Stories of Lost Children
Austin's Story
by Shannon Breen, Kinsman, IL, U.S.A.
Monday, June 07, 2004 Austin's story... I didn't find out I was pregnant until I was over 5 months along. After the birth of Mikaela(02/28/02)I was having very irregular periods, and thought I was going through early menopause. So, after thinking I was pregnant the first couple of times I went 3 or 4 months without a period, when I got pregnant with Austin, it never occurred to me I WAS until I felt him move. When I found out, I went to a new ob because my old ob(delivered 4 out of my 6 babies)had retired. Also, we had moved to Kinsman, and Joliet was too far(about 40 miles)to go for care. The day we went, they did an u/s to check the dates. We also found out he was a boy! We were thrilled. They also checked my sugars, and found out I had GD. I was placed on a special diet, but that did not work, so I had to start taking insulin. It took several weeks, and a 2 day stay in the hospital to decide I needed the insulin. They also started doing twice weekly NSTs, because I was considered high risk. On 12/23/03, I woke up with dh(he gets up at 4:30am for work)and had to use the bathroom. When I wiped, there was a small amount of blood on the tissue. I was 33 and a half weeks at that time. Dh asked if I wanted to go to the hospital, but I said no, because I didn't feel any pain, and the baby had moved. He left for work, and I went back to bed. I woke up having to go to the bathroom again at around 7:00am. More blood on the tissue... So, I called dh at work, and he came and picked up me and our 2 youngest daughters to take me to the hospital. At the hospital, they did NST, and u/s. When my ob showed(about 3 hours later)he examined me, and said I had lost my mucous plug, and was dilated to 1cm. He sent me home, saying to have a healthy pregnancy for at least 3 more weeks. About 15 minutes into the ride home, I told dh something was wrong. He said "What?" I said "I don't know." A minute layer I again told dh something was wrong. He said "What?" I said "I'm pissing on myself, and I can't stop." That is the last I remember. Dh told me that I then slumped forward
and started turning gray. He said he kept yelling at me, and calling my name, but I did not respond. He turned around, and sped back to the hospital, running red lights, and gaining a police tail on the way. All this time, he's yelling at me "Don't do this! Shannon, answer me!" and our little girls are in the back, crying and scared. When we got to the hospital, I was dead. They rushed me in, brought me back(had to do CPR, and use the shock paddles, causing me to have a fractured sternum, which we did not find out about until a few weeks later. I kept having pain in my chest, and went to Morris hospital. They did lots of tests, and kept me for a week, to make sure I did not have heart problems)stabalized me, then did an emergency c/s. Austin was born at 12:50pm. He was 33 weeks gestation, weighed 6lbs, 10oz, was 19 inches long, and he was not breathing. They brought him back, then tranfered us from Ottawa hospital to St Francis in Peoria in lifeflight helecopters. When dh got there, they told him that Austin was brain dead, having seizures, and his heart kept stopping. Dh told them to let him go next time his heart stopped, because Austin had had enough. Austin was brain dead due to lack of oxygen caused by placental abruption. When the placenta abrupted, it caused an amniotic fluid embolism, which is what killed me. It also caused me to hemmorhage(sp?) I had to have several bags of blood before they got the bleeding under control. In fact, according to dh, none of the blood in me is actually mine. At St Francis, they kept me under until 12/26/03. Austin died 12/24/03. He was baptised by a priest at the hospital before he died. I never got to see my son, and that will haunt me for the rest of my life. We had him cremated, and held a memorial service for him 05/23/04, which was his 5 month birthday. He was buried with my maternal grandparents. We love amd miss him so much. He will always be in our hearts, and our thoughts. We love you, Austin!
|
