Well, here's how it played out...

Without getting into every single horrid detail I labored like a champ for hours. Anesthesia was called in when I reached 5 cm, right after I received 2 doses of Fentanyl via IV...ah, yes, Fentanyl. I'm fairly certain I continued to feel my contractions, but I was able to get outside of my own head for a few short moments. At that time the Magnesium Sulfate was started and I was back in my own personal hell. It seemed as though the room's temperature increased to, what I feel like Hell's foyer must feel like. My Aunt Susie was putting rags soaked in ice water on my neck and head and that still wasn't enough to make me feel any kind of relief. Enter the Anesthesiologist...Chad. My epidural was placed, meds were bolused (pushed straight from syringe through epidural catheter) and I was good to go, or at least that was what was supposed to happen. Instead, 20 minutes later I'm feeling no relief, no tingling in my toes, nothing. Chad came back and pushed another bolus of medication and we waited. Again, nothing. With the contractions worsening we called Chad back to the room to reevaluate the epidural catheter placement and he decided to pull out the old epidural catheter and to start fresh with a new catheter being placed. He got it in and bolused meds once again. This time I feel nothing in my right leg and my first and second toe on my left side. One more push of meds should do it, right? Five minutes later everything changes. My ears are ringing, my voice sounds different to myself, then nothing is coming through, like being underwater. I began to sweat and have difficulty breathing. Thankfully the anesthesiologist was still there plus my Dr. was in the room with 2 nurses who were able to push epinephrine and thorazine and start me on oxygen. My blood pressure had dropped to 80/30!!! The baby didn't respond well to this incident and we were touch and go for a while. After I stabilized we were able to take the oxygen off and proceed with the induction. I thought I'd be able to make it through the duration of the delivery without any further complications, but I was wrong. I continued to labor until I was dilated to 8cm and having more pain than I was physically able to tolerate. My laboring seemed to stall at about 7-8cm for 3 hours or so and I couldn't imagine another 3 minutes, let alone, 3 hours so I started talking about options with my nurse who thought that talking with the anesthesiologist may be beneficial. He decided a couple of small boluses may do the trick. He knew about the hypotensive episode so I felt like I was in good hands. Unfortunately, the medications weren't working anyway so I threw in the towel...I called off the labor and opted for a c-section. Who knew there were a whole different set of risks that I needed to go over before we could proceed. Since my 2 epidurals were only partially effective the anesthesiologist though my dura may be sectioned, like the septums of an orange, and that's why I only received partial relief in certain areas. He was clear that he did not feel comfortable, or safe, doing a spinal block or using general anesthesia putting me under and that the only real option was to try to use the epidural that was currently in place to administer whatever anesthesia necessary during the operation. I agreed. I was prepped and taken to the O.R. for the cesaerean section. Josh was suited up and waited outside the O.R. until I was settled and they team was ready to begin. I don't remember everything about the c-section, but I do remember Dr. Brown lifting up the baby for me to see and thinking, "She's beautiful" and then seeing her swept away to be assessed. Her cry was soft and crackled and was the absolute most beautiful thing I'd eve heard. As those last thoughts escaped my head, my blood pressure began to bottom out again and there I was, swimming. I'd already resolved to die so when I looked over at my blood pressure and it read 78/28 I knew this was it. Luckily the anesthesiologist intervened and brought me and my vitals back to good. Theeeen, I hear Dr. Brown ordering meds stat and working vigorously beyond the big blue sheet. I asked what was going on and he said that my uterus didn't want to contract back to place but the thought they'd win. Really? All of this and I may still hemmorhage out? Jeez. Luckily, he was right and they got everything else under control rather quickly. I was in recovery shortly after where I got to see my beautiful baby girl and review the last few days with my sweet husband. It was a crazy and scary experience, but one that was unavoidable and thankfully, in the past.