One year ago September 29th

Wow - it's hard to believe this day is here.  One year ago today, I was in pre-term labor and didn't know it. 

The night before, we were in Claire's nursery getting curtains hung and going through a few things.  I remember sitting on the floor just not feeling well, but that was nothing out of the ordinary.  I had just had the ultrasound earlier that day to check on Claire and she looked good. 

The next morning, I remember waking up to the alarm clock around 6 am and thinking my belly sure did hurt.  But I continued to snooze a little while longer.  I just figured I had slept in one position all night and my stomach was sore from that.  I finally got up and that's when I realized that something was wrong.  I still didn't realize I was having contractions.  But when I went to the bathroom, I knew something was wrong, seriously wrong. 

I yelled for Trent and he didn't know what to do.  We frantically searched the book I had been reading "What to Expect When Expecting" to see what was going on.  What I read told me that I needed to be seen immediately.  So I called the OB/GYN's office knowing they were closed, but praying they had a on call doctor.  No.  The message just said to go to the ER if you thought it was an emergency or the office opened at 8 am.  Well, I didn't want to go sit in the ER because I didn't know how long it would take to be seen.

So I decided to get a shower, get dressed, and just show up at the office at 8 am.  I put on my most comfortable maternity jeans and a new yellow maternity shirt I had just bought that weekend at the consignment sale.  I figured I would just head on into work after my check up.  Not sure why I thought this after I realized it was something serious.  But I guess I was in denial.  It was pouring down rain and nasty outside.  I remember about the time I got to New Bern, I realized I was having contractions.  My stomach would tighten up on top.  I remember walking into the doctor's office and telling the lady at the front desk that something was wrong.  She told me I could either wait there until the on-call doctor came in (could be an hour) or go to the ER.  I decided to stay there.

My first email to 2 coworkers that day:  7:21 AM "I'm going to be late this morning.  Running to doctor."

Second email to the same coworkers:  8:10 AM "Hey - I'm at the doctors office but won't be able to see on call dr for another hour.  I'm going to sit and wait.  Not feeling good this morning and not sure what's going on.  And I'm wearing jeans and tennis shoes to work today!!  :)"

The receptionist called me back up and asked how many weeks I was.  When I told her 28 weeks, she just stared at me.  That scared me.  I told her I thought I was having contractions and she told me to write them down and she would go get someone.  I realized then that they were about 5 minutes apart. 

She came back out and said the midwife was there and could see me now if I wanted to.  Of course I ran back there and thank God, the midwife was a friend of ours.  She was a sight for sore eyes.  I felt so relieved to see Mandy.  All of the nurses back there were scurrying around me and taking care of me.  Mandy checked my and I was 90% effaced and dilated 1-2 centimeters.  She then gave me the look and said it was time to go to the hospital because I was in labor.  I burst into tears!  Mandy and the nurses hugged me, told me to get dressed, and then I could call Trent, my mom, and Anita. 

Next email to coworkers:  8:42 AM "Going to hospital.  Will update soon."

I was so scared!  Mandy offered to drive me to the ER thank God.  She was a saviour that day.  I remember getting to the hospital, registering in a wheelchair, and being taken back.  I don't remember much after that except all of a sudden being in a room, on a hospital bed, with IVs started, the doctor coming in to check me, etc.  I told them I WAS delivering at Duke so they had to get me there ASAP.  I remember a nurse coming in to check on me who was best friends with Mandy.  Mandy had told her to make sure I was ok.  How sweet!

Next email to my coworker:  11:34 AM "Still hooked up.  Contracting.  May go to Duke today."

The next thing I remember was telling Trent things to pack at home and being loaded onto the ambulance.  They wanted to fly me on the helicopter, but the weather was extremely bad, so that wasn't an option.  So I got to ride alone on the back of an ambulance with a complete stranger.  No fun. 

I remember the EMT that rode back there with me was a man from Greenville.  I had to tell him every contraction I had so he could track them to let Duke know.  They were getting closer together - like every 2-3 minutes apart by the time we got to Kinston.  It was so uncomfortable on that gurney laying still for 2 hours.  I remember asking the guy if he had ever delivered a baby before and he said no.  I thought, great!  I hope today is not the day! 

He was not familiar with the road from New Bern to Durham so he couldn't tell me where we were.  I kept having to try to see billboards or things out the window to tell where we were.  I remember feeling a relief when I realized we were on 40 near Raleigh.  Every stoplight we came to they turned the sirens on.  It was crazy!

Last email:  1:25 PM "In Goldsboro on ambulance on way to Duke."

After that, I remember getting to Duke and being unloaded in some dungeon type place, riding the elevator to Labor and Delivery, and I remember Beth and one of my sisters were there.  I remember my back and hips hurt SO bad and I couldn't even get myself off the gurney onto the bed.  They had to lift me.  After that, it's pretty much a blur.  That magnesium sulfate they had me on was rough.  They turned it up as high as they could to stop the contractions.  I remember being sick, extremely HOT, and thirsty.   All I wanted was popsicles (I was on a liquid diet).  The rest of my family came up that night but I don't remember.  It seemed like 10 days in one.  I remember them saying I had to keep Claire put or she might not make it.  My goal that night from the doctors was to get to 10 am the next day so I could get the second steroid shot for Claire's lungs (I had received the 1st shot that morning at 10 am in New Bern at the hospital).  If I could make it to 10 am the next day and get the 2nd shot, Claire stood a much better chance. 

It's funny how the weather the past few days have been rainy just like last year this time (just not as much).  It's crazy how the whole week has been thrown off for me.  I felt like yesterday was the day I went into labor a year ago since it was on a Wednesday.  So my days have been off. 

It's hard to believe that today a year ago was the start of such a wild ride.  But I wouldn't trade it for anything else, because the prize has been so worth every single second. 

Love,
The Scott Family