The weekend of June 10 - 12, Ian and I decided to go on a bit of a "BabyMoon" - like a honeymoon for new parent to be when they realize that it ain't gonna be happening again for a LOOOONNNGGGG time. We decided to go to Whistler for the weekend, relax, eat crepes, hit the Olympic Mountain Park, watch Canadian Cable, and have a good time.
Anyhow, on the drive home, my ribs started hurting. I figured it was no big deal and that I had just slept on my back wrong. Over the next few days it started getting worse and worse, and by Wednesday, I couldn't sleep all night long. We went into Urgent Care in Issaquah thinking they would just send us home for overreacting to extreme heartburn. Instead the doctor on duty sent us to Overlake Hospital in Bellevue's ER.
At Overlake, they took an ultrasound of my chest, took my blood pressure (260/150) and started running blood tests. The doctors were going to do some "sleuthing" but I should lie down, and they gave me Magnesium Sulfate which made me feel a little like I was on fire. Dr. Haines, my OBGYN came over from his practice in Bellevue to tell me that they were working on the problem. The doctors finally came back and explained that I had HELLP Syndrome, which is a rare occurrence that combines severe high blood pressure, elevated liver enzymes and low blood platelets.
Ian and I sat stunned as they explained that they would need to deliver our baby, possibly that afternoon if they could not get my stats in line. I automatically thought the worst - I had never heard of a baby being born at 24 weeks and change and surviving. The doctors explained there would be a 50-80% chance she would survive and a good chance she may have complications. They also explained that Overlake Hospital in Bellevue didn't have the resources to deliver and care for a 24 week preemie, so I was being transferred to Evergreen Hospital in Kirkland via ambulance.
When I got to Evergreen, they were able to even my stats out over the next afternoon. They gave me a steroid shot to help the baby develop her lungs and respiratory system faster in case they would need to deliver. The plan was to keep me stable in the hospital as long as possible and if things took a turn for the worse, to deliver the baby. With my blood platelets so low I would probably need a transfusion first. How long could I stay on bed rest in the hospital? However long you need to was the reply. Weeks? Weeks. Months? Months. I was starting to get a little freaked out. Especially since they were taking my blood pressure every hour, taking blood tests every 4 hours and my arms were starting to look like a pincushion running out of places to poke.
Meanwhile, they had to keep constant monitoring on the baby, which isn't hard on a larger baby, but 24 weekers still have room to move and hide. The nurses (who were all incredibly nice and helpful) would joke with me about the little java bean hiding behind my belly button and kicking back at the monitors. They would ask me if we had a name picked out, which, among many other questions that were asked about her got the response "We thought we had until October to figure that out." Ian would read me names from books and we would star the ones we liked, but part of me worried if I could take the heartbreak if we got too attached. Maybe we shouldn't give her our favorite name, just in case. It's horrible to think that way, I know.
Many thanks to all our friends and family who came to visit, called, texted and supported us in so many ways. We could not have made it without you and we are so thankful for everyone.
Saturday night things started to take a turn for the worse. My blood pressure shot up, my ribs started burning again, and despite everything the nurse on duty did, things kept getting worse. Ian thankfully had decided to stay the night in the hospital because I got weaker and weaker. Finally Ian told the nurse it was time to call the doctor. Dr. De Regt came, ordered a EKG of my chest to check for blood clots, then decided it was time to deliver. By that point it was like a bizarre nightmare I couldn't wake up from. Ian called and had a friend pick my mother up in Issaquah and bring her to the hospital. They decided to give me an epidural and keep me awake during the surgery as it was safer for the baby and I. I nearly cried at the thought of another needle, but Ian held my hand. I was lucky that Ian was as level-headed as he was because it helped tremendously to have him there during the surgery.
As the surgeons worked, I thought to myself "This little girl can't come into the world without a name. And she deserves parents who are all in, committed to her success." I turned to Ian and told him, "Let's name her Teagan Leigh" Teagan is a Welsh name meaning "warrior". I saw Teagan carried past and Ian was asked if he wanted to stay with me or go with the baby. I told him to go and they were off.
Teagan Leigh Balin was born at 5:44 am on June 19th 2011, Father's Day, weighing 1 lb 2 oz. She was 11.4 inches long and had a head circumference of 8.3 inches.
I was taken to the ICU for a day following the c-section, then returned to my previous hospital room for further treatment. I was slowly weaned off the Magnesium and the other medications. I was strong enough to first see Teagan on Tuesday night. The nurse on duty let me touch her hand - her whole hand was the size of my fingertip.
I was discharged from the hospital on Thursday, with steadier blood pressure, but weak and unable to drive for the next couple weeks. My mom thankfully is staying for the whole time and has agreed to white-knuckle drive I-90 and I-405 to the hospital and back. Currently, I'm tired but getting stronger day by day. From here on out, this blog will focus on Teagan's progress. Because all Teagan's paperwork currently calls her "Baby Girl Balin", even though we already named her, I thought that was an appropriate name for this blog.
Again, we are so thankful, amazed and humbled by the outpouring of kindness, support and generosity of our family, friends, colleagues, even perfect strangers. It is the direct reason we can handle this as well as we have been able to thus far, and it means more than we could say.
Stay tuned for more updates as our little warrior begins her life, with an army of loved ones around her.
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