Give or take the vicious circle of piles, diarrhoea and
constipation not to mention the water retention that gave me legs Nelly the elephant
would’ve been proud of, it had been a pretty idyllic pregnancy up until that
day in September 02 when i was admitted to Medway hospital for observation
after a slightly raised blood pressure reading.
My midwife had commended me on how well I was looking after
myself and the nurse who escorted me to the maternity unit that day seemed
genuinely surprised at how enthusiastically the woman who was by now the size
of a small planet climbed the stairs instead of using the lift.
My stay at Medway though was short lived as a shortage of
cots for my probable premature multiple delivery led to me being transferred to
the Q.E.Q.M in Margate.
One not entirely comfortable ambulance ride later we arrived
at the coastal town hospital bathed in the glorious Indian summer sunshine and
I was wheeled through the doors to settle in.
However whereas in Medway I’d felt close to home I now felt like
I was miles away from those who cared for me. The staff were lovely but as I watched
the other expectant mums, who obviously lived locally receiving regular
visitors I began to feel very lonely sat in that side ward not knowing whether anyone
was going to find time to visit me that day.
The stress of it must have finally started to take its toll
on my health when at around midnight that Saturday i woke up with the most
horrendous heartburn and pounding headache. The nurse looking after me was
wonderful fetching me some antacid and aspirin and after a good cry, I finally settled
down deciding I’d probably feel much better in the morning.
That was, until i tried to pay a visit the ladies before
going to breakfast.
Try as I might, simple deed as it was, something seemed to
be preventing me from carrying it out, for while I could see that all I needed
to do was walk round the end of the bed my brain didn’t seem to register it and
the more confused I got as I banged against the bed time and time again ,the
more scared I became.
By now in a state of complete panic i grabbed the emergency
button from the wall frantically pressing it till somebody came. The last thing
i remember after that is feeling myself collapse onto the bed whilst shuddering
violently before eventually passing out.
Coming to later on
and finding my partner, mum and older brother sitting next to me looking very
worried i wondered what all the fuss was about. My other half showed me
pictures on his camera and said “you’ve had our babies “but spaced out on
whatever I’d been given I just smiled and nodded not really registering what he
was going on about.
My throat was feeling a little tender and I recall asking
for a drink which i savoured ,then in a spectacular bright green stream projectile
vomited across the bedclothes as it reacted with the drugs in my system before I blacked out once more , coming round
to find my family sitting watching either the antiques road show on a TV that had been provided and thinking,
quite bizarrely given how poorly i was “ oh it must be Sunday evening “!
It wasn’t until a few days later that I realised the
seriousness of the drama I’d been starring in while asleep.
The heartburn and headache had been symptoms of the onset of
pre-eclampsia, which had resulted in a fit that Sunday morning, my confusion being
due to my body starting to shut down.
During the emergency caesarean, I’d died twice on the
operating table losing so much blood at one point that technically according to
one doctor I shouldn’t have still been alive but my battered little body
apparently astonished the medical staff with its will to survive.
Even the haemorrhage
that occurred after my exorcist impression, didn’t keep me down for too long,
in fact the surgeon who’d brought my boys in the world and saved my life
couldn’t believe i was the same person he saw a week later eagerly going off to
look after her new arrivals in the special care baby unit with as much of a
spring in her step a still healing caesarean wound would allow.
So i want to say thank you now as i did then to the hospital
staff who worked so hard to make sure my boys had a mum to spend mothers day
with and that i got to see them grow into lovely young men because although i sometimes
forget the big medical drama i caused all those years ago its heart-warming to
know that this one had a happy ending.
And for that i am eternally grateful, Q.E.Q.M.
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