BROWNSBURG — Simply put, COVID-19 during pregnancy changed Misty Monson’s life.
Before contracting the virus, Monson said her family took precautions, but also lived their lives. Monson said her husband David was in and out of grocery stores for work during the height of the pandemic and the family stayed safe.
“I kind of thought of it like a cold, like the flu. I didn’t worry about it too much,” Misty Monson said.
Chase was the final piece of the puzzle for the Monson family. Misty said she knew her third pregnancy would be her last and in the early months, it went smoothly.
“Everything was good. I felt great. There was no indication that anything was wrong,” Monson said.
That all changed at 29 weeks. Monson said, like normal, she was running around town with her children to different practices and school when she noticed she could not taste. She got a test and quarantined until she got the results – it was positive.
Monson’s husband tested positive as well; her two children did not.
After quarantine for several days, Monson was advised to go the ER where she was soon transferred to Ascension St. Vincent. What happened next was a blur.
“To be all alone it’s a little scary — even as an adult,” Monson said.
While hospitalized, her condition quickly worsened, and she was moved to the ICU.
“I just remember screaming and just asking them to help me breathe. I couldn’t breathe,” Monson said.
Nine days after first being admitted, she was placed on both a ventilator and ECMO.
“One person started putting in a port and another person was putting in one ... and I just sat there and I was like please slow down just a little bit so I can see my husband," Monson said. "I didn't know if I was gonna wake up afterwards or be the same or be me when I do, and so like I just want to tell my husband that I love them."
During the week she remained on life saving machines, Monson gave birth via emergency C-section, nine weeks before her due date. Her little boy was named Chase. He weighed just over three pounds and went straight to the NICU.
“It’s an experience I hope I never have to do again,” Monson said.
Almost a week after he was born and after Monson was removed from ECMO and a ventilator, the now mother of three was able to meet Chase for the first time.
Monson was discharged in late September, but went back religiously until Chase was released right before Thanksgiving.
“It becomes very emotional between the provider and the patient and I just remember her looking at me and saying you know please do everything you can to keep me alive so that I get to meet my baby,” Dr. Tovah Buikema, the Director of Maternal Fetal Medicine at Ascension St. Vincent, said. She lead Monson’s care team.
Dr. Buikema said pregnancy and COVID-19 is ever changing with each wave.
“We’re seeing a much higher risk of stillbirth and much higher risk of devastating outcomes for the fetuses and the babies, very devastating effects on the moms and pregnancies,” Dr. Buikema said.
MORE: Dr. Buikema's Q & A on COVID-19 and pregnancy
At the beginning of this month, the CDC estimated around 40% of pregnant Americans ages 18-49 were fully vaccinated. Dr. Buikema, along with other public health experts, urge vaccinations among pregnant and breastfeeding women.
“I think that those of us that are taking care of these patients are just begging our patients that have been hospitalized to go back to their communities, and help us spread the word of what can happen to otherwise healthy patients who contract COVID-19 during pregnancy,” Dr. Buikema said. “I think that we feel like we're doing the best job that we can as the OB providers in the community, but sometimes, it has to come from the patients that have survived the worst of the worst. We’ve asked Misty and all of our other patients that have been lucky enough to survive the worst case scenario to go back to their communities and help us advocate to the pregnant moms in their community to get the vaccine and to do everything they can to try and avoid being the next statistic in the ICU.”
Monson was not vaccinated when she went through her journey. At the time she got pregnant, Monson said there was not much information out there when it came to vaccinations and pregnancy. In the days before she got the virus, her and her husband were doing more research on it after she had a discussion with her doctor.
“I did just go get my shot because I never want to put my family through that again. It was a scary, scary three months," she said.
Today, Chase is gaining weight, smiling and learning tummy time. Monson is just grateful to be here, to continue being a daughter, a wife and a mom. She thanks her and Chase’s care teams for their unwavering support both in and out of the hospital.
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