All Clear
INVOLVED: Samuel Evans and Mercedes Jones TIME FRAME: Thursday, April 30, 2020 LOCATION: Doctor’s Office; Atlanta, Georgia SUMMARY: Mercedes and Samuel attend Mercedes 6-week postpartum check up and Dr. David gives them the all clear, letting Mercedes know that everything checks out.
Mercedes sat in the office, smoothing out the hideous blue gown that she was asked to change into for the examination. Her fingers began to play together now and she picked at her nails and wrung her fingers together idly as she rested quickly, waiting. She was nervous. After being diagnosed with PPD, she didn’t know what to expect anymore. The medication was helping, sure, but she was still working hard to get back to her usual self.
Samuel sat in the room, looking at nothing in particular as they waited for her doctor to join them for her 6-week appointment. He would have been very excited about this if the circumstances were different.
Mercedes looked over at Samuel for a moment before she went back to picking at her nails. Her tongue ran over her lips and she blew out a puff of air before she drug her fingers through her hair slowly, just fidgeting. She could not sit still.
Dr. David knocked on the door gently before he slowly cracked it open, poking his head inside.
Samuel looked over at Mercedes watching her before he looked away idly. All he could think about is how much he missed Carter right now, which was strange for him. However, he was obsessed with him lately and when they were away from him, which wasn’t often, he obsessed more.
Mercedes looked up slowly as Dr. David entered the room and she offered the man a small smile. “Hi, Dr. David,” she said softly. Looking over at Samuel, she shifted on the table and moved to lay back knowingly.
Dr. David smiled at Mercedes before he looked over at Samuel, smiling at the young man as well. “Hello, Mercedes,” he said, “how are you doing today?” he asked as he moved to wash his hands.
Samuel looked at Mercedes, confused as to why in the world she was so nervous. He nodded at the guy and said, “hi,” to him as he asked Mercedes how she was doing right now.
Resting there, Mercedes placed her hands over the pudge she carried in her stomach as she said, “I am… okay…” softly. It was the most she could muster up to describe how she was. “Getting there,” she added now, her hands tapping against her stomach softly.
Nodding at Mercedes a bit, Dr. David dried his hands before he pulled gloves on and he said, “good,” softly to her before he looked at Samuel, “and how are you?” he asked the boy knowingly as he sat down in his chair.
Samuel watched the doctor and he shifted in his seat. “Great,” he said to the man, unsure if that was literally how he felt but it served as a good answer in his opinion no matter.
Mercedes glanced over at Samuel as he spoke back to the doctor before she bit her lip. “Uh, what will today’s examination consist of?” she asked him curiously.
Dr. David used his feet to wheel their chair over to Mercedes on the examination table and he said, “well today I am going to be doing a physical examination that will consist of a pelvic exam, including a pap smear -- you had a bit of tearing when you gave birth so I’m going to make sure your stitches healed properly and dissolved, I’m going to do a breast examination to check for lumps and masses, including blocked milk ducts, I’m going to check your weight and blood pressure, and we’re going to take a bit of blood. All of this is done to determine that you’ve healed properly and that your body is bouncing back from pregnancy.”
Samuel listened to the man as he answered Mercedes' question, explaining all that he was doing in today's examination with her. He nodded his head slowly as he took all the information in for himself as well.
Mercedes nodded a bit as she took in the explanation that she had asked for and she said, “okay,” softly as she laid there. Looking over at Samuel once more, she bit her lip, wondering if he was going to stay for the full examination or excuse himself.
Nodding, Dr. David said, “I’m going to begin with the pelvic exam, so go ahead and place your feet in these stirrups,” he told Mercedes as he adjusted them for her.
Samuel shifted in his seat and said, “I’ll be in the lobby, okay,” to Mercedes as the man began the exam. He wanted to give her some privacy while this all happened.
Mercedes nodded at Samuel, watching as he exited the room and she bit her lip as she looked back to the doctor.
<hr>
Mercedes sat in the office with her hands in her lap now, hands laced together between her thighs as she waited for Dr. David to give them the summary of her examination.
Samuel sat beside Mercedes and he looked over at her. “You good?” he asked her curiously as he took her in. Day to day it was different, so he had to asked often to make sure.
“I am okay,” Mercedes said to Samuel softly as she leaned over in her chair, laying her head on his shoulder.
Dr. David walked through the open door slowly, closing it behind him as he held Mercedes’ review in his hands. Walking past the couple, he moved around his desk to sit down before them. He sat the papers down on the counter as he looked at the couple.
Samuel nodded his head at her, looking down as the girl rested her head against his shoulder. He pecked her forehead gently as her doctor surfaced. When he did he watched the man as he placed the paperwork onto the desk before them.
Mercedes rested against Samuel’s shoulder comfortably as he pecked her forehead. She let out a content sigh before the doctor walked in and sat down before them. She looked to the man, watching him closely.
Dr. David looked over the paperwork a bit more before he looked at Mercedes and Samuel. “Well, Mercedes your examination checks out,” he said to the couple. “Your stitches healed beautifully, there’s no scarring,” he told Mercedes. “Your breast examination checks out as well, no lumps or masses, also your milk ducts don’t have any blockages which is great.” He flipped to the next page in her report. “Blood work looks good, though you are a bit calcium deficient, so I am suggesting you start some calcium supplements.”
Samuel waited for the man to speak and give them everything he was waiting to hear far as the results went. He nodded his head at the doctor. “Okay,” he said, “good,” he told the man considering overall everything was perfect with the girl and he was sure the supplements would be something she’d deal with for a long period of time.
Mercedes nodded, taking in the information as Dr. David gave it. It was all good news, which she was happy about. “Do you suggest a specific kind of calcium supplement?” she asked gently.
“Any calcium supplements would suffice but I can give you a list of the better brands,” Dr. David told her, looking between the two and he nodded before he went on. “That being said, we can now discuss your diagnosis,” he began carefully. “How have you been connecting with Carter Mercedes?” he asked before he looked at Samuel. “Do you see any positive differences in Mercedes outlook on everything?” he asked.
At the man’s words he nodded his head again and he changed the topic to her PPD. Samuel looked at the man as he fired off questions and she licked her lips gently letting Mercedes answer first before he did, and he said, “I think she’d been better,” quietly. “Interacting with Carter more and a little more upbeat” he nodded slowly.
Taking in the answer, Mercedes nodded before Dr. David began speaking on her diagnosis and she sighed gently as she lifted her head from Samuel’s shoulder. “I’ve felt… okay…” she said quietly. “Uh, Carter is great…” she said as well. “He’s discovered his fingers and his feet,” she said a small smile tugging at her lips before she shrugged. “I… I enjoy him,” she said gently, “spending time with him… is fulfilling…” she explained herself. She loved her child of course, that was a given.
Dr. David began to jot down a little as he listened to their responses and he said, “good, good, I am glad to hear that the medication seems to be working. We’ll continue you on your current dosage and check back in three weeks,” he said before he looked at his report. “The main question on most people mind after the 6 weeks examination is, when can we start having sex?” he said to the couple, “and Mercedes I am clearing you right now, if you feel up to it,” he said knowing the medication she was on could affect her sex drive. “Your vaginal examination checked out, your uterus is closed back up and you’re good to go,” he told the couple. “Now would you like to discuss birth control options?”
Samuel listened to the man as he spoke and he nodded his head feeling himself that the medicine was working despite the doubts that he had before. He licked his lips, as the man went on to talk about them acting on sex once again now that she was in the clear. He didn’t look at Mercedes instead he continued to look at the man as he brought up birth control, he then looked over at Mercedes.
“Okay,” Mercedes said softly in reference to staying on the medication and checking back in, in a few weeks. As the man went on to speak about sex, she dropped her eyes as she nodded. She was cleared to have sex. Samuel would be expecting sex. Biting her lip hard, she began to gnaw on it as she asked, “yes, what are my options?”
Dr. David nodded and said, “well, being that you’re breastfeeding I would suggest POP, progestin-only pill, it’s mainly called the ‘mini-pill’, Depo-Provera which is the shot, and one of two IUD’s Mirena or Skyla.” Looking between the two he said, “all of these are safe for you and the baby and are the most popular forms. I would go with the shot or the IUD if I were you, the pill is very easy to forget about as a new mother. You have so many other things on your mind.”
Samuel looked at Mercedes as she asked for options and he looked back at the doctor listening to his suggestions. He took them all in and heard what the man suggested; he looked back at Mercedes to see what decision she’d make about birth control.
Licking her lips slowly, Mercedes rubbed her lips together. “I will try the shot,” she said gently after she thought it over. “You get it every three months, right?” she asked the man.
Dr. David wrote down Mercedes' choice before he said, “each shot has a different time frame but yes, Depo-Provera is every three months. “We can get you started on that today if you’d like Mercedes,” he said to them.
Samuel watched her make her decision after thinking about it and he looked back at her doctor. His eyes moved from one person to the next as they spoke to each other. The man said they could give her the shot today and he looked back at Mercedes as he waited to see what she was going to say.
Mercedes gnawed on her lip gently, feeling Samuel’s eyes on her and she nodded at the man. “Let’s do that,” she said softly, dragging her fingers through her hair.
Dr. David looked between the couple and he nodded slowly, something felt a bit off, but it wasn’t his place to say anything, so he didn’t. “Of course, I’ll have a nurse administer your first dosage before you leave today and get you set up to come back in three months for your next one,” he said easily as he flipped through the summary. “Overall, Mercedes I am happy to say that you’re right on schedule for six weeks postpartum but of course if you have any questions or concerns, please don’t be afraid to ask,” he said easily, looking between the two.
As Mercedes gave her go ahead on the birth control and he licked his lips looking at her doctor and nodding his head. Samuel didn’t assume her opting in taking birth control meant they were going to have sex at all, but it was good to know that she was planning ahead for them both.
Mercedes nodded at the man, glancing over at Samuel finally before she looked back to the doctor and said, “I don’t have any questions or anything…”
Letting out a hum, Dr. David nodded at the couple and he moved to stand up. “Well, in that case, it’s been a pleasure being your doctor Mercedes,” he told her easily. “I’ll have a nurse come and get you for your shot and I’ll see you next time you’re expecting,” he smiled at them as he moved around the table, holding his hand out for them to shake.
Samuel watched the man as he moved to stand up and he smiled softly to him. “Thanks,” he told the man gently, he’d been a great help to them. As he moved to shake their hands, he did so willingly.
<hr>
Mercedes sat in the car, fiddling with the informational packet that she was given by the nurse about the birth control shot, along with her summary of the visit. Looking over at Samuel out the corner of her eye she said, “I don’t know If I’m ready to have sex again…” she whispered.
Samuel drove down the road quietly and he made a left turn at the light as he adjusted the radio. At her comment he looked over at her and then back at the road, he didn’t say anything to her because he didn’t know why she randomly blurted that. “Okay.”
Gnawing on her lip, Mercedes nodded at Samuel and she said, “I… I know that you… have a very high sex drive…” she whispered, looking away from him as she tucked hair behind her ear before her fingers returned to fiddling with the packet. “I… I just… with the medication… and… my body… and… I just, I don’t think I can…” she said gently. “I… I’m sorry…” she whispered. “Just… please… give me some time…” she was begging him not to cheat on her in a way.
Samuel listened to her as she went on to explain further her thoughts on the topic and he said to her easily. “It’s not really a big deal,” with a shrug of his shoulders. He turned down the road their townhome sat on and he drove down the road towards it.
Mercedes kept her eyes low now as he spoke and she nodded slowly. She felt as if he was just saying that to appease her. However, she would take it. “T-Thank you,” she said gently, looking over at him once more.
“Mhm,” Samuel said, nodding his head at her, she was barely in her right mind most days what did they look like jumping back into bed right now.
Leaning over the console a bit, Mercedes pressed a small kiss to her bearded jawline for understanding. Sitting back in her seat properly, she let out a deep breath that she had been holding. She just really hoped that he meant his words.
Samuel pulled into the driveway, she moved into the garage smiling very hard at her as she kissed him gently. He licked his lips gently as he parked the car, finally home.