Surgery goes on and on....

So, my version of what happened the night Claire was born will differ greatly from that of Dan or our parents. The surgery lasted from just after 3 P.M. until after 10 P.M. or 7 hours! I was in and out during the whole surgery, but the anesthesiologist told me I was joking around and was very "cheerful." He's never done a surgery that long under just an epidural. The alternative was a central line in my neck, and I'm grateful I avoided that! I lost nearly 4 liters of blood (more than half my blood volume) and required 5 units of blood by transfusion. My placenta had grown into my bladder and was difficult to remove. When it was over, I remember looking around and seeing my blood all over the floor with footprints in it! I stayed in the ICU for the next day, but couldn't see Claire or my older kids until the next night, which was very hard.

Dan and the parents waited for over 5 hours in the surgery waiting room for news that I was ok. They said it was a very scary night. On a happy note, they could go to the nursery and see Claire! Here's a picture of the first time my Mom & Linda saw Claire!