Dreaded News

As we waited for the test results, I felt cold. I was not able to feel my fingers. I was nervous and couldn’t keep still. I tried to be calm without much success so I began pacing across the room. I guess the walking around was a bit annoying for my mother as she asked me to sit down.

The doctor finally called us to his office and broke the dreaded news. I had an ectopic pregnancy. For those who don’t know, Ectopic pregnancy is a complication whereby the embryo implants itself in the lining of the fallopian tube. In my case, the embryo had implanted itself in the left fallopian tube.

“Is that why I was in so much pain?” I asked the doctor after recovering from the initial shock.

“Yes. You can experience pain in the lower abdomen, pain while urinating and in the worst condition, it can cause bleeding which can result into death.” He said.

“What?” I asked. “Am I alright?”            

“Yes, you are in a better place since we have managed to detect it early. We will have to terminate the pregnancy to avoid complications that come with it.”

“Oh my….” I whispered.

“What causes it?” my mum asked.

“Well, it can be caused by different things like smoking in women, use of IUD, pelvic inflammatory diseases among others.”

“But I don’t use or have any of them.” I quickly added.

“I’m so sorry but for now we have to deal with the situation at hand. We have to think of ways to make you well. We can set up surgery as soon as possible.”

“And will I be able to be a mum one day?” I asked tears streaming down my face.

“Yes you will. After the surgery we will show you ways to help you give birth without complications.” He said holding my hand.

I looked at my mother and I could see the pain in her eyes. She was trying to be strong for me. I was almost breaking down now. The doctors gave us a few minutes by stepping outside and I got a chance to cry. I cried out loud. Why was this happening to me? My mother held me close and let me cry.

Sick

The following morning, I woke up in pain! I had a sharp pain on my lower back and a headache which made me feel nauseas. I stretched my arms and felt my forehead and I was hot. I shouted my mum’s name but I was so weak that the voice didn’t go far. I had spent the night in our house so that I could return to the city the following day.

I tried calling her via the cell phone and she was really surprised. She came running into the room. Like the mum I knew her, she really panicked. She tried her best to load me into the car and then drove me to the nearest hospital. Fortunately for me, there weren’t many patients at that time so I got to see the doctor as soon as possible.

He felt my forehead before asking a million questions.  He was concerned when he asked if he pain was a bit like cramps and I said yes. He was surprised and asked I take more tests to be able to rule out any issues. The nurse directed me to the other room where my blood and urine sample was taken for the tests. Meanwhile, my mother and I sat on the waiting room waiting. We didn’t speak much. We made a lot of eye contacts to each other and it spoke so many words without even opening our mouths. I could see she was trying to assure me that I will be okay.

My phone vibrated and indicated that I had a message. I looked at i and saw it was from Fred. He was asking what time I would be getting home. Oh my Lord, I had even forgotten to let him know that I wasn’t feeling well!  I decided to call him back after the lab results are out.

I was called in into the doctor’s office after about an hour and a half. We sat down and face him. It was really hard trying to read the doctor’s face to know if there was anything wrong. He took the folder that was on his desk and started.

“We did some tests on your blood and urine but could not get any immediate issue. Your body is definitely trying to communicate that there is something going on. So the nurse went ahead and did further test on your blood but it came positive for pregnancy. Congratulations, you are pregnant!” he said.

“What?” I replied a little bit shocked.

“Yes, you are pregnant.”                                                     

My mother was now trying to grab my body for a hug but my mind was really trying to recollect. Yes, I wanted a baby but this was all strange. The symptoms that I had were really suggesting that I was ill.

“How far along is she?” my mum asked.

“We cant be really 100% sure not until further tests but am guessing three weeks.” The doctor said.

“Wow!” mum exclaimed.

“But what about the pain? What is causing that?” I asked holding my lower back.

“That is why I called you back here; we need to perform further tests to get the analysis.

The Visit to See Mum

That weekend, I drove to my mother’s house. This was actually the first time I was driving the car that we had received as a present by my father in law. Fred was always the one behind the wheel. The drive was smooth although I stopped on the highway on a shopping center to grab some snacks.

My mother was by the front of the house. She was on her favorite rocking chair with a woman’s pregnant magazine on her laps. When she saw me, she ran to where I packed the car and gave me a big hug.

“Hey mama.” I said.

“Hey baby, welcome home.”

She ushered me to the house and offered me a cup of tea. We always had this little tradition of having tea or coffee in those little English cups; the ones that comes with a saucer. It always made us feel a bit high class…without the accent!

The décor in the house had been changed. Most of the pictures that had been hanged on the walls had been removed. I guess she wanted to remove some of dad’s photos. Even the couch that was always by the fire-place too had been moved to the window. It really looked cool and showed how the old style was outdated.

Back to my mother, she looked all well although I couldn’t figure out what she wanted to talk about. She had on a black linen trousers and a white blouse. She was fabulous. As we sipped on more tea, I asked her what the issue was.

“Mum, what is it?” I asked.

“Nothing is wrong my dear. I wanted to have an important conversation with you since you have to know.”

“What?” I asked nervously.

“I had talked to your brother earlier and told him I wanted to move closer to the city.”

“Like to visit or moving permanently?” I asked.

“Like in moving permanently.” She answered while pouring herself another cup of tea.

“What? But why mum?”

“Your dad is not here anymore my child. This house is too big for me and I am lonely. Most of my friends have careers, I have none.”

“Oh mum!” I sighed.

“I was thinking I rent this place up and go get a smaller house in the city. I’ll be closer to your aunts and you guys.”

“It’s not a bad idea mum but will you manage the change?”

“I think I’ll manage.” She replied.

“I am not really for the idea but I’ll support you in whatever decision you make mum, I know it must have been hard for you being alone.”

“Thank you Catherine.”

Baby blues

The following days were a little busy with us. Fred and I helped out Ann and Mike by doing small things here and there like cooking food and taking it to them. Ann was still not really strong. I didn’t want her to do chores that would strain her so much. She was also receiving many visitors who came to share with her the joy of the newborn. Most of her pals from work were among them who paid a visit.

By this time, Ann’s parents had come and gone although they contacted them often. Mike’s parents came after a week and met with the new baby. They came with a lot of presents for Brad. It’s a good thing they bought a crib for him since Mike had not purchased one for the baby. The premature birth changed all of their plans. Some diapers were brought along and they did the most precious thing a grandparent could do to his grandkid – they opened a savings account for Brad and deposited a good sum of cash with a promise of paying a little every month to be able to sustain his education and well-being.

Back to us, Fred and I had discussed our option on starting a family. Seeing baby Brad kicked our instincts right up. Now I want a baby too. We have been trying since Ann came out of the hospital and it hasn’t happened yet. Fred keeps on telling me to be patient but have you ever tried being patient when you want something real bad? Everyday seems like a month! I pray to God that it happens soon.

My mother called me today morning and asked if I could go home and see her. That phone call really disturbed me. I wasn’t sure if I was to expect some sad news or not. Ever since dad passed on, I can’t help but feel that I would get some bad news at the other end of the line. I told Fred about this and he suggested I go see her as soon as possible. Maybe she just wants someone to talk to. Or she is really lonely. I’ll go see her this coming weekend. I couldn’t leave during the week since I was the one incharge of the department. The HR had gone out of town with Mrs. Wright for a national meeting held for emerging companies. So I had to keep watch of the office.

Homecoming

The next day, Ann’s mother came. She was really excited to meet her grandson. She couldn’t stop staring at him via the glass at the nursery. The baby had changed so much. He was looking healthier than when he arrived just a few hours ago. He had gained a few pounds and the doctors were happy. It meant he survived the worst of times.

Fred and I made sure to visit them each day after work. Mike had taken a leave from his work to be able to tend to his wife and kid. He was there for each moment. He didn’t want to miss anything. Ann really appreciated his efforts.

After about three weeks, Ann was finally able to take his son home. The doctors gave the go ahead after Brad gained a good amount of weight and showed no health issues. Ann on the other hand, was healthy and excited to have the baby with her. With Mike and Fred’s help, we decorated the house and cooked some food to welcome mother and baby home. Her parents were going to join us in welcoming the baby. It was unfortunate that Mike’s parents had travelled out of town for business at the time but they promised to come later on to visit and see the grandson.

Mike drove Ann to the house at exactly 2pm. She was really happy to see us all. On her hands, she was holding the precious bundle. She handed the baby over to her mother who in turn was so thankful. She started swinging the baby immediately. Her eyes started to water as she looked at the boy. I grabbed Ann and led her to the sofa.

“How are you feeling?” I asked.

“Very excited. Finally I can bring the baby home!” she replied.

“I can tell. Would you like a drink?” I asked showing her a jug of blended fruits.

“Yes please.”

I poured her a glass and offered the others too. We spent the rest of the afternoon listening to Ann’s mother stories of her experiences in raising kids. It was lovely to hear how babies can change someone’s life. She was giving an example of Ann and how she brought her and her husband closer. I looked at Ann’s dad face and could see him smiling. True, babies are a blessing to our lives.