Hospital Hopping

How sad that it has been a year since we've posted anything! I have no good excuses. I thought, however, now that I am fairly contained, that I would take the opportunity to keep you updated...

For those who don't know, or don't know much about the situation, we've had a fairly dramatic couple of weeks...

As I hope you all know, I am pregnant with twins! It has been a very exciting time for us, and while it had been a fairly quiet prenancy, there were a few bumps that are bound to occur when your body is trying to accomodate a baby more than it was generally designed to. After a talk with my dr. it was decided that I should stop working and spend my days "resting." No need for panic they told me, there was no sign of immenent problems, but they wanted to me take it easy. We had planned a trip to New York to see some dear friends (the Moodys) and some of the city for a Babymoon, and the doctors told me as long as I wasn't standing for more than 20 minutes at a time I could do whatever I felt up to...so we decided to go...and we had a wonderful, relaxing, enjoyable weekend with our friends. Until Sunday the 18th. I wasn't feeling well that morning, and then there were some slight symptoms of preterm labor that caused my doctor at home to want me to go somewhere to get checked out...not Boston because they were having a snowstorm. We went to a hosp. on Long Island fully expecting it to be nothing - as it had been the other times I had to make a hosp. visit (doctors are very cautious with multiples,so we had visited Labor & Delivery a couple times already). That was not the case...when I got there it turned out I was having contractions every 6-9 minutes (I hd no idea the crumminess I felt was contractions), and it looked like I was in early stages of labor. Suddenly they were giving me steroids for the babies' lungs, medicine to stop the contractions, and a new room because they were admitting me ("only until the snow stops in Boston and we can send you there"). We weren't too concerned though (or we were in shock) because the medicine seemed to work and the contractions basically stopped, and soon we would go home. The next morning, even though the snow stopped in Boston, they decided to keep me 1 day longer to finish the 48 hr. cycle of the medicine they had started...and then later in the day they did an ultrasound and discovered I had an almost non existent cervix in terms of length and we heard the dreaded words, "It looks like you'll be here until they're born."

The rest of the week was a bit of a blur. No one could give us any definite answer as to when the twins might be born...just that getting to 32 weeks would be ideal (I was 27 at the time - 32 weeks seemed astronomically far away). There were hints of a chance that, if I remained stable we could go back to MA, but no guarantees. Our friends were stuck suddenly with Lucas living on their couch, and we were suddenly trying to rearrange our lives for a potentially long stay in NY. It was a week full of many emotions.

By early the next week (the 26th) we discovered that my cervix had remained stable, I wasn't having any contractions, I wasn't on any medicine to stop contractions, and I was being slowly weaned off monitors, etc. We started our campaign to be transferred to Boston. While the week before had been a crushing whirlwind of emotions, this week was characterized by hope and planning. Lucas and I became focused on our one goal - getting me home. Lucas even mapped out every hospital on the drive home that had the facilities we would need and their addresses and phone numbers (we would never have been more than 30 min. from a hosp.). The doctor was very hesitant however. After talking with many people, nurses and residents there and friends who were nurses, we finally decided that we would ask one more time why I was being kept there, and if the doctor couldn't give us a reason that satified us, we would leave on our own. The doctor admitted her concern was hosp. liability and that we could leave AMA (Against Medical Advice). While it was hard for me to rebel, Lucas and I chose that option, and I called my MA doctor to coordinate the transfer here.

We were nervous...and excited. We prayed like crazy and then took off. Thankfully, the trip was uneventful and shorter than we expected! When we got here they did all the same tests and monitoring and everything was the exact same as it was just before we left!

The doctors here are similarly concerned about my relatively non existent cervical length, and so I'm currently here on bedrest somewhat indefinitely. Although, Lucas and I are so much more relaxed and at peace being here in MA that I'm ok with that. Plus, I've always wanted uninterrupted time to read and relax...and now I have it!

We have been so thankful for all of the prayers, and continue to feel and appreciate them. Our big goal, as mentioned earlier, is to make it to AT LEAST 32 weeks. I am 29 weeks now & we currently have 20 days to go (Feb. 22 is the 32 week mark). Since we thought at one point we probably wouldn't make it even this far, we are hankful for every extra day they are able to stay in and grow. Every morning is a new celebration of another day to check off. At this point the doctors seem very upbeat and confident that we can make 32 weeks, and possibly beyond! We're holding tightly to this hope, and are praying that it can become a reality.

I will attempt, since I am fairly limited in mobility ( and therefore have no excuse!), to keep this up to date or include some of our crazy stories. And to keep you posted on the progress of our countdown.