Not really a Hip post, but a PSA.. It's Flu season, again..

It deals with Pip, but it's mostly about myself. It's how Pip came into this world, the reason, the consequences, the whole shebang. It does have photos. They are slightly disturbing, in some cases. Read at your own risk. But, this is what can happen if you don't get a flu shot while pregnant. Not saying it will but it may. After all, I was one of those "it won't happen to me" people.

The last photo I took before getting sick: Halloween night, 2013.

When I got pregnant with Lainee, I was constantly sick. Morning sickness, sinus infections, but nothing I couldn't handle. At 28 weeks pregnant, around the week of November 12, 2013, I developed what we thought was another sinus infection. It started a cough, then a runny nose. A few days later I was at the point that I couldn't eat, and walking around hurt. I called into work Monday November 17th, and I also called my OB. She prescribed me a ZPak over the phone. On November 18 I had a routine ultrasound in Pensacola with Dr. Thorpe, they took my vitals and before I knew it I was in triage. They ran a test for the flu, it came back negative. And because my breathing was very labored, and my chest hurt they believed I had viral pneumonia. After what it seemed was hours, I was being admitted to the hospital. Over the next several days my breathing condition worsened. I was tested again for so many things among them the flu, a blood clot in my lungs, pneumonia, and preeclampsia. I was moved from triage to the ob floor to ICU and finally to SICU.. I went from breathing on my own to a cannula to a bipap in 4 days.

Our son Alek(2.5years), in the waiting room when I got admitted.

Around day 2 in the hospital and the hubs being goofy before things got serious.

Here is where I've been told the rest of my story. Although, I only really remember being checked into the hospital on the 18th. I don't remember seeing my parents, in laws or my son that night, either. I remember being admitted and then going to sleep that night..

Lainee(Pip): 3lbs 3.5oz 11/22/13

On Nov. 22nd, the doctors had a meeting with my husband and he was told I needed to be put on a respirator and if everything went well the pregnancy could continue. He told me he came into my room to tell me. And I was scared, but I knew that if I couldn't breathe, our baby girl couldn't breathe. He told me what the doctors were going to do and then he and my mother in law went to the waiting room.

Unfortunately my heart didn't take everything and our baby girl, Lainee, was born by emergency c-section in my SICU room. She weighted 3 lbs. 3 ½ oz. and was just 29 weeks and 2 days gestation. The hospital put her in isolation for 48 hours, the family could only see her through a glass window.

My family spent Thanksgiving in the hospital cafeteria below me and Lainee. 

The doctors had another meeting with my husband in my room, when 5 doctors show up and they have pictures of your little girl, he just knew the news was not good. I had tested positive for H1N1. I refused to get the flu shot, this pregnancy. I had a 20% chance of survival. The next few days would be critical. Instead of us being home with our 2 yr. old son and preparing for Thanksgiving, he was looking at possibly planning my funeral. Jared had to be daddy and mommy for the next several weeks. Luckily, he had his mom and our sister in law to help him along the road ahead.

I was put into a medically induced coma to let my body rest and heal. Along with the respirator I had 3 chest tubes placed. As I was healing Lainee was growing steadily in the NICU unit. She never really had any problems except being slow to take a bottle.

Christmas 2013, Two days after I woke up.

On Dec. 18th, I had a trach placement in order to help wean me off the respirator and my medications were slowly rolled back to wake me up. I was finally fully awake by Christmas Day. Getting to spend it seeing my son was amazing. January 1st, I was able to move from ICU to PCU, I was no longer on the downhill. On January 2nd they wheeled Lainee up to my PCU room. I couldn't talk to her, I couldn't touch her. I couldn't hold her. I just sat there staring at her in her isolette. She was almost 36weeks gestation, and already a month and a half old. I worked so hard during my physical therapy times so I could finally get down to the NICU to see her and hold her. Which happened on January 8th. After physical therapy every day and my trach being downsized and finally removed within a week, I was sent to rehab January 16th. I was discharged from rehab 5 days later on account I wanted to go see my daughter every day and the insurance didn't like that. I still went every few days to continue rehab as an outpatient. 

January 2nd, 2014 when I finally got to see Lainee for the first time. Big brother got to finally see her, too.

January 8th, 2014 - I finally got to hold her.

Lainee went from not taking a bottle to taking 8 bottles/a day in 2 weeks. She just needed her momma there. She was able to go home one day before her due date, February 4th 2014. Then life was normal.. As normal as it can be with a preemie who was already 2 and a half months old and a 2 and a half year old. Aleksander doted on his little sister from day one.

Home free. 02/04/14

Looking back, I wish I had gotten my flu shot. I didn't get one with my son and carried over the same season.. Never getting sick. I'm afraid of needles. That was my reasoning. That was why I put my daughter's life and my own life in jeopardy. If I could go back, I'd be getting the shot as early as I could. This year, my family will be getting theirs.


Don't risk it. Don't think it won't happen to you. Don't think you're not hurting anybody but yourself. You might save your life. Or better yet, you might save someone else's.