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My pregnancy was a normal pregnancy, I had morning sickness, was constantly tired, felt like a whale and was anxious about giving birth. I also had a normal vaginal delivery with no complications and gave birth to a healthy 9pd 3 oz boy.
After I had given birth I can remember thinking, god I feel so alive. However, the next morning when I woke up, I had very sore muscles in my legs. I figured that was from having my legs pushed so far back by the midwives whilst giving birth (I had one on each foot pushing back) and it was to be expected.
By late that afternoon I was struggling to get out of bed and walk and had this dull constant throb in my pelvic area and tops of my legs. If I had to go anywhere I would take the trolley that my son was in with me so I could lean on it for support. This is when a nurse noticed me and told me off for leaning on the trolley. When I told her I had to as it hurt to walk, she sent me straight back to my room.
It was then that two nurses came in and asked me to do some simple things, stand up from the chair, and try to raise each legs separately. Each one of those tasks left me crying and wincing in pain, I was surprised. It was then I was told it looked like I had SPD. I have since however learnt that I actually had DSP where the pelvis separates.
I was told that there was nothing that could be done. A physio would come and give me a support belt that I had to wear in order to keep my hips together. I was also required to not get out of bed at all, and lay on my side with my legs together and given various pain relief, as by that stage I was in constant pain.
When they told me what I had to do, I cried and cried, I can still remember the feeling of hopelessness that washed over me, it still upsets me even today if I think about it. I couldn’t get up to my baby at all, every time he cried or needed to be fed, I had to call a nurse to get him for me. I even had to eat laying on my side through a straw.
To make matters worse, 3 days before my son was born, my partner had torn his Achilles tendon and was in hospital at the same time having it operated on. We were told the recovery for each of us could be up to 6 months and that he would be on crutches for at least 3 months.
I was also told that I would have to be bedridden for at least 6 weeks or maybe longer and that I would have to use a Zimmer frame for support. How were two people that couldn’t even get out of bed unaided supposed to care for this tiny baby.
Seven days after I went to hospital I was allowed to leave. We left with my partner in a wheelchair holding our brand new baby, and me shuffling along on a Zimmer frame. I was scared to say the least. I am a very independent person and to have to become reliant on others was a hard thing to accept.
My mum stayed with us to help until things became easier. She cooked meals, did the washing and got up all through the night to get my son and bring him to me to be fed and then return him to his cot. I was taking panadine forte to ease the pain so it meant that I was constantly sleeping and spent all day and night dozing in bed in between crying as I was in pain and felt so hopeless constantly.
To have to get out to even go to the toilet would leave me sobbing, I think it really got to my mum, hearing me crying out in pain trying to get out of bed. I would sit in a chair to feed my son crying the entire time as the pain was so bad and I knew it would be worse when I had to climb back into bed.
I rang every help number and physio I could find and I was astounded at the lack of information and help available to people who have DSP. The doctors and physios told me there was nothing I could do, I just had to lay down with my legs together, limit movement and it would take time, a few weeks or a few months, no one knew. I just couldn’t understand how there was nothing that could be done at all.
After about 6 weeks I was able to get out of bed a bit easier and wasn’t using the Zimmer frame so much, to be able to breastfeed Oscar. It probably took another few weeks before I could manage normal tasks without pain, such as putting on clothes and getting out of bed. Though if I had to move my legs apart greatly, it would still hurt over the next couple of years.
It took us over 3 years before we even considered having more children. I am now pregnant with #2 and have the familiar pains of SPD. I am hoping that as I know more this time around, and that more information is available, I will be better able to cope.
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