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Electric Chairs and Taxi Cabs

9/10/07After I got pregnant I heard dozens of horror stories of labor and birthing. They didntworry me in the least because I knew my family has a track record of shelling them out

by the dozenliterally: we have a strong Mormon background and big families andrarely any trouble calving. And also, there is a lot more knowledge and informationavailable on natural birthing. The Bradley method claims a 99% success rate in mothersgetting through labor and birth without feeling the need for pain-killing drugs. But no onewarned me about the postpartum pangs. Fortunately I never felt the contractions of theuterus shrinking. But then, it never got that big either. The last nurse that checked me

could hardly find it Thursday am. It was the stitches and other bruises that gave me aserious hitch in my get-along.

I say I had a natural birth since I only took 4 regular-strength Tylenol in the two and ahalf days of labor. But since then Ive been living on Ibuprofen.

Wednesday am my associate doctor offered to discharge me. I said, Whoa! Wait aminute! Give me a chance to make arrangements first on where I will go. I cant justleave with my baby still here. So I spoke with D in NICU. She said that the rooms ontheir hall were reserved for breastfeeding moms and so I should best stay elsewhere untilthat time. She gave me a brochure for the local Ronald McDonald house just four blockswalk away. I looked it over and promptly phoned in a reservation. After all it is only$10/night and so much like a home away from home. They have thought of everythinghere to meet the needs of families with children in the hospital.

My doula very kindly offered to stop in on her way to work and help me shift my thingsover to the new place. So this time when my doctor came by I was ready to accept thedischarge offer. Thursday turned out to be a drippy cold day. After I got settled in toRMcDs and made use of their wonderful internet connection, I considered how I wouldget back to the hospital. I hadnt known I would be released so soon when hubby came onTuesday so he hadnt brought my coat. Besides that I was lacking a few things that up tillnow had been supplied by the hospital. I wasnt about to walk out in the cold and riskgetting an infection that would bar me from entrance into NICU so I made a $50 donationto RMcD in exchange for a fleece RMcD jacket.

I managed to waddle back to the hospital but my stitches sharply reminded me of theirpresence. The walk did get other things moving though. No one had warned me that thefirst BM could be worse than the labor and delivery! It most assuredly took every bit aslong or longer and hurt way more! Fortunately it was only that bad once. I dont want to

know how much worse it could have been if I hadnt taken the pills the doctor prescribed.There we go, drugs again, and I have no idea what they were.

I spent the day in and out of NICU. Now that I couldnt just go back upstairs to bed tonap I had to find another place. Yippee, there are two indoor atriums that are usuallyquiet. They are fully enclosed indoor gardens with nice soft benches. Perfect place tostretch out for an hour or so. Staff changeover is 7-8 am/pm when they kick us all out ofNICU. Appropriate time to find our way home to supper and prepare for the next day.But how was I going to get home when my stitches hurt worse than contractions! Bus

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connections were no better than just walking the four blocks. I didnt know how to call ataxi; the hospital doesnt rent wheelchairs; and RMcD doesnt have any shuttle service.

I inched my way down the corridor to the parking lot entrance and figured this would bea LONG walk. But at the entrance I noticed all these courtesy wheelchairs used in theparking lot. Wonder if they would mind if I borrowed one overnight!? I decided to give it

a try. Wasnt easy to push myself four blocks but most of the way was level. I was stillsore at the other end from having to walk across the street and up the few inclines, but Idid make it. I can really understand the story of the good Samaritan though because Icouldnt believe how many people hustled by on the other side never offering theobvious assistance that would have been appreciated.

I hadnt been home half an hour when the sky opened up and poured! The residentsupervisor figured that Someone had been looking out for me. Absolutely! Theconsequences of getting wet and cold at this time would not have been good!

My husbands cousin, T, was such an angel of mercy to me. She found a sitter for herkiddos and drove an hour into town to take me shopping on Friday. I was in dire need of

a number of items since I obviously was not prepared to have my baby seven weeks earlynor even to sit in the hospital for several weeks. I knew it would be a tiring day and mystitches gave me constant pain but the shopping had to be done.

I got in and out of an electric chair and survived to tell the story! Well, you know thatWalmart knows how to cater to customers. If I had not been able to buzz around the storein an electric chair/cart, I would have spent about five minutes buying only one or twoitems rather than an hour and $150! Value Village didnt have a chair but the lady at thedressing rooms was so very helpful to make my shopping go as easily as possible.

We got back in time for babys 3:30 feeding so Tracy got to see her, too. At least the rideto the hospital that day was provided, but even with the assistance I was still hurting way

too bad to walk home that night. I figured I shouldnt push my luck with the wheelchairagain so I asked how to call a cab. At least that way I discovered that there was anotherentrance/exit that I could use from now on that would save me some steps! The cabbieseemed to take forever to show up. Then the driver sat like a bump on a log and made notthe slightest move to help me to the car, open the door, or manage my bags. I thoughtcabbies were supposed to act like gentlemenafter all, they are getting paid; and anyonewho would phone a cab to go four blocks obviously had a hitch in their get-along!

The price monitor said $3.80.Riding a cab twice a day would cost more than payingparking for my own vehicle! Maybe I should have GR bring my truck! Oh well for this

time! But as we drove down the street, the price kept going up! The streets are a littlestrange to get into RMcD. There is no opening in the grassy median and I certainly

wasnt going to pay him to drive around the block when the price was already $4.70. Iagreed to walk that far, and again, no assistance getting out of the car.If I ever need acab again I will definitely phone their competitor first!

Sabbath GR and Mom R showed up about noon. I was so thankful for all the goodies theybrought me. Mom had spent Friday cooking and now I am privileged to eat the results allweek instead of buying lunches at $12 a whack in the caf. But before I could go withthem to the hospital I had to put all that stuff away. GR asked when the next feeding was

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scheduled. 12:15 and I may just miss it this time while I get my ducks in a row.Unfortunately they are only letting us hold her at meal times right now. In a flash he wasout the door and across the street leaving me to gather my things and drive over withmom. He was NOT going to miss out on his first opportunity to hold his girlie!!

He got to hold her and help with all three afternoon feedings while I napped and made

use of the milk parlor. Mom got to hold her too and take photos. But then I forgot todownload their cameras before they left so I will have to post those for you to see later.By evening the pain in my stitches was easing off and Sunday I had no more difficultywalking the four blocks to and from the hospital. Yippee! No more need of cabbies,wheelchairs, or electric chairs!

Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the LORD, theCreator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of

his understanding. He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he

increaseth strength. . . . They that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; theyshall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall

walk, and not faint. (Isaiah 40:28-31)