First off, I want to say that my mom rocks. That might be one of the most obvious statements, but I want to say that because she is always there for me.
Most people don't know the details of what happened after I got pregnant. I'm really not a fan of talking about it because it can make people think I'm "going to break" or something like that. I'll tell you the story, and then I'll let you read what my mom emailed me today. Please don't act like I'm going to die any second when you see me next...
First, I need to start in October of 2006. It was Conference weekend in Rexburg, and I was throwing a get-together for the wives while the husbands went to Priesthood session. I'd had a pain in my left calf all day, and I didn't really think anything of it. I thought it was just a bad charlie horse and it would go away soon. The party went well, but after it was over, my leg didn't feel any better. In fact, the pain in my leg had gotten worse. I waited a couple more days to see if the pain would go away, but it didn't. It eventually got so bad that I couldn't stand on it. I missed most of my Monday classes because of this, and eventually tried limping my way to Collegiate Singers. I made it to the Recital Hall door, where class was held, and pretty much collapsed on the floor. I called Seth and told him, "I can't do this!" between tears. He told me to stay where I was so he could come get me. My knight in shining armour. :) He arrived at the Snow building Recital Hall, put his arm under my shoulders, and helped me to the car so he could drive me to the Health Center on campus. We were on the school insurance, so that was the place to go. After we got to the center, I told the nurse, "I think I might have a blood clot." The only reason I thought this, was because I called my mom and told her the symptoms I was having, and she said it sounded like one. I was told by the nurse that it was probably just some muscle spasm because I was too young to have a blood clot, and that I'd be fine in a few days. I remained bold, which was easy to do because of the pain I was in, and told the nurse I wanted to get my leg checked because my dad had a pulmonary embolism when he was 25, and the symptoms seemed like they were a blood clot. The nurse looked at my leg again, told me all the symptoms of a blood clot which I only had one of her list, and said she'd call the doctor, Dr. Redd who was out of town that week, so I could get an ultrasound of my leg. "Just to be sure," she told me. I got the OK from the doctor, went to the radiology department at the hospital, and got an ultrasound of my leg. When the radiology technician got to my calf, she turned the screen away so I couldn't see it, and stopped talking to me. I knew then, that I did actually have a blood clot even though she wasn't able to tell me. Seth and I were sent back to the Health Center so the nurse could tell us the result. We didn't even go back into the exam room. She stopped us in the hallway and said, "I'm sorry, but you do have a blood clot, and I'm going to have to send you back to the ER so you can be taken care of." So, we went back to the hospital and waited in the ER waiting room for about an hour before I got in. The nurse there ran blood tests to find out what might have caused the clot, gave me a shot of Lovenox (blood thinner), and sent me back to the Health Center...again. This final game of back and forth ended with the nurse telling me that Dr, Redd was putting me on bed rest for ten days. I would have to go into Short Stay at the hospital every one of the ten days and get a shot of Lovenox. By the way, these shots are put in the belly. They burn very badly at the injection site for about 20 minutes before the burning subsides. So, for the next 10 days, I laid in the pull-out bed, got rides from Laura and Jenni (who are two of the people who rock in this blog) to the hospital so I could get my shots, and Jenni arranged dinner for me every day from people in the ward. I don't know what I would have done without their help. (More people who rock)
After the ten days were up, I got to meet Dr. Redd who told me all of my test results came up negative, so the only cause I could have for the blood clot was my birth control. I was on Ortho Evra, or the patch, at the time. Since, the product has been recalled because of it causing things like this in so many people. In fact, I'm currently involved in a lawsuit involving this.
Anyway, the result I got meant that I couldn't be put on hormones. Seth and I began thinking of trying to have kids, but we didn't feel right about it at the time, so we tried other forms of birth control. My only issue with the new way of doing things was that getting off birth control made me irregular. So, I never knew when I was ovulating, and I didn't want to go get one of those ovulating calculators (or whatever they're called) because of how much they cost. Because of that, we were surprised with a pregnancy.
This wasn't any normal beginning of a pregnancy, though. I was bleeding. Not heavy like a period, but I was. So, I didn't think I was pregnant except that I felt kinda funny. So, in late June of 2007, I took a pregnancy test, and guess what...yup. Now, at this time, I wasn't on health insurance because I'd just graduated from BYU-I and they automatically took me off. I had already applied for Regence Blue Shield and been accepted, but I hadn't received my cards yet. Those were going to Twin Falls, and I was in El Paso, Texas. Mom sent my cards down to me and I got them the day before I went into the doctor's office. (Luck)
Everything at the doctor's office went fine as far as tests go, but when they found out my medical history, they didn't want me because I was "high risk". They told me to go to a Perinatologist, Dr. Harlass. The office told me they would contact him and set up an appointment for me. They didn't. They did, however, fix my bleeding problem I'd been having. I even had an ultrasound that day and got to see the baby. Porter was 8 weeks and looked like a shrimp. (Pictures in first blog posts.)
Three days later, I was lying on the couch in pain. Just like I had been in October. This time, the pain was higher, and I couldn't even limp. I called Dr. Harlass' office and pretty much demanded an appointment that afternoon. By this time, I was nauseous, so car rides were hard, and we had to go way across town. I told Dr. Harlass that I had another blood clot. I was sure of it, and I wanted an ultrasound to make sure. He pretty much repeated everything the nurse in Rexburg said. I just told him that because I have HAD one, I'm obviously NOT too young to have one. He sent me to get the ultrasound, doubting I had a blood clot, and was surprised when I was right. Not only was I right, but this blood clot was even bigger than the first. I was immediately hospitalized for the night so they could monitor me. I was there for two nights. Partially because I couldn't walk, and partially because of how sick I was. I was in the room next to a lady named Alice, and she was a lot of help to me being that she was a pro at being in the hospital, according to her. I was, again, given Lovenox. This time, I was told I'd have to give myself a shot every day for the rest of the pregnancy and six weeks after. I was terrified because up until I started giving myself shots, I was deathly afraid of needles. Maybe this was Heavenly Father's way of having me overcome that fear. I had to have Lovenox because it was guaranteed not to pass the placenta, and they didn't want any more risks involved in my pregnancy. Anyway, these Lovenox shots were very expensive: 1600 dollars a month. We found this out after we left the hospital. When Seth went to Walgreens to pick up my prescription, he couldn't. We didn't have enough money in both our accounts combined to pay for it. Seth wanted to call his parents and ask for help, but they were in Cancun at the time. My parents are already in a lot of medical debt because of my dad's medical issues, so we didn't want to ask them. Seth went into shock. And I'm serious when I say this. He couldn't even talk to me. It scared me. Here I was put on bed rest again, pregnant, puking, broke, and needing to give myself a blood thinner shot that I didn't want to give myself, but if I didn't give it to myself I'd die...basically I was a mess. I desperately tried thinking of what to do. Alice had told me she had a friend who had some left over shots of Lovenox because of a surgery she had. This friend actually gave me her number when she visited Alice, and we called her and got her shots. (Two more people who rock) So, I had three shots, but this wasn't enough. I'd have the same problem in a day. I called Mom...because my mom rocks and she can find a solution to any problem. She called my Uncle David. Uncle David didn't even hesitate. He gave Walgreens his credit card number under my name, so I could have my shots and live. My uncle rocks.
Amy Sheiss from El Paso did what Jenni did in Rexburg and the Relief Society and the Bishop in El Paso...they all rock.
I moved back to Twin Falls shortly thereafter to live with Mom and Dad while Seth finished out the summer in El Paso so that I could be taken care of. Seth met me there and we moved to Rexberg to finish Seth's schooling. Just quickly, I want to mention the Browers who were like a second set of parents helping us out in Rexburg. There are so many people who have helped us out...Seth's parents also helped us out when we got back to Idaho. We appreciate all of you.
We actually ran out of money again and lived with my parents when Porter was born and all of that's on the blog already, so I wont repeat that.
To the point: My mother is a wonderful violin and piano teacher. She called me a couple weeks ago saying she wanted to pay Uncle David back. She told me she sold her violin. I started crying...I'm crying now...anyway, today, I got an email from her to the family and it is as follows:
Dear family,
Let me preface this by telling you that I have been praying for a way to get out of debt to David--especially since I called David during Sierra's crisis and he so willingly and with no hesitation offered his help. The bill owed to him came to about $2000 and it has been over a year since we borrowed that. I felt that because I do own a couple not so wonderful violins that I could get by without my best and most expensive one, sell it and pay at least that debt off. Since all I really do is teach and I don't solo I figured it would be okay. Well, after I sold it to one of my best students I was a bit frustrated because the other violins just don't speak out in an orchestra and neither did they sound very good to me, but as far as I was concerned it would be a small sacrifice to get "out from under". Today was the Fall Recital I always give and I have to do them back to back because I have so many students! (50 this year! ) and as I was saying good by to the one group and the other was coming in, Rene Folkman had every one stay and they all presented me with--you won't believe this!--MY VIOLIN!!! And $1400 MORE money in an envelope! I was overcome! I later learned that a little student of mine wondered why I was playing a different violin at her lessons and after I had explained why, she asked her mother if she could start a movement to "buy it back" for me. The mother told Rene her plans and they for three weeks had called my students and told them what was happening (after getting the list from Joanna who didn't know what they were up to either! ) Others heard of the plan and kept giving! I am a bit embarrassed and VERY humbled. Can't hardly think of it without crying. Which you can imagine I did. Such amazing love and compassion! So Sierra, this was for you as well and don't you ever forget it! Now I'll have to be nice to everyone! :-)
Overwhelmed--especially in these economic times!
Mom
All I can say is:
THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!
