2.02.2012

{Quad Squad} 12.5 week video & update

I'm writing this post from day two of bed rest and it's going, well, about as good as anything on bed rest can, I assume. For starters, my cerclage procedure yesterday went just fine. (Please Google this if you want to know more about it, I just don't feel like splainin' the details on here again and I'm trying to spare some of y'all from TMI!) My doc almost didn't go through with it, though, since I've developed a bad cold and he was concerned about how I was feeling. And he was more concerned about it developing into something truly nasty, like pneumonia. So he gave me the "wary eye" when I insisted I was willing to just get this over with and I'd take all the meds he prescribed and get well in a few days before deciding it was okay to continue with my surgery. I'd already been at the hospital for a couple hours, been jabbed with an IV and I was wearing a fashionably oversized backless gown. Plus, my rear end was rather uncomfortable on the scratchy bed sheet and the sensors they'd placed on my chest kept me from being able to readjust my position, like I was literally chained to that dang bed with a gaggle of wires and tubes. I though I was going to breathe fire because my throat was so dry and I hadn't had so much as a sip of water since midnight the night before (surgery protocol) and I was actually starting to feel hungry from lack of food. Really, need I go through this again?

I was super nervous when they wheeled me into the operating room, keeping my hands on my stomach the whole time as if that would keep the babies safe. I remember drifting off to sleep then waking up what felt like just minutes later to hear everything had gone well and it was all done. Whew. I'd also gone through two bags of IV fluids so I'm sure my body was enjoying not being completely dehydrated. I took in a bottle of cranberry juice and a bottle of water, waiting until the dizziness and grogginess subsided enough to get up and plop my butt in a wheel chair then got whisked out to the car and was on my way home. We had a glamorous home arrival, the husband and I, because I managed to upchuck the liquids I'd drank at the hospital into a plastic bag in the car. He had to hold me steady and as I walked in the front door and straight to the bathroom to dump the contents down the toilet. Sometimes you are really glad no one else is there to witness these atrocities. But then I just went on and told all of y'all about it, didn't I? Suppose I'm not harboring much shame. It's a game of survival at the moment, folks.

My bed rest "command post" for the past two days.
I spent the rest of yesterday in and out of sleep mode and feeling rather "elevated" on my various medications. And today I'm still on bedrest, occasionally trying to remember what my name is, what work email I was just typing and what time I need to take what medicine. I happen to have just tossed back a bottle of stout antibiotics to help stave off infection post-surgery and to keep my cold at bay, which is the most heavy drinking I've done in awhile. It's a seven-day liquid supply you take all at once. Supposed to be cherry-banana flavored, but it was not cherry-banana flavored.

Speaking of food, eating has been rather difficult again. And I've lost a few pounds the past couple days. All I want to do is gain weight so my little quad squad can grow and I can stay strong. I'm taking it very seriously as I truly believe (and from what I've read and heard from doctors) that the right weight gain from early on can help make a big positive difference. So for now, I've given up trying to find an appealing meal for my non-existent taste buds and have "ordered" dinner from my ever-so-patient husband on his way home from work later. I'm getting The Hulk smoothie from Smoothie King in chocolate. It's got nearly 1,500 calories in the medium-sized and comes packed with protein, calories, vitamins and other nutrients that are actually geared to promote weight gain. I used to drink the super-sized version when I was a synchronized swimmer and was so boney and skinny in my early teenage years that I fell off the growth chart. My parents would pick up one of those bad boy's every day for me and I'd wolf it down after swim practice. It has real butter-pecan ice cream in it, too, which makes for a delish flavor and helps out with my calcium share for the day. Never thought I'd find myself in need of those smoothies again, ha.

Other than having a tightness and slight cramping in my stomach, I can't tell of any other side affects from the cerclage. Tomorrow, I am allowed out of bed for small periods of time but have been sworn to take it easy for the following week. I know I'll keep my sanity better when I can move around a little, but I also feel so sick with this cold that resting has certainly been the best option so far. Aside from not being able to breath very well, running through about 2.5 boxes of Kleenex a day, choking down disgusting cold medicine every four hours, coughing up my left lung and rubbing Aquaphor lotion all over my dried-out face, things are just peachy. I'm not even trying to make you feel sorry for me. Okay... maybe a little.

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But on to the good stuff: babies! (See how I made you wallow through all my self-pity with me first!? Mwahaha.)

Here are our alphabet of quads from our latest ultrasound at about 12.5 weeks:


They definitely look like little people in there! The video we got was pretty cool, too, because we could see so much more detail than before. Elbows, knees and toes... knees and toes. Ha, it was awesome. They weren't as wiggly as they have been on other occasions, but we still enjoyed seeing them. I edited the video to some of the best bits, which you can see below.


Thanks for sticking with me and listening to all my woes. The day has taken a turn for the worse, so I'm going to put away work and turn on the TV, then douse myself with cold medicine... and come back and watch my video for like the 2349808746240th time when I need another pick-me-up. :)


11 comments:

  1. Ahhhhhhhh...............
    Loved every second of this!! Amazing little Baby Bells!!! Great choice of music! OK....LD and I are going back to watch it again!

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    1. Thank you Mom! I am uploading the video to Facebook now, it will be a bit bigger on there. I love watching them.

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    2. Val Gilliam LipseyFebruary 03, 2012

      Amber, this is truly a magical time for you!!! I have enjoyed watching and reading about the quads along with your wonderful mom, Linda!!! How exciting to know God picked you and your husband to shape and fashion these four beautiful babies! They are already destined for great things!

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  2. that is such an awesome video...hope your recovery goes well...

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  3. wishing you well with the quads :) I always keep y'all in my thoughts!

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  4. I agree with Deb, it's an awesome video. Hope you are feeling better every day and that nasty cold just disappears.

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  5. I'm visiting from your mom's blog. So amazing!! I loved that video set to music like that. Good luck on your recovery from your procedure and I hope your cold goes away soon too. I can't imagine going through all of that at once. You are a real trooper. I'm sure all of this is preparing you for patience with your new babies when they get here. Looking forward to knowing the sex of all the babies too.

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  6. You have no idea how much I'm enjoying following your journey. You also have NO IDEA how much sympathy I just gave you. I'm pregnant w/one, have had a cold & no surgery and let's just say I've been miserable. Oh & I'm NOT even on bedrest. Yeah, I can't even imagine being you.

    On a brighter note, Oh gracious what precious babies!!!!

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  7. I love reading your blog and so enjoying all the photos and videos of the Bell Quad Squad! Can't wait to see you hope it will be soon. Love ya!

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  8. WOW four! i had twins, but 4. hope your pregnancy goes smooth!

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  9. Amber, I follow your Mom's blog and I am also am her friend on facebook. I saw how excited she and your grandmother were cleaning all the onesies they bought for the babies and I had to come over to your blog to wish you the very best! I can't imagine how it feels to be pregnant with four precious babies but it looks like you are doing a wonderful job. Hang in there and take good care of yourself as you prepare for the wonderful days ahead. I will be thinking of you and sending up good thoughts and prayers for you and your babies! Best wishes form NY.

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