mouthybrat

As some of you know, I used to be very active on the boards. I spent some time away due to health problems and then a very difficult pregnancy.

I don't normally tell everything to everyone about my life, but in order for you to understand what I am asking, you need to know the story behind it. It might be a little long-winded, and I will apologize now about that...

My first son was born on Feb. 29, 2000. A bouncing 7 pounds 15 1/2 ounces. He was about a week early, and I spent the last 3 months of my pregnancy in bed due to high blood pressure.

When I found out that I was going to have another baby, I was scared to death that I would go through the same thing again. Sure enough, I started having problems with blood pressure, and this time, even blood sugar.

At 34 weeks, I began having contractions. Since it was too early, they gave me medicine to stop labor and sent me home. I was told to rest. I thought, "yeah right, with a 3 year old, you want me to rest?!?!"

My husband stopped working to stay home and take care of me and our son. We had weekly visits to the doctor and at 35 weeks, we started going twice a week for non-stress tests and monitoring. The goal was to get me to 39 weeks for delivery.

At 36 1/2 weeks, I began having chest pains. Thinking that it was my heart, we went directly to the hospital. The hooked me up to monitors, did an EKG and determined that it was not my heart. But, they said, it could be a blood clot in my lungs. They did a test, no blood clot! This was on Thursday.

Friday-Visit with the doctor, he tells me to try some antacids over the weekend and if I was still having problems when I came in on Monday to have my bags packed and be ready for baby.

Monday-Still having the pain, I go to the doctor's office at 10:30 am. They do an amnio, send me to the hospital with the fluid for testing and get me ready for a c-section. The amnio results come in and are 124 for lung maturity. I am told anything over 50 is mature enough to be delivered without fear of lung problems.

3:31 pm, July 28, 2004- Robert "Bobby" John Flinn comes into the world SCREAMING his precious little head off! He was perfect, IMO, at 7 pounds 13 ounces and three weeks early!

Around 7:00 pm, that same day: The nurse comes in to check our vitals. "Bobby is breathing too hard," she says. "I am going to take him to the nursery and put him on a monitor." She picks him up and he spits up. There are a few drops of what looks like blood.

My world comes to a complete stop. I tell my husband to go with Bobby, he shouldn't be alone with this happening to him. I am sitting in the room by myself telling my self over and over to "Let go and let God handle it."

My husband comes in with the doctor, Bobby had apparently swallowed some fluid and some of my blood during the delivery. Nothing to worry about there. But...

Since he was delivered by c-section, he didn't get squeezed during delivery to get all of the fluid off his lungs. To be on the safe side, they want to send him to Children's Hospital in Columbus, Ohio. It is now 10:00 pm, Monday. I tell my husband that I want him to go with Bobby. My sister, mom and dad are all here with me. My doctors tell me I can go as early as Thursday, when they release me from the hospital. My father-in-law will drive my husband up to Columbus.

10:30: Columbus if fogged in, the helicopter can't take off. They are sending the mobile unit down to get Bobby.

12:30 am: They arrive to get Bobby. The nurses that will be taking him give me a calling card and tell me I can call anytime I want to get an update on Bobby. The leave me with two polorid pictures of my sweet angel, and give me the chance to say good-bye. I am not allowed to hold him, he is hooked up to oxygen and monitors. He looks so helpless, yet I feel a sense of calm because I know God is going with him and I somehow know in my soul that he will be okay.

3:00 am: They arrive at Children's. My husband is given a room to sleep in while they get Bobby settled. My father-in-law is given a room, too. They decide to take shifts, one sitting with Bobby while the other sleeps.

Tuesday morning: Bobby is doing well, so well in fact that my husband and father-in-law are able to hold him. He is still on oxygen, but the prognosis is good. My husband is told to go over to the Ronald McDonald House across the street from the hospital. They will give him a room to sleep in, even if we have no money to pay for it, which we don't.

My father-in-law returns home, my husband is up there alone with Bobby. The nurses convince him to go and eat something, he won't be any good for Bobby if he is not well himself. When he gets back, there is comotion in Bobby's area of the unit. His left lung has collasped. They are putting in a chest tube. My husband can't hold him until it is removed.

Tuesday-Thursday: Bobby steadly improves, they slowly decrease the oxygen. By Thursday, the chest tube is able to come out.

5:15 am Thursday: My doctor comes in, "Are you ready to go to Columbus?" he asks! Well, duh! I was ready Monday night! I call my sister, "I will be ready by nine. Be here to get me!" We leave town by 10:00 am for the two hour drive.

12:00 Thursday: I get to hold my baby! He is hooked up to so many monitors an wires are everywhere, but I finally get to hold him in my arms and it is even better than the pain medicine the doctor gave me before I left the hospital!

My husband takes me over to the Ronald McDonald house. They are giving us a room on the first floor, so I won't have to climb stairs. We are there until Monday, when the doctors finally tell us Bobby can go home. He will be fine, they say.

Nearly four months have passed now since my world went completely upside down. Bobby is now almost 15 pounds and has a set of lungs to be proud of. He eats well, cries little and is a shining ray of light in my life. The only way you can even tell he went through the whole ordeal is a tiny scar on his left side that will fade within a few years.

Now that you know the history, here is what I am asking: Even if you don't eat at McDonald's, please find it in your heart to go there and donate whatever you can to the Ronald McDonald House Charity. This organization is the only reason my husband and I were able to be with our son during this ordeal. We were not expected to pay for the room we stayed in, our only responsibility was to clean our room when finished, clean up after ourselves in the kitchen and bathroom, and a few chores like vacumn the hallway and dust a few peices of furniture. They even have a food pantry there in case the families don't have money for food.

The Ronald McDonald House is a worthwhile charity to give to. The money is used to help families through one of the toughest situations any could go through. I hope and pray that you never have to experience how helpful this organization is, but should the day come when a child of yours is sent to any Children's Hospital in the world, know that there will be a Ronald McDonald House there for you to stay should you need it. It is there because of the generosity of those who drop their change in a bucket at McDonald's.

Thank you for taking the time to read my story. And thank you, in advance, for helping keep the support for families in situations like mine going by donating to the Ronald McDonald House Charity!

pam

April, Thanks for sharing part of your life with us. Sometimes, we forget that everyone has their 'stuff' to deal with. Sounds like you have a lot to be thankful for this Thanksgiving. I have never had any experience with Ronald McDonald House but have heard other stories like yours. They always feel the same way you do...that it was such a blessing.

Happy Thanksgiving!
Pam

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It's better to be thought an idiot than to open your mouth and remove all doubt![ This Message was edited by: pamtannails on 2003-11-26 09:39 ]

TanningEmporium

Thanks for sharing...Congrats on the special angel you have been blessed with. I know too what the Ronald McDonald house can do for you and they are a blessing to those who cannot afford to pay to be away from home.

mouthybrat

Thank you for the prayers and kindness! Bobby will be 4 months old on Friday! I can't believe how fast the time has gone! He is rolling over already

My little baby isn't so little anymore! I'm afraid I will wake up tomorrow and he will be packing his bags for college!

Time flies by too quickly, so I have learned that you have to treasure the time you have and don't let the little things get you down. This experience with Bobby brought that message home all too clearly! Don't waste what time you have, you never know when yours or someone else's will be up!