Sara speaks, leaves ICU

Sara here. (Dan is my typist.) I'm transferring from ICU to the Mother-Baby Unit on the 2nd floor, east wing at Mercy in Des Moines. It's okay to come and visit me, though I may be napping. Bring toenail polish - my toes are a mess and I have to wear hospital socks.

I walked all the way to the end of the hallway and back. It felt good. Really good.

I am eating. It's all liquid, and that's okay. It's been a while since I've been this excited about jello. Maybe first grade.

They removed my catheter and I peed on my own this morning. I had a bath (sort of). It's a container of heated baby wipes marked "bath".

I did Facetime with Graeme this morning. He was cute and cuddly, making little baby faces in his sleep. His Uncle Chris does such a good job with him.

All your prayers and messages have been incredibly humbling. They are obviously working because ...here we are. Thank you.

My goodness, we're going to be blown away with so much help and support with Graeme and the girls. I don't know how we're going to show people how we appreciate it as much as we do.

 - Sara

How to help

Many people have asked how they can help us. Gracious friends are coordinating support for us, led by Chris Day. Details are on the Help MamaCue Facebook group. Please join it if you are interested in helping out. In addition:

• If you attend First Presbyterian Church, talk with Marlene Peak.
• If you work with Dan or Sara, talk with their supervisors.
• If you are an Eveland (or associate with one), talk with Shelli Eveland.
• If you are a Hoksbergen (or associate with one), talk with Carol Hoksbergen.
• if you attend Bethel CRC, talk with Shelli Eveland.

If you are none of the above, join the Help MamaCue Facebook group or contact David Eberbach.

How is Sara?

Sara's status and outlook has improved dramatically over the past 48 hours. She remains in ICU at Mercy in Des Moines. Her medical team has removed her drainage tube and she has started eating ice chips, the first things she has taken orally since a glass of milk Monday night. Her vitals are normal and her doctors are quite pleased with her progress. She may begin taking liquids and her first post-surgery walk tomorrow.

She stood up and sat in a chair twice today. Her nurses (Melissa, Nikki, Linda, and Tabitha), other medical staff and visitors (parents, siblings, in-laws, niece, nephew, friends, and the girls) have kept her spirits up.

How is Graeme?

Graeme is also doing well, receiving love, cuddles, and attention from his ob nurses and visitors. His big sisters met him for the first time last night. He and his Uncle Chris have video chatted with us several times. Graeme will come home Saturday. We will post more pictures soon!

Thank you.

Thank you for all your thoughts, prayers, and encouragement. They have sustained us.

Sara doing better

 "You keep trying to pick a fight, but I'm still just happy you're alive." - Bob Parr (Mr. Incredible), The Incredibles, 

No, Sara has not tried to pick a fight, but I am still just happy she's alive. Her medical team is beginning to wean her off of oxygen and blood pressure medication. They are also giving her medication to manage her pain. Sara is resting frequently, but fully alert and communicating. She is able to move all her limbs.

We thank everyone who has said a prayer, lifted us up in their thoughts, and shared words of encouragement through a variety of communication channels. It has given us strength knowing so many care for Sara and Graeme's well-being. It's humbling, too. 

The four questions I hear most frequently are:

1. How are Graeme and Sara doing? They are doing well. 
2. How do you pronounce Graeme? Like the cracker (if you're a foodie) or the unit of measurement (if you're a geek).
3. What caused the bleeding? This is a question that Sara and I have given little thought to now. This was Sara's fourth pregnancy and third c-section. We knew that there would likely be bleeding following delivery. The uterine wall was so thin in places, I could Graeme in the womb. (I'm told this is not normal). Fortunately, her medical teams in Grinnell and Des Moines took actions that stopped the bleeding and saved her life. I have spoken with a few friends who have gone through this and they had the same experiences we had. 
4. When will Sara hold Graeme? Soon. The Ob department and family and friends in Grinnell are doing a great job lovin' on Graeme. The ICU at Mercy in Des Moines is doing a great job with Sara, but we don't know yet when she will come home.
5. What can I do to help? We are working on a support plan for when Sara and Graeme come home. We'll share details in a future post - stay tuned.

The recovery begins

Great news: Sara is awake, alert, and communicating. She is off of her ventilator and breathing on her own. Her blood pressure is holding stable without medication. She even stood up, though she said it was painful. She says she felt like she's been hit by a bus.

Before they removed the ventilator, she responded with nods, squeezes, and facial gestures. She also wrote three notes to me: "tube out", "choke", and "gag". That's when I spoke to her nurse, Melissa, about removing Sara's breathing tube.

Sara is recuperating at Mercy hospital in Des Moines. She's not ready to accept visitors just yet. Many thanks to Melissa and Nikki her nurses here. Thanks also to all the doctors, nurses, techs, and staff that have cared for her.

And thanks to you for your thoughts, prayers, and encouragement.

Sara day 2 post-surgery

Sara is now out of surgery. The bleeding has essentially stopped. She is still sedated and on medication to stabilize her blood pressure. She will probably remain sedated through the night. Her medical team is working to get her breathing on her own without assistance. She is in a better, more stable condition than she was 24 hours ago.

Knowing that she appears to be on a road to recovery, I now feel more comfortable sharing a few photos of Graeme post-delivery. Sara has not yet held Graeme, but will when she comes home.

Sara, before school Monday morning.

Graeme, fresh from the oven.

Happy family!

Graeme and Sara.

Sara in surgery

Sara is now in surgery. The purpose of this surgery is to finish the exploratory surgery from yesterday afternoon. Her medical team is looking to confirm that the bleeding has stopped and close  her up from the surgery yesterday.

Sara remains under sedation. With a little help from medication, her blood pressure is stable. She is breathing on her own through a ventilator.

Assuming surgery goes well, she will likely be at the hospital in Des Moines through the weekend. I'll give another update post-surgery.

I have spoken with friends and family about an action plan to help us once Sara and Graeme are home. More details to come.

Thank you for your thoughts, prayers, and encouragement.

Sara update day 2

Sara had a good night for someone in her condition. Her blood pressure remained stable with a little help from medication. She remains fully sedated.

She is still scheduled for surgery today. This surgery is really just a continuation of the third surgery yesterday, which was to locate the source of the bleeding and to help stop it. Today's surgery will see if the bleeding has stopped.

I'll post an update after the surgery. Thanks for your thoughts, prayers, and encouragement.