Still Half Full

A lot of times it is so easy to look at the glass "half empty" when things don't go as planned. As long as there's a drop in that glass - there's still hope! This weekend was an easy weekend to be discouraged, down and depressed - but the glass is still half full!

Friday, Jason left for the annual Men's Retreat with our church group. I was actually looking forward to a weekend of "bonding" between the kids and I. Friday night wen't well, and I was excited about Saturday.

Saturday morning I awoke with severe abdominal pain. I seriously thought it was appendicitis. It hurt to sit, move and especially get kids dressed. I really prayed about seeking medical attention, or just "waiting" until Monday to see my regular physician. Around 8:00am, we drove to the nearest Urgent Care Clinic. I got right in and the doctor was of course NOT a people person and made me find someone to take the big kids. He said that it was likely I had kidney stones and set me up with an ultrasound.

My friend, Amanda, from school came and picked up the munchkins and I had several ultrasounds done. The sonographer concluded that it was fluid in my intestines and that was causing the pain on the right side. He said to just take a laxative but wait for the doctor to be sure. The doctor had a totally different opinion. He came in and told me I was pregnant and was having a miscarriage. He sent me home, after 5 hours of being there, with instructions to come back Monday for a check on my HcG levels.

Something just didn't sit right with that diagnosis, so as the day went on, I continued to pray for wisdom in the situation. I knew that God had promised me a pregnancy this month, so I was thankful as I was a little more watchful than normal, and really wasn't surprised at the pregnancy result. I was surprised though as to the miscarriage synompsis. We too often thing pregnancy will always equal baby. As the day went on, I still felt real faint and weak with a lot of pain. Around 5:00pm my shoulder blade began to hurt on the right side. Being the "researcher" that I am, I logged on to Webmd.com and searched my symptoms. The main result was Ectopic Pregnancy. It said that if there's pain the tip of the scapula (shoulder blade) that immediate medical attention should be sought as it can be fatal if not caught in time.

I called my OB, just hoping to get a message to her about what was going on. She called me from dinner and told me to go to the ER and a room would be ready so she could personally monitor and check me out. I called me dear, sweet friend, Kim Juarez, to come out and watch my sleeping kids while I went to the hospital. I ended up being admitted and Jason left early from the retreat to meet me in my room. I had tests and ultrasounds done until 1:00am. Finally, I could sleep - until 5:00am

5 am rolls around and my nurse and OB, Dr. Jane Reed, come in to tell me that it is an Ectopic Pregnancy and that I will be needing surgery. The easiest scenario is laproscopically removing the fertilized egg and leaving my tubes in tact. The other scenario is if it is too far along, or the tube has ruptured to then make a "bikini cut" and take out my falopian tube.

Surgery was at 6:00 am, and I awoke in my room at about 10:00am. Still drowsy and a little confused, Jason told me the news. The surgery was a sucess, although it had ruptued my tube, hence all of the bleeding earlier. The ovaries are both still perfect and we should still be able to concieve any future kids from the other side. Dr. Reed had to remove my right falopian tube, but thankfully we came in when we did as Monday would have been too late.

Praise God for the warning signs and wisdom. I know that this little angel will be singing in heaven and we will meet him/her one day in the future. I am so thankful though for His provision and for His protection!