Chayton's 2nd trimester...big bumps in the road

I didn't know on August 25th as I walked into the ER of the local hospital at 1:00am that this would be the first of four trips for me within the next month.  I had been having pains in my side, and it had gotten so bad that I couldn't sleep.  I woke Gene up and said that I think I needed to go to the ER.  I was especially concerned because I was 15 weeks pregnant.  

Gene put all three (sleeping) children in the van, and the five of us drove to the ER in the pitch black of night.  Gene opted to stay in the van with the kids while I went into the ER.  While sitting there, I called my mom.  It was 1:30am, but a girl just needs to hear her mom's voice at a time like this.  I choked back tears as I told her that I had severe pains in my side, and I was sitting in the ER at that moment.  I didn't know this until several hours later, but after my phone call, my mom packed her bags and began driving three hours in the middle of the night to be by her daughter's side.  

There were so many points of frustration and anger during this first ER visit.  The first being when I was shuffled into a chair beside a male nurse that began to take my medical history. I began by telling him that I was 15 weeks pregnant and was having pain in my abdomen on my right side.  He went on to ask me several other questions, including when my last period was.  When I told him, he looked at me in disbelief and said, "So, you're late?!"  With irritation in my voice, I repeated that I was 15 weeks pregnant.  "Oh!  That's pertinent information that you need to tell me!" he said.  "I began by saying that I was 15 weeks pregnant and have severe pains in my side," I retorted back, with even more frustration in my voice. 

After receiving some pain meds and refusing to allow them to catheterize me (another shocking episode between me and a deficient nurse), they finally took me to get an ultrasound to see what was causing me such pain.  I arrived in the ultrasound room and immediately the technician left the room, with no explanation.  I sat there in the dark enclosed room for awhile by myself.  She finally returned and began the ultrasound.  She had to stop several times saying that the doctor's orders were not being processed correctly on her machine (or something) and she kept going out of the room, letting my lay there in the wee hours of the morning by myself in the darkened room.  The whole ultrasound experience took forever....over an hour I believe.  

The worst part was when I felt the ultrasound wand begin to slip down my stomach....and when I looked at the technician, she was falling asleep on me!!!  Her arm started slipping because her eyes were slowly closing as her head bobbed.  Before I could say anything to her, she shook herself awake and continued the ultrasound.  You know those times in life when you are stunned into silence, and then later on you come up with the best lines that you should have said in the moment?  Yeah.  This was one of those times.  The whole experience was incredibly long and appalling.  

Finally the OB on-call came to visit me (probably 8am by now) and said that the ultrasound didn't show anything.  My pain had gone away significantly by now, and his diagnosis for my abdomen pain was that I probably just needed to use the bathroom.  The surgeon also came to see me in the ER.  He pushed on my stomach (no pain!) and confirmed that he thought the OB must be right.  The ER Dr. who took my case said that she was still concerned about inflammation that showed up in my blood tests, but if the OB and surgeon both said I was ready to be discharged, then I could go.

By now it was around 10:00am and my mom was at my house watching the kids because (did I forget to mention?) it was Gene's first day of school.  Yes, that man is my hero.  He went to school on the first day with only two hours of sleep.  My friend, Laura, picked me up from the ER and drove me home.  I began crying because I just didn't know what was going on with my body.  

I crawled out of her van and into my house, hungry for sleep and rest.  Unfortunately, sleep wouldn't be happening for another 14 hours.  Bigger bumps in the road were yet to come.