Aval Oru Thodar Kathai (English: She's a Never Ending Story)

It started with a stomach ache. It was confirmed that I was pregnant. Within two months, faced a spotting with abortion threat. read here. Later after seven months, had to travel back home as dad had a heart attack. Then I got admitted twice for false labor. This time scan report read my baby had Splenomegaly. After a month, went into actual labor. Though it was normal delivery, baby fell sick. Days in NICU is yet another story.

Then things were good for few days. Then again the sleepless nights started putting both me and my mom in trouble. People asked me to be on strict and right on my diet. But , hunger during the lactating period!!! I ended up eating samosa’s , poori, mixture, tamarind rice, etc etc. end of the day, I had gastritis and got admitted in hospital. Thought it was just a day. But I started getting stomach pain in the middle of nights constantly and was getting admitted in night and got discharged as I had feed my baby. This repeated for two weeks. Finally one of the senior doctors advised me to take a scan and endoscopy.

Scan report said that I had gall stones. Its called multiple Cholelithiasis . And had to go to Chennai, empty stomach to get endoscopy done. That’s worst thing I say. I had vomiting sensation throughout the day. It was detected that I had reflex gastritis, my food pipe, stomach and duodenum all three were infected.

I just can’t say the trouble I went through. I can’t eat as my stomach is infected. But if I don’t eat, I develop gastritis. To ensure gastritis reduces, my gall bladder has to produce bile. Because of the stone it’s not able to produce proper bile. I ended up with low Blood pressure and low immunity. Got typhoid. Again was admitted in hospital for a week. my husband and father had to bring baby to hospital when ever i need to feed her. she wont sleep without me next to her. faced a real hell. my ward was next to pediatric ward.when ever i see a baby cry, i couldn't stop crying. it was very first time i was away from my daughter.

Now I am little better. I have started taking homeopathy medicines. Have to wait and see the developments. Poor baby got really affected. Couldn’t feed her, as I was hospitalized. She was given cow’s milk, farex. Baby stared getting diarrhea and diaper rashes and cold. It’s like all problem in world has come to me and my family. Its not even a week, when I have not visited hospital. Hope at least next year would be a good year for me. A healthy and prosperous year.

even now i get pain once in a while. have to got hospital get and IV injection done. and then it gets set after a hour or two. baby has become insecure that i might leave her again. so, she doesn't leave me at all. i am forced to take leave now. hope there will be an end to this story.

Drama queen..

Once there lived a king in a beautiful palace. He had the bravest of brave prince. The price was in search of a princess.. ( my baby smiles).. And the little princess is you.. (Baby laughs loud).. The end of the story..

Yes, this is what I tell my princess when she cries..i tried this after reading "the dialouge's" post.

Bunty is becoming smarter day by day. She needs people around her all the time. In case you sleep next to her and don’t talk to her, she keeps calling you. If any male comes near her, she will move to her side and call them to carry her. (Not bad, she knows people who would carry her). She will keep calling you till you respond to her and talk to her.

Poor bunty got her yet another dose of vaccination today. She got fever. Doctor had given calpol drops. We thought we will use it. Bunty was crying all while. Once we put 2 drops in her mouth, she closed her eyes and reminded quite. We thought she was tired and slept. After we turned aside, madam started playing with dress. Drama queen manages to avoid medicines..

Bunty keeps playing by herself. She talks to all moving objects like curtains, bed sheet ends. In fact she fights with them if she is not able to catch it. She won’t agree if we help her to catch it. She keeps playing until she sees a human being crossing her. She cries once see’s someone and wants them to carry her around. She needs attention all the time.

Days in NICU..

Bad days in my life. Was more painful than the labour. I pray that, even my worst of worst enemy should not go through this..

Yes, my baby was in neo-natal intensive care unit.

It was just the second day after baby was born. I think it was around 9 pm. I was eating bread with milk in the room. I was sitting on a plastic chair. Baby was sleeping on bed.

Baby opened it eyes .

Appa( my husband): hey, kutti( means small in Tamil)..

Amma( me): finally appa is playing with baby??( smiles)

Appa panics and call MIL and MOM. I sit all confused on my chair. I am not able get up because of the stitches.

Appa: baby is vomiting blood.

Everybody is shocked. The nurse station is just opposite to my room. We call the nurse. And she in turn rings up the doctor in charge.

Jr. Doctor: what happened?

Appa: baby has vomited.

Jr.doctor: did you people give the baby honey or something?

Amma: no we didn’t.

Jr. Doctor: let me call the pediatrician

Pediatrician: did you collect sample?

Amma: ( thinks, what the hell? Sample?) no

Jr.Doctor: just give the bed spread with the vomit. And take the baby to NICU.

Amma is still struck to the chair. Appa and MIL carry the baby to NICU.

After they leave the room, Amma cries. She is just feeling depressed seeing the empty bed. Appa comes after ten minutes.

 

Appa: baby is crying. You need to come to NICU to feed her. Wheel chair is coming for you.

Day 1 at NICU.

Amma sits on wheel chair for first time. She is taken to NICU, which is in ground floor, 2 blocks away. Security in the NICU asks her to wear apron, gloves, hair cap, etc etc.. ( amma is crying and angry at him for delaying)

The nurse comes with baby and takes Amma to feeding room.

Amma: what happened to my baby?

Nurse: nothing. We have just kept the baby for observation. You don’t have to worry. You will be called every 2 hours to feed the baby.

Amma: can’t I stay here?

Nurse: no no, baby will be kept in Incubator. There is no place for you here.

Amma is taken back in wheel chair to her room. She is holding Appa’s hands and crying. Amma goes back to room to see both MIL and MOM sleeping.

Day 2 at NICU.

Amma is taken to NICu every 2 hours in wheel chair. Appa accompanies her. In the morning, Amma is curious to see the Sr. pediatrician. Appa bring old reports and tells about spleenomegaly  to Doctor.

Sr.pediatrician: nothing is wrong with the baby. We even did palpitation. She is all fine. May be the baby has eaten mecum before delivery. As the baby has not passes motions till now, lets observe for one more day.

Amma continues her routine of going every 2 hours or 4 hours based on need. 

Day 3 at NICU

Amma: has baby passes motion?

Nurse: not yet. But Doctor was saying that baby’s eyes are yellow. So, we need to take a blood test.

Amma: why?

Nurse: doctor thinks baby might have jaundice.

Amma: so, what is next now?

Nurse: don’t worry. Let’s hope for the best.

Evening, Amma meets Gynecologist and tells her the story. The sweet lady talks to the Pediatrician and confirms that baby had passes mecum before delivery. Nothing to worry, and baby can be sent back to room.

Day 4, which is day 5 for us in hospital.

We get discharged. We are back home happy.

Hey people smile, now we are out of it.. baby is perfectly normal.

Note: there is post coming about the spleenomegaly soon.

Vaccination

Any vaccination or injection hurts. Bunty got her second vaccination. I didn’t go with her to the injection room for her first vaccination. This time I couldn’t escape. It’s not that I am scared for injections. It’s just that, I can’t see someone poke my little girl. I know it’s for her good. But the sight really hurts. Poor thing didn’t cry for two days, but started it today. Fever and drops for tiny doll is hell.

Sorry baby, I am not able to help you. There are few more to go.

Note: actually I was really scared of injections. But during my pregnancy I gave so many blood test, and had TT injections etc, I became bold now.

False labour

It was Saturday morning. I had severe back ache. I was not sure what was happening. I told my husband about back ache, hoping that he would massage. But he went and told my mom. Mom is always mom. She called my friend, asked him to bring his car. I was taken to the nearby hospital. As it was a Saturday only duty doctor was available. He checked me. He called the gynecologist. But the gyn said, she can’t come to see me. Hence I was taken to another hospital, which was 20 km away from my house.

We reached the hospital. Doctor came to examine me. Oh ya, it was internal examination. I can’t say how much I hate it. As she was examining, I started bleeding. Doctor told me that I might be in labour any moment. I was asked to remove all my jewels and I was sent to labour room.

To my surprise and doctor’s surprise, I was the only patient for the day. The previous night they had some 22 cases including labor, DMC, uterus removal. I was asked to sleep on a bed. I didn’t get sleep. I was all excited knowing that I was in labour and going to have a baby soon. Lady in my next bed had a c-section done and got wheezing. I was holding her baby. The feel of holding a baby is great. Then the baby and the lady were shifted to ICU.

It became evening. Still there were no signs of pain. I asked the doctor in charge and went out the labour room to meet my mom and husband. They were all the more restless. I thought it was going nowhere. I asked the doctor in charge to send me back to my room for the night. They agreed to send me back.

I waited all night hoping to get pains. Doctor, who came to examine me, taught me few exercises. I did them every 40 minutes and walked for 20minutes each hour till noon. I was bleeding again. I was sent for scan. The scan reports said, I would be in labor any moment. But, there was no sign of pain. Suddenly fetal heartbeat was dropping down. So the doctor decided to induce me the next day for pains or else to do a c-section.

Monday morning, the senior doctor visited me. She said baby is in position. But it’s lazy to come out. So, I was asked to go home.

Note: as the hospital was multispecialty hospital, had to pay a huge amount for nothing.. as in false pains.