The Pearsalls

September 23, 2005 I had one of many prenatal appointments with Dr. Schweichler. Apparently my blood pressure was a little high, so she told me to "take it easy" over the weekend and come in on Monday to have my blood pressure checked again. It just so happens that our cat, Princess, escaped that weekend, so I didn't exactly take Dr. Schweichler's advice to "take it easy." I walked the neighborhood, made fliers, and went to every animal shelter in town to try to find Princess. Needless to say, that Monday, my blood pressure wasn't any better. In fact, it was 158/92; which, Dr. Schweichler informed me, is very dangerous. Since I was 39.5 weeks and 3cm dilated, the good Doctor sent me straight to the hospital to be induced. Do not go home, do not get a bite to eat, do not pass go - go straight to the hospital. So, Chuck and I walked next door to Norton Suburban Hospital.

We went to Labor and Delivery at about 2:00pm only to be told that there were no rooms available. The kind nurses there sent us to the waiting room while they prepared a room for us. Chuck took this opportunity to call our family and friends to tell them baby Ella would be here in the next day or so. I took this opportunity to write Chuck a very long list of things to do when he went home to get my bags.

Finally around 4:00pm, we got a room. Let me tell you, Norton Suburban has some nice labor and delivery rooms - hardwood floors, private bathrooms with big showers, sleeper chairs, the works! Anyway, around 6:00pm I was finally settled in and the nurses started the pitocin drip. My friend Katy and Chuck were there cheering me on, and my mom was on the way. The contractions weren't bad, and I thought this labor thing would be a breeze. Around 8:00pm, I was 4 or 5 cm dilated, so Dr. Case came in to break my water. Oh the comedy of errors that followed that fiasco! I owe Katy and Chuck a debt of gratitude for taking care of me while what seemed to be a never-ending river of amniotic fluid gushed from within my womb.

Shortly after Dr. Case broke my water, the real pain began. At first, I was laughing uncontrollably as I watched Katy and Chuck try to keep the river of amniotic fluid under control. Then, it stopped being funny, and I just wanted them to leave me alone as I grunted and breathed through contractions that were coming just 2 minutes apart. My mom had arrived by this point, and she and Chuck were chatting it up while Katy tried to comfort me between contractions. My mom joked that the contractions couldn't be that bad since I wasn't screaming yet. I wanted to kill her, and I wanted drugs (sorry Mom). My aspirations for a natural birth were quickly thrown out the window - I wanted drugs, and I wanted them NOW! So, the nurse gave me some demeral. The demeral got me mighty high, but it did nothing for the pain that coursed through my uterus approximately every 2 minutes. I remember saying to my mom, "Is it legal to be this high?" Yes, in fact, it was, and I liked it! Finally, around 10:00pm, I couldn't take the pain of the contractions any more, and I wanted the epidural. I was no longer afraid of some giant needle and tube going into my spinal cord. I wanted the pain to stop. The anesthesiologist was called in to administer the epi. Two hours later, I was finally able to relax. The next several hours were spent waiting and continually calling in the anesthesiologist to crank up the epi (apparently it was inserted incorrectly). Chuck slept peacefully, while my mom and I tried unsuccessfully to rest.

By 6:00am I was fully dilated, but Ella did not want to descend into the birth canal. Dr. Schweichler did some fiddling with the dosage of pitocin, and we waited. My dad arrived at about 9:00am and we waited some more. Finally, around 10:00am, the nurse came to check me and I was still 10cm dilated, but Ella still wasn't ready to come out. The nurse said we had at least a couple of hours until I could push. So, mom and dad decided to go down the street to Red Lobster to get a bite to eat. At 10:45am, Dr. Schweichler came in and decided that Ella wasn't going to come out no matter how hard I pushed, and we needed to go ahead with a c-section. Chuck made the necessary calls, I cried, and we were wheeled off to the operating room at about 11:00am.

The next few hours are fairly blurry to me. I remember being afraid and needing Chuck beside me more than I have ever needed anyone in my life. I remember the pressure being relieved from my body as Ella was born. I remember Dr. Schweichler showing me Ella. I remember being unable to breathe or swallow and having a panic attack and thinking I would die any moment. And I remember holding my baby girl in the recovery area after the surgery. Details are blurry, and rightfully so. Apparently I had enough morphine on board to put a horse out of its misery! What isn't blurry is the size of my nose after birth! My GOD, look at that thing! Rest assured, my face is really much more in proportion now.

Next...the hospital stay.