M Family: January 2009

...and I (Scott) am up reflecting on our last 6 days. What initially got me up was the restlessness of wondering, "Is Taylor still breathing?" The answer is yes. He is still breathing and will continue to breathe. I assume most parents can empathize with me here. I snatched lil' man up from his swing and just held him tight. Life really doesn't get any better than this, even with the lack of sleep.

Of course, I felt silly for checking his breathing. But, Helen and I also felt silly for going into the hospital Tuesday morning with early labor contractions. Turns out that "silliness" may have saved Helen's life. Most of you have not heard this side of the story, and honestly, all of this is just setting in with me.

Dr. Travelstead came in around 7 a.m. to check Helen's progress. Although Helen was at 40 weeks, Taylor had not dropped near enough for her to be induced. Dr. T wanted to tell us that we would have a baby that afternoon, but it just wasn't going to happen. The last check was her labwork results. So, I started gathering our few things and preparing to make our exit. In fact, I even text our family that we had a false start and would be home shortly. Then the labwork results came in - Helen had mild preclampsia.

Mild preclampsia is the combination of high blood pressure and protein in the urine. Helen had no symptoms of this during her pregnancy, but without a doubt she had it now. Mild preclampsia is not a severe condition and can be regulated as long as your condition does not worsen. The cure for preclampsia is delivering the baby. Dr. T was not comfortable sending Helen home and said we would have a baby by Wednesday at the latest.

So, five minutes after sending a "false start" text to family, I sent them a text that Taylor would be here by the next day! What a change in plans. I must say I was relieved to be there to stay. How was I supposed to go to work after such an eventful morning? I was ready to be a Dad! I'll also add that last Tuesday was exactly 40 weeks for Helen's pregnancy. I am proud of Taylor for being so prompt (as any Marshall child should be).

So the games began (Helen probably wouldn't call labor "games" but that's what first came to mind). Helen labored intensely Tuesday night and Wednesday morning. When I say intensely, I mean it. I have never seen anything like it. As you know, Helen is tougher than most women. Heck, she chased a robber off of our balcony in Nashville! (no comments please on where I was during this fiasco). Okay, back to the subject matter.

Dr. T decided Wednesday at 11 a.m. that Helen was not progressing enough and we needed to do a C-section. Helen was very disappointed in this, but she had done all she could. We now needed a healthy, pain-free mom and a beautiful baby boy. At 12:47 p.m. on Tuesday, January 21, 2009, we got just that….almost.

Helen’s bloodwork results after the C-section were not good. She was diagnosed with HELLP Syndrome (H = hemolysis, EL = elevated liver enzymes, LP = low platelets). HELLP syndrome is a severe case of preclampsia and can have fatal results. Helen’s case was pretty rare in that her condition worsened initially after delivery. All that said, I had an indescribable peace about everything – a peace that can only come from God. Given what had happened over the last 30+ hours, I should have been a train wreck. Don’t get me wrong. I had my breakdown moments of tears bear-hugging my parents. Parents can comfort their children in ways that others can’t, and I am thankful for them being right there with me through all of this.

The story ends happily with a beautiful baby boy and a healthy, smitten mom. Helen’s labwork continued to improve, and we were discharged on Saturday.

I’ll end with a prayer of thanksgiving:

-I am thankful first of all to our Lord Jesus Christ who is able to do more than we could ever imagine. I am thankful for our salvation found only in Him. I am thankful for his peace which surpasses all understanding. I am thankful for his amazing grace. I am thankful that he healed my best friend.

-I am thankful for the love of my life Helen. Helen is my hero (heroin for you English majors). I am so thankful for our marriage of 5 ½ years that continues to flourish with intentional time.

-I am thankful for my new son Taylor. I am overwhelmed at times with the thought of raising a young man, but what an exciting journey ahead. I pray that he will not know a day without Jesus.

-I am thankful for Dr. Travelstead, the nurses, Baptist Hospital, and all of those who cared for us during this process.

-I am thankful for our dear family and friends who love, support, and pray for us.

I’m done here. Thanks for reading.