Well, what do you know. I suffer from PTSD. It sounds so silly to me. I'm not a soldier returning from war. I'm not a victim of abuse or a debilitating car accident. No...but apparently this is real and common among woman who have traumatic birthing experiences.
One night I was in bed and I all of sudden my heart started racing and I couldn't breathe. I started to gasp for air. My right side of my body felt numb and weak and I fell when I tried to get out of bed. Erwin and I were both startled and concerned enough to take me to the ER. It was...around 2:30 in the morning.
My wonderful mother in law ran to the store and got formula to be able to feed the baby and told us to not worry about the kids and to run to the hospital. I was so, so grateful for her support and love.
When we got to the ER, they had me lay down on a bed and they measured my oxygen levels. I kept gasping for breath and the saline IV they had put in me was making me nauseous. The room got very blurred and I couldn't see well. I felt very uneasy and then the room went black for a small moment. I freaked a little and told the nurse "I'm feel like I'm going to pass out!" And she in return said: "That's ok honey. You can pass out."
Huh? Noooo! That usually leads to the patient having a seizure or being rushed to emergency surgery or something. Right.....? Yeah, I watch WAY too many medical dramas. Sheesh.
I never did pass out, but I sure thought I was going to. It was a bad experience.
I was shocked when the nurse then said to me, "Sweetie, you are fine. I am showing that your heart rate is normal and blood pressure too. We will get you juiced up and observe you for an hour. Then you can go."
Eh? I'm fine?! I can't be fine! I can't breathe! My body is numb! I'm blacking out! I'm gonna vomit!
Then they explained to me that I was relieving and experiencing a mental and emotional flashback from my unbelievably scary experience when my spinal space was pierced. I was reacting to all the ways that I felt when the epidural almost took over my entire body--when I was scared and my heart raced when that happened. I threw up when that happened.
Huh...well...I felt very foolish for a moment. But the Dr's helped me understand that it is normal and to not feel silly. That my emotions are real and that I over time should be better.
Well...here's to overcoming PTSD!
One night I was in bed and I all of sudden my heart started racing and I couldn't breathe. I started to gasp for air. My right side of my body felt numb and weak and I fell when I tried to get out of bed. Erwin and I were both startled and concerned enough to take me to the ER. It was...around 2:30 in the morning.
My wonderful mother in law ran to the store and got formula to be able to feed the baby and told us to not worry about the kids and to run to the hospital. I was so, so grateful for her support and love.
When we got to the ER, they had me lay down on a bed and they measured my oxygen levels. I kept gasping for breath and the saline IV they had put in me was making me nauseous. The room got very blurred and I couldn't see well. I felt very uneasy and then the room went black for a small moment. I freaked a little and told the nurse "I'm feel like I'm going to pass out!" And she in return said: "That's ok honey. You can pass out."
Huh? Noooo! That usually leads to the patient having a seizure or being rushed to emergency surgery or something. Right.....? Yeah, I watch WAY too many medical dramas. Sheesh.
I never did pass out, but I sure thought I was going to. It was a bad experience.
I was shocked when the nurse then said to me, "Sweetie, you are fine. I am showing that your heart rate is normal and blood pressure too. We will get you juiced up and observe you for an hour. Then you can go."
Eh? I'm fine?! I can't be fine! I can't breathe! My body is numb! I'm blacking out! I'm gonna vomit!
Then they explained to me that I was relieving and experiencing a mental and emotional flashback from my unbelievably scary experience when my spinal space was pierced. I was reacting to all the ways that I felt when the epidural almost took over my entire body--when I was scared and my heart raced when that happened. I threw up when that happened.
Huh...well...I felt very foolish for a moment. But the Dr's helped me understand that it is normal and to not feel silly. That my emotions are real and that I over time should be better.
Well...here's to overcoming PTSD!
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