Junior Likes Christmas

Christmas ended with our first midnight trip to the hospital.

At midnight Kelly was complaining of numbness in her hands. I was concerned because I could've sworn that she'd already told me about blood clots during pregnancy and how numbness was a symptom. I tried to remind her but she wasn't worried. So, we went to sleep for a few hours.

At three in the morning, Kelly came out of the bathroom and complained of a bad headache, more numbness, blurred vision, and difficulty talking. She's never had difficulty talking before, so I knew this was serious. I said that I wanted her to call the doctor this time.

Of course, the only place for a pregnant woman with a headache to go at 3am Christmas night is the emergency room. So, we tested our emergency response system by throwing on a set of clothes and rushing out to the hospital.

At the hospital, we probably made every mistake possible in getting to the right place. We parked in the wrong lot and needed to get an escort to the ER, about a block away. At the ER, Kelly told the lady all her symptoms except one: the pregnancy. So, the lady with the headache probably waited a little longer than she should have. Once we were admitted we found out that we should've gone to Labor and Delivery, they were already waiting for us.

Over the next few hours they watched Kelly and took a few tests. On the plus side, I got to hear (and record) the baby's heartbeat. I didn't get to hear the heartbeat at either ultrasound, so this was worth the trip.

It became fairly obvious early on that nothing serious was wrong and we prepared to wait out whatever series of expensive tests the doctors decided to bill us for. I found a way to make a rocking chair and a broken recliner into a bed and managed to sleep uncomfortably for the next few hours. Some sort of neck pillow is definitely going in the daddy kit. I might even pack and air mattress.

They never did address the numbness, which was the symptom that worried me the most. In the end, Kelly got a shot of pain killer and a verbal prescription for Tylenol (which she had already taken). They sent us home with a handy sheet of symptoms, titled "When to Call Your Doctor." Of course, most of the reasons we called the doctor were on the list. So, I guess we don't have to feel wholly stupid for making a rookie mistake. I think this trip was quite justified, to be honest.