3 Years

We've been on this journey 3 years now.  Ups & downs & lots of turns & zig-zags.  But it's been worth it.  Seeing our Mackenzie grow & blossom into a beautiful little girl has been such a blessing.

If you don't know or don't remember the story of how Mackenzie's birth day came to be, let me do some remembering for you...

Back in 2009, I was going into my 2nd year of coaching the colorguard team at the high school I graduated from in 2003.  I was pregnant - due in the middle of October - and was finally feeling good, aside from the swelling.  But the swelling was normal, right?  I thought so.. so I wasn't concerned.  Band camp was just wrapping up and we had a band/parent picnic dinner Friday evening, August 7th.  I had a picture taken with my assistant coach and saw that my face looked fat.  Weird.  Anyway... moving on with life - happy happy, I'm pregnant, not puking every day, multiple times a day - life was good.

That weekend, I got a horrible headache.  Like... bad.  Tylenol didn't help.  oh, back up a sec - thursday the 6th, I had my regular checkup with my doctor - the protein levels in my urine sample were elevated, so they made me take a big jug home (fun, lemme tell ya) and instructed me to do a 24 hr urine test.  I didn't want to do it at the office the next day and during band camp, so I asked if I could wait till the weekend and turn it in Monday - they said that was fine.  Ok - so headache. bad. tylenol didn't help.  Monday, I went to work, still had the headache.  Tuesday morning, I got up to take my shower, got the water running & all the sudden, I didn't know what I was doing.  I got my shower once I figured it out and drove the 30 minutes into my office.  I sat there with my head on the desk until about 9:30 or 10 when my dad said that I didn't look so good.  He took my blood pressure with his wrist cuff he had in his office.  Something like 190s/145s - I don't remember exact numbers, but it was high.  Too high.  He thought maybe his cuff was off, so he ran home to get the arm cuff.  Same numbers... what is going on??

Dad had me call the doctor, but my doctor didn't have any openings, so I explained what was going on - extreme headache since weekend, blood pressure says this - so they got me in with another doctor.  Dad zooms me out of the office and to the doctor (about 20 min drive for a normal person lol) and calls Drew on the way.  I collapse into a chair once inside and Drew walks in right as they called me back.  I stood up and tried to turn to head back and my foot kept getting stuck on the chair leg.  I couldn't get my body to function correctly.  I remember laughing about my "stupid foot" getting stuck.  The office had to call the lab to get my results of the urine test - while they did that, they had me get a sono from my friend, Mel.  She did some quick measurements - turns out something was wrong and she was behind in growth a little bit - but she was ok.  Mel wanted me off her table asap, afraid I would start seizing right there.  I got a wheelchair and was pushed back to the room where I got the biggest blow of my lifetime.  

I was sick - very sick.  I had what they called "pre-eclampsia" and they needed to deliver Mackenzie within the next 24 to 48 hours.  First thing I thought was "what about her brain??"  I had just been reading about development and that her brain wouldn't have had time to develop fully.  I went into a tailspin.  The lab reports came back - over 3000 - they flag it at 300.  Yes, that is three-zero-zero-zero.  Immediately, they sent me over to the hospital across the street and admitted me.  The last thing I remember is being wheeled into a room of some sort, being lifted onto a table and then telling them I thought I was going to throw up.  They handed me this little kidney-shaped bowl and I thought "whatever..."  I started throwing up and that's all I remember.

When I woke, I was in ICU - I don't know how long I was out - but I was filled in on details slowly.  I was not only PRE-eclamptic, but I went into the full mode with 3 grand mal seizures.  They called a code blue on me.  They didn't think I was going to make it.  Mackenzie was born via emergency c-section at 11:51 am.  She came out kicking and screaming - clearly not happy about the situation!  She would be spending the first 5 weeks of her life in the NICU, growing & getting stronger.  She had no real health issues, praise the Lord! She was 2 lbs 9 oz and a tiny 14 inches long.  She was beautiful.

I continued to have health problems.  The team of doctors could not get my blood pressure under control.  The only cure for pre-ecclampsia is to deliver the child.  But mine wasn't working correctly.  They finally got it under control within 4 days.  I finally got to see my angel baby.

Little did I know, I wasn't out of the woods yet.  Through all of the testing they had to put me through to figure out what was wrong, they discovered something else.  A little thing called Postpartum Cardiomyopathy.  I was rushed to the cardiac floor and put on all kinds of new meds.  Basically, it meant that the lower part of my heart was barely functioning.  They aren't sure what caused it - it may have been a problem I've had for a while, or it may have been caused by my extremely high blood pressure.  I couldn't pump breastmilk for Mackenzie, I couldn't go see her while connected to all the heart monitors.  It was awful.  My sister & sister-in-law were amazing.  They gave a gift that not many are able to do.  They gave Mackenzie their own breastmilk.  They pumped for me, so Mackenzie could have the best thing for her while she was so tiny.  I will love them forever and always for their gifts.

Fast-forward a couple weeks.  After my 10 or 11 day stay at the hospital, I was released to go home - without my baby.  After two weeks, my followup appointment with my cardiologist showed a miracle from God.  My heart was back to normal!  I had to stay on my meds for a year though, just in case.  As of today, though, my heart shows no signs of the trauma it went through just a short 3 years ago.  However, because of the conditions I had, both the ecclampsia (not just pre) & the cardiomyopathy, I was advised not to have any more children.  There's another big blow.  I always pictured having at least 2 kiddos and I was crushed to think that may not ever happen.

We made it through the traumatic times only by the grace of God.  The fact Mackenzie and I are here today is a miracle by itself.  I was supposed to be on the road with my sister to Idaho for a dear friend's wedding.  I was doing her makeup, and my sister was doing her hair.  If this all had happened on the road or just a day later (we planned to leave Wednesday morning), we might not be here today.  God is SO good.

And just look at her now!

Being goofy with Momma!

Mommy's birthday & Texas Roadhouse - sitting w/Daddy

My favorite pic of the two of us.

La la la la - Kenzie's world

Happy Birthday, my sweet Mackenzie!  Three years down, LOTS more to go!  I love you!

xoxo