Cerclage

So the cerclage is in and it went as well as could be expected. I had to be at the hospital at 8am, and my grandma was there with me. I went to Labor & Delivery and the nurse took me into a room to get undressed and into the hospital gown. The anesthesiologist came in to introduce himself and his resident. After 3 failed attempts by the nurse to get an IV in - as usual, my veins were being uncooperative - they called in someone else to try. But while we waited for the person to arrive, the doctor came in to do a quick ultrasound on the baby, and that was cool because my grandma was in the room and she got to see the baby first hand! It was cute, my grandma asked the doctor if it was a boy or a girl and the doctor said it was too early to tell. The doctor left and the expert lab person came in and got the IV in finally so I was now ready to go.

The nurse walked me down the hall to the operating room. They had me sit on the edge of the bed and a nurse stood in front of me to help me keep still and keep my lower back in the right position and more importantly to hold my hand. The anesthesiologist stuck me with the Lidocaine shot first and it was not that bad. Then I could feel them sticking something deeper into my back and just as they were about to warn me that I would start feeling it in my legs I felt this jolt of what felt like water shooting down my left leg and it frightened me and I jumped. I started crying and they were like do you still feel the jolt, do you still feel it? No, I didn't feel the jolt anymore but I felt embarrassed that I was now crying for what seemed like no reason -- damn hormones!! The nurse arranged my legs in the hanging stirrups and the anesthesiologist got my heart monitor hooked up and placed oxygen in my nose. The doctor then started the procedure but soon I could feel a lot of pressure and I told them so, loudly! The doctor stopped and they gave me some more drugs although they assured me that I would feel pressure, but I should not be feeling any shooting pain. At this point I just wanted out of there! Something triggered me, maybe it was looking up at the lights or laying there trapped, I just felt like I was back in time when I lost the twins and I felt so sad and cried. Everyone there was very nice to me and said that I was doing well and that they were almost done.

Finally it was over and they moved me to the gurney and took me to recovery. I would need to stay there for monitoring, and I would have to eat, drink and walk to the bathroom to pee before I would be cleared to go home. After I got to recovery I was experiencing some cramping but I didn't want any pain meds because I wanted to be able to feel what was going on in case it got worse. The cramping subsided after an hour but was replaced by the most uncomfortable feeling as my bladder was becoming really full. At one point the doctor came in to do an ultrasound to check the baby's heartbeat and everything was great! I was getting fluids by IV but I couldn't get up to go to the bathroom yet because I couldn't walk. I started to be able to wiggle my toes maybe 45 minutes after I came to recovery, but nearly four hours later I still couldn't feel my butt or private parts but the nurse assured me that my body would know what to do once I sat on toilet and I was desperate to try. I was very shaky on my feet so the nurses helped me to the bathroom. Fortunately, as soon as I sat down I had success! I had some bleeding, but the nurse said that is to be expected and will decrease. I was finally cleared to go home - woo hoo!

I feel relieved to know that the baby is on lockdown!!! I'm not on bedrest, but I have to take it super easy and lay down as much as possible for a week. I can drive and go to the grocery store, etc but I can't be on my feet for more than an hour.