A Day in the Life of my IVIG Treatments

So far, I have had a total of 13 IVIG treatments this pregnancy, and honestly it sometimes feels like I’ve had 100 treatments. IVIG treatments differ for everyone and it’s something that I have to do to keep my babies healthy. It can be grueling both mentally and physically but there is literally no other option for NAIT moms to have a healthy pregnancy.  I thought I would take some time for those interested to outline what it's really like to have my treatments, before, during and after.

Before:
My IVIG treatments are every week on Sundays in my home with the same nurse (Maggie❤️) and usually last around 6-8 hours depending on a variety of factors.  Every 3 weeks on Wednesday the Home Health Care company calls me to set up a delivery of my IVIG supplies. This shipment has 4 weeks worth of medicine and supplies my nurse will need to administer it, such as IV start kits, fluids, tubing, saline flushes and alcohol. The IGG has to be refrigerated which pretty much takes up the entire top shelf of my refrigerator. I store the rest of my supplies in a waterproof storage container that I keep on top of the counter as out of the way as possible. The girls love when we get deliveries because boxes are the most fun toy ever and bonus... there’s sticky bubble wrap too!

On Friday and Saturday I have to drink a TON of water to ensure hydration for my veins and to keep side effects from the IVIG at a minimum.  Every Saturday evening, I clean up my main living room and prepare the supplies my nurse will need in the morning for my treatment. This includes my pump, my IV pole, saline, IV start kit, saline flush, tubing, alcohol and gauze. I also have to remove one weekly dose from the refrigerator and let it acclimate to room temperature overnight. I’m so used to this by now, it’s just part of our weekly routine.

During:
On Sundays I wake up at 6:30am, chug my water bottle and get into a hot shower to pump my veins up. Then I take my pre-med course of Benadryl (in case of allergic reactions) and Tylenol (to alleviate the headaches). I come downstairs and let my nurse in and get ready for my dreaded IV.  No matter how many times you get an IV, it’s never fun. It always hurts and it always sucks. My nurse is one of the sweetest people I know and I’m so lucky that she is so good at IVs. My veins from my previous treated pregnancies are basically non-existent. They’ve literally run for the hills or become agile little things and roll around to get away from the needle. The only ones I can use this time around are in my forearm or my elbow. As long as I’m hydrated, my nurse has been able to get my IV started on the first or second try. It really sucks when she thinks she has one and she’s moving it all around trying to see if it’s all the way in my vein or just superficially. Not gonna lie, that really hurts. Usually she gets a good flash of blood into the catheter and we are good to go.

Next I get hooked up to the hydration (saline bag) that has to be run on my IV pole. The higher the pole, the faster it goes into my vein so we usually put it up on a chair to try to get it go quickly. This hydration is KEY to alleviating the gnarly headaches that come with IVIG. I had to fight to get my hydration increased so that I could actually function on the days after my treatments and finally got it approved. During that time, my nurse transfers the IGG solution from the glass bottles into the bag that will be used with my pump. When the saline finishes, my nurse then connects my IV up to the pump and begins the IVIG. My rate slowly goes up until it gets to my max rate that we’ve worked up  to, which right now is 190. I need to get it up to at least 225, hopefully 250 by the time I have my double treatments so that it won't take 12-14 hours to complete.

During my infusion, I often sleep (thanks Benadryl) and watch tv with my nurse. We love HGTV, especially Love it or List it and Fixer Upper. I play with the girls and drink, drink, drink! My nurse has to stay with me the whole time just in case anything were to happen. She also takes my blood pressure a few times an hour to make sure I’m not having an adverse reaction. The girls love to help take my blood pressure and my nurse is so accommodating with them. I can usually feel my headache coming around 11am, so I try to eat something or re-up my Tylenol to get ahead of it.

There are sometimes when my pump screams (okay, beeps) at me the whole time about being occluded, or my vein blows and infiltrates and my IV has to be started again. Those times are the worst for me and can be so defeating. It actually happened during our gender reveal right when we were supposed to be leaving to go to the field to reveal and I kind of lost it. I always try my best for the girls sake to keep myself together and not cry when I’m discouraged or upset about the treatments but I couldn’t hold it in that time. It’s such a silly thing to get upset about, but sometimes the stress of it hits me all at once. I was super embarrassed that I cried and took a few minutes to get myself together.  After a few failed attempts, my IV was restarted and everything turned out wonderfully for our reveal.

After:

When the infusion is done, my nurse removes my IV (sometimes I get impatient and remove it myself), takes one last blood pressure and is on her way. I normally try my best to rest, which is hard when you have 3 kids who all want your attention.  I also try to keep up with my hydration and my Tylenol. I usually take my migraine medicine as well to try and get ahead of the impending headache. My side effects are usually at their worst Sunday night and subside through Wednesday. My migraine headache is the worst on Sunday but lingers through Tuesday most weeks. The body aches, belly issues, fatigue and joint pain usually peak on Monday and Tuesday and last through Wednesday. I pretty much bruise every week as well from the IV, which was attributed to my slight anemia and crappy veins. 

The side effects are definitely annoying and sometimes causes me to feel defeated or irritable because I just feel so crappy, but it’s my normal for now.  I’m used to it and so is my incredible husband. Even the girls understand, which breaks my heart sometimes.  They ask me “Mommy, are you feeling better today? Can you play with me? Do you want me to lay with you?” The mom guilt is real and most days I push through and over exert myself so that they don’t feel like Mommy is sick all the time. I don't want to miss anything and I want them to feel that Mommy will always be there for them. Before this quarantine, work was rough some weeks too but my support system there was absolutely the best and for that I’m so grateful. I’m hoping that this new online learning will work out for me with my treatments too, but we shall see.

I honestly could not do this without my amazing support system. I’m so grateful for my patient and loving husband, my sweet girls and my wonderful nurse. I also love and appreciate every one of my friends and family that has reached out to me, dropped off food or simply checked in on me. We are living in crazy times right now and I try my best to keep perspective that in the grand scheme of things what I’m going through is small. And what I’m going through will keep my sweet little babies alive and healthy. That’s what matters. I get to see them often due to the extra ultrasounds and it is so reassuring to see them growing and thriving. When they are kicking and rolling around, I feel a sense of peace also and thank God that they are doing well.  Seeing the faces of my beautiful Izzie, Kenzie and Hazel also helps to motivate me and keep my spirits up when I want to quit, because treatment works.  They are living proof. 

Thank you all for reading, supporting our journey and sending us so much love. We are forever grateful to each of you. ❤️

Just one.... right?!

Whew! It’s been a while. I’ve had a lot of friends and family asking if I’d be doing my blog this time around, so here we go! In case you missed it, I’m pregnant!! With twins!!

4 has always been our magic number, the number of kids we’d always planned on having. We planned out when we wanted to try and conceive, but unfortunately I had to have an emergency ovarian cyst removal and with recovery it just kind of threw off our plans. So, when we found out we were finally pregnant again, we were SO excited! This would be our last and we just wanted to enjoy all the little things about it all.

We didn’t tell the girls we were pregnant yet, but started prepping them by telling them that we wanted to get pregnant and asking about their feelings about having another sibling. They were all very agreeable and Kenzie said “I know you’re gonna have 2 babies in your belly, Mommy!” To which, my response was that this would be the last baby I had because Mommy’s body is ready to be done after this. She then replied, “You will only be pregnant one more time but you’re gonna have 2 babies in there.” Aaron and I were like, “Okay, crazy lady,” because at the time we only knew were pregnant and nothing else.

However, I started to wonder if my intuitive little Kenz was correct because my morning sickness was absolutely unbearable. I was sick pretty much all day every day and I would think to myself, “It’s either a boy or twins because this is SO much different than my first 3 pregnancies.” There were days where I would have to lay down pretty much all day or felt so tired that I couldn’t imagine getting through another day. I’m sure others have had it worse, but I felt I could barely function after giving all of my energy to my kids at school and then again to my babies at home.

We went for our dating sonogram around 8 weeks and I was nervous. I just wanted to see a little peanut and a heartbeat. The sonographer had a concerning look on her face and the image on the screen looked like an empty sack. My heart dropped and then she said “Oh, there’s the heartbeat!” Aaron and I looked at each other and smiled, squeezing our hands together. And when I looked back over at the sonographer, she was making this face that I can only describe as confused with a dash of excitement. My thoughts went immediately to my extreme morning sickness and Kenzie’s prediction... and I asked “Just one, right?” She didn’t answer for what felt like forever and so I repeated, “Just one, right?!” She finally replied “Oh and there’s the other one, congratulations you’re having twins!”

I immediately started crying uncontrollably, to the point where the sonographer had to stop the exam for a minute.  I still to this day cannot describe my feelings in that moment. I think maybe I was just having all the feelings at once, feeling just overwhelmed. Aaron’s response was literally “What the f*?” He then asked if she was joking, she laughed and said, “No.” We sat there for a few minutes just hugging and holding hands and apologizing to the tech for our reaction. She assured us that it was a pretty normal reaction and even if she was lying, it made me feel better.

After the exam, I think we were both just in shock. Pretty much the entire ride home we mostly sat in silence and once in a while one of us would say “Oh my gosh,” or “Is this real life?” Toward the end of the ride we were reassuring each other that we can do this and everything would turn out amazing. But we still felt in shock, wondering if this was real. We also wondered about our treatment plan in regard to NAIT.

We got in touch with my MFM, Dr. Blakemore and she informed us that the treatment protocol for twins would be the same as it was for a singleton. It really seems that when it comes to NAIT, there are always more questions than answers and no one quite knows why or how treatment even works. So we came up with a plan for once weekly infusions until around 30 weeks and then we would plan to double up. Another question we had was about the zygosity of the twins (whether they were identical or fraternal). They each had their own placenta, own amniotic sac and their own umbilical cord but apparently there’s still a small chance they could have been identical based on when the egg splits. We ended up getting a DNA test where they take my blood and separate mine from the babies’ and determine their zygosity.  We found out they were fraternal, but we literally found out nothing else about them, as their wasn’t enough fetal DNA in the sample to run other tests.

I started treatment around 12 weeks and have had 8 treatments so far. The first 5 were rough, as my body was trying to get used it. I also had pneumonia, bronchitis, the stomach bug and 2 sinus infections alongside starting and adjusting to treatment. With those first few treatments I dealt with unbearable headaches, nausea, stomach issues, double vision and extreme fatigue. I’ve just recently been able to figure out how much hydration I need to keep the headaches at bay this time around, but still get the body aches, fatigue and stomach issues after each treatment. It’s kind of just become my new normal and I know I probably won’t feel better until about Wednesday.

I was lucky enough to get my nurse Maggie from my last treated pregnancy and she is just the absolute best. She brings the girls donuts every Sunday and buys them little treats, but most of all she is just a genuinely kind and sweet person. She makes treatment so much better than if I had to have a stranger every time or even try to adjust to someone new. She didn’t even mind continuing my treatment through Kenzie’s birthday party and dealing with my crazy family and million kids running around! I’m very lucky to have her.

We have had a lot of ultrasounds already, many to check the Middle Cerebral Arteries in their little brains in order to determine if bleeding is occurring. We’ve also had anatomy scans, so yes we know their genders but we are not sharing that news yet!  We are just so excited for our little miracles and could not be more grateful for their health and clean brain scans. Our next step is to figure out a Fetal Blood Sampling plan as well as a date for my C-section. I’ll try my best to keep you all updated as we are so grateful for all of your support and love. It really means the world to us!

Hazel Mae 💗

Hazel Mae Wright was born on Thursday, August 17, 2017 at 3:59pm. She weighed in at 5 pounds, 12 ounces, and was 18.5 inches long. She is 3 weeks old now, and we've been enjoying our new addition. This is her birth story. Better late then never!!

The morning of our c-section, we had a really nice normal morning with our girls. Aaron's mom and my mom came over. His mom was staying with the girls, and my mom was coming with us to the hospital. We packed up the car with my 5 million hospital bags, prepared for the possibility of a long stay for our newest baby girl, and began saying our goodbyes to Isabelle and Mackenzie. The goodbyes were hard for the girls and for us. I couldn't help but hug them a little tighter, and kept thinking that it was the last time it would just be us as a family of 4. My little girls were about to become big sisters; Isabelle again, and Mackenzie for the first time. All the emotions we're running through me, and when we got to the car I cried like a baby.  The next time I'd see them, we'd be a family of 5.

My c-section was scheduled for 1pm, so we arrived at 10:30am to get my pre-labs done, and settle in. Once we were settled, we were told they couldn't take me until 7pm, and then told me it would be pushed to 3pm because there was no room in the NICU for our baby until around 4pm. I had been fasting since midnight, and I was so hangry and thirsty that I thought I might punch someone in the face. But Aaron and my mom were waiting so patiently, and my nurse was so sweet, that I tried to calm down and just go with it. Besides, what could I really do about it? Nothing. I did ask for some water, so the nurse obliged but told me only 3 sips. And then she literally watched me take 3 sips, and then made me give the cup to Aaron. When she turned her back I took one more sip just because. Haha, petty much? Anyway... we signed a million papers, met all of the surgeons, students and nurses who would be in the OR, and then we were off.

I walked to the OR with my nurse helping me along, and I held onto my belly for the last time. My belly that had been through so much already was about to go through one last thing. In an hour or so, I'd have no baby in that belly, she would be here! That feeling was slightly overwhelming, but in a good way. Aaron had to wait to come in until I was settled and ready, and I was very nervous without him. I mean this isn't how I birth babies, all planned out like this. I've had my water break unexpectedly, and then an emergency life-saving c-section. I didn't have time to think about it before. It just happened. Once in the OR, I was immediately prepped for my epidural. The anesthesiologist opened my gown in the back which is already awkward because your butt is just out there, and then he invited some students to watch... to which I said "Anyone else want to see my ass?" Inappropriate, I know but I was nervous and it just came out. It took 4 tries to get my epidural in the right spot, and during the few times where it wasn't in the right spot yet, my legs were involuntarily twitching. So that was scary. The anesthesiologist was very reassuring, and made sure it was exactly right before administering any meds. The numbing started, they placed all the monitors all over my, gave me oxygen and started prepping themselves. I was extremely nauseated and thought "Crap, it was that last drink of water! I'm gonna throw-up because I had to have one more sip." They gave me anti-nausea meds quite a few times, and then finally I felt okay. My nerves were getting the best of me, and I kept asking for Aaron. They reassured me he'd be in very soon,  and once I was completely numb, he came in, and I was so happy to see him.

It's a very weird feeling to be numb, and unable to move your body, but then also be awake and aware. And even more bizarre to know they are down there cutting open your belly. Once they started, the actual c-section took a bit longer than expected because I ended up having an adhesion from my last c-section, that needed to be taken care of. And how do I know this? They had to burn through it... which may have been the worst thing I've ever smelled. The anesthesiologist put alcohol wipes under my nose until they were done so I wouldn't throw up.

When they were ready to take baby girl out of the womb, our anesthesiologist asked what kind of music we liked so our baby could be born to that music. After we chose, the pressure started. It felt like an elephant was sitting on my belly and like I had a huge, uncomfortable air bubble that needed to escape my body. I was so anxious for her arrival, and those few minutes of getting her out seemed to take forever. I felt a big release, and then I heard the most amazing sound I've ever heard. She cried, and I lost it. I sobbed uncontrollably, and I put my head against Aaron's. I saw the pure happiness in his eyes, which filled me up even more. I don't think I can describe the immense joy, and relief that I felt when I heard her cry. All those weeks I spent worrying about her well-being, wondering if she was healthy, and waiting to meet her were washed away with that beautiful little cry. The song "Perfect" by Ed Sheeran was on, a song that Aaron songs to me often, and in that moment everything was exactly that-- perfect. They took her to check her over and it felt like a lifetime before they brought her to me. They placed her right by my head and put her little cheek on mine. I felt at peace. I was calm and incredibly happy. I wanted so badly to hold her but I was still strapped down. They handed her to Aaron, and his face... oh my goodness- it was the cutest! I don't think I'll ever forget that smile on his face. It was so sweet that it made me start crying again. We got to snuggle her for a few more minutes before they took her to the NICU for platelet testing and a complete check-up.

After they finished stitching me up, they took me to recovery and checked me out over and over until I could move my legs. My nurse, Beth, was amazing and she said "You're only required to be in here for a hour, but you have to be able to move your legs to get outa here and see your girl." So she and I did everything we could to make sure I was only there for that required hour so that I could go up to the NICU and hold my girl!! She also let me see/touch my placenta that they were sending up for testing, which was really cool, and a little gross... but mostly so cool. Anyway, we headed up to the NICU, me in my bed and Aaron and my mom following. And when we got there Hazel was just laying there with all of her little wires, sleeping so peacefully and looking absolutely perfect. Tiny, but perfect. I held her, and I felt complete. Aaron held her. We were so happy, but also curious how long she would be there. We were basically told that her platelets had to continue to rise and stay on an upward trend in order to be released. Her platelets were currently 73,000 and they would be testing them every 12 hours until they felt comfortable with the number. A healthy range is anywhere from 150,000 to 300,000, and 9 days ago after her in-utero transfusion, Hazel's were over 300,000. That means in 9 days my antibodies killed off over 200,000 of her platelets. Because of that and our history, they felt uneasy about letting her go too soon, in case my antibodies were still wreaking havoc in her little body.

We visited her as much as we could throughout the night, and the next day we had plans to go to rounds to get a plan from the neonatologist assigned to Hazel. So we got up and got ready to head over again, but the nurse came by and said they were transporting her over to the nursery in the maternity ward. Now this still didn't mean she could room in with me. They needed room in the NICU, and since she was doing well they were handing her off to our nurses. We waited for a few hours with no answers as to what was going on with our baby, or when we could see her, and I was starting to get upset. I called for my nurse and when she came in, she had my baby girl in her arms and said the most magical words, "She's all yours, Momma." My heart almost burst out of my chest, and of course I started to cry happy tears. More than happy tears; They were magical, miracle tears. It may seem so silly to some of you, and unless you've had a baby in the NICU you might not get it. I was going to hold my baby free of wires, free of the constant beeping, free from weighing her diapers, free of timing your feeds, and most of all free from the constant worry about when my baby will be healthy enough to leave. I got to hold my baby. In MY room. Without wires. I've never really had that opportunity, and it was amazing. So amazing. And you know what else was amazing? The big sisters were also allowed to come and meet her, and then see her everyday after that. In the NICU, there are designated "sibling days" and you have to have immunization records sent in, and you have to be at least 2 years old-- meaning Mackenzie wouldn't have even been able to visit at all. Seeing the girls meet was one of the top moments of my life. They just wanted to touch her, hold her, kiss her, and love on her! They were so interested in everything she was doing, and so proud to show her off to the others in the room. They helped give her check-ups, and even "helped" me breastfeed. 😂 The love that filled our room filled me up to the top. It's a feeling I'll never forget.

We left the hospital 4 days after giving birth, which is a new record for us Wrights! Hazel's platelets had continued to rise without falling, and on the day we left, they were 149,000. They wanted them to be 150,000 for discharge but they let Hazel go on one condition. I had to get her a doctor's appointment for the next day that included a blood draw to check her platelet count. We did, and her platelets were great! Our girl is healthy, and just the perfect addition to our family. The girls are obsessed with their little sister, and Aaron and I are obsessed with all of them!

Thank you again for all of your support, prayers, texts, calls, and love. This journey wasn't the easiest, but it was made easier with all of you. We are so blessed. We did it!!! We beat NAIT again!! ❤️❤️❤️

Fetal Blood Sampling

So, our procedure was originally scheduled for 8/8, and then 2 weeks before was changed to 8/4. Then the time on 8/4 was changed twice until finally they changed it back to 8/8 because of a problem getting the donor platelets ready and washed in time for our procedure. To say it was frustrating is an understatement. Before the sample, I received 2 steroid shots (and got all the lovely side effects from them), had a double IVIG treatment, and gave tons of bloodwork. To say I was over getting stuck with needles is also an understatement... but I still had one more needle to go. The big one. The one that was going through my stomach and into my baby girl. To say I was anxious was the biggest understatement of all.

Because of our history, I made sure all of our hospital bags were packed, and the laundry was done, and there were plenty of groceries for the girls. Then I tried my best to sleep, which was pointless because my anxiety continued to get the best of me, pretty much making it impossible to get to sleep or stay asleep. 8am came quick, but I had been up... so I showered, Aaron got ready, and we got the girls downstairs where NaNa (Aaron's mom ) was waiting for them.  My mom was also there because she was coming to the hospital with us. You know what they say, no matter how old you get, sometimes you just need your Mom. The girls love our moms, so they were so excited. I was having all of the emotions when saying good-bye to them, thinking it might be the last time it was just my 2 girls. I hugged them extra tight and they gave the best hugs, and kisses back to me and baby sister. At that point, I really thought that I'd be introducing them to their sister the next time we were all together.

We arrived at the hospital around 9:45am which is when we were told to be there but we had to then wait another hour in the waiting room--which was not good for that anxiety I was telling you about. I kept thinking something was wrong with the platelets or the anesthesia or the OR was double booked. Finally they brought us back, I got changed, they put in my IV, took more bloodwork, attached my heart rate monitors, took my blood pressure, and then we waited. The sonographer and my doctor came in to do an initial assessment of baby girl's size and position. She was measured to be around 5.5 pounds and not in the best position for the procedure. They also checked her for bleeds and everything looked good in that area which was very relieving. They left and said hopefully she will be in a better position once we got to the OR. An anesthesiologist also came in, asked me a bunch of questions, and explained I would only get an epidural if needed. They were going to try using "twilight" and some anxiety medicine on me to see if they could keep me calm throughout the procedure, and not start contracting like last time. It made sense but it just wasn't what I was told or had prepared myself for so I was a little bit upset about the change. So many doctors, nurses, and students were coming in and out of our room, that when it finally died down and we were getting ready to walk back, it felt too quiet. The kind of quiet that left me alone with too many thoughts. Thoughts I didn't want to be left alone with. Thankfully, it didn't last long, Aaron got into his scrubs, we hugged my mom good-bye, and the anesthesiologist and nurses walked us back into the OR.

The Procedure
If you've ever been in an OR, you'll know that it's cold and super bright and can be very intimidating. I got onto the table, and they started draping me, hooking me up to things, and asking questions, and it seemed like everyone was talking all at once and I was feeling very overwhelmed. Aaron was right beside me the whole time, and did a great job keeping me out of my own head. The sonographer started looking at baby girl, and they found that she was actually in a better position than she had been previously. When they are looking at her position they want to see that there is an optimal way to access the large vein that runs through her liver. It's called the intrahepatic vein. That is the vein they need access to in order to retrieve a blood sample that will provide the most accurate platelet reading. With Mackenzie she was not in an optimal position to access that vein so after some maneuvering they went for the umbilical cord. There's actually much more risk involved if you have to puncture the cord, so we were very pleased to hear they wouldn't have to go that route this time.

The sonographer had to switch sides so that my doctor could access the side of my stomach where she could more easily access the vein. After they got themselves all situated, I was given the "twilight" meds, which definitely calmed me down pretty much instantly. I was holding Aaron's hand, and he was telling me what was going on because I didn't want to look. They gave the baby a anesthetic that kind of put her to sleep, so she wouldn't move during the procedure. Because of the meds, I actually drifted off to sleep a few times too, and they had to wake me to tell me I needed to breathe more shallowly because my deep sleep breathing was moving my stomach too much and making it harder to get the needle in a good position. After they started I could tell something was wrong because I could feel the pressure of the needle going in many, many times, prodding around, and puncturing through my uterus, but wasn't hearing any results. I just heard my doctor asking what was going on, and why is this happening. And it hurt, a lot. I was trying not to act like it hurt but I guess I wasn't very good at that because the anesthesiologist gave me more meds, and was Aaron was wiping my tears away for me.  I can't even really describe how it feels, but it's so uncomfortably painful and the whole time you're being told not to move, or breathe too hard, or cough because there's a needle in your baby. It's extremely scary, and a lot of pressure to be put under. 

Aaron told me that every time my doctor put the needle in, they would pull it up and no fluid or blood would be drawn out. It was literally empty over and over again. My doctor and one of the anesthesiologists started to have a little bit of an argument about why it was happening and he suggested a new tactic of approach. My doctor apparently did not think that was plausible, politely corrected him and continued on. At this point we had been in there for over an hour, and I was in a decent amount of pain each time the needle was reinserted, so the anesthesiologist actually called another doctor behind my doctor's back to assist. She reeeeeeealllly didn't like that and dismissed the other doctor immediately, but she did change needles. Talk about awkward...  The matched platelets that they secured for the infusion are only viable for 2 hours once they reach the OR, so the nurse was constantly reminding my doctor of that fact as well.

Finally, right at the 2 hour mark they secured 2 different samples. The first was 93,000 and the second was 102,000!!!!!!!!!! I literally couldn't even believe it when I heard. I must have asked Aaron to repeat it at least 5 times. Mackenzie's sample was only 5,000, so I had prepared myself for that kind of result again. I looked at Aaron and I could tell he was so happy, that just made me feel so happy, and grateful. As happy as we were, it's still not as high as they'd like her platelets to be, so they infused the donor platelets to ensure she would have over 300,000 which is a more "normal" count. They wheeled me into recovery, and Aaron and I just hugged and thanked God that this time around was smoother, and we had better results. As I said I was very happy, but the biggest feeling I had was relief. Relieved that she was alive and healthy, relieved that I was alive and healthy, and relieved that it was over. Aaron went to get my poor Mom who had been waiting over 2 hours for a procedure she was told would only be around 30 minutes long. She came back and she was so excited to see that I was okay and to hear that the baby was doing well also. I was really excited to see her as well, and get a big hug- the kind only your Mom can give you.

Recovery
I stayed in recovery for around 3.5 hours while they monitored the baby to make sure she was waking up from the anesthesia given to her, and they monitored the mild contractions I was having. Once the contractions slowed down, the cramping I was having subsided, and I was able to show I could eat and not vomit, and use the bathroom they said I could go home to rest. My doctor came by to clear me, and told me I better take it easy. She knows I never do and was very adamant that I let Aaron help me, and that I lay down. If I have any cramping or contractions I would need to come back, but she said she felt confident that everything was completely fine. I was worried about my placenta, but my doctor said that my placenta was untouched during the procedure, and looked very healthy. I'm still worried about it of course, but I don't think that will ever go away. 

We scheduled our C-section for Thursday, August 17th and while discussing that with our doctor I asked about a possible NICU stay as well. She said it most likely won't be necessary, and that I get to room-in with my baby. That's something I've never gotten to do, and the feelings of joy I had in that moment were overwhelming. As long as everything goes smoothly, I'll get to hold my baby girl, free of monitors and just be normal. Maybe that seems silly to some, but I can't wait. 

We went home, and the girls were so happy to see us which was just icing on the cake. They were squealing and running around like crazy. I told them their baby sister was doing really well and they would get to meet her very soon. Something I didn't expect was how Isabelle reacted when I showed her the needle punctures on my belly. She became very upset, and the look on her face was devastating. Her feelings of empathy for me, and baby sister overwhelmed her and she did not really know how to handle it. We reassured her that Mommy was okay, and baby sister was okay too. I told her that it was just sore like a boo-boo, and she eventually was okay. She kissed my belly, and gave me a giant hug. Her kind heart, deep feelings, and sweetness never cease to amaze me. 

Today I've been on bed rest, with minimal activity. I'm very sore on the right side of my belly where the needles went in, I've been battling a headache, and I'm just overall exhausted. But the girls have been great, Aaron's been amazing, and our close friends and family have been lovely. The love and support I've felt over the past few days has lifted me up when I was feeling down, held me there when I wanted to fall, and helped me get through a challenging time. I'm so grateful for you all. Thank you for being so wonderful.

One more infusion. One more week. We can't wait to meet her!!!!!

 

Updates! Double Treatments, FBS & C-Sections-- Oh My!

I've been meaning to write this post for a few weeks now, but we have been so busy!!  Since I last updated you all, we've been on all sorts of summer adventures including the beach, carnivals, pool days, zoo fun, and lots of outside play time at the park. I've never been this pregnant in the summer, so these adventures are a lot more exhausting than I expected them to be.  My waddle is in full force, and my Mom's pool and all places with air conditioning are my best friends.  Props to all you Mommas who have experienced your third trimester in the Summer.  It's definitely easier to be full-on pregnant in the Winter, in my opinion.

 

We also had a small sprinkle with close friends and family, and their generosity and excitement for our little girl really touched our hearts. Sometimes with your 3rd baby, it can feel like people aren't as excited for your family, or kind of forget that you even are pregnant.  We are equally excited for this baby girl as we have been for our first two, so it was really nice to celebrate her pending arrival with others who are just as excited for us. Something that hit me harder than I thought it would was the absence of my Grandma. She loved my girls so much, and would have loved that I was having another girl.  Not having her at the gender reveal to cry tears of joy that it was a girl, or at our sprinkle to share in our excitement was something that I had to quietly deal with.  It just breaks my heart that this little girl in my belly will never know the unconditional love of my Grandma. I know she is looking down, happy as can be for us, bragging to all her friends up there... and I can take comfort in that.  She is and always will be our girls' guardian angel.

Well, after finally adjusting to my single dose IVIG treatments and feeling as though my side effects were low, and finally feeling like we were in a good rhythm, they DOUBLED them. YAY (that's a sarcastic YAY)!!! This is a different plan from my pregnancy with Mackenzie, but since her platelet counts were so low with single dose IVIG, the thinking is that doubling the dose of IVIG will hopefully protect this baby's platelets more effectively. The fact is, they don't know if it will work, and in fact they still don't know why the single dose didn't work for Mackenzie's platelet count.  So, it's kind of just, let's try this and see what happens, which is super scary.  As long as it prevents brain/belly bleeds it is considered by all a success, so while high platelet counts are great, no bleeds is the ultimate goal!

The double treatments were a pain in the butt to get approved, and still weren't approved the Friday before my first Sunday infusion. The home-infusion center I work with was having a really hard time getting confirmation from the doctor assigned to my case.  The doctor listed on the orders was not my doctor, so after lots of back and forth between everyone I had to call my doctor, and she took care of it for us.  Then we ran into another issue because the pharmacist from the home-infusion company told me that I couldn't have both bags of IVIG in one day, which was in direct conflict with what my doctor had told me.  I was told to try it in one day and see how I felt and if I could not handle it, they would split it into 2 days.  So the run-around of phone calls began again, until finally they agreed to send me both bags of my medicine with a stern warning from the pharmacist that I could have severe side effects, including a fluid overload which could cause thrombocytopenia.  So, that was comforting.

 

The actual infusion itself is really long, anywhere from 10-12 hours depending on the vein used. We really love our nurse, so while the length of the infusion is annoying she is so sweet and fun to be around so that makes things better. For my first double infusion she got the girls a bubble machine to pass some of the time, and the girls LOVED it.  She is always willing to go outside, or play with the girls or clean up their messes and I'm so grateful for her.  It has been increasingly more difficult to get a good vein at this point after over 20 infusions. My veins are flattening out, changing shape, and rolling away.  The past few infusions I was stuck multiple times, usually the 3rd time being the charm. By the time we find a good, plump vein it's usually in an uncomfortable spot that kinks a lot, or hurts throughout the infusion.  I just suck it up and try my best not to complain because there isn't usually another option and we need to get the infusion started.  I've also had my IV/vein blown out accidentally (thanks Aaron!), or they start to leak and then my IV needs to be changed in the middle of an infusion also. I only have 2 more infusions, so here's to hoping my veins will cooperate. 

 The side effects have me back at square one, where I pretty much feel like crap from Sunday-Wednesday.  My headaches are barely manageable during the 24 hours following the infusion, and try to linger for multiple days.  I'm getting flu-like symptoms for at least a day, sometimes two and all of this is in addition to the normal aches and pains of being 8.5 months pregnant. Even with all of that I still really enjoy being pregnant.  It will never, ever get old to feel life moving inside of you. It's such an amazing thing to experience.

I know I've said it before, but I really try my best not to let it affect my life as much as I can.  I try my best not to complain, I still go outside, go to the pool, and play monsters and hide and seek with my girls.  They understand that Mommy's medicine for the baby makes me feel sick, and they are so sweet about it-- especially Izzie. She is always telling me "It's okay Mommy... you're okay," accompanied by lots of cuddles and kisses.  And thank God for Aaron, because he makes sure the girls are quiet so I can rest or plays with them when I just can't.  He is the best Daddy, and husband and I definitely could not make it through all of this without him. But when I'm feeling exhausted, or sick I also feel guilty for not being the best I can be for the girls, and even more guilty that I may be upsetting them because I'm different than normal Mommy. So for the most part, I just push through because I don't want to miss out on making memories with them, and I don't want them to feel that I don't want to play with them.

 

So up next for us is our Fetal Blood Sampling this Friday. It's the same procedure that I had with Mackenzie to check her platelet count, and it was literally the worst experience of my life.  I ended up having extreme back labor contractions throughout the procedure, and it brought on real labor and then a placenta abruption, followed by an emergency C-section for which I was knocked out. So to say that I'm anxious for this time around is an extreme understatement. We are taking some extra precautions this time around, including an epidural for me in case I start contracting again. I am also getting steroid shots beforehand to help mature baby girl's lungs.  I'll be observed and monitored closely after the procedure with an option to stay the night just to be safe.  During the procedure, my doctor will insert a very long needle into the baby's main vein that runs through the liver, and extract a blood sample. The sample will literally be run over to the lab and the platelet results will be ready pretty much instantly.  During the platelet reading, the needle will stay in my stomach, in the baby's vein and matched platelets will be on hand to infuse in case her platelet count is low. If her platelet count is normal, then I continue with home IVIG treatments until my planned C-section in 2 weeks.  If the platelets are low, I will reschedule a C-section for within 1 week because that's about how long the matched platelets would last in baby girl's blood after an infusion.  Whatever the outcome of the sampling is, we are just praying that our baby girl is born healthy, with NO BLEEDS, however/whenever that happens.

As always, we feel so blessed to have so many people supporting our family, and following our journey.  We appreciate all the thoughts, well wishes, and prayers that are said for us. Thank you all from the bottom of our hearts. I will try to update the blog again after our procedure on Friday.