OF A SPECIAL BOY

So two years ago today, I was a patient. I had been admitted at exactly thirty eight weeks for an elective Cesarean section. Woke up very early in the morning, my c/s was scheduled for midday and since I really don't love hospitals I promised my doc that I would be there very early. My hubby drove us there and we went through the rigorous boring process of admission. Now I was really not amused to be on the receiving end of the medical personnel. First, the labour ward was so busy, the place was just crawling with women, some looking more pregnant than I was. I was tossed into a waiting room to await admission or was it a free bed? For some reason, I didn't look like I needed urgent attention because it took us over two hours to get the basic vital signs taken, someone to listen to my little man's heartbeat deep inside my belly and eventually get a gown and a bed! Now we medics are the worst patients and you can imagine that I had started thinking the worst, like maybe there's a cord choking him and no one cares....my BP is rising and these people are not bothered...terrible!

So eventually I got settled in, even wore that gown that is open behind...(why is it even called a gown really????) and waited for my midday appointment(....with anesthesia....what if I wouldn't wake up, what if the anesthetist pushed the tube down the wrong pipe? what if I bled uncontrollably? DAMMIT). My sis and pals were there too, I guess for comfort but am sure they were more interested in the little life that was about to pop. Hubby threw in a comment of how ObsGyn would be an ideal speciality to pursue, I looked at him like SERIOUSLY??? I can't do that? Its too bloody, too messy, too painful every excuse I had in my brain. By the time Midday arrived, he had even drawn up my study timetable for those three months I would be home for maternity leave, an Old Currents Text Book which had been handed down through his family reappeared and let's just say that battle I lost!

So my flamboyant Obstetrician arrived, in full pomp, dressed to kill as always and announced to me that she was very sorry, theatre was occupied with emergencies and her midday slot had been taken by someone. The best she could do for me was schedule me for 7pm that night. Ordinarily that should have been understandable, but tell that to a term pregnant woman and its not the same. I waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaailllllllled!!!Wololo! (Yes I will blame it on the hormones)! OK, this particular pregnancy had been difficult. I remember I used to throw up even at the slightest smell of even water! SERIOUSLY! I remember working at the clinic and some women would come wearing designer perfumes(I sincerely hope they were though) and the moment she would enter my cubicle I would rush to the loo to throw up! and this was at the seventh month! Secondly, the little man inside of me would give me such intense hunger pangs that I actually used to get tremors. I actually walked away on patients in the consultation room to go get a bite. Thirdly, my tummy grew so huge so fast I got so tired of people asking me "you've not yet delivered?" Damn them! Fourth, I had a backache from beginning to the end, add the over sized belly to the equation and disaster! As for my Sex life.................(no words)! So, I was really tired, I wanted him out yesterday! and now, my appointment pushed to 7hours later, torrential downpour!

So at exactly 7pm, I was wheeled to theatre and my son was delivered. a Healthy baby boy, with a perfect APGAR score( I think this is the one and only question I asked when I came out of the deathly throes of anesthesia, ) Two years down the road, he brings us so much joy! He wakes up with a smile, he hugs me all the time, he obsesses over his sister like a brother should , he looks up to his father and tries to fit in his shoes...literally, he feeds so well, he tumbles and falls all over everything! His little mouth is full of teeth, of late, he has started throwing tantrums all over..terrible two at the peak! He has the cutest smile ever, little arms that hug so tightly and he now has a huge vocabulary of words, sometimes he says very funny things we keel over in laughter!

Two years down, am an ObGyn in the making. Loving every moment of this wonderful journey, and trying hard to always think of my patient as myself. Happy Birthday Baby G, I think it's time we dropped the baby and just said Happy Birthday G!