This is the same story that was posted on the other board but I have added a short update.

March 13,1999

Jameson was born on June 20, 1989. He was my third baby. My second baby broke his collar bone on his delivery so we were worried. We used our HMO and were told since this was my third birth I should use the nurse midwives. I told them that was fine but I wanted to give birth at the hospital because I didn't like the idea of using the birthing facility. We had an ultra sound about 2 weeks before he was due and were told that this was a big baby. The sono showed that his chest was bigger than his head. We questioned the mid-wives involved whether or not he could get stuck and they said," No problem, once the head comes out the rest of the body follows easily." I also informed them that in previous births my water needed to be broken because I have tough membranes. I need to mention this was my husband?s first baby. My other children were from a previous marriage. The day of delivery arrived at about 3:00 in the morning. I got up and showered and took my time to make sure this was the real thing. By 4:00 we were
on the way to the hospital. We had called ahead and the mid-wife said she would be there. When we arrived the nurse in charge was wonderful. She stayed with us almost constantly. We met the doctor on call. (She was drinking coffee in her street clothes.) At about 5:00 or so the mid-wife came and we again discussed our fears with her. I told her that I felt sure I would need an episiotomy. She said no problem. At about 9:00 she told us that she felt my labor was going slowly and that her son was here visitng from out of town and she really wanted to spend time with him. She called another mid-wife colleague to come and stay with us, then she left. At about 11:00 the other mid wife had still not shown up. The nurse called her and she said she couldn't come until her morning appt. were all seen. She finally arrived sometime after noon. She decided to break my water and the baby was born within 10 minutes. Everything we had discussed with the previous mid-wife was out the window. My husband who had no idea what
was normal had complete trust in the "system" He wasn't a good advocate for me (I don't blame him for that, he really didn't know what to do). By this time I was completely exhausted. It was almost impossible to find the strength to push. The mid-wife didn't do an episiotomy. She didn't communicate with us at all. After the head came out she told me to stop pushing. My husband told me later that the cord was wrapped around the baby's head. She never told me to push again. She started to pull on his head with all her might. I thought she was going to pull his head off!! Another nurse happened to peek in the door right then and she yelled, "Oh my God", she jumped up onto me and started to push on my abdomen. She really saved my baby's life. I never knew who she was and I never saw her again. I was in shock and don't remember much but the pain (I ripped all the way through to my rectum) and the doctor coming in, still in street clothes and saying flippantly, "You didn't say it was rapid labor!"
Jameson was 9lb.8 1/2 oz. His head measured 35cm. and his chest was 37 cm. I knew as soon as I saw him that his arm was broken or something. The hospital just pinned his shirtsleeve so his arm wouldn't flop around and told us he would be fine soon.
He was x-rayed numerous times and the x-rays were fine. We finally told them to leave our son alone and we drove him to the children?s hospital in Phoenix to see a Nuerologist. We saw Dr. Frost there and he told us everything he could about Erbs palsy. Our HMO didn't want to pay for Dr. Frost so we ended up going to an arm specialist in Tucson. It has been almost ten years since this all happened and it is still painful to write it. Jameson has been through hell in many ways. I feel sorry that because of other people?s selfishness my son will have to suffer his whole life. He has partial use of his hand, no use of his fore arm. His elbow is fused in a bent position and his shoulder is stiff and fused. He can only lift his hand to about his Adam?s apple, maybe his chin if he bends his head down. He is teased by bad kids in his school and has more than once uttered the words, "I wish I had never been born". My heart breaks for my beautiful son. He really is compassionate to others problems and I hope his weakne
ss becomes a strength to him some day.

Updated February 8, 2001

Jameson had the Mod-Quad surgery at TCH in July 1999. He now can lift his arm to the ?I swear? position. He is home schooled now along with his brother. We?re in a really good group and Jameson is doing great.
We no longer have therapy because the insurance ran out but he does work on his own. Not as much as I wish but he tries. I think the surgery helped him but I know he will still face more in the future. He is much more pain free than he was before and we have noticed his arm seems to be growing more.


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