My daughter’s name is Annie Beatrice. Beatrice was after my ‘Grama Bea’ because she was a great inspiration to me. She actually wasn’t my real grandma, she was my babysitter/nanny. She just had us call her that because she was old. Grama Bea actually died the day I had my ultrasound and found out Annie was a girl. She was 97. She used to tell me stories of a husband who chopped off his wife’s leg and buried it in the back yard. Grama Bea was lovely.
Back to Annie, she was born the way every mother prays for there babies not to be born, not breathing. Her lungs weren’t working, her heart was enlarged, she was just an all around sick baby. She came out at 4:02 P.M. Tuesday, September 15th, 2009. 8 lbs 4oz 19 inches long, born at exactly 40 weeks. I had a normal labor, everything was fine, heart rates normal, blood pressure excellent. My pregnancy was wonderful, no major complications other than faintness towards the end. But Annie was still born with problems. The doctors didn’t know what to do, or what was wrong. My dad was in the hallway after they took Annie out and he said he had never in his life seen a doctor run so fast and look so terrified. I’m sure doctors deal with this every day, but to see it first hand is just the most horrific thing. I didn’t know what was going on, I was back in the room all giddy to get to see my baby, not even considering the fact that she was holding on for her life in the next room. Then my mom came in with the news, she didn’t even have to say anything, I could just see it in her face that something was wrong. Some doctors came in, telling me they didn’t have any idea what was wrong with Annie, and that by looking at it her, her chance of survival was slim. Words cannot describe the feelings I had at that moment. That baby was everything to me, and now someone was telling me she may be taken away?
I had a lot of family come to see me, I actually didn’t realize how many people showed up until a few hours later. When they wheeled her in the room inside that big yellow incubator contraption, I really thought it would be the last time I would ever see her. I was extremely angry, I didn’t even want to say goodbye, maybe I was too afraid of feeling emotion towards something that I couldn’t have, I’m not sure exactly. But, I did say my goodbyes.
Later that night, around 2 A.M., the doctor from the other hospital called me to give me an update, which was basically just as bad as the news I had before, but worse. He told me they thought she had Down Syndrome. Later to find out that no, she does not. So we stayed in St. Vincent hospital for 2 weeks, where they basically told me the same thing over and over, they didn’t know what was wrong with her, or how to fix it, and they continued to correct me when I said 'When she goes home' because they still said 'If she goes home'. Don’t get me wrong, they did everything they could, and were extremely compassionate and wonderful, they just didn’t have all the answers. I soon demanded her to be transferred to an even better hospital in Milwaukee, Milwaukee Children’s Hospital. What a difference it was to be there. We were there for no more than an hour and the cardiologist already knew what was wrong and how to treat it.
Annie is a ‘Prozac baby’ as they called her there. Meaning I was on Prozac while I was pregnant and this was a side affect. Of course it is extremely rare to happen, but it still did. Her condition is called Persistent Pulmonary Hypertension of the Newborn, or PPHN. Treatment takes quite a while, and in a lot of severe cases, the baby dies. Hmm, I would have really liked to know this when I asked about 30 doctors and pharmacists if Prozac was ok to take. That is a little frustrating. Take note: ALWAYS go with your instincts, every morning when I took my Prozac I had an uneasy feeling, but blew it off because ‘the doctors said it was fine!’ But anyway, as soon as we went to Milwaukee they were able to put a name on her condition, and do the right things to get her better. Well, today she is better, and already a year old. Not to mention the happiest baby in the entire world. She came home October 16th 2009, and is still on medication, but not for long! So, that is Annie’s story, she really is a wonderful blessing in my life. I am glad to say that I never lost faith while the whole thing happened, and I knew deep down that there was a reason it was all happening. I do believe Annie would not be here today if it weren’t for all the people who prayed for her. Thank you all!
I had a lot of family come to see me, I actually didn’t realize how many people showed up until a few hours later. When they wheeled her in the room inside that big yellow incubator contraption, I really thought it would be the last time I would ever see her. I was extremely angry, I didn’t even want to say goodbye, maybe I was too afraid of feeling emotion towards something that I couldn’t have, I’m not sure exactly. But, I did say my goodbyes.
Later that night, around 2 A.M., the doctor from the other hospital called me to give me an update, which was basically just as bad as the news I had before, but worse. He told me they thought she had Down Syndrome. Later to find out that no, she does not. So we stayed in St. Vincent hospital for 2 weeks, where they basically told me the same thing over and over, they didn’t know what was wrong with her, or how to fix it, and they continued to correct me when I said 'When she goes home' because they still said 'If she goes home'. Don’t get me wrong, they did everything they could, and were extremely compassionate and wonderful, they just didn’t have all the answers. I soon demanded her to be transferred to an even better hospital in Milwaukee, Milwaukee Children’s Hospital. What a difference it was to be there. We were there for no more than an hour and the cardiologist already knew what was wrong and how to treat it.
Annie is a ‘Prozac baby’ as they called her there. Meaning I was on Prozac while I was pregnant and this was a side affect. Of course it is extremely rare to happen, but it still did. Her condition is called Persistent Pulmonary Hypertension of the Newborn, or PPHN. Treatment takes quite a while, and in a lot of severe cases, the baby dies. Hmm, I would have really liked to know this when I asked about 30 doctors and pharmacists if Prozac was ok to take. That is a little frustrating. Take note: ALWAYS go with your instincts, every morning when I took my Prozac I had an uneasy feeling, but blew it off because ‘the doctors said it was fine!’ But anyway, as soon as we went to Milwaukee they were able to put a name on her condition, and do the right things to get her better. Well, today she is better, and already a year old. Not to mention the happiest baby in the entire world. She came home October 16th 2009, and is still on medication, but not for long! So, that is Annie’s story, she really is a wonderful blessing in my life. I am glad to say that I never lost faith while the whole thing happened, and I knew deep down that there was a reason it was all happening. I do believe Annie would not be here today if it weren’t for all the people who prayed for her. Thank you all!
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