, to be honest.

Nan

[Leslie]

Nan said:

>But they'll see "congestive heart failure" in there and assume the
>worst, I suppose.

Exactly! I had an EEG and an EKG and a CT scan and a VQ scan and I don't even
remember what all else, all of which were perfectly normal, and somehow I have
a black mark now. All I needed was a couple of pints of blood. If they would
have just given me that when I got there, I would have been spared pain, fear,
a blot on my record, and a $10,000 hospital/specialist bill.

Leslie

[Leslie]

Nan said:

>What is a VQ scan?

I'll be damned if I know. I had to go in some kind of tube, and it involved
radiation. It was supposedly better than a CT scan for looking for whatever it
was they thought they were looking for (clots, IIRC). I refused it at first
because it requires pumping and dumping for no one seemed to know how long.
However, after I had the CT scan the radiologist informed me that required
pumping and dumping. We thne went ahead with the VQ scan, only to discover it
too late that she was totally wrong about CT scanning being incompatible with
bf.

That was another thing--these people were totally clueless about the effect of
any of this on bf. Ask one person, get one answer, ask another, get a
different answer. I ended up having my (fortunately) lactating sister spending
the night at the hospital with me and her 18 month old baby so she could nurse
William as well, supplementing him as well with a syringe of frozen milk of my
step-sister's that my father happened to have in his freezer! I decided after
about 14 hours upon advice and Hale's info from people on mkb to start nursing
again.

I later found out from a nurse who was working there at the time that all the
other nurses thought I was nuts for not just giving William formula.

Leslie

[Nan]

On 09 Jun 2004 04:16:55 GMT, (Leslie) wrote:

>Nan said:
>
>>What is a VQ scan?
>
>I'll be damned if I know. I had to go in some kind of tube, and it involved
>radiation. It was supposedly better than a CT scan for looking for whatever it
>was they thought they were looking for (clots, IIRC). I refused it at first
>because it requires pumping and dumping for no one seemed to know how long.
>However, after I had the CT scan the radiologist informed me that required
>pumping and dumping. We thne went ahead with the VQ scan, only to discover it
>too late that she was totally wrong about CT scanning being incompatible with
>bf.

Yep, my CT scan was to look for pulmonary embolism. My tech wouldn't
say for sure if it was compatible with BF, but I was working with an
LC. Since my scan was in the wee hours, I pumped and the nurses
labelled the ebm with red tape so we could dump it if the LC said it
wasn't safe. My dh was coming every day to pick up the ebm.

>That was another thing--these people were totally clueless about the effect of
>any of this on bf. Ask one person, get one answer, ask another, get a
>different answer. I ended up having my (fortunately) lactating sister spending
>the night at the hospital with me and her 18 month old baby so she could nurse
>William as well, supplementing him as well with a syringe of frozen milk of my
>step-sister's that my father happened to have in his freezer! I decided after
>about 14 hours upon advice and Hale's info from people on mkb to start nursing
>again.

How awful. I was fortunate to have the LC. The nurses were all very
supportive, even when I was only able to pump 1/4 oz at a time. It
took them more time to clean the pump parts than such a small amt. of
ebm was worth to them, I'm sure.

>I later found out from a nurse who was working there at the time that all the
>other nurses thought I was nuts for not just giving William formula.

Ugh. I had to convince my nurses to give my dh some formula to take
home. My dd was only a week old when my accident happened and I
didn't have a chance to get my supply established, so we had to
supplement.
We're still struggling, but I have lots of support.

Nan

[Irene]

(HollyLewis) wrote in message >...

>
> I ended up scheduling a repeat section because my second baby, like the first,
> was breech, and multiple attempts at turning her failed. The first baby was
> not *known* to be breech until I'd been in labor all day long and was still
> only 1 cm, so my first section, while not an "emergency", was an unplanned
> late-night surgery. The second was planned and took place midday. Neither
> section was a pleasant experience; in fact, in some ways the second one seemed
> worse -- though that could just be faulty memory on my part! I do think that
> my recovery from the second one has been a bit faster, but that may be largely
> because feeding and parenting a newborn is easier the second time around,
> rather than because the surgery itself was any different. Overall I have to
> say they were about equally painful, from a physical standpoint. Emotionally,
> well, I'm actually very glad I did have the labor experience with my first
> baby, and I'm glad he was allowed to be born when he was ready and not before;
> I am struggling a bit with some negative feelings over the lack of labor with
> and the earlier (38 week) birth of the second, even though I'm satisfied that I
> made the right decisions given the circumstances I found myself in. For you,
> of course, the emotional calculus may be different.
>
> Bottom line, *I* would never, ever recommend a repeat section to anyone who
> could attempt a VBAC. But YMMV. Good luck making your decision.
>
> Holly
> Mom to Camden, 3 years
> and Laurel, 1 week
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Hey, congrats! I don't see an announcement post - am I missing it, or
are you just testing our powers of observation?

Irene

[Sophie]

"Nan" > wrote in message
...
> On 09 Jun 2004 02:34:14 GMT, (Leslie) wrote:
>
> >Nan said:
> >
> >>I may be wrong, but I blame the OB/surgeon that did my c/s.
> >
> >Frankly, Nan, I would consider legal action if I were you. I had never
heard
> >the whole story before. That is simply terrible, and outside the realm
of
> >acceptable as "just one of those things that happens."
>
> You know, if just one of those doctors would have said, "I'm sorry you
> went through that", I'd be fine. I'll never hear it though... they
> need to cover their collective butts, I guess.

This ia a huge pet peeve of mine in many situations - if someone would just
say sorry, I'd be fine, but I guess they can't for legal reasons.


>
> >One reason I would look into legal action is to protect yourself in the
future
> >regarding insurability. I recently found out that complications after my
last
> >birth have caused me to be rated for life insurance. I haven't tried to
obtain
> >private medical insurance since then but I expect that I may run into
> >difficulty. It's a long story, but all the tests I had to undergo which
made
> >it seem as though I am at risk for heart problems are a simple result of
no one
> >bothering to check my blood before I left the hospital. This has caused
a blot
> >on my medical record that will now follow me for the rest of my life,
even
> >though my health is perfect. Had I pursued legal action, at least there
would
> >have been some record that there was nothing wrong with *me*.
> >
> >I don't know whether this applies to your situation, but it's something
to
> >think about.
>
> I don't know about legal action, but I'm sure my record is marred now,
> too. I had a bunch of tests done due to complications, in which
> everything turned out fine.
> But they'll see "congestive heart failure" in there and assume the
> worst, I suppose.
>
> Nan

[Circe]

Nan wrote:
> On 09 Jun 2004 02:34:14 GMT, (Leslie) wrote:
>> One reason I would look into legal action is to protect yourself
>> in the future regarding insurability. I recently found out that
>> complications after my last birth have caused me to be rated for
>> life insurance. I haven't tried to obtain private medical
>> insurance since then but I expect that I may run into difficulty.
>> It's a long story, but all the tests I had to undergo which made
>> it seem as though I am at risk for heart problems are a simple
>> result of no one bothering to check my blood before I left the
>> hospital. This has caused a blot on my medical record that will
>> now follow me for the rest of my life, even though my health is
>> perfect. Had I pursued legal action, at least there would have
>> been some record that there was nothing wrong with *me*.
>>
>> I don't know whether this applies to your situation, but it's
>> something to think about.
>
> I don't know about legal action, but I'm sure my record is marred
> now, too. I had a bunch of tests done due to complications, in
> which everything turned out fine. But they'll see "congestive heart
> failure" in there and assume the worst, I suppose.
>
I have to admit, I never thought about this particular wrinkle since my
episode last year (which, of course, I can't blame on anyone but myself and
I certainly can't sue anyone since the doctors unquestionably saved my
life). Fortunately, I already have as much life insurance as we need and I
can convert it or add more without undergoing any physicals or anything. I'm
sure *my* records would scare the cr*p out of life insurers now, though,
since it includes words like "sudden asthmatic death" and "heart attack" and
"full cardiac arrest". Early in my treatment, there was some discussion as
to whether there was something wrong with my heart, but ultimately, it was
agreed that the heart attack was caused by my blood being so cyanotic from
not breathing properly and not by my heart itself.

The most ironic thing about my potential uninsurability as a result of this
incident is that I'm in better health now and my asthma is in *far* better
control than at any other time in my life. I'm actually a better risk now
than I was when I first got insurance!
--
Be well, Barbara
Mom to Sin (Vernon, 2), Misery (Aurora, 4), and the Rising Son (Julian, 6)

Aurora (in the bathroom with her dad)--"It looks like an elephant, Daddy."
Me (later)--"You should feel flattered."

All opinions expressed in this post are well-reasoned and insightful.
Needless to say, they are not those of my Internet Service Provider, its
other subscribers or lackeys. Anyone who says otherwise is itchin' for a
fight. -- with apologies to Michael Feldman

[Nan]

On Wed, 9 Jun 2004 09:29:42 -0400, "Sophie" >
wrote:

>"Nan" > wrote

>> You know, if just one of those doctors would have said, "I'm sorry you
>> went through that", I'd be fine. I'll never hear it though... they
>> need to cover their collective butts, I guess.
>
>This ia a huge pet peeve of mine in many situations - if someone would just
>say sorry, I'd be fine, but I guess they can't for legal reasons.

Exactly. For me, it's about showing compassion and support. Too bad
so many fear saying it.

Nan

[Nan]

On Wed, 9 Jun 2004 08:38:11 -0700, "Circe" > wrote:

>The most ironic thing about my potential uninsurability as a result of this
>incident is that I'm in better health now and my asthma is in *far* better
>control than at any other time in my life. I'm actually a better risk now
>than I was when I first got insurance!

I never would have thought about it either. I've been planning to get
a copy of my record from the hospital, and this issue is making me get
off my duff and do it <g>

I've never had any health problems, and it's scary how something
beyond one's control has the potential to make them uninsurable.

Nan

[Leslie]

>
Nan said:

>Yep, my CT scan was to look for pulmonary embolism. My tech wouldn't
>say for sure if it was compatible with BF, but I was working with an
>LC.

That's another thing that irks me--my hospital has an LC on staff, and did
anyone even bother to seek her out and ask her? Nope. She came to see me
after I had already started nursing again and mentioned that she had a copy of
Hales in her office. If they have the freaking thing there, why did noone I
ask bother to go look in it?

Since my scan was in the wee hours, I pumped and the nurses
>labelled the ebm with red tape so we could dump it if the LC said it
>wasn't safe. My dh was coming every day to pick up the ebm.

It sounds like they were at least trying to be supportive. I had access to a
hospital grade pump but I have never been able to get the hang of pumping.
Engorged though I was, NOTHING would come out.
<<snip>>

>
>Ugh. I had to convince my nurses to give my dh some formula to take
>home. My dd was only a week old when my accident happened and I
>didn't have a chance to get my supply established, so we had to
>supplement.

How long did you end up having to be away from her? How awful to have that to
worry about, on top of everything else.

>We're still struggling, but I have lots of support.

I'm glad. :-)

Leslie

[Leslie]

Barbara said:

>I have to admit, I never thought about this particular wrinkle since my
>episode last year (which, of course, I can't blame on anyone but myself and
>I certainly can't sue anyone since the doctors unquestionably saved my
>life). Fortunately, I already have as much life insurance as we need and I
>can convert it or add more without undergoing any physicals or anything. I'm
>sure *my* records would scare the cr*p out of life insurers now, though,
>since it includes words like "sudden asthmatic death" and "heart attack" and
>"full cardiac arrest". Early in my treatment, there was some discussion as
>to whether there was something wrong with my heart, but ultimately, it was
>agreed that the heart attack was caused by my blood being so cyanotic from
>not breathing properly and not by my heart itself.

I'm glad you have all your insurance needs already met! I have enough life
insurance; this was a disability policy we were trying to buy. The rating
didn't make it all that much more so we went ahead and got it, but it still
****ed me off!

>
>The most ironic thing about my potential uninsurability as a result of this
>incident is that I'm in better health now and my asthma is in *far* better
>control than at any other time in my life. I'm actually a better risk now
>than I was when I first got insurance!

So true! Insurance companies seem to look for any excuse they can to refuse or
rate you nowadays.

Leslie

[Leslie]

Nan said:

>I've never had any health problems, and it's scary how something
>beyond one's control has the potential to make them uninsurable.

It is very scary, and it doesn't take much.

A few years ago my husband left a county job with very good benefits to go into
practice for himself. We continued his benefits with Cobra (although not ours,
because we couldn't afford it) until the 18 months were up, and then attempted
to get him private insurance (which is such a waste anyway because of the
super-high deductible you have to have if you want to be able to afford the
premiums).

Lo and behold, they declared him uninsurable. He has asthma and depression.
An agent informed us that it's the depression that makes them turn people down.

Lucky for us, our state medicaid program insures you if you have proof of
uninsurability and thus he has very good coverage (except for having to jump
through various bureaucratic hoops and sometimes having to go far afield to
find a sepcialist who will accept his policy) for just $150/month and a a$10
co-pay for medicines (he takes a lot of them!).

Now, though, they are trying to make budget cuts and he has to go through
recertification meaning that he has to get all his medical records to show the
state why he is uninsurable. We were almost happy that he had to have a
colonoscopy recently because we're thinking, "Yay! Some more proof for the
TennCare people!" :-p

Leslie

[Donna Metler]

"Nan" > wrote in message
...
> On Wed, 9 Jun 2004 09:29:42 -0400, "Sophie" >
> wrote:
>
> >"Nan" > wrote
>
> >> You know, if just one of those doctors would have said, "I'm sorry you
> >> went through that", I'd be fine. I'll never hear it though... they
> >> need to cover their collective butts, I guess.
> >
> >This ia a huge pet peeve of mine in many situations - if someone would
just
> >say sorry, I'd be fine, but I guess they can't for legal reasons.
>
> Exactly. For me, it's about showing compassion and support. Too bad
> so many fear saying it.
>
> Nan
This is actually one thing that I love the perinatal practice I'm with. Both
the peri I was with 2 years ago and his partner who I'm currently seeing are
able to show compassion. My last doctor did cry with me after my son was
delivered. My current one did say that he was sorry that I had to go through
so much, and that while he couldn't promise that things wouldn't go bad
again, that he would do his best to make it as easy on me as possible.

[Nikki]

Donna Metler wrote:
> "Nan" > wrote in message
> ...
>> On Wed, 9 Jun 2004 09:29:42 -0400, "Sophie" >
>> wrote:
>>
>>> "Nan" > wrote
>>
>>>> You know, if just one of those doctors would have said, "I'm sorry
>>>> you went through that", I'd be fine. I'll never hear it though...
>>>> they need to cover their collective butts, I guess.
>>>
>>> This ia a huge pet peeve of mine in many situations - if someone
>>> would just say sorry, I'd be fine, but I guess they can't for legal
>>> reasons.
>>
>> Exactly. For me, it's about showing compassion and support. Too bad
>> so many fear saying it.
>>
>> Nan
> This is actually one thing that I love the perinatal practice I'm
> with. Both the peri I was with 2 years ago and his partner who I'm
> currently seeing are able to show compassion. My last doctor did cry
> with me after my son was delivered. My current one did say that he
> was sorry that I had to go through so much, and that while he
> couldn't promise that things wouldn't go bad again, that he would do
> his best to make it as easy on me as possible.

I think they only fear it when they feel some culpability.

--
Nikki
Mama to Hunter (5) and Luke (3)

[Nan]

On 09 Jun 2004 19:34:36 GMT, (Leslie) wrote:

>That's another thing that irks me--my hospital has an LC on staff, and did
>anyone even bother to seek her out and ask her? Nope. She came to see me
>after I had already started nursing again and mentioned that she had a copy of
>Hales in her office. If they have the freaking thing there, why did noone I
>ask bother to go look in it?

I don't blame you for being irritated. I specifically asked the
nurses to contact the LC, so I don't know if they would have thought
about it or not.

>It sounds like they were at least trying to be supportive. I had access to a
>hospital grade pump but I have never been able to get the hang of pumping.
>Engorged though I was, NOTHING would come out.

The nurses were wonderful, with one exception and I only had to endure
her for one shift, TG. Luckily I was able to act as my own case
manager and make sure I asked the needed questions. If the
nurses/assistants didn't know the answer right away, they went to the
trouble to find out quickly.

>How long did you end up having to be away from her? How awful to have that to
>worry about, on top of everything else.

I was in the hospital for 9 days. I could have had her stay with me,
but I couldn't get out of bed or use the toilet or shower unassisted
for the first 6 days, so caring for a newborn would have been far too
difficult.

I'd pump through the day and dh would bring the girls in the evening
and I'd nurse then. He was amazing, considering he had both girls to
care for 24/7.

>>We're still struggling, but I have lots of support.
>
>I'm glad. :-)

I'm still hoping we get the issues sorted out, but it's hard not to be
a little bitter towards the surgeon, as I feel our nursing
relationship would be fine if this had never happened.
Ah well.

Nan

[Nan]

On Wed, 9 Jun 2004 15:10:10 -0500, "Donna Metler"
> wrote:

>This is actually one thing that I love the perinatal practice I'm with. Both
>the peri I was with 2 years ago and his partner who I'm currently seeing are
>able to show compassion. My last doctor did cry with me after my son was
>delivered. My current one did say that he was sorry that I had to go through
>so much, and that while he couldn't promise that things wouldn't go bad
>again, that he would do his best to make it as easy on me as possible.

My regular practice has been great. Since I had to have the
c-section, I was referred to the OB/surgeon on call that night, but my
regular doctor attended.
When I took baby A for her 2 month check up, the doctor asked after me
as well, and acknowledged what I'd been through... the unwanted
c-section and the other hospitalization.
It's the surgeon that probably feels some culpability that won't say
anything to me.

Nan

[Daye]

On Mon, 7 Jun 2004 13:06:01 -0500, (Wendy)
wrote:

>My question is: Do c-sections get less painful the second time around.
>I'm not too sure I want to attempt a VBAC. The area where the did the
>incision is still somewhat numb anyway so wouldn't the incision hurt
>less?

For me, it was less painful and easier to recover from. It wasn't
easy, but you know that since you have already had one. IMO,
scheduled c/s is a lot better than an emergency one in recovery times
and the pain factors.

--
Daye
Momma to Jayan and Leopold
See Jayan and Leo: http://www.aloofhosting.com/jayleo/
Updated 28 Feb 2004

[Daye]

On Mon, 7 Jun 2004 20:13:01 -0400, "Donna"
> wrote:

>General anesthesia carries with it a much higher risk of *serious*
>complications - something like 1:250,000. It's not something that is used
>when there are other options. Just FYI.

I agree. I LOVED being awake for the birth of my children. I wanted
to see them right after they came out. I wanted my husband at the
birth. These things do not happened if you are under a general.

--
Daye
Momma to Jayan and Leopold
See Jayan and Leo: http://www.aloofhosting.com/jayleo/
Updated 28 Feb 2004

[Daye]

On Tue, 8 Jun 2004 10:18:27 -0500, (Wendy
Pearson) wrote:

>If I actually went into labor I would be delighted to attempt VBAC. My
>biggest concern is for the baby. Is a planned c-sec. exactly at 40 weeks
>better for baby than a 42 week VBAC or attempted VBAC and emergency
>section? I don't want the baby getting distressed.

In my experience, they will not schedule a c-section that late, nor
will they want you to go over 40 weeks for a VBAC. I live in
Australia, and YMMV.

I hate to ask forcefully for my baby to be born at 39 weeks. They
were trying hardcore to get me to agree to a 38 week c-section, but I
stuck to my guns. It wasn't an argument, but I was polite and firm.

--
Daye
Momma to Jayan and Leopold
See Jayan and Leo: http://www.aloofhosting.com/jayleo/
Updated 28 Feb 2004

[Leslie]

Nan said:

>I don't blame you for being irritated. I specifically asked the
>nurses to contact the LC, so I don't know if they would have thought
>about it or not.

You'd think I would have thought of it but I guess I was too confused what with
being wheeled all over creation having tests for no one would say what while my
head felt like it was going to burst. All I could think of was posting to mkb.
I KNEW someone there would be able to help me. And of course I was so blessed
to have my sister available to nurse William and she even had a couple of her
lactating friends lined up to donate milk in case I had to continue to pump and
dump.


>
>>It sounds like they were at least trying to be supportive. I had access to
>a
>>hospital grade pump but I have never been able to get the hang of pumping.
>>Engorged though I was, NOTHING would come out.
>
>The nurses were wonderful, with one exception and I only had to endure
>her for one shift, TG. Luckily I was able to act as my own case
>manager and make sure I asked the needed questions. If the
>nurses/assistants didn't know the answer right away, they went to the
>trouble to find out quickly.

I am so totally, totally amazed that you had the strength and presence of mind
to look after your interests in that way given what you were going through. I
am sure you are one of very few women who would have continued bf under the
circumstances, and who could have blamed you?

>
>>How long did you end up having to be away from her? How awful to have that
>to
>>worry about, on top of everything else.
>
>I was in the hospital for 9 days. I could have had her stay with me,
>but I couldn't get out of bed or use the toilet or shower unassisted
>for the first 6 days, so caring for a newborn would have been far too
>difficult.
>
>I'd pump through the day and dh would bring the girls in the evening
>and I'd nurse then. He was amazing, considering he had both girls to
>care for 24/7.

My husband is great with newborns, but I cannot imagine him having the total
care of one plus a preschooler for nine days! I guess God gives us strength to
handle what we need to.


>
>>>We're still struggling, but I have lots of support.
>>
>>I'm glad. :-)
>
>I'm still hoping we get the issues sorted out, but it's hard not to be
>a little bitter towards the surgeon, as I feel our nursing
>relationship would be fine if this had never happened.
>Ah well.

I guess there's no point in looking back. All you can do is work on what you
have at this point. I bet you'll get it all straightened out in the end.

Leslie

[Nan]

On 10 Jun 2004 03:17:53 GMT, (Leslie) wrote:

>You'd think I would have thought of it but I guess I was too confused what with
>being wheeled all over creation having tests for no one would say what while my
>head felt like it was going to burst. All I could think of was posting to mkb.

It's not easy to think of these things, especially when time in a
hospital seems to move at a different pace than the rest of the world.
If not for the clock in front of my bed, I doubt I would have realized
day from night, sometimes.

>I am so totally, totally amazed that you had the strength and presence of mind
>to look after your interests in that way given what you were going through. I
>am sure you are one of very few women who would have continued bf under the
>circumstances, and who could have blamed you?

I learned when my mom was hospitalized, that it's best to have someone
advocate for you, if possible. The staff is looking after so many
other patients, that try as they might, your best interests aren't
always first and foremost on their minds. I'm just glad I wasn't so
out of it that I couldn't think clearly. My dh is typically the one
to ask questions, but he was so focused on taking care of the kids
that I didn't want to burden him.

Trying to continue breastfeeding gave me something to focus on... to
keep my mind off the horror of what happened. Holding my dd while
nursing made me feel so good, I figure it went a long way in helping
me recover :-)

>My husband is great with newborns, but I cannot imagine him having the total
>care of one plus a preschooler for nine days! I guess God gives us strength to
>handle what we need to.

Dh even cleaned and rearranged the house while I was gone! I've told
him he deserves a trophy :-)

Nan

[Ericka Kammerer]

Nan wrote:


> I learned when my mom was hospitalized, that it's best to have someone
> advocate for you, if possible.

Absolutely. I wouldn't let anyone I cared about
be in the hospital alone. More than 10 percent of patients
now hire private nurses to increase the safety of their
hospital stay in the US because staffing is too tight way
too often, and it only takes a small mistake to make a huge
difference. When my grandmother was in the hospital, we
took shifts to be with her 'round the clock.

Best wishes,
Ericka

[Wendy Pearson]

I completely agree about not letting someone you love be in the hospital
alone. My husband nearly severed his arm in a woodsplitter last Nov. and
I stayed with him in the hospital for 3 weeks. He was on so much pain
medication and so out of it that he couldn't tell the nurses important
things like what he was allergic to, etc. Which they got wrong anyways
and I had to correct them, they put the wrong type of medication on the
allergy bracelet! Even more disturbing, the ambulance drivers couldn't
find the hospital! I rode with and I was instructing them like, hello,
but there is a blue sign with an H on it pointing that way!!! I am just
glad I was there with him and I couldn't agree with you more.

Wendy

[Leslie]

Nan said:

>I learned when my mom was hospitalized, that it's best to have someone
>advocate for you, if possible. The staff is looking after so many
>other patients, that try as they might, your best interests aren't
>always first and foremost on their minds.

So true. My grandmother had a stroke in January, and my mother spent every
night in the hospital with her for that reason. She is finally getting to move
into assisted living next week, but she has been in a number of nursing homes
in the interim, and there have been all sorts of mistakes with dosages,
etc.--my mother is there two times every single day.

> I'm just glad I wasn't so
>out of it that I couldn't think clearly. My dh is typically the one
>to ask questions, but he was so focused on taking care of the kids
>that I didn't want to burden him.
>
>Trying to continue breastfeeding gave me something to focus on... to
>keep my mind off the horror of what happened. Holding my dd while
>nursing made me feel so good, I figure it went a long way in helping
>me recover :-)

I just bet it did!

>
>>My husband is great with newborns, but I cannot imagine him having the total
>>care of one plus a preschooler for nine days! I guess God gives us strength
>to
>>handle what we need to.
>
>Dh even cleaned and rearranged the house while I was gone! I've told
>him he deserves a trophy :-)
>
He sure does! You've found a keeper, obviously. :-)

Leslie