Posted in PPROM and Infant Loss Awareness
I have wanted to make this blog a place where women with PPROM pregnancies can find help, hope, and encouragement. Since this is a full year since Chelle was admitted to the hospital for what turned out to be nearly 3 months, I thought it would be appropriate to include the letters that I sent out to family and friends throughout her PPROM pregnancy, as well as helpful advice that we found out about from a wonderful support group that we were fortunate enough to find online.
Last year, the 15th was on a Saturday. Chelle's husband and I had spent the night with her. On the previous night, the doctors were still trying to determine for certain the cause of her bleeding and were talking about putting a cerclage in place. They seemed somewhat hopeful, so we were certainly not prepared for what Saturday morning was to bring.
That morning, a very young resident on the High Risk OB-GYN floor came in at 5:30 a.m., long before we were awake, and sat down on Chelle's bed. She told her that the final diagnosis was PPROM (Preterm Premature Rupture of the Membranes). She insisted that there were only 2 alternatives....induce labor for an abortion there at the hospital or go home and "let nature take it's course," and then return to the hospital to "complete the abortion process."
Chelle and Josh and I all asked about other options, but for this young doctor, there were no other options. She told Chelle that if she were to have this baby, it would be "something that she wouldn't want to take home," and other cruel things like this. She gave absolutely no hope at all for the baby to survive...none at all. When Chelle continued to question her, she arrogantly stuck her nose in the air and stated, "If you had been to medical school like I have, you would understand.' She treated us all as if we were a bunch of ignorant morons who knew nothing.
Soon after this, Chelle went into terrible convulsion type behavior. She just shook and shook and shook, and convulsed all the while. It wasn't long before she began to bleed profusely, and they rushed her to labor and delivery, thinking the baby would be born very soon. Thank God this was not the case.
The letter which follows will tell you more about that day. I hope and pray that if any PPROM patients or their families read any of the story of Chelle's PPROM on my blog, they will contact me by email or contact the PPROM Support group. We want to help you in any way that we can.
This letter was written last year on Sat. Jan. 15, 2005
Dear Family and Friends,
What a weekend we have been through! Michelle was admitted to University Hospital Thursday. They were discussing treatments through Friday and things were looking good. Then they discovered that she had PPROM (premature rupture of membranes) and also a slight placenta abruptia. At only 21 weeks, this was not a good outlook at all. Once they found this out, they were not nearly as willing to help her, although both she and baby are doing great other than the complications.
The high risk pregnancy doctors told her early Saturday morning they wanted her to induce labor for an abortion, or send her home with no treatment to wait for labor to start and then come in to "complete the abortion process." She refused, and she and Josh started to work to convince the staff to help them carry this baby until it has a chance of survival---this was not an easy task. And the next day was Right to Life Sunday....how ironic. Josh said he would chain Michelle to the bed, get court orders for help, call the media, whatever it would take to get them to help them carry this baby as long as possible.
Once they convinced the doctors to let her carry the baby as long as possible, and we were all celebrating this "victory," suddenly she started convulsing and bleeding profusely (the placenta had detached even more), and they rushed her to labor and delivery. We are certain this was from the shock of what she had been told. They said that when this happens labor is imminent and nearly 100% inevitable that delivery will occur, and at 21 weeks they gave no hope at all for the baby to live---no aveoli (air sacs) developed in the lungs yet at this point.
We called everyone we knew of to pray, and miraculously, the bleeding stopped, the contractions were very slight and then tapered off and ended. You cannot even imagine how thrilled we were to move to yet another room, as that meant that she had improved to the point that they did not think labor would resume any time soon. She has been in at least 5 different rooms in 3 days!
We are now playing a waiting game. Week 24 is the magic number. Please join us in praying for Feb. 4 or more. Michelle says to please stress the "more" in your prayers, as after Feb. 4 every single day adds to the chances of survival of the baby. Also please pray that no infection sets in for Michelle, and for no more bleeds. I think she and Josh would both appreciate prayer that the days of being flat in bed for what we hope and pray is months, with no movement will somehow pass easily. All of you who know Michelle know that she does not take kindly to not being in control, or to not being able to work and do things for herself.
One very incredible Christian doctor will be their neo-natal intensive care pediatrician when the time comes, and has been the only doctor to be at all supportive. We are so thankful to have found him. He keeps popping in and out and keeps saying that he hopes and prays that each time he pops in, he continues to see her right there, bored to death in that same bed. And a great nurse told Michelle about a lady in her exact same situation who was here a few years ago at 17 weeks along, and stayed till week 34, and left the hospital with a very healthy and normal baby. Finding a support system in the middle of a group of people who for the most part were encouraging abortion has really helped us all to handle this better.
When I left Michelle tonight, she was resting comfortably, no bleeding or cramping at all today. She is getting IV antibiotics to prevent infection, has these really cool massaging anti-embolism thingies on her legs, and is on total bedrest, including no bathroom privileges. (She does NOT like the bedpan at all, and with the high IV drip, she is going to find that it will be a constant companion whether she likes it or not!) A physical therapist will be in tomorrow to help her learn some exercises to keep her muscles toned, and they will probably put a neat thing on the mattress to prevent bedsores, that is like a neat massage bed. I want one of them too!
She and Josh are doing an amazing job getting through this and are determined to do everything humanly possible to save this baby. They are so strong, and their faith is growing stronger too, as they see things happen already that medically shouldn't have happened. They are prepared for the worst, and realize that at this point it will take a bona fide miracle for them to walk out of the hospital with a child in their arms, but they are hopeful, and trusting God, knowing that He can and does still work miracles.
Thank you for supporting our family through this incredibly difficult time. Should anyone want to send an encouraging card or flowers, etc. to them the address is: Michelle OSU University Hospital
Blessings to all, and continue the prayers as we need to get through this one day at a time. Feel free to pass this information along to any other friends of Michelle and Josh that you like, and also to any church or other prayer chains you may know of. We appreciate all the prayers we can get!
Remember, Feb. 4 or more.... Kathy
