Hello again! It’s time for another week of link-ups. I cannot wait to share with you my favourite picture – although I must admit that I cheated a little… I have chosen more than 1 because they all go hand in hand. I am hoping that if you are reading this, it might sway you into linking up, too. I would love to read about and see your favourite picture! Remember, this linky is open to everyone just as long as the topic of the week is respected!
My favourite pictures were actually taken during one of the scariest times of my life. In 2008, my husband and I were thrilled to find out that we were having a baby boy! Having a son to round out our family was an absolute dream that we had prayed for since we decided to add another little Boisvert to our family.
I knew right from the start that my pregnancy was not “normal”. I kept getting sick, was catching viruses like crazy, and just felt like something was not right. When I expressed my concerns to my doctor, she tried to console me by telling me that it was my third pregnancy, there wasn’t a lot of time between this baby and my last, and that taking care of my 2 other children while working full time and being pregnant was taking a toll on my body.
A few weeks later, I had the experience that no pregnant woman wants to have… I woke up and thought I was in the middle of a miscarriage. My husband rushed me to the hospital, an ultrasound was conducted which showed that my little baby was perfectly fine. But that ultrasound also showed that I was not perfectly fine. I had a condition called Placenta Percreta – a very rare condition in which the placenta attached itself to my previous caesarean incisions, decided to grow outside of my uterus, and attached itself to my bladder. I was told that this condition occurs in 1 out of 500 000 pregnancies and that most cases only make themselves known during delivery. I was extremely lucky to have a wonderful medical team who were able to diagnose the condition early and take great care of me during the rest of my pregnancy.
The hospital in my hometown was not equipped to deal with the surgical procedures that were necessary to keep me alive during the delivery of my son, so at 27 weeks gestation, I was transferred to Ste. Justine’s Hospital in Montreal, Quebec for the remainder of my pregnancy and followed closely by an amazing medical team. Every week at the hospital was considered a WIN because we knew that the possibility of me having our baby could happen at any moment.
Being on bedrest in a hospital an hour away from my home was difficult on everyone. I was only allowed to be out of bed for 1 hour a day – and we used those hours to have birthday parties, visits, and much needed family time together. It’s not the ideal way to spend a summer – but in order to make sure that I was in a safe environment in case an emergency situation arrived, we made the best of it!
I was extremely lucky to have been able to keep Rémi inside up until 31 weeks. The medical team taking care of me had decided that on August 15, 2008, that it had become too dangerous for me to continue on with the pregnancy. Having to prepare yourself and your family for the possibility that you might not survive the delivery and operations necessary to fix a placenta percreta is not easy. There are no words that can truly express how my husband and I were feeling as I was wheeled into the operating room. We knew that there would be a brand new baby in just a few minutes, but we had no idea if I would be lucky enough to meet him. We had to put our full trust and faith in the medical team to help us through the procedures and pray that I would be strong enough to make it through the complicated surgery.
After only 8 minutes, Rémi was born and he was absolutely perfect! For myself, it took another 8 hours of surgery to fix the placenta percreta. After waking up in recovery, the first thing I asked to do was meet my son. He weighed a whopping 4 pounds 11 ounces which is enormous for a preemie! He did not to be intubated but needed a little help when it came to eating. He was such a strong little fella that when I had my release from Ste. Justine’s Hospital, he was transferred to the hospital in our hometown.
It has been almost 7 years since Rémi has joined us and we are so glad that he is a part of our family. Raising a preemie is not always easy, but having this little guy in our family is a delight. We are so happy that we can put his dramatic entrance into this world behind us – but at the same time, it is near to our hearts when we contemplate “what might have been”. Our deepest thanks and appreciation go out to the medical staff, our family, and our friends who supported us through this journey. We could not have gotten through it all without all them.
Now it’s your turn! Click on the little blue button on the bottom left hand side of this post and link-up!
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Bex says
Oh my gosh, Monica, this story made me cry (in a good way)! You are so brave – though it must have been so hard for you to be. Hugs to you and I am so happy that both you and your son got through everything a ok and are doing great now! XO
Bex
Reading and Writing Redhead
I Heart Grade 3 says
Hi Bex! I’m glad you stopped by!
Yes, our story is quite intense but I am so happy that my doctors were able to diagnose the problem early. Otherwise, things would have turned out quite differently.
Monica
Molly says
What an intense story! So glad there was such a happy ending!
I Heart Grade 3 says
Hi Molly!
As anyone who has gone through a trying time will tell you, I wouldn’t have changed a thing. It really is a story that seems like it was made up – because if someone had told me this was a possibility, I wouldn’t have believed them! lol! Anyways, it just goes to show how amazingly complicated the human body is and just how far medical research and training has come. Has this happened 50 years ago, the outcome would have been quite different.
Thanks for coming by!
Monica
Nicole Chatz says
Your story made me tear up! It’s a wonder we go through childbirth at all with all of its potential complications! I’m glad you got a happy ending. 🙂
I Heart Grade 3 says
Hey there, Nicole!
It’s true that we forget what is actually involved in childbirth! No more babies for me! Having experienced it 3 times – especially with the last one being a doosey, I’m done! lol!
Monica
Desiree says
What a beautiful story! It is amazing how mothers have that 6th sense, to know when things aren’t right! Thanks for sharing! You have such a beautiful family! I linked up for the first time…. Hopefully, all my links work okay!
I Heart Grade 3 says
Thanks Desiree! And I am so glad that you have linked up! Hurray!
Monica
Learning with Sunflower Smiles says
Hi Monica
What an absolutely terrifying story! I can not even begin to imagine what feelings went through your mind as you were being wheeled off to theater. My biggest fear is that my children will be left without me (their mother). Your story shows courage and bravery to another degree.
And look what you have now… a beautiful little boy, who I’m sure has you wrapped around his little finger.
Thank you for sharing this very personal story with us!
Margaux
Learning with Sunflower Smiles.
I Heart Grade 3 says
Hi Margaux,
Some people win the lottery – but I won the medical anomaly of the century award! It’s all behind us now but I will say that my husband and I had great difficulty trying to prepare ourselves and our children for the possibility of a catastrophe. I do not wish that upon anyone.
Thanks for your kind words.
Monica