We made a quick stop in Cambelltown for a toilet break, and I made the agonising journey off the stretcher again. I was starting to think the pain would never go away. I asked one of the ambo's for some more pain meds, but she apologised and said the hospital hadn't sent any, all she had was panadol.
In Oatlands I was transfered to a new ambulance, and the team this time were quiet and withdrawn. I managed a little bit more sleep before we finally arrived at the hospital at 4.30pm.
I was taken up to the maternity ward and placed in a birthing suite. I don't really remember any of this. For example, I don't know how I got off the stretcher. I don't know if I was given more meds or signed any forms, I just remember being there. It's so strange having these gaps in my memory.
After what felt like forever, a nurse wheeled me down to the NICU to finally see my beautiful Ellie. Drew was there, and I think Levi was too. Drew had asked him to come down with him for moral support.
We sat there together for hours, staring at our little girl and not really understanding what was happening. At one point the doctor that had travelled to Hobart with her came along and talked to us about what we were seeing.
Ellie was in a humidicrib. She had tubes and wires coming out of her everywhere, measuring her heart rate and oxygen, and delivering morphine to keep her sedated. She was still intubated and also had a tiny little catheter inserted to monitor her output. She looked like a science project.
The doctor (I think her name was Kathryn) explained that while Ellie could breathe by herself, it was best to leave the tube in until they were sure she was going to be OK. They were monitoring her haemaglobin levels, as she had been born with only 20% of her required blood volume, and although she had had a transfusion it was taking a while for her levels to increase. She was also being given antibiotics as a precaution, and having blood cultures taken regularly.
Eventually Drew wheeled me back to my room. The hospital had arranged for him to stay at Ronald Mcdonald House across the road, and as it was getting late he left to get some sleep.
A nurse came in with more panadol and codine, the strongest drugs I'd been written up for, and I guess I finally went to sleep. It had been only 24 hours since the ordeal begun, and yet it felt like weeks had passed since Drew and I had made that seemingly unnecisary drive to Burnie to get a check up. I couldn't believe we had came so close to losing her.
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