Baby Sullivan - The First 12 Weeks

Baby Sullivan – The First 12 weeks

Chris and I made the decision not to tell a soul about our current pregnancy until we hit the 12 week zone and got the all clear from our doctor.   What many people don’t know is that approx 6 months after we got married, we got pregnant and had a miscarriage (around 7 weeks).  It was devastating for me.  That’s a story for another time.

I often get asked when I knew I was pregnant.  It was early.  Very early.  I am very regular with my cycle and very in tune with my body.  When I missed my period, I knew it was possible I could be pregnant.  We had been tracking ovulation for 6+ months and the timing was right.  I was very cautious though (previous experience and all).  I waited until approx the 6 week mark to even take a pregnancy test.  Isn’t that crazy? 

Fun fact: I actually took my 1^st pregnancy test in the bathroom at work and hit it in my drawer without looking at it (for the next couple hours). 

That test was positive!  I took another one a week later.  Still positive.  In all honesty, I tried to put it out of my mind.  I didn’t want to get my hopes up after our previous experience.

At the 8 week mark I had an appt with my OB.  Chris was still unaware that I was pregnant.  There were a million times I almost told him, but I had to be sure.  The doctor confirmed it.  I saw the heartbeat and the teeny tiny little baby.

I began brainstorming fun ways to tell Chris we made a miracle baby.  I had settled on a walk around the Lakefront and slipping it in to the conversation somehow.  However, several days in a row, he was so beat after work that the walk didn’t happen. I wound up blurting it out in our kitchen while we were getting dinner ready. LOL. 

Chris’s first time seeing the baby “for real” was at our 12 week appointment.  I think it got real then.  At that point, we began deciding how to tell our families & then eventually announcing it on social media.

Stay tuned for the next part in the Baby Sullivan story…..

Hospital Stay

 

Wow! Covid-19 sure had changed things.  For those of you who don’t know, on Tuesday morning, 6/9, at 2am, I took Chris to the ER with SEVERE stomach/side pain.  We suspected kidney stones but weren’t sure.  After 4.5 hours on a hard bench in front of the ER, I was able to speak with a doctor who confirmed that Chris had not one, but TWO kidney stones.  They were admitting him.  

This broke my heart :(  Chris waiting in the ER, alone & in pain, for the nurse.

The imaging showed one stone that was traveling/blocking and another just “hanging out” in the kidney.  On Wednesday, 6/10, Chris had surgery to remove the stones.  The doctor let me know afterwards that it was a good thing surgery was done.  Chris’s ureter narrowed at the bottom which means that his 4mm stone would never have been able to pass through.

In addition, while the doctor had Chris under anesthesia, he decided to perform a prostate exam.  Now, normally this is a procedure for men over 50.  Chris is 45.  However, this particular doctor has had experience with men in their late 40’s showing signs of Prostate issues.  In light of that, he decided to perform a prostate exam.  During that exam, he found a nodule that he “didn’t like”.   He felt very strongly that it needed to be removed and biopsied to ensure it’s not cancerous.  

The dreaded C-word.  Prostate cancer isn’t common in Chris’s family, but cancer is.  His brother has dealt with it 3 separate times.  We are looking at this doctor and even the kidney stones as the hand of God looking out for him/us.  If this kidney stone issue had not happened, it would have been 5+ years before Chris ever thought about his prostate or getting it checked. 

These kidney stones very well could have saved his life. 

UPDATE: We just had his follow up appointment, his stent was removed and his pathology determined NO CANCER!!!  #Praise God

Throughout our stay at the hospital, there were definitely changes in processes & procedures from the last time we stayed at one (Chris’s appendectomy).  Here are the changes that I am aware of while we were there.  I hope this helps you if you need to be in the hospital or have a loved one in the hospital in Osceola County, FL. 

Note: These are just the changes we noticed at our local hospital based on our prior and current experience. 

Changes we Noticed in Hospital:

·         ER – no one is allowed inside the Emergency Room except the patient.  This was extremely hard for me.  When someone you love is in pain, you want to stay by their side and meet any need they have.

Hospital:

o   Only one visitor is allowed for the duration of the stay.  This means that whoever visits you (or is with you in the ER) is the only person allowed to be with you for the entire time you are in the hospital.

o   Visiting Hours -8am-8pm – Strictly Enforced.  On Surgery day, Chris thought he was going to be taken back around 7:30am.  I BEGGED the security officer and information desk person to let me up.  They did… thankfully.

o   Overnight Visits – not allowed.  I don’t know if this is true for the maternity ward.  Chris was on the Oncology floor.   I was allowed to stay overnight a couple times but for the most part, this rule is strictly enforced. 

o   Masks & hand sanitizing are required at all times when moving about the hospital.  If I left the hospital for any reason, I had to get a new mask when I returned.

o   Food/Coffee/Snacks – aside from a vending machine there are NO food/drink options for visitors.  I spent basically 18-24 hours at the hospital so any time I needed a meal, I had to have it delivered or leave to go get it.  The cafeteria has been changed to “Employees Only” due to Covid-19 and the kiosks that sold pastries and coffee are shut down until further notice. 

Chris has been out of work for 2 weeks without pay but there are so many blessings to speak of, like the fact that his insurance just went in to effect on June 1st.  This happened on June 9th!  That's without a doubt, a GOD thing!