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Blood Transfusion and H- Blood = Early Delivery

By Tisa

January 24, I was on my way to work when I started having shortness of breath. I am an asthmatic who was diagnosed with sarcoidois, a lung disease. I called my husband right off work to take me to the emergency room. When the nurse interviewed me I advised her that I was 33 weeks pregnant. After taking my vitals and finding protein in my urine and my stats (respirations) being low I was admitted. On every doctor's visit they took my hemoglobin and my iron was extremely low. So it was no surprise when they took it this time it was even lower. I had previously asked for iron shots because ferrous sulfate wasn't going to be enough to pull it up. My main fear was that when the time came for my planned Cesarean that I would end up needing blood. Well, because my doctors didn't do iron shots I continued to drop.

After being in the hospital talking to hematologists and gastrologists trying to find this lost blood, I had no choice but to receive a unit of blood. Fear took over. Even though I work in a laboratory and I know that the blood is screened very well I still didn't want to give my unborn son someone else's blood. So I called my friends in the blood bank lab and asked the probability in getting a disease. They assured me that it was safe and that if I didn't get the blood soon I would be risking the baby's life and mine. I prayed about it and took the unit.

I got out of the hospital at the end of the week only to end up back there in less than two weeks. During my follow-up visit that next week my blood pressure was 200/105, too high to be sent home. I had my 10-year-old son with me and they were admitting me again -- right now! I had made up my mind that if I was going to be 35 weeks and they weren't going to do anything but monitor me then I was going home the next day -- no questions asked I want to go home!!

The doctor came in the next morning asking me how I felt. I felt like going home. But he needed to confirm more blood work. Not only had my hemoglobin fallen but the platelets were dropping fast too. The doctor came back in at noon to inform me that I would be having my C-section at 6 that afternoon. I didn't want to deliver so early but I wouldn't be able to get the epidural if the platelets fell anymore. Needless to say the whole family was ecstatic and everyone was there to see my angel come into the world.

The epidural didn't take. I could feel him put the knife into my belly. That's when I spoke up, Hey, I feel that. You're gonna have to move that knife off me. The anesthesiologist quickly got the gas and out I went. Pain woke me from my sleep -- bad pain. I had never experienced this kind of pain. It was like they were still cutting me. The nurses couldn't give me much more pain medication because of my asthma, but my doctor stepped in and gave me something to ease the pain. I was in so much pain I forgot I'd just had a baby. But I quickly remembered when I got to my room.

I asked my husband to go get our Angel, I wanted to see our miracle. His head fell as he informed me that our child was in NICU. My heart and mind went wild and before the nurses could lie me in the bed I got up. I pulled all the strength I had and got up and started to walk to the door to go to my baby. They got a wheelchair for me and took me to him. Seeing him lying under the warmer with oxygen on and an IV in his hand and so small … the tears welled and I asked how much he weighed. 7 pounds. He was so beautiful. I wanted to hold him so they put him in my arms. I held him forgetting for the moment that I was in deadly pain. I was falling asleep so my husband and the nurse took me back to my room.

The next day I was informed that Alex, that's his name, was getting a tube feeding because he had failure to suck and swallow. They sent me home before he was well enough to come with me. I can't tell you how hard it is to come to the hospital with a baby inside you but to leave without him, oh my God. We went everyday three times a day. Then on the ninth day I called early morning to check in and let them know that I was on my way when I was informed that he had been moved to the regular nursery. I have to thank Nurse Angie for her non-stop pilgrimage to teach my son to suck and swallow. She worked hard and loved him. I spent the night with him so that we could see what it was like all night with him.

The next morning they took his pictures and we bought our Alex home. I had so much swelling and fluid that my incision is still open six weeks later. I have a home health care nurse pack me everyday. Slowly I am healing but I feel fine. As I write this I'm looking at my Alex thinking, What a journey it has been, what a blessed journey it will be! It's only just begun!