Phineas is here

Here is the update I wrote to send out to people:

On Saturday the baby's heartbeat started showing signs of fetal distress. It would go really high, and then really low - sometimes it sounded like it almost stopped. I was transferred to the labor & delivery floor where they continued to monitor me, but they immediately came to the conclusion that I needed to deliver via emergency c-section right away.

So, off to the OR I went, got a spinal and was in surgery within a matter of minutes. My doctor wasn't there yet, so the "generalist" started the operation. Unfortunately, he cut into my fibroid when opening my uterus (not sure if he HAD to in order to get to the baby, or if it was an accident), and I started to hemorrhage. Luckily, my doctor showed up and took over the operation. He got to the baby and pulled him out feet first, and thus Phineas ("Finny") Gavin Masters was born at 1:44 p.m. on May 14. He weighed 5 lbs, 2 ounces and cried right away, but was very sick.

My doctor made the decision to go ahead and take out my fibroid in order to stop the bleeding. It is very risky to do this to a pregnant uterus because there is so much bleeding, but I appreciate that he did it in order to save my life and to save my uterus. Unfortunately, I lost more than 50% of my blood volume and have needed four liters of blood transfused since the operation. Because the surgery took much longer than anticipated, they had to put me under general anesthesia for the last hour or so of the operation.

Finny was very, very sick when he was born. They immediately had to put him on a ventilator with 100% oxygen, and he was still struggling. Once I woke up from surgery, they took me to the NICU almost right away so I could hold him, because they didn't think he would make it through the night.

Since then, Finny continues to improve, though he has had lots of set backs as well and is considered in critical condition. He is still on a ventilator, but they have started turning down his oxygen levels and have started slowly turning off some of his medications. One of his lungs has collapsed and he has a chest tube in his side to keep it open, but when they can keep it open his blood oxygen levels are very good! We just have to keep the lung open so it can heal and he can keep working toward breathing on his own.

I've had some other problems related to the surgery as well. Not only did I have to deal with problems associated with so much blood loss, but it I've been getting these really horrible headaches, apparently associated with the spinal they did. I haven't been able to eat pretty much since the surgery, but just today they've got me on some medication that is helping - and I'm finally able to think enough to talk on the phone and get on the computer. Hopefully the headaches go away soon and I will finally be released from the hospital.

Kevin and I have arranged for a "parents" room at the hospital where Finny is, so we can be close to him during these next important few days. From what I understand, the room has an internet connection and a flat-screen TV, so it could be a big improvement over the crappy room where I've spend the last 13 weeks!

Kevin and I thank everyone for your continued thoughts and prayers. I will try to keep everyone updated on Finny's condition, and I'll try to get a picture out as soon as possible. He looks just like me.

Christine
pPROMMED at 20 weeks, 13 weeks strict bedrest, delivered at 32w5d