Notes from a Hospital Bed

Until further notice...

2006-05-12T15:03:00.000-07:00

This blog will no longer be updated... I will keep it up, not deleting it, but I am no longer going to post here. If you want to continue reading about our life, please go to my other blog which is at cblankens.blogspot.com. Thanks for reading:)

Update on Petros...

2006-05-02T08:59:00.000-07:00

Petros had a two month check up last week. He's weighing in at a hefty 8 lbs. 10 ozs. He's gained almost four pounds since birth! His doctor is very pleased at his progress. So he is now on the regular height/weight chart. Which puts him in the 5th percentile (that means that 95% of babies his age are bigger than him). But that's ok... because Pavlos, who was born at 37 weeks, has always been in the 5th percentile. We're just small people:) I will be writing an update on what we have been doing lately on my other blog here. Welcome to baby Vasilia and baby Andrew, both born in April (the three of us were pregnant and due around the same time... except that Petros decided to make an early appearance... patience does not run deep in our family:)... we all go to St. John the Baptist Greek Orthodox Church in Portland, OR... we currently have 4 more pregnant women in our parish:)

How are you, really?

2006-04-14T09:18:00.000-07:00

I'm learning to honestly answer the question "How are you?" Even if people really do not want to know the truth, I am attempting to not always (and quickly) respond with an "I'm fine". Because I'm not fine, not yet. I'm better. I'm tired. I still spend most of my time in a surreal zone of processing all that has happened. I don't think any of those fall into the category of "I'm fine". At least, not yet.

Coffee and Cigarettes...

2006-03-30T16:42:00.000-08:00

It is one of those rare moments when everyone in the house is napping (except me). I drank a little too much coffee to take a nap right now.

My very good friend Maria, who I've mentioned in my blog before (and, everyone, she is a total Rock Star, by the way), gave me one of those Ipods that hold about 10 CD's. It was a life saver in the hospital. After the nurses would wake me up at 3am to check vital signs (yes, I am alive, please let me get some sleep) I sometimes would not be able to fall back to sleep. So, I'd turn on my Ipod and listen to chanting or music and would then be able to fall asleep. And then there were times in the afternoon when I just couldn't read anything and watching TV would about drive me crazy... I would turn on my music and just lay back and listen. Rob/Paul uploaded about 5 CD's onto it for me to listen to in the hospital. He even put on two U2 CD's (How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb and the greatest hits 1990-2000). Ok, so I haven't spent a lot of time listening to the greatest hits CD... I really think that the 90's were not u2's greatest time period... they are sounding much better now. But two lines from two different songs have stuck with me...

From Electrical Storm (and this has to do with my sudden fall back into the world of caffeine (I had been caffeine free for 2 1/2 years... but lack of sleep will drive even the strongest of us to fall into the depths of caffeine use))... and this is really just one line from the song so here goes:
Coffee is cold, but it'll get you through...
OK, this totally applies to me now. I actually will drink cold coffee... because, hey, it's caffeine and it will "get me through" the day, the next hour, the next ten minutes. I need that added buzz to get myself going:)

From Stay (Far Away, So Close)... this has to do with my earlier post regarding cigarettes and times when I feel like I just need to smoke. I don't feel like I need to smoke right now... I think I can handle only one "drug" at a time and caffeine is it for now:)
Green light, seven eleven
You stop in for a pack of cigarettes
You don’t smoke, don’t even want to
I see you check your change
The whole idea of not smoking and, yet, buying a pack of cigarettes... although, in my post on smoking, I was writing about WANTING to smoke a cigarette, but knowing that I won't, ever. Maybe I can change the lyrics... Just kidding... wouldn't tough U2's lyrics with a ten foot pole:)

So, this post is not really that profound or that interesting. My forty days ends this Sunday. So Baby Petros and I will be going to church on Sunday. I have been trying to take this 40 days seriously since Petros has come home... he has only left the house to go to doc. appt. That's it. I'm starting to feel a bit of cabing fever... but I know that it is better for him (and probably better for me, too) to stay home. We have had a difficult few months.

Thoughts on a Sunday Morning...

2006-03-26T10:42:00.000-08:00

It is Sunday morning. Everyone has gone to church. It is just Baby Petros and I at home. Next Sunday will be our 40 days so we will go to church for a special blessing. And then we will be able to go to church after that.

I keep thinking about how hard we prayed to have Petros. And then, watch out what you pray for because you just might get it. And God does not give you things the way you (or I) want them... they come the way He wants them. Not that I have any regrets (no, seriously, I do not), this baby definitely had a price (and it was my spleen:)

I keep thinking about how much Pavlos has changed. I cried in my hospital room on his first day of school because I couldn't be there. I'm his mommy and I couldn't be there. I am now taking him to school and picking him up. But I wasn't there the first day. He's going to be so disappointed that this week is Spring Break and there will not be school because he loves it!

I keep thinking about how I do not even know what day of the week it is (I only know it's Sunday because Rob/Paul told me it was Sunday). The pediatrician's office called me Thursday morning to confirm that we have an appt. at 9am tomorrow. I replied, "No, we have an appt. on Friday." And they said, "Tomorrow is Friday." Ok. Yes, you are right, tomorrow is Friday. We did make it to the appt. despite my inability to remember what day it is. I feel as if I have lost so much time that now I cannot keep track of it. And today is March 26 (at least, that's what my computer is telling me). Where did the last two months go? I am coming out of the fog of yucky medications and staying in the hospital but I can't even remember what day of the week it is... am I making progress?

We have some wonderful ladies in our parish who are making meals for us this week. It has been a blessing to not have to think about what's for dinner. And it has also been a blessing to see friends from church and have a little adult conversation. And show off Baby Petros.

That is if for thoughts on Sunday morning... I hope you weren't expecting anything too deep because, remember, I don't even know what day of the week it is!!!

Oh, by the way, happy feast day yesterday and happy nameday to my nouno (godfather) who is Evangelos. And happy Greek Independence Day (also yesterday). The mayor of Portland declared yesterday as everyone's Greek Day.

Going Home...

2006-03-22T08:42:00.000-08:00

We are going home tonight. So today I have to go grocery shopping for perishable items (I did my non-perishable shopping last week). We have been out of our home since mid-January. Two months. Oh, we've gone back to pick up mail and to clean the house and get baby stuff out of the attic. But we haven't lived in our home for two months. Let's just say I paid the electric bill the other day and it was $30. Probably because we had the thermostat set to 55 degrees and we had that "winter storm" of snow. I don't know if anyone else in Portland had an electric bill for the month of February that was that low:) And I'm posting on my blog because Pavlos is at school right now and Petros is sleeping. And, even my mom is sleeping:) I don't know if I should continue posting on this blog or go back to my other blog. Maybe I will make this a photo blog. I don't know. I do know that I am going to print out this blog for Petros' baby book. And when he is older, I can totally lay a guilt trip on him. Most mom's can only say... I carried you for nine months but I get to say, "I gave up my spleen for you." Just kidding, I would never do that. But it is kind of funny:) That's all for now. Thanks, everyone, for reading and for all of your prayers. I have been able to reconnect with old friends and have made new ones (who I haven't met, yet) through the blogosphere. It has been an experience. Ok, maybe I will use this blog to process what happened in the coming months. When I am able!!!

Pavlos and Petros

2006-03-18T07:54:00.000-08:00

Ok, so mom is feeding Petros and I thougth I just had to post this picture for everyone. Pavlos loves his baby brother. When he cries, Pavlos goes to him and says, "It's ok, Baby Petros, it's ok." And he brings me his blanket and stuffed animals. So far I am very happy with his reaction to the baby. We even talked about taking him to our house and Pavlos likes the idea. But then he said he also wants to get a dog. I guess you can tell how excited Pavlos is about his little brother by the look on his face in the picture:)

He's coming home...

2006-03-16T13:06:00.000-08:00

They are going to discharge Petros today. I am going to go pick up Rob/Paul at work at around 2pm and we are heading to the hospital. I hope we don't have to go back to St. Vincents for a very long time. That's all for now. And now that we are going to have a baby in the house, I don't know when I will be posting again:)

Just Me and Pavlos

2006-03-16T09:14:00.000-08:00

Mom went back to work today. So it's just me and Pavlos at home. We don't even have a car (we cut back to one car when we bought our home because the bus runs right by our house so we do not really need a second car). Pavlos is playing right now and I am typing this blog entry, of course. We are going to make some rice krispie treats later today. Pavlos likes to cook. And I am waiting to get my daily phone call from Petros' doctor to see if he is coming home today or tomorrow. It is too early, right now, to hear from the doctor. I don't know what else Pavlos and I are going to do today. I am going to do some laundry because we are going to start moving some of our things back to our house this weekend. If they discharge Petros today, then my dad will come and take care of Pavlos while I go pick up Rob/Paul from work to go to the hospital. The benefit of dad owning his own business. And my brother has today off from work. Anyway, will keep everyone posted if I hear anything about when Petros is coming home!

labs and doctor appts.

2006-03-15T14:25:00.000-08:00

Hematocrit is 42. That's normal. I'm to stop taking one of my meds completely and we are doing a quick tapering down of prednisone. I will be off of it completely by next week. Woo hoo! Then I will just be taking my normal meds. Thank goodness. I'm so ready to be off this nasty stuff. My doctor is very pleased. So am I.

Petros is doing well. We are all ready for him to come home. They are still saying tomorrow or Friday. I'm getting impatient. Ok, I admit, I've been impatient for a while. But I am really getting impatient to get him home. And I'm impatient to get us back to our home. I'd go tomorrow, but that would probably not be good for me to do. I want to wait until Petros is with us and then have my parents around for their help with Pavlos and then go home next week. That's all for now.

Petros coming home?

2006-03-14T15:49:00.000-08:00

So today the doctor called and Petros will be coming home Thursday or Friday. This is the first time they have been somewhat definite about when he is coming home (all the other times have been precluded by maybe Wednesday). So, we shall see. We are all going to go see him this evening. Rob/Paul or I go at least once a day, sometimes twice. The drive is a bit of a killer from my parents home. It is all freeway, but without traffic, it's a good thirty minutes. I drove last night for the first time since mid-January. That was fun. I have a doctor appointment tomorrow with my hematologist. We will be checking levels and continue to reduce prednisone. I think I have finally purchased everything that we need for the baby to come home. We went to Target today. Yesterday we went to my all time favorite place, Walmart. AAGGGHHH! But, I have to buy this special formula and Walmart carries it. I think Albertson's does too but there isn't an Albertson's close to our house. And there's a Walmart up the road (lucky us... well, actually, it's up the road from my parents home.. so not our home). That's all for now. Thursday or Friday Petros will be coming home. Yeah!!!!

Here's my Pavlos... just because:)

2006-03-13T07:22:00.001-08:00

Here's my Pavlos! I figured he needed some picture time on the blog, too. He now looks at pictures of Petros and says they are Petros, not him. I honestly don't know how he is going to react when we actually bring Petros home. Fortunately, we will be here for a few days and Pavlos will still have lots of adult attention (from my parents and us). And then my mother in law will be coming next week so that will be a big help so I can focus some attention on Pavlos. I'm halfway through my forty days. Baby Petros is three weeks old today. That's all for now!

Almost forgot... I wanted to link to Mimi's blog. She has written out an very uplifting conversation between an Elder and a monk. It perfectly describes the state of mind I am in right now. A bucket of muddy water that I now know will clear up in a few months time (with work, of course). Anyway, reading it touched me so much (and we actually have the book that it came from and I probably read it a few years ago and have forgotten it... that's what is so wonderful about "words of wisdom"... a few years ago, this was not meant to touch me and now, I am beginnning to understand the meaning of this short conversation).

He's off the monitor!

2006-03-12T16:14:00.000-08:00

Petros is now off of the heart monitor. That means he is now attached to absolutely nothing! They are saying that he will probably be able to come home after Wednesday. He has been eating really well the last few days and gaining weight. Check out my mom's blog to see a picture of Petros with Yiayia. That's all to report today. We will probably go back to the hospital again this evening so Paul/Rob can see the baby today (mom and I went this morning while dad, Paul/Rob, and Pavlos went to Sunday of Orthodoxy services at Holy Trinity).

They took out the feeding tube:)

2006-03-11T18:13:00.000-08:00

Petros no longer has the feeding tube in his nose. They will only put it in if he has a bad feeding! So we are that much closer to bringing him home. This morning he took his entire feeding from the bottle. And we are continuing to proceed through the different discharge stuff that we need to go through. From what it looks like, maybe the middle of this week to the end of the week he can come home.

Paul/Rob and I went to our home today and cleaned. We also put together the baby swing and the changing table and other baby stuff. But mostly, it was a time to get the house cleaned up so that when we do move back home, it will be one less thing for me to do. It was nice to be home. And it was nice to do some work (don't worry, I limited the things that I did). But I am feeling so much better.

My mother in law is in the process of getting her plane ticket. She is hoping to come the week of March 21 and stay through Pascha (Easter). We are so excited to have her come! And for that long of a period of time! I may have to have Pavlos' birthday at the end of April (his birthday is May 11) just so we can celebrate it with grandma! It will be good to have her here.

That's all for now. Pavlos went to a special class at the hospital for siblings of NICU patients. This is the first time we were able to take him to this class. It is only on Saturdays. Hopefully he won't have to go next Saturday because Petros might be home by then!!! I feel like things are starting to really come together... and that's a nice feeling.

updates on petros...

2006-03-10T15:48:00.000-08:00

Baby Petros had his "naming" today. He is doing very well, according to his doctor. Last night Rob/Paul, my dad and I went to see him. He drank 40mll for us. That's the most he's done. And he continues to eat better. He passed the car seat test (they put him in his carseat for 90 minutes and monitor how he's doing). So we are doing all the things that we need in order to get him ready to come home. I'm still recovering. It's a slow process. Tapered down to 60 mg. prednisone. Last night, I actually slept more than 5 hours. That's about all for now. Now, when we go in to see Petros and he's awake, he's so alert. And he is awake more now that he's getting older. Oh, he is also checking in at a weight of 6lbs. 2ozs. Pavlos was 5lbs 15ozs when he was born.

snow in march?!?!?

2006-03-09T16:28:00.000-08:00

So who else in Portland thinks the weather is a little crazy today. It snowed. The snow in Vancouver has pretty much melted. But out at the hospital it was sure coming down. It's March 9 and it's snowing. I don't remember it ever snowing this late in the winter.

Today we went to the hospital, of course. I had a short appointment with my surgeon who is amazing. I love her dearly. I'm healing up nicely. Saw Petros for a little while, but couldn't stay long because we had Pavlos with us. Poor Pavlos. He hasn't even met his little brother. He's seen pictures and at least now is pointing to them and saying that's baby petros. They won't let you in the NICU unless your 12 years old. After that we decided to venture to Target. We received a gift card from Rob/Paul's work. It's the first time since I've been to a store in weeks. It was a bit of a surreal experience. Overwhelming, actually. But I was able to get everything I had on my list.

Tomorrow, if the weather doesn't keep us from the hospital, Fr. Theodore will meet us there to do the eighth day blessing (even though it's been more than eight days since Petros was born).

report from petros' doctor

2006-03-08T21:00:00.000-08:00

Petros' doctor left a message for me today. He is doing very well and will probably be able to come home within the next week. Woohoo!

Tonight, while Paul/Rob, Pavlos, and my dad (Pappous) went to pre-sanctified liturgy, mom and I went to my home to pick up the mail and drop off some things. Then we snuck off to our favorite Lebanese restaurant so I could finally get my schwarma fix. It was awesome (Presv. Elizabeth... you guys should try it. It's called Ya Halla and they serve tons of vegetarian and vegan food... mom can attest to that because she ate a lenten dinner this evening). It was delicious. And my very best friend Maria told me earlier today that I deserved to have the schwarma. Thanks, Maria (and we missed you tonight).

Hagia Sophia... restore to Orthodox Church Petition

2006-03-08T15:01:00.000-08:00

This is worthy of linking to... please pass this along on your blogs or through email.

"The European Union Parliament is pressuring the Turkish Government to restore Saint Sophia Cathedral from a museum into a Greek Orthodox Church. However the Parliament has set a requirement of 1.000.000 signatures on a petition before it makes this conversation a prerequisite for Turkey's admission into the European Union. You are requested to cast your vote by logging on to a link at www.hagiasophiablog.com. This is an opportunity for each of you to have an impact on world events. Get as many Greek Orthodox, other Orthodox and Christian friends of yours to sign the petition and make history."

Other news... I'm tapering down on the prednisone and Petros ate 38 mll. for me today which is more than he has ever done. He needs to do 50, though. We're still working on it:)

more pics...

2006-03-08T08:07:00.000-08:00

Today... feeling even better. Here are some actual pictures of me with Petros. Go figure. The mommy actually in a picture with her baby. I'm having trouble sleeping at night. I figure it's due now to the high levels of prednisone I'm on (still). We are tapering, but it can be such a long, drawn out process. And now that I'm getting out of the anemia zone (which was making me so tired and I slept a lot) AND I'm completely off of any type of pain meds from surgery, I'm just not sleeping well at night. But I'm feeling great... so right now that's the trade off. And maybe I'm just getting myself into mommy training for when Petros comes home... gotta love the 3am feedings!

lab results...

2006-03-07T15:49:00.000-08:00

Went to the doctor just to have labs drawn. Hematocrit is 36. Woohoo! that's almost normal. I'm feeling good, still going slow, but getting stronger everyday. I was ablet o feed Petros this morning. He drank half his bottle, more than he has ever done. But he needs to be able to drink the whole thing. So he's making progress. Pavlos spent the morning with his nouna (godmother) so that I could get to the hospital. He had fun. I had my mom take pictures of me with the baby because we don't have any with me in them (I'm always the family photographer... never the photographee). I will try to post some later today. Especially because Petros was so alert this morning:) Yesterday I did a "normal" person thing... I plucked my eyebrows. I know, it sounds kind of dorky, but it just seems to be those little things that are so good to be able to do. And yesterday was Kathera Devtera (literally clean Monday) so I helped mom clean out the fridge for Lent. We get rid of all the foods we can't eat for the next forty days (although, really, mom made a shelf of foods that only Pavlos and I can eat because we are not fasting). But we did clean out the whole fridge, too which is always a good things to do. It's a Greek practice to do this on the first day of Lent. I don't now if the other Orthodox ethnic groups have a similar tradition. Anyway, I'm trying to do my little part of Lenten things around here. Even though I can't go to church until my 40 days post having the baby (although I now right now I couldn't make it to church anyway). My 40 days falls on April 1. Which means I will be able to celebrate Pascha/Easter this year (my due date was April 5 and I thought I would not be able to celebrate Pascha). So there are small blessings. And I hope by the time April 1 rolls around, Petros will be at home and we will be at home and things will be getting back to normal.

That's all for now... i was so excited to have good lab results for a change.

pictures of petros

2006-03-06T16:30:00.000-08:00

Just a couple of pictures of petros. the dates are wrong on the pictures... i actually don't know when these were taken. my dad takes his camera to the hospital everyday and takes pictures. petros is now weighing in at 5lbs. 9ozs. still working on his sucking and swallowing. he's good for about half the feeding and then he starts to fall asleep. but he's only about 35 weeks gestation now which is still early. i'm feeling pretty good. everyday feeling better. ran into my surgeon yesterday on the elevator and she was so happy to see me she gave me a hug. i have great doctors.

tried to post earlier today...

2006-03-05T22:30:00.000-08:00

I tried to post earlier today but it didn't post:) I know that has happened to everyone at least once in their blogging life. It was about struggling and how we do not even comprehend the true definition of what it means to struggle. I woke up this morning thinking of my pappous in Greece. Here is a man that I know. He's 90 years old and has lived a very long, full life. The first ten years of his life, his father was fighting in WWI and then fought the communists. Ten years. He didn't even know his father for the first ten years of his life. Can you imagine what his mother had to live through.. not knowing whether or not her husband was alive or dead? And they were hungry because everyone was poor. That's struggling. And we can't comprehend this type of struggle.

forgiveness

2006-03-05T22:28:00.000-08:00

Today is forgiveness sunday in the orthodox church. please forgive me if i have hurt any of you, whether in knowledge or in ignorance.

home...

2006-03-03T22:52:00.000-08:00

Just wanted to let all of you know that I am at my parent's home now. Pavlos keeps wanting me to pick him up but I can't do that yet. If you need to get a hold of me, you can call me at 360-253-4984. That's all for now. I am feeling ok. And I am very happy to be out of the hospital.

i forgot to add...

2006-03-03T10:19:00.000-08:00

I don't know my lab results for today... but yesterday morning, post surgery, my hematocrit had risen from 25 to 29 already. We are now waiting on my labs for today. And we have already started cutting back on the prednisone. I don't know exactly when today I will leave today, but I am leaving today. It's a miracle for me to even think about it. And I know that in the next few weeks I have lots of things to reflect on, to think about. This whole experience and how it has and will affect me physically, spiritually, emotionally, all those aspects of my life. And how it has affected Paul, Pavlos, Petros, my mom and dad and the rest of my family. And friends and church community. I truly thank all of those friends that have out of the blue called from all over the US just to check up on me. And I truly thank all those friends that I have never even met (my online friends) who have been a constant support through email and prayers. So this is the beginning of my reflections.... maybe I should start a third blog:)

paul's updates

2006-03-03T07:43:00.000-08:00

paul was the one that posted about me getting through surgery. it is friday march 3. i'm pretty sure i'm going home today, just not sure when. i am recovering nicely from surgery. i am now able to get up out of bed (that's just been really in the last hour) without nurses assistance. i guess i had a secondary, very small spleen in addition to the "normal" spleen. they removed both of them:) i'm tired, sore, etc. yesterday the NICU nurse brougth petros in to see me for 20 minutes. that was definitely a treat. they are really working hard on getting him to drink from a bottle so that he can go home. that's the only thing he has to do at this point (because he is gaining weight and he is maintaining his body temperature). i'm feeling more human because i can now get up out of bed. although i can't be up for too long. i'll keep you posted as to when i actually leave this place. we are so close to the end! thanks for all your well wishes and prayers...

2006-03-01T21:21:00.000-08:00

A quick note...
Christina made it through surgery and is recovering in her room. Please remember her in your prayers.

check out this article about lent...

2006-03-01T07:57:00.000-08:00

So here's something that has nothing to do with hospitals. I guess many Protestants are starting to look at Lent in a new light. Check out this article. Obviously, there is absolutely no mention of the forgotten religion that has kept faithful to 200o years of fasting during Lent (i'm talking about Orthodoxy). Where we don't eat fishsticks during lent. Or abstain from meat only on Fridays (I think that's what it said in the article). It miffs me when Orthodoxy is left out of all discussion. Like we don't even exist. They do that on lots of religion specials on the History Channel... they ask theologians about the early church and none of them are Orthodox. And yet, they use footage from Orthodox churches in Holy Land. Maybe it's because we are so quaint. So, anyway, here is another article that ignores us. OH, one other thought. Protestants that are trying to practice fasting and lent... they end up missing the point. It's not about the fasting. And during lent we do so much more than just fast. We need the support of the extra services to focus our prayers, fasting, almsgiving. ok, that's all for now.

march 1 update...

2006-03-01T07:43:00.000-08:00

It was a very long night. They have me on an insulin drip and so they have to check my blood sugars every hour. Needless to say, I didn't get a whole heck of a lot of sleep. Surgery will be this afternoon... after 2pm. I don't really have anything new to report except that. Oh, did you know that it is possible that your body can grow another spleen? Isn't that interesting. It's very rare... but I thought it was interesting nonetheless. And the only thing that not having a spleen will really effect is that when I do get sick or start to run a fever, my doc. will most likely put me on antibiotics right away rather than waiting to see what happens. I think I can handle that. They actually kind of already do that to me because I have lupus.

Pavlos is sick. He has a bad cold. Poor guy. He isn't going to school today and my mom is going to try to take him to the clinic. Poor little guy. I hope he feels well soon. That's all for now. It's a long time until 2pm. I don't know when I will be able to post again... maybe tomorrow depending on how everything goes today.

moved again...

2006-02-28T15:59:00.000-08:00

update... found the 800 number... 1800 677 6752 and ask for room 430:)

So I am now on the surgical floor. Room 430. phone number locally is 503-216-3430. I don't remember the 800 number. I thought that I had posted it on my blog at some point but I can't find it.

Petros is doing well. I was able to go see him and hold him right before I was moved. His nurse said that in the next few days they would probably be able to bring him to my room for 20 minutes or a 1/2 hour if I am feeling up to having him as a visitor. I also got his doctor report. He is just waiting for Petros to develop his sucking and swallowing reflexes and then he can go home. He is now weighing in at 5lbs. 1oz. My niece was 5lbs 4ozs when she was born. Pavlos was 5lbs 15oz. He is doing so well.

I have no idea when my surgery is tomorrow. And I have no idea what the recovery time is going to be like, either. Hopefully, I will have more info. to post to all of you. Thanks for reading!

no middle of the night updates...

2006-02-28T07:11:00.000-08:00

Just thought I would point out that I did not do a middle of the night update. My nurse was so kind as to let me sleep from 11 until 7am. Which I did. She figured I probably needed sleep more than I needed to have my blood sugar tested exactly at 4:38am (blood sugar was norml at 7). Thank goodness. So this is all I have to post so far. Just how luxurious a full night of sleep really is (and I know that I can't get used to this because we now have a little baby who is not going to sleep through the night for a few months... although if he is like Pavlos, he will be sleeping good long stretches by 8-9 weeks old:) that's a big goal to live up to.

update, again....

2006-02-27T22:13:00.000-08:00

My surgery is scheduled for Wednesday. Tomorrow will be pre-op stuff. I am just happy that we now have a confirmed day for the surgery. I am so ready for this.

Petros is doing so well. They moved him to the lowest level NICU. He has no more IV's, he's eating well, he is regulating his body temp, he's sleeping well, I think that he might get out of the hospital before me (just kidding... he probably won't). But I was able to feed him earlier and then when my dad came, I was able to hold him for a very long time. He was awake and very alert... he even smiled:) Pappous is still a little too scared to hold him because he's little. But it was so wonderful to to just sit and hold him. And dad was there to take more pictures. I will post them here...

Monday feb. 27 update

2006-02-27T13:54:00.000-08:00

baby is still doing well. his doctors are very pleased. my level are not rising and not falling. so i will be having a splenectomy either tomorrow or the next day. most likely i will be moving to the surgical floor at some point today. this isn't exactly how i wanted things to go, obviously, but if this is the only way to get me back on my feet and recovering and able to get off of all these horrible meds and taking care of my family, then so be it. i am so ready for this to be over (i may have said that before). please continue to keep us in your prayers.

Labs Feb. 26

2006-02-26T18:16:00.000-08:00

They drew my labs late today. I finally was able to talk to the nurse and they have gone up (good) I just don't know how much:) I'm sure I will find out more tomorrow.

I feel like I am starting to feel the agitation effects of the prednisone. Most likely, because I have already had Petros, I am starting to lose some weight. And I know that they do use weight to determine the dosage of prednisone. I am starting to feel kind of shaky which is how I would normally feel on this much prednisone. We shall see how I sleep tonight:) I am hoping to start tapering it very, very soon. That's all for now... I enjoyed my movie earlier today...

I was able to see Petros a number of times today because of the different visitors I had. Rob/Paul and I were able to go together to see him which doesn't happen often. He was awake so we were able to hold him. And see him with his beautiful little eyes open. I just stared and stared at him. He's so beautiful. But, of course, I'm his mother. I can't wait until we are both home and this is over. I know that there are a lot of people out there that have that same feeling that I do. And I do know that this will be over soon. This will be over soon.

great movie on right now...

2006-02-26T15:35:00.000-08:00

I turned on the tv in my hospital room and one of my favorite movies is on right now... Sliding Doors. So I'm going to watch it:) I have it at home on video, but it is kind of a delight to be able to watch it here. Can you tell that it doesn't take much to make me happy?

latest pics of baby petros...

2006-02-26T02:05:00.000-08:00

here i am posting pictures again:) one if of baby petros and the other is of petros (pappous) and petros (baby)

lab updates feb. 25

2006-02-25T13:32:00.000-08:00

lab results from this morning... hemotocrit is 27. woopeee. don't know exactly when i will start tapering off of the prednisone. but i'm where the docs. want me to be for now.

baby petros is doing well. he's been spitting up lately, so they are going to start feeding him over an hour. i got to hold him this morning. he was being fed and he was sleeping at the same time. very peaceful. if he continues to spit up, they will try a different formula. but he finished eating while i was there and he didn't spit up at all.

and if my levels continue to stay the same and/or rise, I will probably be going home on monday. we shall see.

pictures of family for my cousin lisa in london:)

2006-02-25T10:28:00.000-08:00

Here are just some pictures of Pavlos, Pavel (my 5 year old nephew), Maria (my 3 year old niece) and other random family shots for my cousin who lives in London. Forgive me for not being able to post pictures better... someday I will figure it all out:)

Late night with Christina B. Feb24/25

2006-02-25T00:16:00.000-08:00

So we finally finished the IVIG for the day. It can take a good 8-9 hours to get the stuff into me. So since i'm awake, i figured i would do a little write up. Saw baby petros this morning... he was asleep. Then the docs decided to do this IV thing and when they do it, they give me benadryl (and remember, benadryl totally wipes me out). And while doing the IVIG, they are continuously monitoring my vitals. And every hour, they increase the amount that goes in. So it's kind of an in depth process. I wasn't able to go back to see petros again until after my parents came this evening, around 8:30pm. Which was a good time to go see him as he was getting ready to eat. I didn't trust myself to holding him or feeding him because of the benadryl. Normally, I would have jumped at the opportunity. He is out of the iselet now, regulating his own little body temp. He was wide awake and very alert, looking at everything. He has these big eyes. We watched him get weighed... he's already up to 4 lbs 14.6 oz. so he's growing. He is still being mainly fed through a tube, but they keep giving him a bottle to help him develop his sucking. And he seems to like the pacifier, also used to develop his sucking. He seems to like to put his fingers in his mouth and to touch his face and ears. He was just so alert. I hope that tomorrow i'm feeling up to holding him.

Pavlos had another good day at preschool. I didn't see him today. Rob/Paul was so exhausted by the time he got to my parents home that I think he just wanted to relax. Sometimes people forget how things like this have an effect on the husband/papa. I think they are going to go to the zoo tomorrow for some papa/pavlos bonding.

I'm sure I'll have updates for you all tomorrow morning. I'm hoping to get some good sleep tonight.

lab updates feb. 24

2006-02-24T13:01:00.000-08:00

so i've dropped from 26 to 25.9. my hematologist is on vacation (i just found out) but he is monitoring me from his vacation. they are going to go ahead and give me another IVIG treatment to try to stay ahead of all of this. it is definitely not a significant drop, but i think they just don't want me to start heading in the wrong direction.

mom was here earlier... while pavlos was at preschool. we went and saw baby petros. he was sleeping. and he's doing very well, still.

that's all for now... i'll check back in later...

New Pictures....

2006-02-23T21:05:00.000-08:00

These are the most recent pictures of Rob/Paul with Petros and of Pavlos at school. I won't label them because I'm not too good at this posting pictures on blogger... they are just here for you to look at:)

Lab Updates Feb. 23

2006-02-23T11:11:00.000-08:00

Well, my labs are up to 26. Just got to get to 27 and we can start tapering the prednisone. Whoopeee! I am, at this point, in the hospital until Monday. Just to keep monitoring, etc. So that's the latest word.

I was able to go visit Petros about an hour ago. If you visit me, you get to visit him (unless you aren't feeling well, etc.). You just have to wheel me to the NICU:) He is doing well. He was sleeping and so I wasn't able to hold him... his nurse gave me his tentative feeding schedule and I can go down there and hold him/feed him during that time. But he's doing so well. Rob/Paul and my dad took digital pictures last night, but they didn't leave the cameras with me. As soon as I have the cameras, I will post more pictures of baby petros. My dad seems to be so proud of his new little grandson and namesake... dad's excited because he's the darkest baby any of us have had (my mom's babies had dark hair, etc. but Katherine and I seem to have these blonde hair, blue eyed boys).

Thank God, it seems as if the best case scenario is happening... with the baby and with my blood levels. This is more than I could have ever hoped and prayed for.

Feb. 23... Early Edition from Christina's Bed

2006-02-23T06:35:00.000-08:00

The reason I write these early editions is because I am usually given 6am meds to take and the nurse takes a set of vitals. After the vitals, I could go back to sleep. But I find that after taking meds I need to sit up for a while to make sure everything goes in the right direction. Oh, and always be forewarned that the loopiness in my brain continues and will sometimes appear in my writing:)

Lots of things to write up about yesterday. First off, yesterday was my grandma's birthday. She passed away 14 years ago, right before Christmas. The funny/interesting thing about my grandma's birthday is the date... she was born on 2/22/1922 AND she was a twin. Pretty neat, huh? My grandma was a wonderful woman... very southern Baptist, a great seamstress and cook. And because she was southern Baptist I doubt she knew this little fact about her own name. My grandma hated her name (Edna). I remember about 5 or 6 years ago I did this read the bible in a year thing (including all the Orthodox books). Now, I even doubt that my grandma's bible had the additional books. So when I came across the Book of Tobit and I saw the name "Edna" I had to call my mom and let her know. Wish I could have told Grandma in person. It would have made her happy. Memory Eternal, Grandma!

Pavlos had his first day of preschool at Agia Sophia Academy yesterday. My parents took pictures for me. He had a great day. His new teacher sent out a little progress report. He adopted the farmer hat as his own for the whole 3 hours he was there. He enjoyed playing with the dried macaroni noodles. His favorite song for the day was "Head, shoulders, knees and toes, knees and toes." He is very sweet natured. He got hit in the head by another child with a plastice hockey stick but he doesn't want to talk about it until after he's married (?!?!?!?). I'm so proud of him. He's grown up so much in the last month. Here is a picture of him with my dad (pappous) and Dn. Kevin, the headmaster of the school. Hopefully I can post it without it coming out too funky:) My parents took more pictures when they picked him up from school. I will try to download those later today.

Baby Petros report... he's doing so well. I had a number of visitors yesterday and when someone comes to visit, we try really hard to make sure they get to meet our little baby. I was able to hold him for the first time and to feed him from a very tiny bottle. He can't suck, but they want him to have at least some of his food going in the right way rather than through a tube. Most likely he will be out of the plastic warming thingy (don't remember what it's called) and onto an open baby "bed". They are working on regulating his body temp (or, rather, him regulatins his body temp). But for me to be able to finally hold him. It was beautiful. He had his eyes open and he just looked at me and looked at me. We just wish that Pavlos could see him which is impossible at this time. Too bad. His blood sugars are stabilizing, too. He's just doing so well.

Paul was able to hold him for a long time last night, as well. He's a good and proud papa. My dad took pictures and as soon as I have those, I will put them on this site. Paul even put Petros back into his sleeping area. We have begun to decorate his sleeping area. A friend of our who is an NICU nurse at a different hospital let us know that we can decorate for him. So, she brought a small icon of the Theotokos for him and my mom bought a little stuffed animal (bear) and put a couple of icon pins on the bear. We also have some lullaby CD's for Petros to listen. And, there's a group outside of the hospital that makes baby quilts and they made one for him that we get to keep. Right now, it is draped over the top of his "bed" for color. I can't say it enough... everyone here at the hospital is wonderful.

That's about all for now. I will post my lab results as soon as I know them. We are shooting for 27 because then they will start tapering me off the prednisone. And that's my goal.

Lab updates...

2006-02-22T08:28:00.000-08:00

OK... so saw my hematologist this morning. My levels have risen from yesterday to 25. The hematologist is hoping that I keep going up and, once I hit 27, we will start tapering off the prednisone. Yeah! That's the kind of news that I want to hear:) I'm going to close my eyes for a few minutes, to soak this all in.

Wed. Feb. 22 Early Edition... Live from Christina's Room

2006-02-22T07:12:00.000-08:00

Last night, finally, mommy (meaning me) was able to go see Baby Petros for the second time. The first time I saw him was when they were wheeling me out of recovery. So they literally rolled me by him and I was able to touch his little hand and that was about it. I was not able to see his face very well because of the oxygen mask. Well, that's all changed. He is breathing very well on his own, he is still on an IV to keep his blood sugars stabilized which they seem to be stable. And he they are feeeding him fomula through a tube in his mouth. His sucking reflex has not developed which is normal for where he is gestationally. Rob/Paul is very excited to take any visitors to see him (although Rob/Paul is going to go to work today... but if you happen to stop by and are willing to push me down the hall in the wheelchair, I can take you to meet our little boy).

Mom and dad where able to get Pavlos enrolled in pre-school at Agia Sophia. Today is his first day. I'm going to miss it:( My big boy Pavlos is going to his first day of school. I hope and pray that he does well and is able to enjoy himself. So he will be in school Monday, Wednesday, and Friday 8:00-11:00, I believe. I know that this is a great relief for both my parents and for us. Pavlos needs more in his life than just visiting his mommy in the hospital. And my parents need a break from him, too. Pavlos has been living with them for over a month, now. I guess the plan for today is that they will take him to school and then come and see me.

As far as my health, the surgeon came by to visit me yesterday. Guess I was set up to have a splenectomy tomorrow. That has now been cancelled. Everyone is so pleased with how the recovery is going that they are taking the wait and see approach to how my body responds now that I'm not pregnant. I'm now able to go off of the diabetic diet (yeah) as long as my blood sugars remain below 200 (which they have been). I'm already eating solid/regular foods which is great. Right now I guess I'm waiting to see what this morning's labs are like.

I think that's it for my morning report. Thanks again for all the phone calls, emails, blogger comments, etc. Rob/Paul, Pavlos, Petros, and I feel truly blessed to have such wonderful friends and family.

Feb. 21: Reporting Live From Christina's Hospital Room

2006-02-21T10:38:00.000-08:00

Definitely please excuse any errors in this post. I'm on different pain meds for the c-section and my brain is extremely foggy.

Baby Petros is doing well. He is breathing on his own which is a great sign. They have his blood sugars almost stabilized and are continuing to monitor them. They are going to increase his formula intake and see how he responds as far as keeping it down, etc. His hemoticrit was actually high. Rob/Paul was able to hold him last night. The nurse took a polaroid picture for us. They are all so amazing, the doctors and nurses here. I have been able to see him only once, as I left the recovery room to go to my post-partum room. I was of course lying down and was only able to touch his tiny hand. I look forward to seeing him sometime today.

My hemoticrit this morning was 24.7. Before I went in for the c-section, it was 27 which the doctors were happy with. They were able to do a c-section with the absolute least amount of blood loss possible. My perinatologist was not on call yesterday, but he came in anyway because he wantedto deliver this baby. I really like the on call perinatologist, but it was nice to have bothe of them there. At this point, we are still watching and waiting to see what the next step will be for me. Obviously the greatest scenario is that this just all clears up now that I am no longer pregnant.

If you need to get ahold of me, my room number is now 363. Phone number is 503-216-3363. You can also reach me through an 800 number... 1-800-677-6752. Then ask the operator to put you through to rm. 363. Thank you all so much for the emails, phone calls, prayers, well wishes, EVERYTHING. If you do decide to visit me, just be understanding as far as pain meds, etc. that I am on. I do encourage you to stop by. If Rob/Paul is here when you do stop by, he can actually take you in to see Baby Petros:) I'm still not quite that mobile to be making lots of trips to see him. Thanks again, and maybe later today or tomorrow we might have more pictures to post up for everyone.

Birth Announcement

2006-02-20T19:44:00.000-08:00

Dear Friends,

Glory to God!

Christina gave birth to a healthy baby boy today at 12:50 PM. He is named Petros Nektarios Blankenstein and weighed 4lbs 13oz. He is doing well considering all of the adversity that he has experienced in the last four weeks. He will be in the NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit) for the next 2-3 weeks. Christina delivered through C-Section. The decision was made to not deliver conventionally becuase the baby was not tolerating the contractions. She is doing well, but we are not out of the woods yet. God willing Christina will continue to recover. In the next several weeks she will probably need to have her spleen removed. Please continue to remember Christina and Petros in your prayers.

In Christ, Paul (aka Rob) Blankenstein

Monday Feb. 20... Not quite so Early Edition From Christina's Bed

2006-02-20T07:33:00.000-08:00

Scroll down to read what I wrote earlier this morning.

Word on the street (well, really, from my nurse) is that they may do a C-Section. My levels have gone up to 24 hemotcrit (which it was 23 yesterday). They have taken away my water and I am not allowed to eat anything. They are thinking of doing a blood transfusion before the c-section in order to get blood levels up a little higher. Now this is all from the nurse. The doctor should be in soon. Will keep you posted... especially if I have to have another transfusion because those actually take some time... so most likely, no baby this morning.

Monday Feb. 20... Early Morning Edition from Christina's Bed

2006-02-20T06:49:00.000-08:00

It's almost 7am here, west coast time. I was able to sleep quite a bit, although, at 6:30am the IV nurse came to draw blood and then five minutes later the hematologist was making his rounds and then my nurse noticed all the activity and figured I was up so time to do vitals, etc.

Like I just wrote, I was able to sleep. BUT about 2 am the nurse came in because (now if women's bodily stuff grosses you out, stop reading now and skip to the next paragraph. It's ok to skip, Rob/Paul would) the stuff they use to soften my cervix wasn't agreeing with the baby. So they removed it. I was having unsteady contractions while they were softening my cervix which is quite normal, but I guess while I was sleeping, it was having a negative effect on baby. Afterwards, I went back to sleep and was able to sleep until 6:30am.

(It's ok to read now)...
So, they are testing my blood levels, we'll see where they are at. And I guess I'm just waiting for the perenatologist to come in and we can talk about what to do next. I just didn't want any of you to think that I'm superwoman... in the midst of labor and writing out blog entries:) I will definitely keep you posted... I feel so much like I am on a roller coaster... we are going to follow this plan one minute and then something happens to change and we're going this way. I think I might actually have doctors scratching their heads about me:) For those that know me really well, they would say I have never been normal. But, at least I may be able to get a shower in this morning. All I can say is keep praying, keep praying, keep praying. That's about all I can do at this point, too. It's definitely all in God's hands and in God's timing. Thanks...

Oh, I almost forgot. My sister, Katherine, came down with her kids to watch Pavlos for the next few days so that mom can be here. Familiy always amazes me. Katherine and I are obviously very close and definitely in the same stage of life (mommies with kids) but it still amazes me how when something happens, we just jump in our cars and drive the few hours to help each other out. I know this is a big relief to mom and I know that Katherine will also provide mom with much needed comic relief (if you don't know my sister, she's definitely the funny one in our family). She and mom stopped by late last night. Katherine had stopped by Carter's on her way down from Bainbridge Island and bought a preemie outfit. Mom bought one last Friday. So I have little baby clothes hanging up where I can see them... it's supposed to keep my spirits up and continue to be motivated for this little rascal:)

Sunday Feb. 19... Reporting Live from Christina's Room

2006-02-19T17:18:00.000-08:00

Sorry it has taken me all day to report to you. My levels have dropped, not severely, but enough that they are going to induce me tomorrow. That could possibly change, if they are able to bring my levels up without a transfusion, but it is unlikely. So, we may have a little baby Petros with us tomorrow! Also, I must forewarn you, I am on IVIG again and they had to give me more benadryl. So please forgive any errors in this blog entry:) I'm a little loopy.

They are hoping to deliver normally and they are in the process of preparing me for that. Less blood loss than a c-section. Obviously, if something goes wrong they will deliver by c-section. We will wait and see. The baby is 33 1/2 weeks right now which is very good.

Rob/Paul noticed that tomorrow is the feast day of St. Philothei... a patron saint of Athens who was martyred by the Ottomans. This is somewhat significant for me, personally. Back in the Summer of 2004, I became pregnant and my due date was Feb. 20, the feast of St. Philothei. I thought that if we had a girl, I would like to have Philothei as part of her name (first or middle, not sure). Well, I had a miscarriage at 10 weeks. And I remember my due date coming and going and how sad I was last year. And now, this little boy may just be coming on that same due date. St. Philothei, intercede to God for us on your feast day, tomorrow.

Thanks for all the book suggestions.... after the baby is born, he will have to stay in the hospital for a while. And I will have to stay in the hospital for a while until I am stabilized and the doc. decide what the next step in my recovery process will be. Maybe all my blood work will start going back to normal. Maybe they will have to remove my spleen. It's all way up in the air at this point. So please continue to pray for us, especially tomorrow. And thanks....

Saturday Feb.18 Hospital Report... Live from Christina's Hospital Room

2006-02-18T12:29:00.000-08:00

Please be sure to scroll down to my earlier entry for today... it was a request for good book and movie titles:)

Today, my hemoticrit is up to 26. One more whole point. It is good news... at least it is not going down. I'm starting the feel the effects of the high doses of prednisone. My face is very flushed and my brain is kind of off. I'm not as agitated as when I have had to go on previous high doses of prednisone... but that might be because I'm still tired from the anemia. They are having a difficult time keeping my blood sugars under control (due to the high prednisone). They keep increasing my insulin. Maybe all this stuff that I've been taking and treatments I've been undergoing since mid-January is finally paying off?!?!?

Baby Petros had an unreactive non stress test this morning... His heart is steady and it never dipped, but it never spiked, either. So they did an ultrasound and he passed. He's already gone through a stressful life and he isn't even born yet! Maybe that will make him a strong person, like his Pappous/grandpa (who he is named for) and like his patron saint (St. Peter the Apostle).

Regarding the diabetes I am going through... I have a new appreciation for what Rob/Paul has gone through most of his life. Granted, he's on an insulin pump and if he wants ice cream, he can eat ice cream (whereas I cannot). I also have a new appreciation for when he wants a diet coke... I used to get on him for drinking too much diet coke... but when you really are allowed only water to drink... it gets pretty boring. I have been on such an anti-aspertame kick that now, as that's the only sweetener I can have, I am beginning to appreciate it, a little. Still trying to not consume too much Splenda, but there are just those moments when you gotta have a little sugar free chocolate pudding:)

That's all for today... thanks for reading....

Just a quick question...

2006-02-18T08:29:00.000-08:00

I will post something later today when I have news of blood levels, etc. Here's my quick question for all my loyal fans:)

since i seem to have some time on my hands i was wondering if you all could just write in a favorite book or two and a favorite movie or two. i'm a big fan of classic literature, BUT, brain just cannot handle it:) i don't do much modern lit, but if there is something, good and easy to read, i may be able to handle it:)
so, what's a favorite book and what's a favorite movie (i have a dvd player on my laptop and a reg. vcr on the hospital tv).thanks for your help:)

If you would like to leave a comment, at the end of this particular blog entry you will see the word "comment". Click on that. Another page opens up where you can leave a comment. I believe that I have it set up so that you do not have to have a blogger account to leave a comment... you just click on anonymous (but in your comment, let me know who you are:) Also, there is this crazy letter verification thing on my comments. that's to keep people from spamming my comments. just type the letters as you see them and hit enter. if it doesn't go through at first, keep trying... I have a had time deciphering the word verification myself:) If this doesn't work, just send me a regular email at cdblankenstein[at]hotmail[dot]com. change the [at] to @ and [dot] to a period. Hope this all makes sense...

Hospital Info and latest update...

2006-02-17T14:10:00.000-08:00

By the way, we are still having a boy. A little bit of misinformation went out to our church community. No harm done of course, but a number of people are a little confused. Yes, we are still having a boy:)

For those of you that live long distance from Providence St. Vincent Hospital and have been calling, me, THANK YOU! And even those of you that have emailed me, THANK YOU!

Here is an 800 number to the hospital... 1-800-677-6752. That will get you to the operator and then you just tell them room 313 and you will get to me (although if I don't answer, it probably means I'm taking a shower or being tested for something or other). With in the Portland area the phone number is 216-7313.

If you are able to visit, that's cool. I'm on the third floor, maternity ward (room 313 but it actually is labelled birth suite 13).

Today's update is that my levels have risen to 25 (they have been 21 the last two days). My doc. is very please with that. They did something where they titered (forgive me, my degrees are in Political Science, History, and Secondary Social Studies Education... I'm not a med. person) the bad antibodies in my blood and they have dropped. So, we are not scheduling an induction at this point for anytime soon. Obviously, that can change if my levels drop again. So we are now back to just waiting and seeing. I'm actually having a really relaxing day today because I'm being left alone...not that the nurses here aren't absolutely awesome, they are... it's just nice not to have constant attention for a little while. And my mom stopped by without Pavlos which I think is the first time she has been able to do that since I originally came in the hospital a month ago. Thanks to Pavlos' nouna (god-mother) for watching him today:) My mom also bought a preemie outfit for the new baby (just in case) and some preemie onesies and sleepers. I have to start planning for the arrival of a new baby! Pavlos and Rob/Paul will be at our house for the weekend. I think they might do some father/son bonding time and go see the new Curious George movie. I am so proud of my little Pavlos! He's maturing in so many ways under all this stress.

That's all for now... keep praying!

What has happened since Mid-January

2006-02-17T11:36:00.000-08:00

To begin this blog, I am going to write out what has happened since mid-January. Whenever I updated the blog, it will be what is happening in the present. Mostly, I just want a way for people that I know to have access to what is going on instead of sending out a million emails or posting on other blogs, etc.

First, I will write about what brought me to the hospiatl for my first stay. Then, I am going to just cut and paste in different emails and posts I have sent out to various people. I will try to fine tune it, check for spelling errors, etc. So for some of you, this will be repeat information. Finally, I will probably post a completely new entry with what has happened today (or what will happen tomorrow). I am very blessed to have so many wonderful family and friends who care about me and want to be kept "in the loop".

So here goes...
About a month ago, on Thursday Jan. 19, I was feeling really yucky. I was at home with Pavlos and I could barely walk up the stairs without getting completely winded and slightly dizzy. I just thought that it was because of having to recently increase one of my meds and the fact that I was in my third trimester of pregnancy. Pavlos and I spent the day watching movies. I wasn't too concerned because I had a scheduled doctor appointment on Friday and I thought I could just tell my doctor then how I had been feeling. By the end of the day, I was not improving and decided to call the on-call doctor. Most of you know that I have lupus and so pregnancy for me can be complicated. But with Pavlos, there were very few complications so that's why we went ahead and decided to have another baby. Back to the on-call perinatologist... I called in, he suggested me coming in to check the baby just to put my mind at ease, and so we went to the hospital. And, low and behold, the baby was fine, but I was not. My hematocrit was 14 and my hemaglobin was 4. Uhm, a little low. They admitted me into the hospital, I went through some IV immuno globulin therapy and a number of blood transfusions (I believe 4) and my levels rose to a point that they were comfortable releasing me. Through out the next week, I had two doc. appt. Both times they drew blood, both times my levels showed that I was dropping again. So they did another of the IV immuno globulin therapy, hoping that would boost me up. It did not. So on Thursday Feb. 2, at my mom and dad's house, I became dizzy. My mom brought me into the hospital and I was admitted again. We went through more blood transfusions, more IV treatment, increased the amount of prednisone I am on, and started a new medication. My levels rose again and so I was discharged. Now, this third admittance, my levels had dropped again and they decided to put me in the hospital until the baby is born so that they can monitor me and the baby all the time. And we ran into problems with the blood transfusions because, for me, I need to have an exact match to my blood because I have these lovely, abnormal antibodies present in my blood. So they were able to find that exact match all the rest of the time, but I am developing new abnormal antibodies and so they were unable to find that exact match. Anyway, they did what is called a high risk blood transfusion which sounds a lot scarier than it is. I have had four of those since I have been in. Yesterday was a tough day because my levels stayed the same... didn't rise at all. Today, my levels rose 4 points to 25 and I am feeling a little better. I will still be here until the baby comes. When the baby comes (whether through induction of naturally) has yet to be determined. I am being monitored constantly.

OK, so that brings you up to speed about the medical aspects of what is going on. I am now going to cut and paste in emails and posts that I have done in the last month, just so you can read them.

Jan. 27, 2006: I was in the hospital for five days last week. Baby is fine. I am severely anemic. We then stayed at my parents home for a few days and are now back at our home for the weekend. Will probably be at mom and dad's again Sunday night. My hematicrit has not gone up enough for the doctor and so I will be going through another IV treatment on Sunday morning. While in the hospital I went through the same treatment twice and had four blood transfusions. I am definitely better, but still very weak and very fatigued. And, again, the baby is fine. Please pray for us.

Jan. 27, 2006: I went back into the hospital last Thursday, again, for the same reason. I am now out of the hospital (Tuesday) and at my parents home. My hematicrit has gone up to 27 and my hemaglobin is up to 8. Still not normal but definitely better than it was. Baby is fine, I'm 32 weeks tomorrow so if this happens again in two weeks (like it did two weeks ago) they will probably build up my blood levels again and then induce me because the baby will be 34 weeks which is a great gestation. I now have drug induced diabetes (not gestational diabetes) and so I have to give myself insulin shots twice a day, watch what I eat, and monitor my blood sugar. This came about because of the high amount of prednisone I am taking. The good news is that if my blood levels continue to rise, they will taper me off of the prednisone and my blood sugars will return to normal. I also came home with a more permanent IV in my arm (aka PICC IV) so that if this does happen again, they won't be destroying my poor veins again. And they can do my blood draws through this IV, too. I will keep this in until the baby is born. I will continue to go to doc. appt's often (meaning multiple times a week). If my levels continue to rise, then we will eventually return back to our own home which I dearly miss (although we are extremely thankful to have my parents so close to us that they are able to take care of Pavlos throughout this whole ordeal). That's all for now... I am supposed to be resting (not bed rest, just rest).

Feb. 10, 2006: This is a link to the book I am currently reading about St. Basil of Ostrog. So far it is very good and not too difficult a read. I am on the second introduction which is an article be St John of Damascus titled God's Miracles: The Foretaste of Eternal Goodness. If anyone knows where I can find a link to the article on the internet, please, let mw know because I would like to provide that link to you, my faithful readers, because it is such a beautiful article:)Obviously I have lots of thoughts regarding the last few weeks. I realized that out of the last three weeks, i have spent 11 days in the hospital (two separate visits). I have received 8 blood transfusions (please, please, please... go give blood. I'm going to find out if I can give blood after this is all said and done and I have a normal hematicrit and am not pregnant... I am deeply indebted to the anonymous person who gives blood that exactly matches me... so go give blood). I am learning to appreciate the two miracle babies in my life... Pavlos and this baby who we will God-willing meet soon. I had always pictured myself having three or four children. I don't know why, really, maybe because there are three children in my family. And I realize that with what I am going through now, that two children may be what we have in our family. And that's ok. When I was 25 (eight years ago), I was diagnosed with Lupus. My rheumatologist told me that I would/should not/never have children. I was single at the time, just finishing up grad. school. Not even dating anyone. Talk about a blow. I walked out of that office and thank goodness my mom was there because I cried all the way home. I had always pictured myself married and having a family. And now this doctor was destroying my dreams. Eventually, I met Paul and he knew that us being able to have children may not ever happen. And yet, he loved me enough to marry me and see what God's will would be in our lives. And here we are on the verge of our second miracle. The first pregnancy was very low key, not too many problems. And so we thought we would try again. And, well, you can read about what we've been going through in my previous entries or go to my mom's blog and read her updates on my health. That doesn't mean that we haven't struggled even in other areas of pregnancy... our first pregnancy ended in miscarriage at eight weeks. Our second pregnancy is Pavlos. Our third pregnancy ended in miscarriage at ten weeks, and this is our fourth pregnancy which is a little rough, but at this point, the baby is weighing in at over 4 pounds:) Definitely survivable. And it actually just dawned on me... I have four babies... just not all here:) Maybe that is God's plan for us.I realize that this blog entry is a bit disjointed, I'm still really tired and I am finding it difficult to do much more than sit in my dad's lazy boy recliner and surf the net on my dad's laptop:) Today was a difficult day because I had a doc. appt. early, early this morning (thank goodness we were able to drop Pavlos off at a friends house so he didn't have to sit through the long appt.). After the appt, my mom and I stopped by the soon to be new church site because neither of us had been there in months. Then, we picked up Pavlos and went to get lunch. Then we went to Babies R Us because the only thing that I really need for the baby is a new diaper bag (which I found one that I liked and that Paul will not be embarassed to carry around). Then we headed home... and it took us over an hour to get back to my parents home because of all the traffice. I think we were gone for 8 hours today. I am tired. So forgive the disjointed-ness of this blog entry:)

Feb. 16, 2006: So I'm in the hospital for the rest of the pregnancy. I just finished up another blood transfusion, baby's kicking a lot right now. When they give me a blood transfusion they also give me an IV dose of benadryl to help in case I have a bad reaction to the transfusion. That makes me a lot loopy and a lot tired. But we are finished with this one, for now (please excuse my typing, spellilng errors, or anything like that... blame it all on the benadryl). I was able to meet Presv. Elizabeth the other day. It was so nice to finally see her in person instead of just through cyberspace. A woman from church came by today and decorated my room a little for me. It now looks much more cheerful, cozy, as if someone actually lived here. Pavlos continues to poop on the potty. I am so proud of my little man. And hopefully my mom can get him enrolled into some sort of preschool or activity to help him have more in his life than just visiting his mommy in the hospital. I am very thankful that they are keeping us. I feel better knowing that both myself and the baby are being watched very closely. Still lots of up in the air things going on with my treatment. Will try to keep you posted (Rob bought me and antenna for the laptop and now I have great internet service in my room). Please contintue to pray for us.I'm at St. Vincent's hospital in Portland, room 313 (or birth suite 13). can't guarentee that I will be my most alive, alert, awake, and enthusiastic becuase of all the benadryl.

I think that's all the history of what's been going on. Please feel free to leave a comment or ask any questions. I do have an update from my doctors to post, but I will do that later today. Thanks for all your support, prayers, love, encouragement, help, concern. I hope this will help in keeping as many people who want to know what's going on in the loop:)