OB update

Yesterday I met with my OB. She checked the heart rate, in the 140s(my boy is consistent, I don’t think we’ve ever had anything different since around 13 weeks.) She asked how the bleeding was, and then said we’d decided the mode of delivery at 35 weeks. I told her honestly, a vaginal delivery, given all my craziness, makes me nervous. She said that she understands, and in my position, she would be nervous as well. She then said, if I wanted to do a c-section and just avoid the crazy cervix altogether, she was perfectly fine with that. So that is what we’re doing. She’s going to talk to Dr. W our MFM, because if we do a c-section, she would prefer to leave the cerclage in until 6 weeks post partum to let the cervical swelling and craziness from pregnancy go down. So I have the latest date possible Calvin will be here. December 30th sounds like a great day to have a baby doesn’t it?

I know that I will likely get some flack for this decision, but those people haven’t experienced the bleeding and fear that Joseph and I have. And letting my cervix dialate and efface makes us nervous, then to push a baby through the cervix…it just seems safest for us to avoid the cervix altogether. In fact, my OB said she’s not doing any more speculum exams, she’s going to send me to Dr. W for them. She admitted that when she attempted the colposcopy and I started bleeding, she didn’t know if she would be able to stop it. So she understands the issues and is fully supportive. She also informed me that I am a case study and Dr. W and Dr. M are writing it up. I am so thankful she passed me on to them when she did. And I am thankful as of now, she will be delivering Calvin. If I go early, it could absolutely be a different doctor from the practice, but for now it’s Dr. T. On December 30th 2014, at 12 noon!

Cervix update

We had our follow up for the surgery with the MFM today. He said it looks great in the sense that he can actually make out a cervix! There is still some vasculature but it is looking much more normal. Now I go back to my normal ob til 35 weeks, then I’ll have a check up with a new MFM(mine is taking a new specialty boards in Feb, so he’ll be done practicing by October) at which time they’ll decide what to do from there. Best case scenario is they’ll clip the cerclage and let nature take its course for a vaginal delivery.

 

Cervical Varicosities bill (update)

I had posted when the bill was in progress. Yesterday I received a a piece of mail from our insurance saying that Dr.M had thought enough ahead to get the cervical revision preapproved, but in reviewing the bill, if my insurance deemed anything medically unnecessary, it would not be covered. They had sent a similar notice last week, I don’t remember it saying the whole “things might not be covered” so I started panicking thinking this was our insurances way of telling us we’re reviewing it, there are some things we’re not going to cover, here’s your heads up. Clearly I was wrong. You can clearly see, our insurance adjustment took care of about $18600 of this, which brings up a whole other discussion, but either way, right now we’re thankful.

Bill has been posted

You can see that insurance hasn’t decided what they’ll pay yet. But another bill for $3000 ish they paid $640, we paid $160. But seeing that number…whew. We’re not certain if that is EVERYTHING, I kind of highly doubt that it is everything. Like that is just the hospital, I’m fully expect to get a bill from our anesthesiologist, and both Dr.W and Dr.M. Just to put it into perspective, Dr.W did our fetal heart echo, and it was the $3000 bill mentioned, so having him preform cervical surgery, I expect to be much more. What we have taken away from this, is we will likely meet our out of pocket annual MAX once this is all said and done. So hopefully Calvin, and anything else that happens will be FREE.

I have a follow-up appt with Dr.W September 11th at 9:15, and then a follow-up with my regular ob Dr.T September 12th 11:50.

Mom gene.

We have seen Dr. W and his entourage. In addition to that, we’ve seen three from Dr.M’s entourage so far. One of the doctors that was in there stopped by and checked in on us. When she was leaving she said “Most people when they wake up sound goofy and aren’t making any sense. The first thing you said was ‘How’s my baby?’ You’re a mom already.”

Vagina has been unpacked, waiting an hour before they take out the catheter. Just having the packing out feels amazing. When the catheter comes out, I’ll be able to walk around. Dr.W didn’t sound like be wanted to send me home today.

I called my principal and told her I’m not suppose to work for two weeks. She said they’d take care of it.

Cervical surgery success

(is it alliteration is if doesn’t all start with the same letter, but has the same sound?)

So we registered at 9:30. We were back getting IV, labs drawn, and heard Calvin’s heartbeat.

 At 10am minister from our church showed up to pray for us.

about 10:45, my mom and sister showed up, my sister brought some sewing project she needed ripped which was nice mindless work. Around 11, Joseph’s parents showed up.

Several nurses and residents and doctors came to talk to us about one thing or the other. Dr. W talked to us so did Dr. M, just going over the surgery, confirming I would be under general anesthesia.

About 1145, the anesthetist came to talk to us. She said she would prefer to do a spinal if we were ok with that. We said we were(though I preferred general) if the Dr.W and Dr.M OK’d it. She said she check. She came back about 10 minute later saying it would be general. They couldn’t give me versed(I think is what its called) BC it isn’t allowed during pregnancy. Versed is a sedative that helps with anxiety going into the OR where you see all the machinery.

At about 12:15, they came to take me back. Joseph said a prayer and we kissed goodbye. They wheeled me into the OR, and I scooted onto the table. The anesthesiologist came in and put me out.

I woke in recovery really thirsty and having to pee. The informed me I had a catheter in, but I told them I really had to pee. They checked the catheter to make sure it wasn’t kinked. It wasn’t. They told me my vagina has been packed, and that was likely causing pressure that I was feeling. They gave me some pain meds, Dr. W came by and told me everything went well, baby was fine. They brought in a Doppler and I listened to the heart beat. They then asked if I wanted my family, but my vagina hurt so bad, so I said just my husband.

Joe came back and I was determine I had to poop, and that would relieve this feeling. The nurse put me on a bed pan, and nothing happened. I asked her if we could take the vaginal packing out(knowing that we couldn’t, but I was in pain) she said no, but she could give me more pain meds. So she did.

Shortly after, they moved us up to Labor and Delivery. My mom and sister joined us, Joseph sent his parents home.

when the pain meds work, I’m in barely any pain, just minimal pressure.

What happened in the surgery:

My cervix was full of these varicosities. So they put in a cerlage.

One of them ruptured and Dr.M told Joseph and our family’s it poured like a faucet, if it had happened at home, I wouldn’t have made it to an ER.

My vagina is packed and they will unpack it in the morning, if the bleeding has subsided, we will go home tomorrow. If not we will stay another night.

What this means for the rest of the pregnancy:

The level of bleeding will be greatly reduced. They said I may still bleed while these varicosities are clotting up.

I will continue under the care of my ob Dr.T. At 32 weeks Dr. W will begin monitoring me, and any time after that point, Calvin can come, and they’ll let him.

Apparently the doctors told Joseph I should not return to work for two full weeks. We don’t know if that means bed rest for those weeks or just taking it easy.

What does this mean for future pregnancies:

We don’t know if this will happen in future pregnancies, but they will monitor my cervix closely, and if these varicosities happen again, they will do something sooner.