A ‘Great’ Experience? Well, Yes

Shenandoah Medical Center
Shenandoah

On October 15, 2016 I came to Shenandoah Medical Center to be induced with my second baby. I was being induced at 37 weeks due to preeclampsia but I was not nervous. I was ready. I had done this once before and was ready to go in and have things go smoothly and welcome our baby girl.

Turns out, this is not what would happen. After 19 hours of active labor, I was not progressing and baby was not either. She wouldn’t descend and I wouldn’t dilate past an 8. With my stats and babies stats starting to show distress and the possibility of an infection we decided to go ahead and do a C-section. When we were in the OR we discovered that my epidural had settled to one side and I was not numb. My husband had to be rushed out of the OR and I had to go under general anesthesia.

Our beautiful daughter was born at 2:42 am. When I awoke I was moved back to my room and got to hold her for the first time, although from the effects of the anesthesia I don’t remember this. Shortly after I began to feel light headed and week. It was discovered that I had lost more blood than we thought and I had a hematoma in my abdomen as well. I was taken down for a CT to be sure that I wasn’t actively bleeding. I was not so we ended up doing a blood transfusion and I began to feel better.

We were discharged three days later and things seemed to be going well.

One week to the day after my daughter was born I had a splitting headache. I was told my one of the nurses I spoke with to go ahead and come into the ED for fear that it was my blood pressure. Low and behold my preeclampsia was back and my blood pressure was 200/160. I was admitted to the hospital and put on a magnesium drip to help lower my blood pressure.

While admitted I had my first ever anxiety attack. I was away from my newborn, alone and going through something I wouldn’t wish on my greatest enemy.

Now, how was this a great SMC experience for me? Dr. Prusa. She was there for me every step of the way. She labored with me, she spent time with me, and she was not just there to deliver my baby, she was there to make an experience. When that experience turned out to not be what I wanted she made the best of what it was and reassured me that everything would be fine. When I was readmitted the next weekend she was there. She left drill to come and be with me. When I had an anxiety attack she was on the phone with me calming me down. When I was discharged the second time she gave me her personal number to call with any questions and she even texted me my first night home to make sure I was ok. She made my experience. My experience that quite honestly was the worst of my life was better because of her.

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