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Reeling from the miracle that I had been given (in the previous post), I had no idea just how much one little baby could totally change my path in life. As I went through surgery after surgery, I hadn't really been given the chance to figure out who I really was outside of the girl who was always having medical issues. Every time that I started going to school again, I was interrupted with more surgeries. My studies would, yet again, be put on hold. It was expensive having surgeries. I couldn't afford both going to school and paying all of my medical bills, so I had to give up the one that wouldn't kill me if I let it go.
The surprise of a lifetime
Finding out that I was pregnant had left me dumbfounded by the miracle that was given to me. My family's first reaction was that I would possibly have to get rid of the child because of my medical condition, but I already knew that I was NOT going to do that. The Hippy Hubby was just as surprised as I was. We were given less of a chance to get pregnant than using a condom for contraceptive; it was easy to be surprised after that kind of diagnosis. While he was in the camp of wanting to do whatever kept me the safest, he also was very supportive of my wishes and lovingly stood by my choice to do whatever it took to have this miracle baby.
Bedridden and bored
Three days before my surgery had been scheduled, Dr. Moody and I met and decided to postpone it to the next year, after I had given birth. He said the anaesthesia and medication that I would need during the surgery would most likely kill the baby, if not cause all kinds of complications. I was very willing to postpone the surgery until after I had the baby. I was also told that I needed to be as careful as possible, not to do or lift anything that could cause further trauma to my tethered spinal cord. I had to meet with Dr. Moody once a month during my entire pregnancy, to monitor my spinal cord safety. The likelihood that a natural birth would cause too much trauma to my spinal cord was cause for us to decide upon a c-section pretty early on. I could not have anything injected into my spinal cord so I would not be able to receive an epidural for the c-section, and would have to be put under anaesthesia just before they were ready to take the baby. Once I started showing, I was put on bed rest and told to do absolutely as little as possible. Anyone who knows me personally knows how difficult "doing nothing" was for me. The Hippy Hubby made sure that I had a plethora of video games so that I would be entertained during the day while he was at work, and in the evenings we played Magic the Gathering together while binging our favorite shows on Netflix. He was a great help to keeping me sane during my pregnancy.
Preparing for a different kind of motherhood
During this pregnancy I wasn't just preparing for the normal things that every new mother prepares for, I was also preparing for what I thought was going to be "motherhood from a wheelchair". I bought a crib with drop-down rails and made sure that the baby changing table was at a height that I could reach from a chair. Surprisingly, I made it through my entire pregnancy without any real complications, only the minor things that scare every first-time mom.
A new reason for survival
It was very difficult for me having to wait an extra year to have my tethered spinal cord surgery. It was so torturous having to wait for my impending doom. It was a slow torturous process for me mentally. I spent a lot of time wondering what the future would hold for my family and me. Fortunately, impending motherhood helped to take my mind off of the negativity that would probably have manifested otherwise. The C-section was a breeze since I was under anaesthesia. When I awoke from my drug induced coma, the Hippy Hubby handed me our son and I was blown away. I couldn't believe how instantly I had fallen in love my little bundle of joy. I immediately forgot about anything related to my surgeries and life kind of came to a stand still as I fell into my new role. Through my son Syfy (Syfy's his internet name), I found a new reason to make it out of this upcoming surgery with the best outlook possible. Syfy was my new reason for survival.
