Arrival of Aaron - 30 July 2008 - II

I was finally wheeled into the OT at 2 p.m. (I assume so as that was the scheduled time). The OT staff transferred me from the moveable bed to the operating table. I wonder how many OT staff it took to carry me as I was almost 71 kg at that time. The operating table was so narrow, I was wondering if I could fit. The anaesthetician told me to sit up straight so that she could administer the epidural. I could not as I was still in pain from the contractions that still continued to come. I could hear her said “she is still not sitting up straight enough, her spine is crooked”. With the OT staff trying to adjust me I also tried myself to sit up straight but still I could hear “not straight enough, not straight enough”. At one point, I got worried and told her, if cannot, just give me full GA as I was worried that if the epidural was not administered correctly, there was a possibility that I could feel the cut. I could hear her say gently “you’re changing your mind again?”. I replied “only if it is not possible to administer the epidural”. Then I felt a few ant bites at the spine and then a sensation of ants crawling all over the lower part of my body (one would say “semu-semut” when one get that numb feeling).

The anaesthetician then asked me if I could feel my feet moving and I told I could. Heard my gynae’s voice and I started panicking as the operation was about to start and I could still my feet moving. I told her “I can still feel my feet moving (x2)”. She held my hand, calmed me down and used a needle to test my sensation. She poked me at the numb area and asked me to compare the feeling I had with the upper part of my body. Though there was a difference, I could still feel the poke at the lower part of my body and I told her so. She then told me I was already being cut and asked if I could feel. I did not want to imagine myself being cut as it was a scary thought, but yes I could feel the poking needle like sensation as I was being cut. I just shut my eyes and concentrated on other stuff like chatting with the anaesthetician. She was really nice, such comforting voice and we were just chatting like old friends. My gynae also joined in as he was operating on me.

As my gynae hardly have the time to chit chat, I took the opportunity to ask him questions like “when do you think you will retire?”, “where are your kids?”, “are they practising to be doctors as well”? and so on. I also asked him which is better – natural or C and he said natural as the cut is not as big as that of C but I guess it depends i.e. in natural if the labour is not managed well and there is a tear, it would indeed take a longer time to heal compared to a cut. The anaesthetician also asked him why some cervixes cannot dialate and he said it was due to deficiencies in elasticity fibre. We also discussed the difficulties in teaching kids nowadays.

Suddenly I felt my whole body moving like someone’s playing tug of war with my body pulling me apart. I could feel pulling at the lower part of my body and pushing at the upper part of my body. This went on several times and then I could hear my baby crying. I imagine my baby being pulled from the opening while being pushed down from the top. During that moment I just felt I could not breathe, that my heart was being suffocated. I told them I could not breathe but after for a while taking a few deep breaths, I was ok. Aaron had a harsh manly cry…so I asked “why my baby cry like that one?”. Well the answer I got was “He’s got liquid in his lungs now being sucked out” but after that his cry was also the same. I guess he is going to have a harsh voice. The mid-wife then brought my son to me, showed me the tags on his feet to ensure that the tags are of the same number as mine on my wrist. She pointed his birth mark out on his forehead to me. Made baby kiss me twice and off he went to daddy.

After that heard all the sucking sounds of the equipment used to clean the inside of me I guess..while three of us continue to chat. Before I knew it my gynae said “ok, all done”..what a relief I was. They wheeled me out but had to stay at the surgery dept for an hour for observation. I was just lying there and thinking….no!..am not going to have another kid…too painful as in my case, the third would be C straight away – gynae told me during the op. The initial stages of recovery for a C-sect op is really painful!

Anyway, after the hour, I was wheeled to my room and met with Jon there. He was already getting worried as I was away for some time. He thought I had complications. As the epidural was still effective I could chat with him and could even breastfeed Aaron. But as the epidural wore off abt 4 hours later from the time it was administered, great pain set in and I asked for a painkiller. The nurse gave me a penidine injection but it was useless. Simon, WY, Ann, Kevin and their kids visited at night but I was too much in pain to speak with them. WY - thanks for bringing dinner for Jon, Ann – thanks for the bread which he gobbled it down also as he was really hungry..he din have lunch except for the kaya sandwich prepared for breakie.

Was discharged on Friday- 2 nights later. Jon came with my confinement lady to pick me and Aaron. Was told by nursery that Aaron had slight jaundice and so we had to wait for a blood test to be done to determine if he could go home with us. Thank God the reading was low enough for him to be discharged.

Hmmm recently, I find myself thinking, it would be nice to have another girl – probably because, my wound is healing and there is less pain now.