Its actually a long story, that I didn't wanna whine about in social media. Yes, our lives aren't exactly what we potray in facebook n instagram. We don't look as good as our pictures. I have dark circles, bags and perhaps much more. I haven't slept more than two hours in one stretch of a time in last two months, coz that's how frequently I need to feed my newborn.
Coming back to weight gain, my pregnancy and puerperium were more stormy than I ever imagined.
Pregnancy pukes were so horrible, I landed in ER and took IV drips. I had ketonuria, ie frequent vomiting made me pass glucose in urine. I had hyperemesis for first 4 months.
During last 3 months, I had severe iron deficiency n anemia. In my final month, I was bedridden coz of my preexisting illness, fibromyalgia. I couldnt eat, I couldnt sleep.
At 36 weekd, a random ultrasound showed that my uterus was just about to erupt or dehisce. Uterine wall thickness was less than 4 mm. I had to rush for emergency caesrian section. Operating gynecologist ma'am later informed that my uterus was plastic thin and baby's hair had already protruded out of the defect. I was rescued right before uterine rupture threatened both me and my baby's lives. Hubby told me later that day, that it was my second life.
But it was only the beginning of my countless sufferings....
My baby was taken to neonatal ICU for first 24 hours for TTN. My hubby informed me that my boy had heart murmur, a suspected VSD. I was petrified. Amidst so much pain, all I could think of, was my little boy's VSD. I cried, whined, sobbed and prayed. An ECHO revealed that the defect was small, which would most likely, close spontaneously. But only time would tell.
On the 3rd night, while still in the hospital, I got fever from breast engorgement. Severely painful milk expressions, day and night, for 4-5 days, and it dwindled a bit, only to be followed by wound infection, urinary tract infection and uterine wall infection. There was fluid collection(seroma) at wound site, which was drained via syringe.
At the end of second week, my wound hurt so bad that I couldnt empty bladder or bowel. It went on for a week before a senior gynecologist at Grande Hospital detected the source of infection. I took my third course of antibiotics. I was so weak, I couldnt eat or sleep well.
Just when the wound infection abated, and I thought all was well, I woke up in the middle of the night with fever, rigors and excruciating breast pain. Next day, I was told I had second bout of breast engorgement involving entire lower zone and risked forming an abscess. There I was, getting IV antibiotics again, fourth course. Running to hospital four times a day, as I refused admission coz I couldn't risk exposing my baby to hospital acquired infections. I was five weeks postpartum by then.
As that episode subsided, I had vestibulitis along with aphthae and dental impingement. I couldn't eat, again. My dose of antibiotics were escalated, as they feared my nasal infection had risks of passing into the connecting brain linings. With treatment, my swollen nose and eroded tongue was beginning to wane, and I had severe gastritis, forcing me to stop all antiobiotics.
Between all this, my wound pain had revived. And my gynecologist said I had scar adhesions, probably connecting to the uterus. He was apprehensive that I might need laparoscopic surgery for breaking adhesions if my pain won't subside. Maybe after 6months or so. But for me, any more surgery sounded like death sentence. I had suffered so much, any surgical intervention scared me.
Thankfully the wound pain vanished. And now, my baby is two months old, thriving well, with remarkable weight gain. And his murmur has disappeare. He has embraced my genes wholeheartedly, his light brown eyes, sharp nose, full lips and the dimples that light my world when he smiles.
During all the chaos, my baby's healthy weight gain was my only pride. And I learnt two things, pain is a constant, yet nothing lasts forever. I survived and I conquered.
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