In August of 2013 I found out that I was pregnant with my second child. At 20 years old. It seemed as a rather normal pregnancy, until I hit 9 weeks. I was at home with my daughter when I started to feel very head of breathing. I then passed out and came to, I had fallen on my daughter. I was rushed to Sturgis Hospital (where I live) and they ran a CT Scan where they found two large blood clots in the main arteries of my lungs. A PE ( pulmonary embolism).
I was then rushed to Bronson (my OBs choice). When I arrived to Bronson Methodist Hospital ICU, my room was immediately filled with doctors and nurses. Asking me a ton of questions, hooking me up to monitors , trying to make me as comfortable as I could be. My oxygen level was super low (the lowest I can remember was at 18%). I was very scared I had arrived later in the evening. Shift change was just 20 minutes or so after I arrived. As I met my two night time nurses I was very frighten things where going by so fast. I was taken down to an emergency procedure (a new one that had only been done once before) they called it “Clot Buster.” A very long metal tool from the main artery in my pelvic area went through my heart and into my lungs. Trying to bust the clots. My nurses stayed by my side the whole time, talked to me and tried their best to keep my mind off what was going on (held my hand the whole time too, I might add). By this time they had realized the extent of the damage these blood clots had done to me, I was having Right Side Heart Failure and my O2 levels had been so low for so long that my I had slight brain damage (I had developed a studder). The procedure took two and a half / three hours. I went back to my ICU room where my fiancé had been the whole time. Unhappy with how the results had went my doctor came in with the news that they didn’t think the procedure had worked and they had planned on trying more in the morning.
I asked my nurse to not leave my room that night, I was very scared. She didn’t. She stayed up all night by my side (I know because my fiancé stayed up all night as well). I woke up rather early that next morning (6am). Surprised by how well I felt and how well I was able to breathe, I called my nurse in. My day time nurse, Darcy. She was shocked too as my vital signs had improved so much, she quickly called my ICU doctor in my room. They rushed me into another CT scan, Nurse Darcy and my Doctor both came with me. I was then taken back into my room, where I sat for probably only 3 minutes. I heard a knock knock on my door and my doctor came in. He sat right next to me and looked at me for a second, then suddenly it was if a “smile bomb” went off on his face, he said to me “their gone.” Those were the most amazing words I had ever heard in my whole life. He then explained to me how the procedure worked and my larger blood clots were gone. I still had a few very small clots on the outer parts of my lungs but I was in the clear.
I continued my stay in the ICU for a week. As for my heart was not strong enough yet to move on. I had my Nurse Darcy the whole time. She was by far the most amazing Nurse ever. She talked to me like I was a human and helped me move around and cared for me. I had to continue a blood thinner for the rest of my pregnancy, Nurse Darcy helped me, showed me how to inject myself.
Bronson Hospital saved my life. Every single medical staff that passed my path saved me. I strongly believe if it wasn’t for their amazing acts I would not be alive today. The Nursing Staff and Doctors and Surgeons are all HEROES.
There is not a day that goes by that I don’t Thank God for giving me those amazing people in my life to care for me at my biggest time of need.
Now today 11-10-2015 my baby boy is healthy and strong and nearly two years old.
I thank our life’s for those amazing people at Bronson Hospital.
