Mallory & Macy on their 16th birthday (1/27/2010) standing under the counted cross-stitch samplers I started while I was on pregnancy bedrest at 21 weeks.

As it snows outside today, I remember the awful snow storm we received sixteen years ago, as that was the day my million-dollar miracle babies were born.  The weather was too bad for a helicopter to fly me to Omaha, so I was put in Trendelenburg position (feet above my head to relieve pressure on the cervix) and given drugs to try to stop labor and more drugs to speed up the development of the twins’ lungs.  I remember the doctor saying, “Your tummy is a way better incubator than any hospital.”

But the drugs didn’t work in time. Six doctors and fifteen nurses were called in to help out at our small local hospital for my emergency C-Section.

At 10:52 pm and 10:53 pm, I gave birth to the tiniest babies I’d ever seen, born over 13 weeks before they were supposed to come into this world…

Twin A: Mallory Joan, 2 lb 6 oz
Twin B: Macy Annette, 2 lb 9 oz

Notice the size of the nurse’s fingers compared to the size of Macy’s arms and legs (Twin B)! My wedding ring could fit around them. And Mallory was even smaller. I tell them they could have fit in a Velveeta cheese box.

The doctors didn’t think the girls would live through the night, and our pastor came down to the hospital to baptize the girls. My husband named them while I was still in the recovery room, and I remember practically sitting up in bed when I heard that they let him name them (let’s just say I would have named them differently).  I think the grandmas may have helped as they have their grandmother’s middle names.

I wasn’t even put in the maternity ward after surgery, as I’m presuming they thought it would be too devastating for me. I got to see the babies for one brief minute before they were flown to St. Joseph Hospital in Omaha. A helicopter would have been too rough of a ride for them, so they were transported in a medical airplane.  I remember receiving a bill from the City of Norfolk for having to do snow removal to clear the airport’s runway for the plane.

It was not an easy journey the first year (as you can read under Macy & Mallory’s NICU Story), and they still like to try my strength and patience at times. I’m surprised I don’t have any gray hairs yet!

Happy Birthday Girls! I love you! ~Mom

My daughter, Macy has a high pain tolerance. I attribute it to the fact that she endured a lot surgeries and setbacks as an infant.  She was a very high-maintenance child, and I could actually tell when she was sick as she would be still, quiet and not throw her normal tantrums.  So now when she does actually complain of not feeling well, which isn’t often, I know something is definitely wrong with her.

Since Macy’s stomach has been hurting on her main incision line across her abdomen and not stretching as she grows, I made an appointment with the surgeon. The other indented scars seen above are from her colostomy and bile drainage tubes.

We went to see Dr. Stephen Raynor at Children’s Hospital in Omaha last week, the same surgeon that performed all of Macy’s surgeries as an infant. He remembered her well, saying she was responsible for all of his gray hair. It was nice to catch up with him, as we haven’t seen him in over a decade.

We scheduled exploratory surgery for October 5th, as the doctor thinks she most likely needs some hernias repaired. He will also be able to do some scar revision and remove some adhesions. Macy is sometimes upset that she will never have a bikini-perfect tummy, but I told her she should be proud of her battle wounds, for without them, she would not be alive today.

We could have scheduled the surgery sooner, but Macy is also a certifiable socialite and didn’t want to ruin any already made plans.  She was fussing a lot today of stomach pain, so much that I offered to call the hospital and see if I could move up her surgery. But I just got the eye-rolling look that she is not going to miss the big Homecoming dance. Everyone has priorities.

I had an appointment with Dr. Jim Albin today – the same obstetrition / gynecologist that delivered my preemie twins over 15 years ago.  I gave the nurse this web address to read Macy and Mallory’s story, and realized I have no current pics of my million dollar miracle babies on here. And none in my purse either. What kind of doting mother am I? So, here is a picture taken at the twins’ confirmation on Palm Sunday this year. And you get to see my shining face as well. 

The twins looked identical at birth, except for Macy had bigger feet. They were in separate sacs, but shared a placenta, so doctors said they could either be identical or fraternal.  Seeing them now, they are definitely fraternal!  Both girls have always been ”short and skinny” for their age, but Mallory (shown right) is the taller and thinner one of the two. And their demeanors are complete opposites!

So I haven’t been feeling well lately and have been experiencing abdominal pelvic pain. I’m sure I’ve met my insurance deductible* just on running various tests (my pesky gallbladder wasn’t the culprit after all).  Today Dr. Albin diagnosed me with a uterine fibroid tumor in the wall of my uterus. Couple that with polycystic ovarian disease, abdominal free fluid, endometrial hyperplasia, yadda yadda yadda, and the only sure-fire treatment is a total hysterectomy. I’m scheduled for surgery on June 22nd.

I know I’m still in child-bearing years at age 36, but I also know I don’t want any more biological children.  Heck, raising the four I have now alone has been stressful enough! And with my oldest now off to college, my baby making days are over!  Miss Tatym was quite estatic that she will forever be “my baby”. And I will not miss the way-too-heavy menstrual periods that I’ve had the past five years. Here’s wishing myself a speedy recovery to get on with my life!

*Maybe I should add “Group Health Insurance” to my Date Application Requirements.