Eli's birth story

Yes, I'm aware that I just had Rachael, but for you to understand all that has happened since Rachael's birth 1 week ago, you must first know the story of Eli's birth..... And yes, I also know that I started this series MONTHS ago with Jacob's birth story!

As with my pregnancy with Jacob, Eli's was very uneventful as well. I was healthy and so was he.

During this pregnancy I had been informed that because of the state laws and malpractice issues, I would not be allowed to attempt a VBAC (vaginal birth after cesarean) and rather than doing research for myself, I took the word of the Dr. and nurses and scheduled a c-section for May 26, 2006. I have since done TONS of research in an effort to try to have a VBAC with the 3rd pregnancy and have found out that there were a few places in Oklahoma City that I could have gone and a few doctors that probably would have let me attempt a VBAC. I am extremely regretful of not having done more research and I think about it a lot, maybe one day I'll come to terms with it.


May 26 came around and we got to the hospital and some insane hour of the morning and everything proceeded as normal. I was taken into the operating room a few minutes after 8:00 and the surgery progressed from getting a spinal, to a baby boy being born at 8:42 am and then me returning to my room for recovery approximately 30 minutes later - after I had been all closed up and everything.
Eli Scott weighed in at 8lb. 15oz. and 22” long and other than a little excess fluid in his lungs, he was very healthy!!!

I actually recovered from this c-section very quickly and don't remember taking any pain medication after I left the hospital! Michael was scheduled to leave for a 2 month school the second week of July so I was very excited I was recovering so well and not feeling at all overwhelmed with needing to recover AND take care of a 2.5 year old and a newborn by myself for 2 months.

About 6 weeks after Eli's birth I got very ill. (I have a colon condition called ulcerative colitis and to spare your stomachs, let's just say it causes some SEVERE digestive problems and requires loads of treatment to recover from). During the first week that I was so ill, I also started having some bizarre pain in my right leg, just below my knee. This pain made my knee hurt so badly I could hardly walk. It also caused swelling and tenderness in my leg and a fevered spot just below my knee.

The week after Michael left I finally went to the dr. after I'd been very sick for over a week and my leg was just so excruciating I couldn't handle it any more.

The dr. took one look at my leg (and my symptoms) and had me lie down on a hospital-type bed and wouldn't let me get up. I was to go into a treatment room and receive IV fluids because I was so dehydrated, but first she immediately sent me down the hall to have an ultrasound on my leg. That is when I started suspecting something serious.

During the ultrasound, I asked the tech what they were looking for and she told me they suspected I had a blood clot in my leg and they needed to confirm with an ultrasound.... YIKES.
Sure enough, the ultrasound confirmed it and I was sent back to get my IV started and an ambulance was called to transport me to the hospital... WHOA! I believe there was some crying involved and then a frantic call to my friend with whom I'd dropped the boys off before my appointment and then a message left on Michael's cell phone to call me as soon as he had a break in class.

I was admitted to the hospital that afternoon and stayed there for 5 days to receive intense treatment for my colon problems and the blood clot. The boys spent that week being shuffled between a few absolutely amazing friends. I was released on a Saturday and fortunately Michael was able to come home for the weekend – it was a 9 hour drive one way – and take me home. My grandmother was gracious enough to come stay with me (we were living in Oklahoma City at the time) and the boys for a few weeks while I began my recovery. Exactly one week later I had to be admitted to the hospital again for pneumonia and was there for 2 more days....

I decided then that as soon as my dr. would clear me for travel (due to the blood clot I had to wait until my treatment was well established) my grandmother and I would take the boys and drive home to Florida so I could stay with family and have help with the boys while I recovered – there was terrible pain in my leg still and TONS of extremely uncomfortable swelling in both legs due to all the fluid I received while in the hospital. We stayed in Florida for 3 weeks until all my swelling was gone and I could drive safely and take care of the boys. My dad drove us home the week before Michael returned from school.

God is so good and I was completely healed when Michael returned home on Sept. 7 (his birthday!!) which is a wonderful thing because we were scheduled to move here (Colorado Springs) the first week of October!

The background or reason I developed the clot in the first place has been debated by several doctors. I don't have the typical risk factors that most people who develop clots have. I don't drink alcohol, don't smoke, don't use birth control and have tested negative for all of the blood disorders that could cause clots. The only conclusion that the doctors can come up with is that during pregnancy every woman is at a higher risk to develop clots, throw in the c-section (MAJOR surgery) and the colon condition and you have the reasons behind why I developed the clot.

Blood clots (also called DVT – deep vein thrombosis when in the lower extremities) can be very dangerous and even cause death if not treated quickly and properly. I am very blessed and feel very fortunate to be alive today because I let the 'leg issue' go for a week before I saw a doctor.
Praise the Lord for His wonderful works!!!