Let's go back a bit -
So its 2003, I am 25 weeks pregnant and on a Friday afternoon, whilst in work, my boss dropped the bombshell that I was to be made redundant!!! Ok so work had dried up and it was obvious that things were not going to get better but there was that thought at the back of my mind 'Who in their right mind would employ someone at over 7 months pregnant??', 'Where do I go from here?', 'How will we pay the rent let alone prepare for parenthood?'
Back home my fiance, Andy, and I, decided that I would just take maternity leave earlier and have the last month or so relaxing! Perfect!
And that is exactly what I intended to do, Relax.................. but............ waking up one very early Friday morning, now at 26 weeks pregnant, unemployed, and bursting for the loo (for the 8th time since going to bed!!!) and I noticed that my right thumb was completely numb!!!! It felt very odd but I didn't worry, in fact I think I may have even giggled because it felt so weird!!
That morning, at a more reasonable time, I told Andy about my, still very numb, thumb, we came to the conclusion that I had slept awkwardly on my hand, Andy went off to work and I settled back into bed to watch a DVD.
When the credits were rolling, I woke up, having missed ½ of the film and again really needed the loo!!!! Typical, I was all comfy too!! lol!!
I went to get out of bed, which was getting awkward with my very large bump and needing the toilet really wasn't helping!!! As I put both feet on the floor and stood up, the whole right side of my body collapsed!!! It was as if there was a big lead weight running down that side of my body, I could not feel it or move it well enough to stand, so I kind of crawled to the phone! I called my mum who told me that it sounded like the baby was sitting on a nerve and to call the gp, so feeling a little more re-assured I called the docs, got an appointment for 20 mins time, the surgery was literally at the end of my street so I just had to get myself washed and dressed. I was able to stand by this point but was fairly wobbly!
At the surgery they called me in to see the Doctor, who told me the same as mum had said, that the baby was probably compromising a nerve but that if the feeling hadn't completely returned by Monday I was to go back for blood tests! Feeling much better I went home and waited for Andy to return from work.
By the following morning I still had a numb right arm and numb right leg except now the right side of my face and tummy had joined in the fun too!!
We both agreed that I should call the maternity hospital just to ask for some advice. The midwife that I spoke to was very nice but she did say that because of the amount of numbness that I had and because it had gone on for over 24 hrs, it would be better to get it checked out at the main hospital in Bath.
So we asked a friend to drop us off at the RUH, on the way she joked that we didnt have an over night bag, to which I replied that I was only going in for a chat and that I didn't need to stay overnight!!!! How wrong I was!! I was 28 weeks pregnant when I was discharged a fortnight later!!!!!!!......................... to be continued
