Life, family, and gratitude have taken on a whole new meaning since the day our daughter was born. We were 3 days overdue and started inducing labor Tuesday evening at Sanford USD Hospital. 6am Wednesday I started feeling sick; then our baby's heart rate dropped to 40, down from 140s shortly before. Within seconds, they rushed me to do an emergency C-section. They knocked me out completely and our baby was delivered within 2 minutes, at 6:56am, by Dr. Ashley Briggs. I went to recovery, however the bleeding wouldn't stop. I was then rushed to do an emergency hysterectomy in order to save my life, performed by Dr. Anthony Sierra and Dr. Kristin Hermanson. I had 2 major surgeries in 1 day and most of my family was not able to see me until 4:30pm, nearly 10 hours after our baby was born. The doctors worked on me most of that time. They had their suspicions on what had happened however it was later confirmed that I had an amniotic fluid embolism (AFE) that was followed by DIC.
AFE is acute and rapid collapse of mother and/or baby as a result of an allergic-like reaction to amniotic fluid entering my bloodstream. It's an unpreventable, unpredictable, and most often fatal complication. AFE is so rare, most medical professionals learn of it only in textbooks; estimated incidence is 1 in every 100,000 births. My 3 doctors have never seen it, and state they will never see it again. The likelihood of surviving an AFE is slim to none; most women do not even make it to the C-section. In addition to AFE, I experienced DIC, which is where my blood wouldn't clot, resulting in severe bleeding. DIC is commonly referred to as "death is coming". I lost most of my blood and had to have 13 units of blood transfusions, plus platelets and plasma. I had 30 extra pounds of fluid pumped into me when all was said and done. They say they nearly lost me twice and had to take resuscitative measures. I stayed 6 days on the labor and delivery floor, under intensive care.
The compassion, humanity, tenderness, and sincerity of these 3 doctors and their amazing team of nurses are something I have never experienced before in my life. Just the thought of everything they did for me and my family that day, the days following, and the rest of our lives, brings me to tears. They spoke to my family empathetically; and explained everything thoroughly and with common terms so they understood. All 3 of my doctors saw me every day, to check progress and make sure I was doing okay.
Over the weekend, Dr. Sierra was working out of town and he called at least twice a day to check on me - not only my physical health, but my mental health as well. He always spoke to me so softly and kindly. Dr. Hermanson hugged me tight and stated she had been thinking about me, with tears in her eyes. Dr. Briggs hand made me a beautiful beaded bracelet, with crosses, showing that our life paths had crossed. The way they made me feel is indescribable; I felt it in my heart that they truly, genuinely, cared about me. They are real people, with real feelings, and they saved my life. Not only did they save my life, they saved my entire family's lives.
My beautiful Grandma still has a granddaughter; my parents still have a daughter; my siblings still have a sister; my niece and nephews still have an aunt; my aunts and uncles still have a niece; but most importantly, my babies still have a mommy and my husband still has a wife. That really means the world to us, and we cannot express enough gratitude to suffice everything they did for us. These 3 are one of a kind and I undoubtedly believe were a Godsend.
A special thank you to Dr. Robert Lunn, Anesthesiologist, who worked efficiently to put me to sleep. He also checked in on me the next day to make sure I was doing okay. In addition, my team of nurses was absolutely amazing! RN Jolene cared for me in the recovery room after my C-section; I don't remember much however my husband said "she just took charge and really knew her stuff!" Jolene stopped in to my room a few times during my stay to make sure I was okay. There were several thoughtful RNs who stopped in to check on me throughout my stay; and there was one who especially touched my heart - I unfortunately didn't get her name - but she stated she had a daughter my age and was right by my side in surgery, and she stroked my face and hair while I was asleep in surgery and told me I was going to make it. WOW! A special thank you to RN Eskedar, who was so sweet, loving, and caring. I really enjoyed hearing her talk about her diverse cultural background, what a blessing! Nearest and dearest to my heart was my RN April Timat, who cared for me most of my stay, post-op on the labor and delivery floor. She got me through the darkest, hardest, and most trying days of my life. I couldn't have done it without her! She was my right hand man; waiting on me hand and foot but also encouraging my independence in order to heal faster. She was my caretaker as well as my new friend; she provided so much encouragement when I thought I wasn't strong enough. Truly an angel in disguise!
We thank God for Dr. Sierra, Dr. Hermanson, Dr. Briggs, and the team for the rapid response and aggressive measures to save mine and our baby's lives. These incredible doctors refer to me as their miracle and are still blown away by everything that happened, and the fact that I survived. These miracle workers will forever hold a special, sacred place in my heart.
This experience was yet another reminder that life is so very precious and short, and can change in an instant. What was to be one of the best days of our lives quickly turned into a very traumatic lifesaving situation; one in which we will probably never fully recover from. So love one another. Never hate. Give generously. Live simply. Forgive quickly. Be kind always.
The Birth Place TEAM members being honored are:
Jolene Tuschen, RN
Jennifer Grassel, RN
Rachelle Pruis, RN
Toni Schafer, CRNA
April Timat, RN
Karen Franz, RN
Eskedar Yimer, RN
Chris Kiesow, RN
Dr. Anthony Sierra
Dr. Ashley Briggs
Dr. Kristi Hermanson
Dr. Robert Lunn