Two Days and Counting

It's hard for me to believe a year has gone by since Gabriella was born. I remember it as if it were just seconds ago. It was a big day. I wasn't expecting her to come so early. I guess I should have since I had experienced preterm contractions a couple of times. My chemotherapy started some contractions at 30 weeks. I spent 5 days in the hospital. The contractions didn't cause any progression. They were just consistent. I had them every 2 to 3 minutes. I was so out of it on the magnesium drip I lost track of time. They Life Flighted me from one hospital to another. I was upset I was sharing a room with someone. She was complaining of feeling sick and here I was on chemo and pregnant. I thought it was risky for me to be around her. They never did get me the private room they said they would. It was a horrible long week. I was connected to a baby heart monitor the whole time and catheterized as well. I never got out of bed and my baby's heart beat was constant in my ears. It felt weird when I left, because I couldn't hear that heart beat anymore!

At 32 weeks I had my last chemo. I had more contractions but we were ready this time. The hospital was able to stop them in one night. I had the steroids injected for her lungs the first time I went. I was very hopeful things would be OK.

At 36 weeks I was getting anxious. They wanted to induce at 37 weeks so I would have time for my body to heal before I started radiation. I would end up having about a week or so for recovery then radiation was every day other than weekends and holidays for 17 days. I didn't make it that far. I awoke in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom. This wasn't unusual. I decided to lie back down on the couch to sleep instead of walking back upstairs. When rolling over I heard a pop. I was half asleep and so wasn't sure exactly what I heard. I kind of waited and nothing happened. I felt nothing. So decided to just go back to sleep. I rolled over again a few minutes later. This time, I felt a gush of fluid. I opened my eyes slowly and kind of thought my water might have broken. I have heard so many stories though about women who thought their water broke but it was pee. haha So I decided to get up, go to the bathroom and see what happened. I dried up and I was fine until I took 2 steps. Then the real water came. My water had broken. I got my hubby and he was out of bed before I even batted an eyelid. The baby was coming, four weeks early. It was a combination of such fear....and yet hope and faith. I just knew she'd be ok. I had finished chemo on the 23rd of October. It was now the 17th of November. I was feeling ok. I knew I could do it. It was up to Gabriella now. Tune in tomorrow for the rest! :)