Sorry for the delay. It’s been a whirlwind the past 24 hours.

So, we had to be at TGH (Tampa General Hospital) at 8am. We left early to avoid traffic and we really avoided it, arriving an hour early. They admitted me quickly and quickly too me to pre-op to prep for surgery. I changed into the lovely gowns and hopped onto a bed. Well, I wasn’t feeling well and was very anxious. They went over my information and took my vitals. My blood pressure was completely normal and my heartrate was 112. They didn’t believe the machine, so they did it twice and then checked it manually. Sure enough, it was nothing less than 109 beats per minute. They asked “Are you anxious?” Uhmmm…yes!

Well, they went to start my IV and I told them I’m extremely nausea this morning. I couldn’t eat or drink, so I couldn’t do anything to help keep my morning sickness at bay. They went to start the IV and I started getting hot, then I turned pale, then I started getting dizzy and lightheaded, then I puked. I had about 3 nurses and my mom on top of me trying to calm me down. After I puked, I felt fine. But, they brought anesthesia in early to talk to me. They didn’t give me any nausea meds, because after that incident, I was fine. They did wheel me into a private pre-op room to keep my nerves at bay. They came in and started my antibiotics and also did an ultrasound to check Reagan and Addy’s heartbeats and they estimated Reagan’s weight too in case they needed to insert a small sedative into her sac to calm her down a little.

We went into surgery early. Amazing isn’t it? The anesthesia team was awesome this time. (Even better than last time!) They gave me anxiety meds before even wheeling me into the OR. What a difference!!!! I wasn’t near as anxious. Nervous, but not uncontrollably shaking. They did all the usual as last time. Dr. Q was teaching a student during my surgery. So, it was neat to listen to him. Apparently, he worked with the makers of some of the needles he uses to help design a needle tip that can be seen as “bright white” on the ultrasound when they do these surgeries. I knew he had helped a company manufacture a special fetalscope to allow for many other lifesaving surgeries, but not something as little a highlighting the end of a needle! He’s an amazing man, simply amazing!!!

They looked for a pocket safe enough to put just the 13guage needle for the shunt in. Reagan didn’t have much fluid. So, they had to do an amnioinfusion. This is where they place sterile fluid into her amniotic sac to create a pocket. The only safe pocket of entry was at the sac separation between Reagan & Addy. Well, when they started do that it took over Addy’s space and Addy started going crazy, kicking her legs and then she’d swing around and you’d see her head. I think she was a little angry that she lost some space! I kept shaking my head thinking “Baby Girl you need to SLOW down!”

The amnioinfusion hurt. They gave me extra pain meds and I was squeezing a nurse’s hand to death while anesthesia was giving me more drug and stroking my face to keep me calm. I got through it, but it was far from comfortable. I asked her to give me more pain meds when the bigger needle for the shunt went in, she said no problem.

Well, before Dr. Q did the shunt procedure after the amnioinfusion, he really needed Reagan to flip. She now had the room to flip, but she likes to stubbornly sit breech on my cervix at all times. I found out later that he wanted her to flip so they could avoid the placenta. I felt my body practically gyrate on the table. Anesthesia didn’t know what was going on, but when she saw me grimace, she looked over the curtain and went “Oh!” and promptly gave me more pain meds. Well, apparently, Dr. Q was leaning his entire body weight with his elbow in my uterus pushing her. I’m sure Addy appreciated that one too! But, it worked and Reagan flipped!!! And, the best part was, they AVOIDED the placenta with the shunt procedure!!!! He numbed me pretty good before putting the 13 gauge needle into my belly (about 3mm in diameter, yes big!) I barely felt it, in fact, I saw it on the ultrasound screen before I really caught on it was already through my uterus, the most painful part. I heard him tell the student, “See how I’m in the sac but away from baby?”

Then, he promptly found a safe spot for the shunt placement. He stuck it into Reagan’s belly and drained out a sample to test Reagan’s kidney function again. He then put the shunt in. It was amazing and I teared up watching it. I saw this shunt just slide into her belly and he ever so gently pulled the needle out the skin and then you would seem him stop to adjust the shunt. Then he said in his accent, “Aw, perfect.” Out came the needle and they started prepping me for recovery. They did check heartbeats again and all was well. I was just amazed and then I felt someone holding my other hand and I looked over and it was Dr. Q!!! What doctor finishes and walks over and holds your hand and smiles. I just said “Thank you.” He said a few things and I said it’s up to her now and he told me it went well.

So, off to recovery and Mary, the nurse came in. She brought my parents in and they hooked me up to monitors and a contraction machine. I had some mild cramping, but we watched the contraction machine and besides one turn to my side, I only had one little jump on it. At first it was just a staggering line and then after about 30 minutes it flatlined, meaning my uterus was calm. YEAH!!! Mary told me I’d be sore from him jumping on me, and I am, but she told me why he did it (to avoid the placenta) and that made me feel a ton better. They released me from recovery, but had me go see Kerri, our ultrasound tech before we left to see if they could get better measurements on Reagan.

I walked down to ultrasound, sore, but good. My back was killing me from having all that weight on my pelvis for so long. I’m carrying about 20 inches of babies now and 20 ounces of babies plus fluid and placentas. Within 2 hours, Reagan’s bladder had went down about half! She looks amazing now and her and Addy were just jumping around. Reagan looked so happy! She was literally GULPING her amniotic fluid. She has a long way to go, but it our ultrasound tech, Kerri, teared up seeing it was working!!!

We went back today for a follow-up and although her bladder looked a little bigger, so we think, the shunt was still in place. Yeah!! We’ll have weekly ultrasounds to check for the shunt placement.

These shunts can get clogged or dislodged or Reagan could accidentally pull it out. Please continue to pray for these girls. Pre-term labor and premature rupture of membranes are still very serious. Even more serious is that if this shunt stops working in a week, this is it. With twins, this is a “one-shot” deal. Also, we’re hoping Reagan doesn’t have any other problems. Dr. Q suspects it’s an extra ureter, but it does NOT rule out other serious, fatal conditions which can be possible. So, please keep these little girls in your prayers. I thank God everyday for another hurdle we cross, but it does not what-so-ever alleviate any of my fears or possibilities of what could or couldn’t happen! We need these girls to be true miracles and we need the shunt to stay and function until they are both ready for delivery!

Thank you all so much for the continued prayers and support. Please keep them coming!