Gwen's Arrival

I am sorry if you have already seen this post.  The formatting got all screwy, so I had to delete and re-post again.

WARNING:  Grab a cup of coffee (and maybe some kleenex)...this is going to be a long one!
May 18, 2008 ~ Jesse and I found out we were having a baby!

            

Over the next 40 weeks, I went from this.....to THIS!! 

January 17, 2009 ~ Little did we know our world was about to change forever.

Jesse and I woke up knowing today was the day we were going to meet our little girl!  Like any first time parents we were excited, nervous, terrified, you name it, we were feeling every emotion! We arrived at the hospital at 11:00 am.  I was taken into my own private room and hooked up to all the monitors to monitor both the baby and I.  After a few minutes, the nurse had a look of concern on her face and informed us that the baby's heart rate was dropping with every contraction.  Honestly, Jesse and I didn't think much of it until my doctor came out of nowhere.  Panic washed through the room and at 11:30 am  I was admitted for an emergency cesarean. 

Gwen Marie McDonald was born at 1:01 pm.  She weighed 7 pounds, 5 ounces and measured 19.5 inches.  Most parents anticipate their baby's first cry......we had silence.  A breathing tube was inserted immediately and Gwen and Jesse were whisked away to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). To this day, I remember both my doctor and the assisting doctor coming into my recovery room, heads hung low, "I'm so sorry....I'm so sorry".  Soon we would learn exactly what had happened.

I had experienced a healthy, uneventful, full term pregnancy, but it was the last few hours that changed everything.  I had suffered a "silent" placenta abruption (when the placental lining has separated from the uterus of the mother),  causing Gwen to lose blood.  Also, due to a prolapsed cord (when the umbilical cord precedes the fetus' exit from the uterus), oxygen was being cut off to Gwen every time I had a contraction.  I felt at this point, that my body had failed.  Things were so "perfect",  how could this have happened?

That evening Gwen fought the fight of her life. The doctors decided it would be best to place Gwen into an induced coma to minimize any pain.  She had a blood transfusion, but her blood would not clot, so they gave her platelets.   Her blood pressure was skyrocketing from the meconium (stool) she had swallowed causing chemical pneumonia.  She was placed on an oscillator pumping 400 breaths per minute into her lungs and given nitric oxide to adhere and help the oxygen molecules travel throughout her body.  Due to the trauma experienced during birth, Gwen's entire body swelled doubling in size.  As if this was not enough, Gwen started seizing.


The following morning, Jesse left to go to mass to get some relief.  The head NICU nurse came to my recovery room and told me that if we wanted to have an emergency baptism, now was the time.  I called Jesse and told him to return immediately.  I couldn't believe this was happening.....the baby books do not prepare you for something like this.

We headed up to the NICU and the neurologist was in the process of monitoring Gwen's brain activity via an EEG.  The EEG showed that in 45 minutes Gwen had 4 seizures. The neurologist  loaded Gwen with anti-seizure medicines in hopes to minimize any further brain damage.

Surrounded by my parents, Jesse's parents, Gwen's godfather Uncle Jon, and our parish priest we baptized Gwen.

Gwen's will to live amazed everyone, including those pessimistic doctors.

One long week passed and we were finally able to hold our baby!  The breathing tube was eventually removed and Gwen was placed on nasal prong oxygen.  The doctors started feeding Gwen through a nasal feeding tube and she even nibbled on a pacifier a few times. Gwen opened her eyes for the first time and she moved up to a "Big Girl Bed"! Oh and can't forget to mention, the Arizona Cardinals went to the Super Bowl....too bad they lost.

Gwen grew stronger and stronger every day and eventually began breathing room air!  Things were starting to look on the up and up and then Gwen contracted MRSA (a contagious form of staph infection) in her eye and we were moved to a quarantined unit.  This poor little girl.  In 3 weeks she had experienced more than some people experience in an entire lifetime.

We tried nursing and feeding Gwen on multiple occasions, but Gwen's suck swallow pattern wasn't coordinated and she was aspirating the milk into her lungs.  To avoid getting pneumonia, the doctors convinced Jesse and I to go with a G-Tube (a feeding tube that goes directly into the stomach).  Being this was our first child, and of course doctors "know what's best", we listened to them and went ahead with the surgery.  If we knew then what we knew now, we wouldn't have given into the surgery and we would have given Gwen the opportunity to work on her suck swallow coordination.  However, maybe this surgery was inevitable and she needed it regardless.

After multiple CT Scans and MRI's, the damage to Gwen's brain was significant.  Doctors told us a majority of the injuries sustained will affect her future motor skills.  Each individual with Cerebral Palsy - CP - (an umbrella term encompassing a group of non-progressive, non-contagious motor conditions that cause physical disability in human development, chiefly in the various areas of body movement) is different. Will Gwen crawl? Will Gwen sit?  Will Gwen walk? Will Gwen talk?  Unfortunately no one can tell us.  Time, and above all else, Love will be the determining factors. 

Though our 5 week stay in the NICU was short compared to some families, it was nice to finally bring Gwen home and move on with our lives.

Here we are almost 3 years later and we are still so grateful for all the love and support that got us through one of the darkest times of our lives.  For everyone who visited from near and far, for the precious gifts, for everyone who brought us meals, for those who so graciously and unnecessarily gave to help us cover medical expenses....we are blessed to know you and we thank you.