Hospitalized

7-7-11 Elizabeth was born
7-9-11 We went home from the hospital
7-11-11 I started having hot and cold spells and was freezing watching the bachelorette and covered up in 5 blankets and had heating pads on me- fell asleep and woke up burning hot and the thermometer said 105- I knew that couldn't be right...
7-13-11 After 2 days of these hot and cold extremes I was walking around outside in the 107 degree heat shivering because I was so cold- something was really wrong- I took a nap and woke up with 106 fever and Bryan took me to the ER

You should know a few things about me and why I was VERY hesitant to go back to the hospital:

-I am kind of a naturalist- I get it from my mom- I don't like taking medicine unless ABSOLUTELY necessary and I hate needles and especially IVs and the only time I have ever been in the hospital is to have my 3 children.

-A few days before I had Elizabeth I was having alot of lower back pain but I just thought it was because I was huge prego but after I had her the back pain continued and I was also having headaches so they sent me home with pain medicine which of course had Tylenol in it which I was taking every 6 hours because I was in pain- unless I fell asleep and that is when my fever would sky rocket- but I didn't understand why I would only have fever for a few hours a day.

-I had just delivered a baby!! I wanted to breastfeed her and I didn't want to be away from her and I didn't want to dump all of my kids on my parents- but they were wonderful and jumped right into taking care of a newborn plus Kenz and Alex and our new kitten!!

Despite all of these reasons and my stubbornness I knew that something was wrong and that I needed medical help- I was scared to death. We got into the ER pretty fast and the testing began- at first they said it was a kidney infection but when my blood culture came back the infection was also in my blood- so they admitted me- the words I was dreading so much- and began IV antibiotics every 6 hours- the hot and cold things got worse for a day or 2. I would be so cold that my body was convulsing uncontrollably with shivering it was so so terrible and I could feel it coming on and there was nothing I could do but wait it out- this is when my fever was rising and the nurses couldn't give me any Tylenol until it got to 101 and then my fever would break and I would sweat and sweat- it was a terribly miserable cycle and happened over and over again.
Slowly things began to improve- I got to be unplugged from my IV stand which was huge and I got to take a shower and I got the OK to pump and save my milk for baby. I got to see my kids :) I missed them so much and in the moment I felt like I was never going to get to go home- I had to be fever free for 48 hours and every time I felt a cold spell coming on I would cry knowing that the countdown would have to start all over. Bryan staying by my side the whole time- bless his heart- he hates hospitals but he would sit with me all day and then go home and see the kids for a minute and get anything I needed from the house and maybe take a shower and then come back to our little room and sleep on his cot. I was so so grateful to have him there and he took really good care or me.

This was my view for 6 days.

7-18-11 We got to come home- it has never felt so good to get in our car and drive to our house. Mom still helped me with the older kids for a week or so- I am SO very thankful we live in the same city and that she can help me when things get crazy!! Elizabeth has been such a trooper and has gone from breastfeeding to bottles with formula to bottles with breast milk and back to breastfeeding like a champ! I am so thankful to God for my laid back baby girl!! Today, 3 weeks later I am still not quite 100%- having a baby and then a kidney/blood infection really took my strength but I feel more like myself everyday and am so grateful to be home with my children again and I hope that I never have to be hospitalized again!!!