I hate GBS

So, if you've been reading our blog (or if you know anything about Ella's infection at birth) then the acronym GBS probably has crossed your path. GBS=Group B Streptococcus. I hate this infection...it's what caused Ella to be so sick at birth and then caused me 3 days in the hospital a short week after we came home with Jonathan. JT (Jonathan Thomas) was born on 8/9/10, and we came home on 8/11/10...by Thursday 8/19/10 I was admitted to the hospital with a horrible infection...I'll explain.

First, I went out for the first time on Wednesday night (yes 9 days after baby was born...I had cabin fever). We had a leadership meeting at church with some of our close friends and I wanted to go and thought it would be a good challenge to try and get all 3 kids to church...boy was it. I didn't realize till we were all loaded in the car that I might have over-extended myself already. We headed up to the church for our meeting. I guess I'd forgotten that you really are supposed to take it really easy the first week after childbirth, but honestly with kids, who takes it easy? The meeting was great, I felt horrible, but being with friends at church always seems to make life a little better. Shortly after we got home I told Joe (and my mom) that they were correct, I shouldn't have gone...a warm bath and a vicodin and I headed to bed, hoping for some sleep (1 hour at a time). In the morning our sweet Julie watched Ella and Will while Jonathan and I slept in from the lack of sleep during the night. By 10am I was up and at least moving. My wonderful in-laws had come to pick up Will (God is so good to us in ways we aren't even sure of yet) and I took it easy. A great friend, Dori, came over to bring me lunch...and I'm so glad someone was here. Julie had left to take Ella to therapy so it was just JT and myself. Dori and her adorable daughter Hallie came over with Chipotle and we chatted, played with the kids and as we were hanging out I started to really feel horrible. At first I thought it was just being tired, then I started to think it was just that lunch hadn't agreed with me...before Dori left I felt horrible. My back hurt so badly, I felt like I had a belt of cramps all the way around my middle, front and back. I ended up taking my temp (101.6) and started having the shakes really bad. Called my doctor, left a message...called Joe, told him to come home...called doctor back and said I needed to talk to someone and my wonderful OB/GYN got on the phone, talked to me for a minute and told me to come straight to his office...he was afraid I had an infection in my uterus.

So, my MIL came over to watch JT, Julie walked in with Ella and Joe came to get me all within a few minutes. Joe took me straight to Dr. Oliver's office where it was confirmed, I had a major infection. As I lay on the table getting blood drawn the doctor told me that I needed to be admitted to the hospital. I was devastated (backup...5 weeks after Will was born I had an appendicitis and had to have my appendix removed, and it was horrible being away from my kids and not able to breastfeed for days) and I started to cry...he informed me that if I wasn't admitted on IV antibiotics I would most likely be back in the hospital within days in need of an emergency hysterectomy. I'm not sure if Joe and I are planning on having any more kids, but I wanted to make that decision, not have it be made for me. (I know I have friends out there who have HAD to have emergency surgery or have been told that they, for medical reasons, are done having children...I have watched that pain and realized that I needed to do whatever the doctor told me to do.) I was sick, I was delirious and I was freaked out...and I just wanted to feel better.

So, I was admitted (poked in my arm about 20 times, well...it FELT like it) and given two antibiotics, TONS of saline (well, 3 gallons every 24 hours) and a morphine drip. Finally, I was diagnosed with GBS in my uterus and kidneys. After my infection was under control the doctor told me that he considered it life threatening, especially knowing what Ella had gone through only 4 years ago with the same infection. Rarely does GBS effect adults this way, but I'm now part of the small percentage of women effected by this infection.

I'm doing much better now. Jonathan is 3 weeks old and I've been out of the hospital for about 9 days since the infection. I'm still on medications at home and I do get really worn out, but that that could TOTALLY be from the lack of sleep from life with a newborn. I will say, when the doctor asked me to put my chin to my chest, to check for signs of meningitis I freaked, but luckily we escaped without any long term side effects! I went 28 years without ever hearing about GBS, and I could go the rest of my life without anyone I know ever being effected by it again.