INTRAVENOUS DRUGS

Upon being admitted to the hospital for my induction, I was hooked up to an IV. At first I was just receiving fluids (preparing me for possible dehydration during labor). Around midnight (after my last bite of food and sip of water), I called my nurse to get some assistance getting to the bathroom (I was also hooked up to a heart rate monitor). My nurse, Stacy, arrived and took one look at my swollen right hand and decided I didn't need fluids throughout the night. She disconnected me from the IV bag, which gave me the freedom to get up and move around as I pleased and also saved me from additional swelling.

I was put back on fluids as well as pitocin early the next morning. And I swelled. My slightly puffy feet and ankles got puffier (I wasn't sure this was possible). My face swelled; my hands swelled; my wrists swelled - so much so that I had to remove my watch. It took nearly a week for my body to rid itself of all the excess fluids. About a week ago, I was able to put my watch back on and my wedding ring once again fits comfortably. My ankles are once again visible and my puffy face has de-puffed. I think I'm looking pretty much back to normal.

In addition to all the fluids I received while in the hospital, I also received A LOT of drugs. Everything from pain killers to stool hardeners, stool softeners, antacids, antibiotics, and labor inducing drugs. When it was obvious that the second epidural was not taking, I was pumped full of lidocain. The doctors were very generous giving this pain killer to me intravenously. Had I been more coherent, I probably would have asked him to slow down; I'm not a huge fan of taking so many drugs. In total, I believe I took more drugs during the my induction than I have during my entire lifetime.

The one drug I am EXTREMELY grateful for is the antacid, which I was given right before my c-section. One of the doctors who was prepping me handed me a little shot glass sided container, told me it was an antacid, and told me to swallow it in one gulp. I wasn't sure why I needed an antacid, but I took my shot without question... anything to bring me closer to pain relief. It wasn't until I got into the surgery that I was told that my blood pressure might drop after the delivery and this might cause me to puke. Taking the antacid suddenly made sense. And when I did start to puke, I was grateful (as grateful as one can be while throwing up) that the antacid worked.

The last IV drugs I received were a quick dose of antibiotics and a pain killer. I had to keep my IV in for an additional 24 hours - in the event there were complications. When it was finally removed from my arm, I was relieved. And ready to detox and de-puff. My head started to clear a couple of days after returning home.

Drugs are a blessing and a curse. They do provide necessary relief and health, but they also can leave you feeling loopy and unlike yourself. I'm glad to be back to normal now - only taking my daily vitamin.