My C-section Story
Hi friends!
So... Here is my story. If you’ve been following me a while, most know I had some complications post Reese. I mean, my whole pregnancy was a wild one. Haha - remember the broken toe incident followed by a pandemic? That’s GOLD material there. 🫠 Anyway, fast forward to the last few days of Reese joining this scary world. We were unsure of so much, everything and everyone was frantic. I gave birth to our last baby girl, right at the start of the pandemic. The night before they were saying that partners weren’t going to be allowed in the rooms, terrifying! Thankfully Erik was with me through the very end. I was scheduled for a c-section , and everything went according to plan. We were both healthy, and safe in our little bubble for 3 days. The News was on 24/7 with the uncertainty of the world but safe. Until we weren’t, well I wasn’t. For the next few days it was pure bliss. The four of us along with FaceTimes with our family and friends. You know #covidbaby2020. C-section was rough for me. Whoever says it’s the easy way out, is out of their damn mind. It was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do. Every time I stood up etc. One day I started getting these pains, which I swore were gas pains. Erik went on a mission to find gas meds which was nearly impossible because of curfew, but finally he found them. That didn’t help, and it started escalating. By the middle of the night, I couldn’t sit, lay down, nothing. I just kept standing under a hot shower, which somewhat alleviated it. Although now in hindsight it was probably mental. This is where things get fuzzy.
I was terrified it was worse than it was but I kept thinking, ‘I’m fine, it’s just gas.’ That’s all. Finally I text my best friend, who’s my personal nurse, ha! And luckily she was working in the ER that night, where Reese was born. The stars aligned. She told me to come in immediately, it could very well be muscle pain from the c-section etc. Of course, I was terrified to leave the girls, expose myself and the girls/erik to covid, I didn’t want to. Finally I did, after hours of tests, we found out I had a Pulmonary Embolism (clots, MANY of them, in my lungs). To the point that I can say I’m so very lucky. Per my doctor, If I didn’t go into the hospital when I did, I may not be here sharing this story with you. I was admitted and while I’m so glad and lucky to get the most amazing medical care, I couldn’t help but cry and cry and cry knowing I left my two babies home. Even typing this out I get so choked up. Knowing all we went through. Eventually I had another stint a week later and had to get admitted again, thankfully not for long this time around. I had a long journey ahead, lots of self administered blood thinning injections 2xs daily in my stomach, a year of blood thinners, steroids, you name it! But I’m here! How amazing the body is. I’m here; I made it. It hasn’t been easy. I sometimes start to think of the what ifs. Or terrified that it can happen again, or what if I clot and I don’t know and don’t wake up. For weeks, heck months, (still do) it would be so scary to go to sleep with the fear of not waking up. The mind can be a scary place, add postpartum hormones, and a global pandemic to the mix. It’s been a wild wild year. I’m so incredibly grateful though, the worst is over. I am able to continue sharing this beautiful place with my babies. I am so grateful for my beautiful friend that I swear saved my life by forcing me to come into the ER, for Erik, for my babies, family and friends. I am so grateful for myself, for this magical body that not only created two mini humans but fought hard af to be here. So that’s my story, so much more to it.. but I think I’ve kept you here long enough. *IF I HAVENT LOST YA! 😂* Thanks for being here for the ride. 💕 appreciate YOU all too!
XOXO
Ari