After our wonderful trip to Orlando for the holidays, it seems as though it all might have taken a toll on my body. I spent the following days in the ICU at Broward General.
Here is the [edited] email I sent friends, which I am just going to copy here so I don't have to retype everything!
The story goes like this...The last 3 days were a bit scary. I got home yesterday evening and needed some rest and a shower (!) and have been trying to take it easy. I will continue to take things easy this week and just try not to overdo it. I'm just thankful to be home for Christmas and that Elizabeth and I are fine! I will go see my regular OB next week and the Cardiologist the following week for a check-up.
I was on bed rest on Sunday because Ken and I did a lot of walking on Friday & Saturday and I had some mild contractions and bleeding, which made me a little nervous. After spending half of Sunday resting, I was ready to go do a little last minute Christmas shopping. When I got up, I suddenly felt very dizzy and then my heart started racing. I looked down and could literally see my chest jumping it was beating so hard. I also was feeling tingles down my arms and my chest hurt. I called Ken immediately to come home, then called my doctor, who told me to go to L&D immediately. They worked on me for a couple of hours, and finally managed to get my heart rate back to normal. (It was about 260 BPM, normal is 60-100) I was also having trouble breathing and had a dry, hacking cough the whole time, so they knew something else was going on and sent me for a CT-Scan (which was a little scary, knowing there was a risk to the baby). Their suspicions of a clot on my lung were thankfully negative, but they did see a lot of fluid on my lungs and started treating me for that in the ICU. After 2 days of oxygen and diuretics (plus a ton of other drugs!), my breathing was mostly back to normal and they moved me back to L&D for observation. Once my final Ecko (ultrasound on my heart) came back good, I was able to get released! Boy, was I happy!
Unfortunately, there are no answers as to why this happened, at least not from the doctors. This leads Ken and I to our own theory. We had ordered Chinese food on Saturday night after getting home from Orlando, but never ate the noodles we ordered, so I ate them for lunch on Sunday with a nice, tall glass of diet coke (caffiene). We suspect that they could have used MSG. (My mom has had a reaction to MSG before too.) While I was in the hospital, Ken was telling one of his coworkers my symptoms and the coworker said he had the same symptoms when he had "Chinese food and a coke" one day awhile back. Ken never told him that that is what I had! So, who knows if that's why, or if it was a combo of the stress from the previous 2 days on my body, but it's definitely noteworthy. Needless to say, I won't be having Chinese food anytime in the near future! ;-)
One thing I have learned through all of this is that my daughter is a fighter. Through everything, she did so well and stayed healthy and happy and moving as usual! Her heart rate stayed right where it needed to be and she continued to play in my belly the whole time, where she is happy. I am so thankful she is still inside me. My doctor did give me 4 rounds of steroids for her to develop her lungs even further, in case I will have to deliver her early. I hope she stays put until at least February! (She is due 2/21) By the way, she is now about 4 pounds and approx. 17 inches long!
I'm so thankful this Christmas to be home and healthy! Merry Christmas to you!
This was the picture for our Christmas card this year. I absolutely love it. We tried and tried to get good photos of the dogs with us as well, but there was just too much movement - they would not sit still! So here is the best shot of all of us in our Santa hats!
Christmas was extra special this year because 1) I am home and healthy, and 2) because of the wonderful miracle I have inside me. Elizabeth is already so loved! Santa even brought her something for Christmas!
And Grandma Judy sent adorable outfits for Elizabeth too. Thanks Judy!
It was so beautifully decorated and there was lots to do! We walked around, enjoyed some coffee (Ken) and an ice cream (me) then walked around the Atrium a bit.
On Saturday, we spent the day at Disney's Animal Kingdom! Ken and I both love to see animals/zoos and we're been wanting to go back. Little did I know that I was having contractions all day while walking around!
