Tuesday, September 11, 2012

The Story of My Second C-Section

Just putting this out there, because I wanted to get something posted and my brain went blank, 

I really, really hate being awake for a surgery. Really, really hate it. Knock me out. I thought I'd be cool with it, I've had one before (Kittyboy, under general), I have no problems with needles or blood or anything, and Dr. Z had said that he was going to recheck my platelets right before, make sure we could do it with an epidural, because it's so much better for everyone, so I was aware there are really good reasons to not be out completely if you don't have to be. Among other things, if you're conscious, your uterus starts contracting afterward, which helps stop the bleeding. It's also better for the baby, the baby comes out more awake and so assessments of health are easier and quicker.
So I knew this already. Then they wheeled me into the OR, and I started freaking out. I think they had one nurse whose main job was "keep this mom from going psycho" because I don't think she did much other than rub my arms and tell me exactly what everyone was doing and try to get me talking about other things, and remind me about every five minutes that it really, really, really is better to have an epidural than general anesthetic when possible. Any time anyone asked if I wanted a hot towel or something (because I was shaking so hard), I told them to put me out, and they would say the same thing again about how much better it is for baby and mom to have them conscious. And then they'd put a hot towel on somewhere. It was really kind of funny, thinking back on it - "honey, you're shaking a lot, are you cold?" "Knock me out!!" "No, it really is better this way, and you can even see her afterward. You're doing fine. Here, have a hot towel!" The nurse rubbing my arms would say, "Okay, now she (the nurse behind me) is going to clean the site for the injection. So how old is your other child?" And I would think what the heck, why does it matter? "Uh, he's five, WHAT-IS-SHE-DOING-NOW?" I calmed down a little after they put up the big drape and I couldn't see much except blue - like blindfolding a horse, I suppose - and it was cool hearing her cry when she came out, and then the freakout-prevention nurse said since B was out, she COULD give me something small to make me a little calmer, I said YES!!! And being a drug wuss and sensitive to everything, I then passed out completely until I was being transferred back into my bed (but hey, I was certainly MUCH calmer). I don't know what my problem was, but between the idea of getting a shot in my back where I couldn't see it, and being awake for A SURGERY, I was a wreck. Husband was there and everything, I just couldn't stop shaking for some reason. BP while they were prepping was the highest it had ever gotten. Husband said later, after I told him about Freakout-Prevention Nurse and the shaking (which someone pointed out could have been me going into shock), that that must have been why it took them so long to bring him in. The nurse who gave him scrubs had said they'd be in for him in 15-20 minutes, after I was prepped. He says it was 45 and he was starting to think something was going wrong!
So there's the story!