Sleepless in Longmont
March 20th, 2006
Actually, it’s not that bad, really. It’s just a little tough getting used to sleeping in 2 to 3 hour blocks, in between feedings (Mom’s job) and diaper changes (Dad’s job).
Anna’s doing very well. She started off with a little jaundice, but it looks like that’s starting to clear up all on its own. Her head was also very sore initially from the whole birthing ordeal, but that’s looking better with every passing hour. She’s nursing well, sleeping lots, and pooping with adequate frequency. (Sorry, but I guess it’s things like that that you start obsessing about when you’re a dad). Overall, she seems like a fairly content little kid so far — though naturally we’re waiting for the other shoe to drop!
Tara’s doing well also. We spent Saturday night back in the hospital emergency room because by that point Tara had had a splitting headache for more than 48 hours straight. We left with no clear diagnosis beyond probable dehydration and anemia, so she’s been slamming the iron supplements and drinking gallons of water. Right now she’s avoiding the Percocet they gave us, for obvious reasons. Things seem to be getting better, but even so the pain hasn’t cleared up entirely, so we’ll be paying close attention.
Max seems a little nervous, and maybe even a little depressed, but he’s generally handling the invasion well. Meanwhile, Grandma Debbie’s been doing a bang-up job of helping us through all this — cooking, cleaning, and offering some great advice and perspective on the situation.
More photos to come soon!
4 Comments Add your own
1. Jake | March 20th, 2006 at 11:14 am
So, let me see if I’ve got this right:
“Hi, I just gave birth and have had a massive headache ever since.”
“OK, here are some Percocets. Have fun!”
Interesting…
Glad to hear things are going well, in general, though.
2. Neal | March 21st, 2006 at 7:25 am
Hah! Actually, that’s not too far from the truth, at least as far as the ER was concerned. I think the lesson here is that the ER is not really the place you want to go for diagnoses that require subtlety. (ER doctors: “Pain bad! Mongo CRUSH pain with narcotics! Baby very sleepy!”).
The good news is that her headache has been getting noticably better. As of this morning she doesn’t feel the headache when she doesn’t move. Our guess is it’s just a matter of getting her iron levels back up and getting her hydrated. In any case, we’re scheduled to check in with a doctor from our regular practice tomorrow to see where things stand.
3. Taara | March 21st, 2006 at 8:15 am
Hmmm…did she end up having an epidural? I wonder if it could be a spinal headache. I imagine the ER would have considered that though. Just seems unlikely to be that bad from just being dehydrated and anemic. Baaaad ER.
4. Neal | March 21st, 2006 at 1:08 pm
The ER doctors initially suspected a spinal headache, because she did have an epidural. But after a consult with an anesthesiologist it turns out the symptoms just didn’t line up properly. And neither of us wanted to put Tara through a “blood patch” procedure that might not actually be necessary. The conservative treatment for a spinal headache turns out to be hydration anyway, so that’s what we’ve been doing.
The good news is that her baseline pain is at almost zero, and she’s feeling lots better at this point. We’ll see what the doctor says tomorrow at Anna’s first checkup.
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