8:16 PM
Keith Gilman
Last week, Wednesday, May 11, 2011 , we were outside working on the garden, when I got a call from my daughter. Bad news, they were admitting her into St. Josephs’ Hospital to induce her. Her blood pressure was high and her fluid retention was compromising her lungs, heart and kidney’s. I got the call around and by we were on the freeway. I was in such a panic that I don’t remember what I’d packed. By we were back in Phoenix
Early Wednesday the doctors had talked to my daughter and H (“H” is for Higinio, my daughter’s BF)…asking them to make a decision on whom to save, my daughter’s life or my grandson’s. Both of them had a tough decision to make….it’s a good thing that they are very mature for their age. They decided to save my daughter’s life, which was not an easy decision. It broke all of our heart’s that that decision had to be made. I went in to talk to them both after the doctor’s left to ask if they were sure about the decision they had just made. I told them, “You both need to make this decision, and later when all this is over, you can’t blame each other. H, you can’t blame Arielle, Ari you can’t blame H.” I told them to hold hands and look into each other’s eyes and tell each other their decision and also to tell each other that neither of them was to blame. And they did, my daughter looked at me and said, “It’s no one’s fault mom”. It melted my heart. The anesthesiologist had also come into my daughter’s room to see if they could give her an epidural for a c-section. Since she began retaining so much water she gained a lot of weight and she had open lesions all over her body, but mostly on her lower back. Because her lesions were infected, the anesthesiologist said, No….can’t give you an epidural Arielle, you are flying solo on this one. They couldn’t give her the epidural because they were afraid that whatever infection she had on her skin, they would be passing it on into her blood stream and spine. The only other way for her to have the baby by c-section was to put her under completely. But, the doctors said, that since she had so much fluid retention, if they put her under, they might not be able to bring her back. She really was on her own…I was so nervous and scared!! I tried not to show it, especially when I was by her bedside. I was afraid that if I started crying, I wouldn’t be able to stop or be of any help to her. At one point as I was smoothing her brow and putting a wet wash cloth on her forehead, I started thinking…” oh my goodness, I brought this sweet girl into this world…and now here she is, in pain!” I almost broke down then…But I took a deep breath and stayed strong.
Wednesday night was a rough night in the hospital, walking the halls, sitting on hard plastic chairs and sitting by her bedside, instructing her on how to breathe and get through each of the contractions. Thursday was bad also but finally at , my grandson, Reyes Higinio Joseph was born!! As soon as he was born he was whisked away by the pediatrician and nurses. H, told us that the baby was breathing and even crying. Something that none of us expected to happen. It was a miracle!!! My daughter was back in her room…and she was doing GREAT!!!
As of today, May 21, 2011 , a full week after his birth…he is making huge strides!! He truly is OUR MIRACLE!!!
Many thanks to Keith, who has been my rock, my strength and my love. He kept me sane through all of this!!
Also, thanks to all the people from Benson and around the country who were praying for my daughter and for Baby Reyes!! To my family, including Joy, who really supported us through these difficult times...!! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!
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| Baby Reyes 1/2 hour after his birth |
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| Baby Reyes 1/2 hour after his birth |
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| Baby Reyes a Week Old |
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