Do it anyway

It’s been awhile since I’ve wrote something and I must say I missed you guys. And the release writing gives me. Anyway I’ve been away because I was growing a baby!!

Becoming a mother has been a dream since I was little girl playing with my baby doll I named Elizabet. With all my health battles for awhile I didn’t think this would be possible for me. I’m so grateful that I was able to carry and birth this perfect little human.

Like everything with us, it wasn’t easy. Before we even started trying there were countless doctors appointments, test and decisions to be made. Trying to get multiple doctors in multiple specialties to agree if it’s the best time or even the best decision to try and have a baby is difficult but after a few months we had the green light. After that came the long part, trying for baby. Because of my PCOS and all the damage to my body from Intracranial Hypertension and surgeries I didn’t know if it would happen. It happened but boy did it take a long time. Seven months of waiting, wondering, watching to see what would happen. Finally in January of this year we found out we were expecting! Then came an even harder part, keeping this growing human inside of me and myself healthy for nine months. I had to convince an OBGYN to see me sooner than a normal pregnancy. I had more ultrasounds then typical pregnancies and I went to the high risk doctor and my OBGYN every two weeks. After that and an anesthesiologist work up we were cleared for a natural delivery.

Although I should’ve I didn’t anticipate my IH/PTC affecting my birth plan. I wanted to have a completely natural delivery no restrictions, no medications, But IH/PTC affects EVERYTHING and had other plans. Though I was cleared for a natural delivery, it had to be with minimal pushing. Because pushing can increase abdominal & intracranial pressure especially if you have a VP Shunt. Once labor started my head started throbbing, my shunt felt clogged and I was in so much pain I couldn’t get up to move around and help progress my labor. So here comes the epidural. Now if you have IH, you’re no stranger to spinal taps and epidurals are very similar. Getting the epidural was easy, it was everything that happened after that was traumatizing. I became numb everywhere, extremely fast. I couldn’t swallow, my blood pressure dropped, I was in and out of consciousness, babies heart rate dipped. It was scary. The doctors think it’s either because of the way my body metabolizes medication or because of the previous surgeries I’ve had in my spine, idk but if you’ve had multiple spinal surgeries it can happen for you too(make sure to do testing before and pay attention to how your body feels). At the end I had to have an emergency c-section but my beautiful baby boy Ezra Allen Easley was born healthy and everything else that had happened made no difference.

So im sure some of you are wondering why I just explained this story. Because people have asked me how my pregnancy was and if my conditions affected it. The answer is YES. Also I wanted to let my fellow warriors know potential risk for them and that it’s possible. Intracranial Hypertension, Epilepsy, Chiari, PCOS all played some role in my story. What I learned though is that chronic conditions affect EVERYTHING and things may have to change, they will be harder but doing those things regardless of that fact is almost always worth it. For a long time I feared having a child, even though it was my dream. What if he was sick like me? What if I couldn’t carry a child? What if his life was inherently harder because of my health issues? What if the delivery wasn’t possible for me? I still don’t have all the answers but I know that i’m so glad and grateful I took the leap anyway.

Even if you are one of my able-bodied followers there is a lesson in this story for you too. Your current situation or past decision may have a lasting affect on your future but don’t let that stop you from trying to do anything. I got my son out of it and even with everything the extra doctors appointments, the planning, the worry, the pain, the change of plans, the affect these illnesses had on my body. I wouldn’t trade it for the world. DO IT ANYWAY