Thursday, April 05, 2007

Just Another Day....Sort of

So, here we are on a lovely April day in Kansas. It is snowing.

Now the real reason for today's post. Yesterday marked one year since my miscarriage. It does not seem like it could have been a year already. It doesn't seem like it was "yesterday" but maybe like it could have been last month. Tuesday, April 4th I woke up at about 6am gushing blood like nobody's business. On my way to the bathroom I told Matt he needed to get up, NOW. So, as I'm sitting in the bathtub (which if you ever think you're having a mc, you should do. Don't sit on the toilet because they'll ask you about clots, tissue and how much you've bled. You don't know these answers if they're in the bottom of the toilet. I learned this after I bled while being preg with Faith) I told Matt to get me some clean clothes and get Faith up because we were going to the ER. We got there and I'm sure I was a sight, what with dried blood caked on me and fresh still running everywhere. While they were trying to figure out what exactly was going on with me they removed ping pong ball sized blood clots from me. Yup, nice visual huh? The hopefull thought was that there was not any tissue, just blood & clots. So eventually they did a sonogram. Then shortly after that we found out the baby had died. Then, shortly after that they were able to get me in for a D&C at around 10 or 10:30 am (since I hadn't eaten anything for however many hours we didn't have to wait and they also just happened to have an opening in surgery). All this time I was pretty much numb. I don't think I really cried. I think partially because I was thinking maybe they were wrong and that it wasn't true and the baby really was okay. As I was laying on the table, all drugged up, covered in warm blankets and as they were putting me out, I started to cry. The next thing I remember is feeling like I was asleep and my back hurt very very badly. So I rolled onto my side thinking it would feel better. As I did this I heard someone talking to me & I kind of mumbled something. Then the same woman said "her blood pressure just dropped, get her off her side and back onto her back, now." The next thing I remember I was finally waking up and Matt was there sitting by me. I was still out of it & sleeping off & on. At about 5 I think, the nurses in recovery started trying to get me up and moving around. I was still bleeding pretty good. So, I'm up and heading to the bathroom to pee (ya know how nurses are about making you go before you can leave). We get there, I sit down and tell the nurse I'm not feeling too well. As things go black and I pass out I hear the nurse yell for the other nurse to come help her. Then I'm back in the bed where I started. Did you know that a D&C is an out-patient procedure? You're supposed to be able to go home afterwards and be sad and miserable in your own bed. Not me. No, I have to go to the floor and stay the night. Now in my particular hospital (don't know about yours) they have the women's center. This is where you stay if you are in the hospital for any woman specific ailment or event. Hysterectmy (sp), D&C or birth. Yup, that's right. You, Sharona have just lost your baby.....Bob, tell her what she's won....Why, a not all expense paid night on the same floor as scores of mother's who have just given birth! You can even listen to the new babies cry all night for free! So, the night sucked and I got out of there the next morning. Shortly after I got home I started looking for tattoo ideas. I had decided that I was getting one I just wasn't sure what yet. I told my husband about the idea, he wasn't real thrilled. He's not much of a tatto guy. I thought about it off and on and never really committed to doing it for multiple reasons. So, here we are a year later. We have not been able to get pregnant again yet, not too sure why. As I was laying in bed monday night at 11:30 I decided I was getting my tattoo. Angel wings on my left wrist. I told Matt my decision the next morning. He asked if I was having a crisis. More like finally dealing with it, not starting a new one. I reminded him I had been thinking about this for awhile. He said I hadn't said anything about it for quite some time. Well, yes, but I'd still been thinking about it. I was so serious that had it been possible I would have gotten out of bed at 11:31 and went and got it had there been a place open. Tuesday I called and made an appointment. The next one available? May 2nd at 10:30 am. I took it because I really didn't have much other choice. Wednesday at noon I went to look at tattoo designs & hope to talk to Lee about mine if he wasn't too busy. When I went in & was looking through stuff I heard Lee talking to the other guy about a cancellation for tomorrow (today). I asked the guy up front what time the cancellation was & if I could get in. I could and I did. At 1pm today I got my first tattoo. It totally looks better in person. I love it, it's like it was always meant to be there. Angel wings for my sweet little baby. I don't know if I was going to have a boy or a girl. I was too numb/scared to ask about it at the time and I don't know if they have any record of it. The next time I go in I'll ask (if I'm feeling brave). As far as the whole tattoo experience? LOVED IT. It didn't hurt near as much as I expected. It was fun and I would totally do it again. (thing is, I don't know that I want anymore tattoos! But the experience was fun!)

10 comments:

Queen In My House of Blue said...

I am so sorry to hear of your loss. I actually had the same experience and was searching for wings to get to a tattoo.. your's are beautiful.

Anonymous said...

I had a miscarriage in 2005 and have since had a tattoo on my foot of lillys because they were the flowers my boyfriend bought me when i found out. But looking at your angel wings have made me want another one! Its totaly beautiful. Im sorry to hear about your loss but im glad you have spoke out, i thought it was only me!

Unknown said...

hi i know this is random but i was looking for wings as a tattoo also and i saw yours and started reading your profile and all. well i had a miscarriage. except i didnt bleed when the babies had died, i was pregnant with twins. they died i guess around the 10th week and i didnt find out till i went to my ultra sound to find out the sexes of the babies. my doctor who was a lt. commander, im in the navy, well she said if the babies were big enough she would tell my husband and me what the sexes were so we were very excited the twin would be our first kids. i was so excite to be a mom. well when she took a look to see the kids she got really quiet and it was the first time my husband ever looked at the screen before i told him to. and he said whats wrong why arent they moving? she said that she couldnt find their heart beat and i started to cry but she was like let me look at the other baby with another doctor, so she left and i started to freak out well when she came back with the other doctor she was like lets check the other baby and if that one is okay then we will be good. well the new doctor wasnt concerned with the other baby. he just looked at the one that we knew was dead. he then stopped the examine and asked if i would get dressed. so i did. i felt like i could die. and well they brought me and my husband into the office and starting telling us that the babies had diend i was in so much shock that i couldnt think of what to ask. he then told me i had to make a choice of how i wanted to remove them from my body. it was the D&C or they could induc my labor and i would give birth to them. well i did the D&C and i feel horrible about it. i feel like there is something that i could have done to protect the kids. i feel like i have failed as a mom. and a parent. i feel like i have failed everyone from my husband to family to friends and most of all myself. this happened two weeks ago. i had the surgery last thursday, February 1,2008. well i guess what i really want to know is does it get easier as time passes?can you email me back? my email is reasonablybeautiful@gmail.com thanks i would really appreciate it. btw. my name is laura. thank you again.

Anonymous said...

My story isn't one of a miscarriage. Though it is one of moving on.
I am 15 years old today.
I've been through a struggle these past 3 years... addictions.
I have come full circle on 2 different occasions, and ended up right back where I started, in a deep dark hole.
I feel wiser now though. And I've finally got my upper body above the water, and am ready to fully move on and be free of it.
I was looking for angel wings to put on a heart that I drew... and I'm going to put the word "live" underneath.
I fell in love with your tattoo.
My mother, my sister, and I will be getting this tattoo very soon. =)
Thank you for sharing.

=The Brianat0r=

Anonymous said...

I'm sorry about your loss. I was looking for a reference picture of angel wings for a tattoo of my own. Last month I had my second miscarriage 3 days after my husband left to fight in Iraq. Your tattoo came out beautiful.

Kate said...

This is the strangest thing. I'm looking for a series of angel wings or halos because I would like to get a tatoo to commemorate all three of my angels. Then I saw your blog entry. We both miscarried on the same day in 2006. Your experience was much more physically terrifying but I can so relate to the loss and need to do something to remember. I had another miscarriage in December 2006 and another on the one year anniversary of my first miscarriage in April 2007. The journey to motherhood was much more difficult than I could have imagined.

On February 28th of this year I finally became a mom. Best of luck to you!

Anonymous said...

I was searching the internet looking for angel wings because i as well had a miscarriage. I was told in the past i may never be able to have children because i have had problems with my ovaries and having cist and last year found out had pre cancerous cells. so I missed my period took a pregnacny test and to my suprise i was preg! I couldnt have been happier. Well I had my first apt and they scheduled a ultra sound a week later on a wens. well needless to say the tuesday before my ultra sound i went to the bathroom and i starting bleeding badly my heart sank! I coudlnt beilve that this was happening. I left work immediatly bawling and everyone saying it would be okay but i knew something was wrong. I got to the hospital and they did a ultra sound and they couldnt see the baby they could only find the sac and depree in the sac. but she said it could just mean i was only 6 weeks instead of hte 10 they thought i was. and this would be normal and that 25 percent of women bleed during pregnacny. SO they did some qaunt text and it came back in a early pregnacny range so we still had hope but we had a internal ultra sound for the morning once aigna they couldnt find the baby. and once aigan i had to get blood if my count went down it meant i had a miscarraige if it went up we would be okay.well we got the devastating news that we lost the baby. SO they gave me my options and d&c was one of htem i choose that but a part of me felt like what if its a mistake but i was insured it wasnt a mistake and it was a loss. so i went ahead with the D&c the next morning and things seemed to go good. but about 3 days after the d& c i had horrible blood clots one after another it was really scary but the dr said it maybe that way for a few days and it was normal. Threw all this i decided i wanted something to remember the little baby by. I know i was only 10 weeks but thats still a little person that i will never be able to meet.I think the angel wings is the one iam going to get also. I am so ready to be a mom but iam scared of this happening agian!

Anonymous said...

Im sorry to hear of all of your loss's.
I was also looking for angel wings for a tattoo. My daughter died at birth - last december. I am trying to put together a tattoo of angel wings her name and birth/death date.
Thanks for sharing your story. And I like the angel wings you got. Those are pretty much what Im looking for.
~Machele

Anonymous said...

im going through a MC at the mo, this is my second one in 11 weeks, i to will never know if they were boys or girls, i have two healthy girls at the mo and someone said maybe i cant carry boys, im sorry that you had to go through the pain and my god it hurts, i love that tatty , i came across your page while searching for a design to have on my tummy, and im going to get some wings like you , not sure if i should have anything wrote on them , maybe the dates they passed away,
good luck in the future to try again i hope it all works out

Shaina N said...

I just found out today that I had a missed miscarriage around eight weeks ( I should have been ten). I was looking for a tattoo, as I always said the ONLY reason I would get one would be if I had a miscarriage. I'm not sure as to where I plan on getting mine, probably on my arm as well. When I googled "baby angel wings" your page popped up. Thank you for your inspiration. I appreciate it.