A Plea For Your Help
I laid awake last night with nary a flutter to my eyelids. I have been in quite some pain for the last several months. I can not tell when the last time it was that I rolled out of bed with out back pain. I have trouble sitting for long periods, trouble when you work at a desk all day. I have not been able to walk much more than a mile at a time, and then I have to go real slow. You see I have a cyst that is growing on my spinal cord, a bone or disc fragment, in addition to my vertebrae slipping, L4 on L5 for those who know. There is considerable pain in the sciatica nerve, shooting pains, numbness and tingling. I have not had a full nights sleep in I can't remember how long.
So last night came as no real surprise. It's just that I have come to a realization. An epiphany if you will. When and if I go out on a disability I want to do something with that time besides sitting around feeling sorry for myself. I want to get published. I want to write an book of inspirational stories. Thus I am asking for your help.
In addition to your thoughts and prayers, which I do ask for, I would like some of you to send me your inspirational stories. Tell me about a touching thing that happened to you, your wife, your friend, children etc. You see I want to feel uplifted during this time. I want to publish these stories, and donate a portion, large portion, to charities. First, I think I'll donate to A Spinal Cord Injury Charity. Children's Leukemia Society, etc.
You see I was inspired last night by a story, my child's beginning:
My wife and I were married in April of 2000. I married my beautiful wife in a park setting on the bay in San Diego. I married a woman who at the time was skeptical about getting married, let alone thinking about having children. Furthest thing from her mind. Well, sure enough that changed, and we became pregnant (okay she became pregnant at which I was a willing participant) in December 2001.
We were two young soon to be parents, looking forward to the day our little girl would spring forth, September. My wife loves to shop, so we would traipse on the weekends and plan our daughter's nursery. Purple and white wainscoting, crib, Pottery Barn Kids Comforter on the wall. Beautiful!
Off to Lamaze classes to learn the "pant, pant, oof, oof" drills. Late one night my wife began having a series of itching episodes. Her palms would itch, her soles of her feet would itch. It was very disconcerting. Off we went to the Urgent Care the next day. Nothing to worry about they said. They sent us home with instructions for bathing with Aveeno (oatmeal baths) and take Sudafed (antihistimine) and all would be okay. We went back to her Ob-Gyn and she did some further testing. Again, we were assured everything was compact with the baby. Her heart rate was fine, and my wife was healthy other than this itching. Mind you my wife barely caught a cold, I did that for the two of us.
The itching became unbearable one afternoon so we rushed off to the hospital. They promptly hooked my wife up for fetal monitoring, and once again declared all was well, the baby's heart rate and movement were all right. The next afternoon my phone rang in the middle of a meeting. My wife was sure something was amiss, they baby didn't move after lunch. She always moved after eating, and my wife's tummy was tight. Ah, a little Braxton Hicks- they warned us about this in class! Off we rushed to the hospital, surely to be summarily dismissed with the wave and admonition to come back.
That was not to be the case. My wife was now diagnosed with having a choleostasis. Her bladder and liver were not working properly. The bile in her body was not flushing out properly. It was backing up. A Perio-natologist was called in. She wanted to see what would happen if we induced a contraction. Oh, not a good idea, the baby's heart rate fell, and she was not moving. The doctor then did a 30 minute ultrasound, and the baby showed no signs of movement. Her little legs would shudder a bit but that was all.
The doctor now was very serious. My wife and I were a bit in shock, I was apoplectic, we weren't prepared for this. I had not pack our bags- no fresh undies or a sleeping bag! The decision was made, we had to get the baby out! My wife and I thought, maybe in the morning. No. it was now. They hurried me into scrubs and prepped my wife. We were separated, I into a hallway while they further readied my wife.
I was in tears and praying! God be with the doctors! May Your Holy Spirit fill the room and protect my wife and baby! Thank God! We were with the right doctors, nurses, and hospital staff. They were magnificent!
Our little girl was taken from the womb, more so than born, on July 23, 2002. She was 7 weeks early, 3 pounds 10 ounces. Teeny tiny little thing- our Lil' Bit.
She remained in the hospital for three weeks.
For new parents that's an eternity. She's all hooked up to feeding tubes, IVs, and in an incubator. Thank God my wife recovered remarkably quickly. She was determined to get up and around the next day following her C-section. The choleostasis gone, like it was never there. I still say our Lil' Bit just wanted to come out early and on her time. Samantha was not sick, and didn't need any surgery, she just needed to grow, to gain weight. She was fortunate compared to others there. Stomach surgeries, 1 pound babies, sickness everywhere. But a spirit of hope everywhere we turned. The nurses and doctors again were remarkable.
Inspirational: Our Lil' Bit, Samantha, is now close to 15 pounds, and 10 months. She is still little, but she's catching up. She is sitting up, smiling, laughing, and crawling. She is learning to wave, that cute little child's almost wave. God has smiled upon us and given us a Lil' Bit of his sunshine in Samantha Kate.
That's what it is all about! I want to have you share your story with me. I want to share your story with others. Send me your tale include your first name, and city and state. Have a picture you want to send? by all means attach it. I am looking for heart warming stories, inspirational, tear jerkers, amusing, bravery, spiritual etc. While I am out on a leave I would love my e-mail boxes to over flow! Send this link or e-mail to friend, and so on and so on...
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