Julie and the Babies

More later. Last sentence of my last post. Uh huh! Was there ever more later! 

We got home from Wichita Falls and Julie went for her regular doctor appointment on Wednesday. Well.....the doctor found out she was dilated to a #1 and having light contractions so off to the hospital she was sent. 

Julie spent from April 10 to May 9 (I think) in the PCU at Cox Hospital. PCU. That is pregnancy intensive care unit.  When Julie entered the hospital she was 25 weeks pregnant. The next day on Thursday she was 26 weeks pregnant. I say it like that because I learned that you didn't say she was 26 weeks pregnant until the DAY she was 26 weeks pregnant. 

She was started on magnesium and steroids, magnesium to protect the babies' brains and to hopefully stop contractions and steroids to mature their lungs in case they were born then.

Julie had to lay in the bed and not get up except to go to the bathroom. For a few days she couldn't even do that much. Julie was amazing. She was happy to lay in the bed or do whatever they told her to do to stop contractions and keep the babies from being born right then.

She had 3 contractions an hour on good days, 6-10 contractions an hour on bad days and would have to have meds to calm it all down. If that didn't work, they would start her back on magnesium. She had another shot of steroids while there also.

She had several doctors that checked on her every day, but by far the one she (and us) liked the most was Dr. Dorthea Dix. A specialist in multiple pregnancies and who is closely associated with the Children's Miracle Network. She was very, very no-nonsense, had NO bedside manner but she was an excellent doctor. She told Julie that she would have to stay in PCU for the entire remainder of her pregnancy, that it was the safest way to go. Dr. Dix told Julie if she made it to 33 weeks, she would consider letting her move to the Ronald McDonald House to wait the rest of the pregnancy. She had a plan to get those babies to 34 weeks and all was going well....until she went on vacation for 3 weeks.

When Dr. Dix went on vacation her associate, Dr. Greenspoon started seeing Julie. Julie had seen him once or twice and frankly, did not like him. Anyway, this is who was seeing her now, along with all the other residents who came in off and on all day long. He knew what Dr. Dix had told Julie about staying in PCU but he told Julie that he would probably send her to Ronald McDonald House  the next week if all continued well. Well...he didn't wait that long. He came in on the morning of May 9 (I think, might have been the 8th)


to be continued later...I hear thunder and have to unplug.