Love those drugs!

I can't remember what dose it was (with the Cytotec) when they then gave me Laminaria also. That was quite painful as I was cramping then also! That's like this seaweed stuff that they insert to open the cervix. It certainly worked! I was I think only a little softened before they began that method. I remember being given so many drugs...for the diarrhea, for the pain, for whatever! Finally I was quite uncomfortable and they asked if I wanted an epidural. I was thinking how silly that was, afterall I don't need to be fully dilated to expel the little baby. But, they were very concerned that I just be as comfortable as possible, especially in my situation. So, I caved in! They were right, its horrible enough having to go through this, but then to have the pain on top of it! It just isn't fair, as a kid would say!

I think I forgot to mention how wonderful my nurse was on Thursday. Her name was Nancee. She's been nursing for 32 years so she just seemed so motherly, which was totally what I needed. She came in and asked how I was and said she was there just for me, to take care of me. She stayed by my side much throughout the day and I was her only patient. She was so caring, so kind, so concerned. God is so good to provide such people when we need them!

Ok, so the epidural...whew now THAT is a story. I've had epidurals with my boys and spinals with my girls so I'm quite familiar with them all! It is still quite nerve wracking though! I was leaning over the pillow with the nurse in front of me. The doctor numbed my back and I'm not sure he inserted any sort of needle (because when I shouted out he said he didn't do anything yet). All of a sudden I heard this weird noise in my left ear (almost like tingling nerves or something) and my head felt like it exploded and all went black. My head felt 20 times bigger than normal and hurt more than it's ever hurt before. I was like, "OW, my head!" and told them what happened, but then my right leg went numb. I'm still hunched over the pillow and my left leg started to numb. He said that wasn't supposed to happen and asked me to move them. I couldn't. So, they wanted me to lay down. Well, I started to lay back, but I felt like I was falling and like I was teetering and going to fall off of the bed! Zach says I was nowhere near to falling off but it sure felt like it and was so scary. As soon as I laid my head down it began to pound again (for just a short time) and I said something like, "I feel like I'm gonna die." Zach was laughing and pretty much calling me a drama queen, but man it hurt and then I got so nervous, just hoping I wouldn't be paralyzed or something! The anesthesiologist checked if there was fluid and then had to redo the epidural. By this point I was numb from the upper part of my stomach down- a true spinal! So when he asked if I could sit up, of course not! Zach and the nurse rolled me to my side so he could administer it that way. Well, laying on my side I felt like I was rocking on a boat! It was the weirdest feeling! It also felt like they'd tipped the bed sideways also, somehow! I asked them and told them that and they just laughed. They must have thought me quite loopy, but that's honestly what it felt like! It is so funny to me now!

Once that was all squared away I tried to relax. I guess the spinal would last at least an hour and he just had a small amount of the epidural prescribed. Aaahh, the drugs sure are my friends to take away the physical pain!