Nitty Gritty #3 The Recouvery

After the placenta was delivered a very strong nurse named Isabell came in and started pushing on my belly. It felt like she was standing on me. It was quite painfull all in all. I stayed in the delivery room for quite a while after Elizabeth was born. Isabell kept comming in and standing on my belly. Everytime she did I would have a gush of blood come out. Eventually they decided that I was still bleeding so they gave me something thruogh the IV to stop the bleed. I can't remember what it was called but it started with an H. Apparently it often triggers diareah so they gave me immodium at the same time.
Finally they decided to move me to the recouvery room but first I had to have a shower. It is truly odd to have someone else shower me. I just sat like a lump on the stool and Isabell hosed me down like a Circus Elephant. Not a very dignifying experiance. After I was washed and dried I was loaded into a wheel chair and brought to the nursery to see Elizabeth. Mom was still right by her side and she was, (and still is), the most beautifull baby in the room. I wish I could have held her then but by that time I was in rough shape and probably would have dropped her. I did get to touch her again and let the reality of her existance sink in a little more.
By the time I was settled into the recouvery room I was very uncomfortable. My bum hurt and it constantly felt like I had to poo. I think that I frightened Gramo, Aunty Vicki and Karly at that point. I was in so much pain that I was reduced to moaning into my pillow and that is how they left me. I kept getting up to use the toilet feeling like I had to poo, but every time I tried to push it out I just had a gush of blood from my uterus. It was rather frightning. This pattern carried on for a few hours, past the time when Mom sent Patrick home to get some sleep.
At around 2:00am the pattern changed drastically. Mom was holding Lizzy and I got up to use the toilet. She asked if I was ok on my own and I replied that I was fine. And I was, for the first three steps. Then my vision blacked out my knees buckled and I staggered forward hanging on to the IV pole for support. Word of advice here, when you are fainting don't use something with wheels for support, it will let you down. Long story short, I ended up on my hands and knees half naked in the hallway. That got a swarm of hospital staff in a hurry. I crawled back into the room and was in the bathroom door when they caught up to me. I was so close to my goal but they wouldn't let me use the toilet. They put me to bed and fussed around for ages. I should mention that I had a catheter in from when they stiched me up so I was not in any danger of wetting the bed.
I don't remember much more from that night except that Dr. Yoo who delivered Lizzy was called back to the hospital to check me over. After her examination she said that I had a hematoma, (big bruise), in the birth canal and that I may have cracked my tail bone pushing Lizzy out. She also said that I had lost around a liter of blood. I guess that explains why the details are fuzzy.

Terri