12 Hours

I was in bed last night for almost 12 hours. I didn't sleep that entire time, but I did sleep the vast majority of that time. I fell asleep at 7pm and woke up at 8:30pm. I had a bit of a time getting back to sleep, but eventually I did. No one woke me up to take my temperature, check my blood pressure, or adjust the fetal monitor. YAY! Even though I slept so much last night, I had no trouble taking a little nap on the couch this afternoon with Ian. Today was my first day at home alone with the kids all day in over four weeks. I had Ian use the kiddie potty so I wouldn't have to lift him up on the toilet. I let the kids watch a little more tv than usual so that I could stay on the couch as much as possible. I also read books to them such as Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters, When Dinosaurs Came with Everything, and Gingerbread Friends (Jan Brett).

I was supposed to have a doctor appointment this afternoon at 3:30. At noon they called to tell me that appointment was cancelled. I was really confused so I called the Harrisburg office (it was my OB office that called me). I said that yesterday Dr. Martinez told me I should keep my Thursday appointment and also come to Harrisburg on Monday. Yesterday at noon when they did my ultrasound it showed that the velocity in his mid-cerebral artery was already starting to rise. He was just barely out of the mild anemia category, and this was only 19 hours after the transfusion. Dr. Martinez told me yesterday that he thought the next transfusion would be in less than one week. I told him that Dr. Tressler (the one who did the transfusion) said that usually another transfusion is needed every 2-3 weeks. He said that in the beginning they need to be closer together until a greater percentage of his blood is my type of blood (he's O positive like Ian, Paul, and Nadia are but they're giving him O negative blood like I have). Well today Dr. Tressler said that he didn't want any of my ultrasounds done at the local office (because their equipment in Harrisburg is better), and he was fine with me waiting until Monday for the next ultrasound. I called the woman from church who was planning to take me to and from the doctor appointment, and I called Beth to let her know Gabby didn't need to come over as my appointment was cancelled. The only advantage I saw to having any appointment today was I thought it might give the doctor insight into having a better idea as to when the next transfusion will take place.

I know to bring a suitcase on Monday in case I am admitted like I was this Monday, but it makes it hard to know what to do with the kids. My friend, Cheri, is willing to rearrange her plans so that she could take me to and from that appointment on Monday, but if I am going to be admitted, we were thinking Paul might take me as my mom might meet us at the hospital (if we find out I am definitely being admitted) and take the kids to Maryland (Harrisburg is much closer to their house than our house is). One of my sisters (along with her husband and five kids) arrived in the US today. We haven't seen them in two years. I thought Ian and Nadia might have fun playing with their cousins for a couple of days if I am hospitalized for 48 hours again next week like I was this week. This week the kids stayed with Paul's parents for 48 hours so Paul could get some work done. We're having a hard time deciding whether I should ride with Cheri (and the kids would stay with a babysitter up here) or if Paul should take the kids and I down. Paul thinks I'll probably be admitted so probably I'll tell Cheri that Paul will take me. If I do have another transfusion next Tuesday, I hope we can do it with just local anesthesia and conscious sedation because my back is bruised from the epidural. I don't really want an epidural, spinal, or general anesthesia next week if at all possible. I'd rather be in a little more pain for a few minutes (while the needle is in my belly) than have my back be in pain for days afterward. I don't remember getting a bruise when I had the spinal with Ian's c-section, but maybe the c-section incision distracted me from any back discomfort.

The kids were supposed to have physicals on Monday morning (Ian's 2.5 year and Nadia's 4 year). I called today to cancel them because I'll be en route to Harrisburg at that time of day. They offered to reschedule, and I told the receptionist that I've been in and out of the hospital, and it was very probable that I'd have to keep rescheduling the appointment. I asked if it mattered if we waited a couple of months, and she said as long as Nadia wasn't starting Kindergarten in the fall, that would be fine. So we'll just wait until after the baby is born to reschedule their well child visits.