Off the Magnesium

Well, things go up and down - the doctor took at look at Suzanne's test results this morning and discontinued the Magnesium treatment! A good sign! Suzanne's likely to be feeling a bit better over the next few days. Keep your fingers crossed and hope for more time in gestation!

Room with a View

The folks who have been in the Antepartum unit at Swedish the longest get seniority and better rooms. They've moved Suzanne down the hall to a bigger room with a better view. Here's the new contact info:

206-386-6560

Suzanne Birnie
c/o Swedish Medical Center/First Hill Campus
Room 511
747 Broadway
Seattle, WA 98122-4307

The hospital web-site has a page where you can type in a message and have a note delivered to Suzanne.

Next treatment - Magnesium Sulfate

Early this morning, Suzanne's medical team decided it was time to adminster Magnesium Sulfate. Even though Suzanne has felt relatively good over the last two to three days, her blood pressure ramped up last night and the doctors were concerned that the Pre-eclampsia was progressing and could lead to some of the more dangerous symptoms (seizures, edema...). It's been explained to us that the Magnesium acts to lower blood pressure by dilating the blood vessels. The positive aspects for us are that it inhibits the advance of the Pre-eclampsia, prevents seizures, edema and other effects, and prevents pre-term labor (early contractions). The downside is that in can have a number of side effects, including flushing, mild to severe nausea, palpitations, headache, general muscle weakness, and/or lethargy. As of right now, Suzanne describes feeling "loopy" - weak and lethargic - but not nauseous (but nervous about eating).

If Suzanne's condition doesn't stabilize with this treatment, the next step and only known "cure" for Pre-eclampsia is delivery, so this could happen at any time. The doctor's orders now call for Suzanne to fast after midnight each night in preparation for a C-section the next day. Every day the babies have inside Suzanne strengthen their odds of a healthy outcome. We did administer a steriod treatment several days ago that speeds the development of their lungs in preparation for a pre-term delivery.

Thanks again for all the support. On Sunday, my sister Margot organized a shower in Tacoma attended mainly by family. Almost 60 folks were there - all but three are family members. I can't remember ever having all those family members together and I found it deeply moving. The generosity was overwhelming - There's very little left that we need to get in order to be prepared for them to come home. I'll post pictures shortly.

Keep the positive thougts and prayers coming!

In a Hospital Bed

Suzanne's bed rest stepped to the next level today. After several very high home readings on her blood pressure yesterday, she saw the doctor this morning, who ordered her admitted for in-patient monitoring and treatment. The friendly and professional staff are keeping a very close eye on Suzanne and the boys: monitoring all 3 heartbeats all the time, testing for blood sugar levels and a number of other indicators of liver and kidney health, and keeping an eye on the blood pressure.

Suzanne may stabilize and require no further treatment. If she improves, she may be allowed to return home. Or she may require further treatment; the next step would be to administer Magnesium, which acts to dilate the blood vessels and lower the blood pressure. This could be good for her health and safety, but can be very uncomfortable - a flushed and overheated feeling, dizzyness, nausea... We'll see how it goes.

While it's a shock (if not a surprise), Suzanne's handling the transition well. She's in a comfortable private room with conscientious staff caring for her. I'm sure Suzanne would love hearing from friends and family. Here's how to reach her:

Phone in the room: 206-386-6560 (formerly 206-386-6551). Cell phones aren't supposed to be used in this wing.

Suzanne Birnie
c/o Swedish Medical Center/First Hill Campus
Room 511 (formerly Room 502 )
747 Broadway, Seattle, WA 98122-4307

The hospital web-site has a page where you can type in a message and have a note delivered to Suzanne.

We'll try to set Suzanne up with a laptop and dial-up internet access, so she may or may not be able to read and respond to her e-mail.

Thanks for all the notes of support since the bed rest!

Bed Rest

Short update from Derek here:

Last week on Wednesday, Suzanne was ordered on bed rest because of some indications of developing Preeclampsia, including high blood pressure and headaches. Further tests indicated that she's having some contractions, which is normal in this point in the pregnancy, but could proceed to pre-term labor if they continue. Last week was tense for us, both because of the changes imposed by bed-rest and because of the anxiety over the implications for the health and wellness of Suzanne and the babies.

A doctor's appointment this morning has us feeling more optimistic. Tests for gestational diabetes came back negative. The babies' weight is back into the lower end of the normal range (almost three pounds each!) for this point in their development. Suzanne's blood pressure is down some (though still a bit high). Measurements of the placenta and the cervix indicate things are fine there.

All in all, the health of the babies looks really good. Suzanne's health is stable, but still warrants continued bed-rest and close monitoring. Preeclampsia can advance very quickly (within 24 hours) to levels that are very hazardous to mother and children, so the next step would be hospitalization or even induced labor if things change course. The doctor's opinion is that the babies are developed enough that they'd have a good chance of healthy development if they were delivered now, but every passing day and week increases their odds tremendously. 32 weeks (October 9) is a milestone we hope to pass - at that point their lungs would be much better prepared to function. 36 weeks (Nov 6) would be average for twins. At 37 weeks (Nov 13) they would no longer be considered premature.

Thanks very much to everyone for all the support! Somebody advised us last week that this is the time when we need to learn how to receive graciously. The moral support and all the offers of logistical support (everything from meals, to help preparing the house, to running errands) are humbling and are a reminder of the incredible circle of friends and family we have in our lives. If we haven't taken you up on your offer, we'll be getting organized and may drop you a line. Be assured we appreciate it.

In the meantime, drop Suzanne a line at suzannebirnie@yahoo.com or 206-297-0298. She's likely in bed, waiting to hear from you!

Derek

PS: Thank you to all our friends to came to the shower thrown by Kelly Bryant at Woodland Park weekend before last. We had a wonderful time and loved all the gifts. We'll post photos shortly.

August Travels

Suzanne and the Boys have been on the move....


August 14th
San Diego Babies Shower with two of the boys' grandmothers - Amma (Shirley, Suzanne's Mom) and Nana (Nancy, Suzanne's Step-mom).
It was a wonderful event with friends and family. Jamie decorated with trucks filled with roses and the votives were baby food jars. Even the tea spoons were baby spoons! Not a detail was missed.






August 13th
Suzanne with Marci
Getting ready for their 20th High School Reunion in Del Mar, California.
24 weeks and a long way to go!











Off to the Reunion! Suzanne won an award at the event for being the only one pregnant.













August 27th
Jen and Sam's Wedding
San Diego, California
The last trip before the boys arrive.