Howdy Humble Readers...
We're beginning to feel a little like Noah around here and wondering if we need to build an ark. Another few days, and I may have to start checking for moss between my toes. It's been raining pretty much for a week. The upshot is that the grass is nice and green, but I'm getting a little tired of walking in the rain every morning. I'm trying to remember how I managed when I lived in Seattle for four years. All the rain never really bothered me then. Hmmm...
*****
I had an appointment with Dr. B today. Just another follow-up on my blood sugars. He's very happy with my sugars, and my weight loss (47 pounds down!). He basically told me that he normally sees diabetic patients once a month for at least 6 months as they adjust and commit to the changes they need to make, but he doesn't need to see me again until I need a refill on my prescriptions (sometime early August). Woohoo! My blood pressure was a little high today, but he chalked that up to the lingering cough. We did talk about my goal of being med free (at least for the high blood pressure) by my 40th birthday a little over a year from now, and he's very confident that I can get there easily. So long as I stay on track.
*****
Pippin has cut two teeth in the past week. So with the congestion from the cold he's still got, and the runny nose stuff from teething, my life has been all about snot the past few days. You know, I can handle the poop, vomit, and pee. But drool and snot just make my skin crawl. Ick.
*****
Ginny has been doing really well with her letters and numbers, being able to name all her uppercase letters for the last few months. Recently she's started figuring out that there's an order to them all, and has begun counting to 10 by rote, as well as singing the alphabet song. This week I started working with her on recognizing her name printed out. We had some dollar store beach balls from Pip's birthday party, so on one of them I wrote out all our names in block letters, and she's gotten very good at picking out her name. I toss her the ball, and when she catches it she has to find the name I say. Next we'll start working on lowercase letters.
*****
AF is here, and true to form, she's been a little strange. For the last 6 months or so, there has been a lot of spotting before and after, and killer (KILLER!!!) cramps. This month, no spotting, hardly any cramps (mostly just a backache)... just 'hey I'm here' and that's it. Could this be due to getting my sugars under control? Being more physically active? Or simply that it's been a year since Pip was born and my body is getting back to normal? Probably a bit of all three, but still it's strange.
*****
Planning on buying myself a new pair of shoes for walking this weekend, maybe some more yoga pants for when I'm working out, and a belt! Do you have any idea how long it's been since I've owned a belt? The capris that I bought at the beginning of April are already getting to be too big, and the jeans I got in January are starting to slip when I walk (especially if I've got my keys or phone in my pocket). Since another wardrobe of pants isn't in the budget, a belt will have to do the trick. I haven't worn a belt in more than 20 years. I'm super excited. Dorky, huh?
Showing posts with label Dr B. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Dr B. Show all posts
Thursday, May 30, 2013
Friday, May 3, 2013
A *Surprising* Doctor Appointment
Howdy Humble Readers...
I can't believe what I'm about to say.
(If you've been around here a while, you know that I'm not terribly happy with our family doctor, the underwhelming Dr. B. His dismissive attitude when I went through my miscarriages and his brusque bedside manner made for a bad start to our doctor/patient relationship. Unfortunately, the way the medical system works here makes it extremely difficult to change doctors. Anywho...)
I just had a great doctor appointment.
(let that sink in)
It was awesome.
Dr. L, the doc who diagnosed me with diabetes two weeks ago, had been adamant that I have a follow up appointment with Dr. B. So, I printed off my blood sugar/exercise chart and my food diary and headed downtown this morning feeling a bit anxious.
Maybe it's just me, but I have always felt that there is a lot of judgement out there in the world at large about type 2 diabetes. It's not like type 1, where you can't help it. Whenever I read an article or see a report on tv about type 2 diabetes, there always seems to be an attitude of "well, you did this to yourself you lazy fatso" (and no matter how true that is, no one wants to hear that). So, given all that, and my less than stellar relationship with Dr. B, I was sure I was in for a sermon about diet and exercise.
At the beginning of the appointment, before I had a chance to say much, Dr. B was going to add ANOTHER medication to my lineup, possibly even insulin. When I was able to ask him to look at my blood sugar chart, he changed his tune.
He actually started smiling. He asked where I had gotten the chart and where I was getting my information, I told him that I had just set it up myself and that I was using reputable websites to get my carb information along with measuring everything. I also told him that I was working toward my 10000 steps a day, and that I had just passed the 35 pound mark for weight loss (check out my new ticker up there on the right!).
He asked me where I got my motivation. My answer was simple (albeit a tad cheesy). I want to be around when Ginny and Pip graduate high school and be at their weddings. I told him I want to be off the high blood pressure medication by the time I'm 40 (a year and four months away). I want to be managing my diabetes with just diet and exercise in two years. And along with those goals, I want to get to a healthy weight.
I'm not targeting what the BMI chart says I should weigh, because I think that would be too extreme for my frame. I'm shooting for somewhere in the 160s, but I'm not thinking seriously about that yet. I have a long way to go to get there, and I know me. I need smaller, more achievable short term goals.
After I prattled on for a few minutes, with Dr. B just smiling away, he looked at me and asked if I would consider coming to talk at a town hall meeting that he's heading up next month. He wants me to talk about motivation and exercise, not from a doctor/medical perspective, but from a real person perspective. To be honest about the challenges and the rewards of it all. (oh yeah, there's going to be about 100 people there... Yikes!)
To say the least, I was floored.
I walked out of that appointment laughing, the exact opposite of my appointment with Dr. L two weeks ago. Talk about unexpected.
I can't believe what I'm about to say.
(If you've been around here a while, you know that I'm not terribly happy with our family doctor, the underwhelming Dr. B. His dismissive attitude when I went through my miscarriages and his brusque bedside manner made for a bad start to our doctor/patient relationship. Unfortunately, the way the medical system works here makes it extremely difficult to change doctors. Anywho...)
I just had a great doctor appointment.
(let that sink in)
It was awesome.
Dr. L, the doc who diagnosed me with diabetes two weeks ago, had been adamant that I have a follow up appointment with Dr. B. So, I printed off my blood sugar/exercise chart and my food diary and headed downtown this morning feeling a bit anxious.
Maybe it's just me, but I have always felt that there is a lot of judgement out there in the world at large about type 2 diabetes. It's not like type 1, where you can't help it. Whenever I read an article or see a report on tv about type 2 diabetes, there always seems to be an attitude of "well, you did this to yourself you lazy fatso" (and no matter how true that is, no one wants to hear that). So, given all that, and my less than stellar relationship with Dr. B, I was sure I was in for a sermon about diet and exercise.
At the beginning of the appointment, before I had a chance to say much, Dr. B was going to add ANOTHER medication to my lineup, possibly even insulin. When I was able to ask him to look at my blood sugar chart, he changed his tune.
He actually started smiling. He asked where I had gotten the chart and where I was getting my information, I told him that I had just set it up myself and that I was using reputable websites to get my carb information along with measuring everything. I also told him that I was working toward my 10000 steps a day, and that I had just passed the 35 pound mark for weight loss (check out my new ticker up there on the right!).
He asked me where I got my motivation. My answer was simple (albeit a tad cheesy). I want to be around when Ginny and Pip graduate high school and be at their weddings. I told him I want to be off the high blood pressure medication by the time I'm 40 (a year and four months away). I want to be managing my diabetes with just diet and exercise in two years. And along with those goals, I want to get to a healthy weight.
I'm not targeting what the BMI chart says I should weigh, because I think that would be too extreme for my frame. I'm shooting for somewhere in the 160s, but I'm not thinking seriously about that yet. I have a long way to go to get there, and I know me. I need smaller, more achievable short term goals.
After I prattled on for a few minutes, with Dr. B just smiling away, he looked at me and asked if I would consider coming to talk at a town hall meeting that he's heading up next month. He wants me to talk about motivation and exercise, not from a doctor/medical perspective, but from a real person perspective. To be honest about the challenges and the rewards of it all. (oh yeah, there's going to be about 100 people there... Yikes!)
To say the least, I was floored.
I walked out of that appointment laughing, the exact opposite of my appointment with Dr. L two weeks ago. Talk about unexpected.
Friday, April 19, 2013
The Big D
Hey Humble Readers...
So, yeah, I went to the doctor today. Got some not so great news.
I went in because the yeast beast that I had a couple of months ago has not gone away entirely. It has just kept on flaring up (and making me mega miserable in the process). I was hoping for a rx cream or something.
I wasn't able to see the Dr. B due the short notice, so I saw Dr. L (one of his associates). She was friendly enough, but as soon as she pulled up my file, her demeanour changed. To back up a bit, I had to go in for an rx refill for my blood pressure meds a few weeks ago. Dr. B gave me a req for some bloodwork. He wanted to follow up on my blood sugars since it's been almost a year since Pip was born and my cholesterol because of my weightloss (hoping it had gone down).
Let's just say that things are bad.
My blood sugars are through the roof. And my cholesterol is pretty awful too.
Needless to say what I was hoping was going to be a relatively quick, albeit uncomfortable (always awkward having a stranger look at your lady bits, especially when they aren't at their best) appointment that would result in a rx for cream to stop the itch.
Instead I walked out of there barely holding it together and feeling like a big old failure. I am officially diabetic. I'm a friggin' statistic. I'm one of those faceless bellies that they always show on the news when they talk about type 2 diabetes and the 'obesity epidemic'.
So, in addition to my blood pressure meds, I am now on metformin (and I'm going to be spending a lot of time in the bathroom now... lovely), oral meds and cream for the yeast beast (totally connected to the big D), and in a couple of weeks Dr. B and I will be discussing meds for my cholesterol.
I guess this explains my lethargy and exhaustion. I just feel like a big old idiot and failure.
I know that in a few days, I will be able to have my brain wrapped around all this. I need a game plan.
Right now I'm just wallowing.
So, yeah, I went to the doctor today. Got some not so great news.
I went in because the yeast beast that I had a couple of months ago has not gone away entirely. It has just kept on flaring up (and making me mega miserable in the process). I was hoping for a rx cream or something.
I wasn't able to see the Dr. B due the short notice, so I saw Dr. L (one of his associates). She was friendly enough, but as soon as she pulled up my file, her demeanour changed. To back up a bit, I had to go in for an rx refill for my blood pressure meds a few weeks ago. Dr. B gave me a req for some bloodwork. He wanted to follow up on my blood sugars since it's been almost a year since Pip was born and my cholesterol because of my weightloss (hoping it had gone down).
Let's just say that things are bad.
My blood sugars are through the roof. And my cholesterol is pretty awful too.
Needless to say what I was hoping was going to be a relatively quick, albeit uncomfortable (always awkward having a stranger look at your lady bits, especially when they aren't at their best) appointment that would result in a rx for cream to stop the itch.
Instead I walked out of there barely holding it together and feeling like a big old failure. I am officially diabetic. I'm a friggin' statistic. I'm one of those faceless bellies that they always show on the news when they talk about type 2 diabetes and the 'obesity epidemic'.
So, in addition to my blood pressure meds, I am now on metformin (and I'm going to be spending a lot of time in the bathroom now... lovely), oral meds and cream for the yeast beast (totally connected to the big D), and in a couple of weeks Dr. B and I will be discussing meds for my cholesterol.
I guess this explains my lethargy and exhaustion. I just feel like a big old idiot and failure.
I know that in a few days, I will be able to have my brain wrapped around all this. I need a game plan.
Right now I'm just wallowing.
Thursday, June 28, 2012
Hobbit-ish Potpurri: Doctor Doctor
Hey Humble Readers...
It is a gloriously sunshiney day here on the flatland, and the wind has decided to give us a break! Summer is here! Hooray! And the best news of all, the forecast for the long weekend is showing only a teensy amount of rain. Super-Hooray! My Beloved and I have a great surprise for Ginny for Saturday, and I'm thankful that it's going to be nice out.
*****
This week has been all about doctors. Yesterday was Pippin's 6 (or 7) week check-up, and his first visit with our regular doc... the uninspired Dr. B. Everything was pretty routine. He got all frowny at me when I told him that I was letting the pumping thing taper off, but I stood my ground and refused to let him make me feel guilty. And it's not like Pip is hurting for food. The little stinker has already ganined more than 4 pounds!! It's no wonder he's outgrown his newborn wardrobe. The only really useful tidbit from the appointment was the suggestion to try saline drops for Pip's weird snarfly sinus thing (the kid has snored from birth, and always sounds mildly stuffed up).
*****
One thing that Dr. B pointed out (which I had already noticed) was that Pippin has a small flat spot forming on the back of his wee noggin. Sadly the wee little mister doesn't like sleeping on his side just yet. Settling him for sleep is a bit more challenging than it had been.
*****
Today I saw Dr. W for my 6 (or 7) week post partum check up. She was super excited about the weight I've lost, and she was much more understanding about the breastfeeding/pumping situation. She did remind me though that the weight won't drop off quite as easily (ha-ha) once I'm done with pumping. She also took a look at my incision, and was very happy with how it has healed. One thing that surprised me, both yesterday and today... no mention was made of me having an internal exam. Not that I'm complaining, but I know I had one at the 6 week appointment last time. We had a bit of a chat about PPD, and how my mood has been. She was concerned when I brought up the family drama, but was happy to hear that I'm being proactive about monitoring how I'm feeling and that I'm working hard to get outside and be active.
*****
No good nibbles yet on my Beloved's resumes. He was contacted by a non-profit organization, and while it would have been a great job, it just didn't offer enough for compensation. And another company called, but they wanted us to move to a town three and a half hours away. Not to mention that the town has a significantly higher cost of living so the increased salary wouldn't actually be much of an increase. We're still hopeful though.
*****
Any suggestions for how to get a super deep sliver out of your foot? It doesn't hurt, it's just kind of freaking me out.
It is a gloriously sunshiney day here on the flatland, and the wind has decided to give us a break! Summer is here! Hooray! And the best news of all, the forecast for the long weekend is showing only a teensy amount of rain. Super-Hooray! My Beloved and I have a great surprise for Ginny for Saturday, and I'm thankful that it's going to be nice out.
*****
This week has been all about doctors. Yesterday was Pippin's 6 (or 7) week check-up, and his first visit with our regular doc... the uninspired Dr. B. Everything was pretty routine. He got all frowny at me when I told him that I was letting the pumping thing taper off, but I stood my ground and refused to let him make me feel guilty. And it's not like Pip is hurting for food. The little stinker has already ganined more than 4 pounds!! It's no wonder he's outgrown his newborn wardrobe. The only really useful tidbit from the appointment was the suggestion to try saline drops for Pip's weird snarfly sinus thing (the kid has snored from birth, and always sounds mildly stuffed up).
*****
One thing that Dr. B pointed out (which I had already noticed) was that Pippin has a small flat spot forming on the back of his wee noggin. Sadly the wee little mister doesn't like sleeping on his side just yet. Settling him for sleep is a bit more challenging than it had been.
*****
Today I saw Dr. W for my 6 (or 7) week post partum check up. She was super excited about the weight I've lost, and she was much more understanding about the breastfeeding/pumping situation. She did remind me though that the weight won't drop off quite as easily (ha-ha) once I'm done with pumping. She also took a look at my incision, and was very happy with how it has healed. One thing that surprised me, both yesterday and today... no mention was made of me having an internal exam. Not that I'm complaining, but I know I had one at the 6 week appointment last time. We had a bit of a chat about PPD, and how my mood has been. She was concerned when I brought up the family drama, but was happy to hear that I'm being proactive about monitoring how I'm feeling and that I'm working hard to get outside and be active.
*****
No good nibbles yet on my Beloved's resumes. He was contacted by a non-profit organization, and while it would have been a great job, it just didn't offer enough for compensation. And another company called, but they wanted us to move to a town three and a half hours away. Not to mention that the town has a significantly higher cost of living so the increased salary wouldn't actually be much of an increase. We're still hopeful though.
*****
Any suggestions for how to get a super deep sliver out of your foot? It doesn't hurt, it's just kind of freaking me out.
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
A Growing Boy
Hey Humble Readers...
How are things where you are today? I hope that you have sunshine and cool breezes, and time to enjoy both.
Things on the flatland are sunny, although a bit too breezy for my taste. This is the time of year I love. When it's warm enough for me to have the windows open and maybe only need the fan on low to be comfy. The only bummer at the moment is that we still haven't replaced the screen in our screen door, so if I want a good cross breeze, I have to risk letting in bugs. Blech!
Today was a big day for our little mister. His first doctor appointment.
It's way later than it should have been, but it's been a scheduling nightmare because Dr. B has been away for a family emergency since just after Pip was born. When we got to the office today we found out that Dr. B is still away (and no one called us to reschedule) so we had to see another doctor at the same clinic.
On a side note, I wanted to smack the nurse who gave me attitude at the front desk. When we got there, I went to check in and she started in on me (on ME?!?!) for showing up when Dr. B wasn't there, and how they had tried to contact me yesterday (big time bull-pucky, I was home all day and the phone didn't ring until the dinner hour). When my Beloved joined me at the desk, I told him that Dr. B wasn't there, the nurse got all huffy and said that she could squeeze us in with another doc in the clinic.
Ok, enough griping. On to the good stuff.
Pippin is growing like a stink weed. He's already up to 9lb 2oz! I knew he was getting heavier and he's been filling out nicely (no more stork legs), but I had no idea he had gained so much in the last couple of weeks. He's now in the 75-90th percentile for weight and the 95th for length (I'm doubtful that he was measured correctly when we left the hospital, because they told us he was 19 inches long, and today he was 21.25 inches). Dr. L, our substitute doc, seemed very happy with where our little mister is at right now.
My incision looks really good (and no infection or yeast... YAY!), and she was pleased with my weight loss. She agreed that the dizzy spells were likely connected to the other side effects I've been having with the metformin. We discussed my blood sugars, and seeing as they have been so good since going off insulin and given all the side effects I've been experiencing, she said that I could go off the metformin (super YAY!!), provided that I keep a good track of my sugars and discuss it with Dr. W when I see her in a few weeks. The only thing we forgot to do was my blood pressure.
So, all in all, a good appointment, crabby desk nurse notwithstanding. :) And I promise to have a post that is not all baby or recovery related.
How are things where you are today? I hope that you have sunshine and cool breezes, and time to enjoy both.
Things on the flatland are sunny, although a bit too breezy for my taste. This is the time of year I love. When it's warm enough for me to have the windows open and maybe only need the fan on low to be comfy. The only bummer at the moment is that we still haven't replaced the screen in our screen door, so if I want a good cross breeze, I have to risk letting in bugs. Blech!
Today was a big day for our little mister. His first doctor appointment.
It's way later than it should have been, but it's been a scheduling nightmare because Dr. B has been away for a family emergency since just after Pip was born. When we got to the office today we found out that Dr. B is still away (and no one called us to reschedule) so we had to see another doctor at the same clinic.
On a side note, I wanted to smack the nurse who gave me attitude at the front desk. When we got there, I went to check in and she started in on me (on ME?!?!) for showing up when Dr. B wasn't there, and how they had tried to contact me yesterday (big time bull-pucky, I was home all day and the phone didn't ring until the dinner hour). When my Beloved joined me at the desk, I told him that Dr. B wasn't there, the nurse got all huffy and said that she could squeeze us in with another doc in the clinic.
Ok, enough griping. On to the good stuff.
Pippin is growing like a stink weed. He's already up to 9lb 2oz! I knew he was getting heavier and he's been filling out nicely (no more stork legs), but I had no idea he had gained so much in the last couple of weeks. He's now in the 75-90th percentile for weight and the 95th for length (I'm doubtful that he was measured correctly when we left the hospital, because they told us he was 19 inches long, and today he was 21.25 inches). Dr. L, our substitute doc, seemed very happy with where our little mister is at right now.
My incision looks really good (and no infection or yeast... YAY!), and she was pleased with my weight loss. She agreed that the dizzy spells were likely connected to the other side effects I've been having with the metformin. We discussed my blood sugars, and seeing as they have been so good since going off insulin and given all the side effects I've been experiencing, she said that I could go off the metformin (super YAY!!), provided that I keep a good track of my sugars and discuss it with Dr. W when I see her in a few weeks. The only thing we forgot to do was my blood pressure.
So, all in all, a good appointment, crabby desk nurse notwithstanding. :) And I promise to have a post that is not all baby or recovery related.
Thursday, February 2, 2012
Hobbit-ish Potpurri:Hell No, I'm Not Complaining* (Again!)
Greetings Humble Readers...
(*sarcasm - I don't want to sound like a whiner, but the last couple days have just been a drag. This pregnancy has been harder physically than with Ginny, and I really feel bad for griping. BUT, this is my blog and these are my feelings. If this isn't something you can handle today, I understand.)
So, I saw the unremarkable Dr. B today. I admit that I went into the appointment already a bit crabby, but I really felt like the whole thing was a waste of time and cab fare. I was weighed and had my blood pressure checked. He listened to the baby's heartbeat (152 bpm) and measured my belly (measuring ahead by about a week). And that was it. He basically blew off my questions...
*****
Speaking of blood sugars, I'm going through another bit of a rough patch. I feel like I'm on a ridiculous amount of insulin right now, and I know it's only going to get 'worse' from here, but I'm missing my targets pretty regularly (not by a lot) and it's pissing me off. I'm incredibly bored with my breakfast and lunch options and, because of that boredom, I've made some lousy choices over the last few days (whoda thunk that raisin bran would be bad for a diabetic? It's not like I ate some sugar laced marshmallow cereal. I should have realized it tho, if I had actually thought about it). I need a kick in the a$$ to get refocussed here.
*****
Ginny is also going through a rough patch. She's got a cough, which sounds a heck of a lot worse than it is, she's teething (about 4 teeth), and she's gotten into a mischievous attitude lately that is draining Mommy's patience (she has a new thing for the kitchen garbage can and kleenex boxes... both items are fun to empty when Mommy's not looking). And napping is really hit and miss, with a mega four hour nap one day and then hardly any naps for three days. I adore my wee girl, but these days she's not very sweet.
*****
We have a potluck at church this weekend, and I'm torn about what to take. Part of me just wants to make a huge bowl of black bean salad (with tomatoes, bell peppers and corn in a lime chili vinaigrette) because it would be simple and cheap, but I don't really know how well that would go over. But I know that chicken wings would go over great, but they're more expensive and impossible to keep warm during Sunday School and service. Thoughts? Alternate suggestions?
*****
Ginny's vocabulary - I took Kristin's suggestion from the other day, and have been giving Ginny direct instructions on various things to find out how much she's understanding. It has eased my mind a fair bit, as she knows what I'm talking about when I ask her about Daddy, puppies (she points to pictures), her stuffies by name (Stanley, Big Bear, Baby Bear, Bedtime Bear, Aurora, Dolly), her toes, babies, her milk/cup, and yesterday when I asked her where Mommy was, she patted me on the arm repeatedly (she knows who I am... thank heaven!). I am going to try not to stress about her not really talking for another couple of months. My Beloved and I have set a deadline... if we don't see an improvement by the time she's 18 months old then we will seek out some further help/intervention. I am also going to press my MIL for more information about how non-verbal my Beloved was as a toddler/preschooler. The family story is that he just didn't talk until he was almost 5, and then presto he talked. I need more info.
(*sarcasm - I don't want to sound like a whiner, but the last couple days have just been a drag. This pregnancy has been harder physically than with Ginny, and I really feel bad for griping. BUT, this is my blog and these are my feelings. If this isn't something you can handle today, I understand.)
So, I saw the unremarkable Dr. B today. I admit that I went into the appointment already a bit crabby, but I really felt like the whole thing was a waste of time and cab fare. I was weighed and had my blood pressure checked. He listened to the baby's heartbeat (152 bpm) and measured my belly (measuring ahead by about a week). And that was it. He basically blew off my questions...
- Can I increase the dosage on my Zan.tac? (getting heartburn in the middle of the day, taking tums which are screwing with my blood sugar) Talk to Dr. W about it next week.
- Should I be concerned about the rapid weight gain? (Gained 3-ish pounds over two days... for a normal sized preggo, that's a concern. I'm still below my pre-preg weight tho.) Talk to Dr. W about it next week.
- How low is my 'low-lying placenta'? (Is it just low-lying or is it a partial previa? Scheduling the next u/s?) Talk to Dr. W about it next week.
*****
Speaking of blood sugars, I'm going through another bit of a rough patch. I feel like I'm on a ridiculous amount of insulin right now, and I know it's only going to get 'worse' from here, but I'm missing my targets pretty regularly (not by a lot) and it's pissing me off. I'm incredibly bored with my breakfast and lunch options and, because of that boredom, I've made some lousy choices over the last few days (whoda thunk that raisin bran would be bad for a diabetic? It's not like I ate some sugar laced marshmallow cereal. I should have realized it tho, if I had actually thought about it). I need a kick in the a$$ to get refocussed here.
*****
Ginny is also going through a rough patch. She's got a cough, which sounds a heck of a lot worse than it is, she's teething (about 4 teeth), and she's gotten into a mischievous attitude lately that is draining Mommy's patience (she has a new thing for the kitchen garbage can and kleenex boxes... both items are fun to empty when Mommy's not looking). And napping is really hit and miss, with a mega four hour nap one day and then hardly any naps for three days. I adore my wee girl, but these days she's not very sweet.
*****
We have a potluck at church this weekend, and I'm torn about what to take. Part of me just wants to make a huge bowl of black bean salad (with tomatoes, bell peppers and corn in a lime chili vinaigrette) because it would be simple and cheap, but I don't really know how well that would go over. But I know that chicken wings would go over great, but they're more expensive and impossible to keep warm during Sunday School and service. Thoughts? Alternate suggestions?
*****
Ginny's vocabulary - I took Kristin's suggestion from the other day, and have been giving Ginny direct instructions on various things to find out how much she's understanding. It has eased my mind a fair bit, as she knows what I'm talking about when I ask her about Daddy, puppies (she points to pictures), her stuffies by name (Stanley, Big Bear, Baby Bear, Bedtime Bear, Aurora, Dolly), her toes, babies, her milk/cup, and yesterday when I asked her where Mommy was, she patted me on the arm repeatedly (she knows who I am... thank heaven!). I am going to try not to stress about her not really talking for another couple of months. My Beloved and I have set a deadline... if we don't see an improvement by the time she's 18 months old then we will seek out some further help/intervention. I am also going to press my MIL for more information about how non-verbal my Beloved was as a toddler/preschooler. The family story is that he just didn't talk until he was almost 5, and then presto he talked. I need more info.
Friday, January 13, 2012
Dr. Google Is Not My Friend
Good Morning Humble Readers...
You would think, after all this time, I would know better than to waste my time googling medical terms, particularly how they pertain to me. You'd think that I would have learned my lesson by now, and that I wouldn't bother, and yet...
I had an appointment yesterday with Dr. B. My weight gain/loss is still considered a non-issue (I'm down 6 pounds from when I first got pregnant... thank you GD). Blood pressure was good. The Halfling cooperated nicely and Dr. B was able to find the heartbeat right away (144 bpm). I asked about the cough that is still lingering, and he didn't seem to be concerned about it... just suggested staying hydrated and it will pass. I asked about my new OB, at which point he realized that he hadn't sent through the referral yet... GAH!!!! And then we got to my ultrasound results.
What the u/s tech thought might be a fibroid is most likely some scar tissue from my c-section. But that wasn't the biggest revelation. Apparently I have a 'low-lying' placenta. Dr. B didn't go into detail, just said I'd need to have another ultrasound when I'm 28 weeks, and that we'd get that booked at my next appointment.
Enter Dr. Google.
Of course, I found links to placenta previa and all the scary things that can go along with that (words like... profuse bleeding, apbrution, birth defects, premature delivery, blood transfusions, hysterectomy). I read for about an hour last night, getting more and more freaked out. Of course, I'm at higher risk for previa because I am over 35, I've had uterine surgeries previously (2 D&Cs) and a previous c-section. While it was often mentioned that previa diagnosed prior to 20 weeks commonly corrects itself as the uterus stretches with the growing baby, it wasn't until the last article that I read that there is a difference between 'low-lying' placenta and actual placenta previa. It's basically a difference of millimeters, but it is that much more likely that a 'low-lying' placenta will correct itself before the third trimester.
So needless to say, I got myself worked up over something that is, in all likelihood, not going to be an issue. Ridiculous!
You would think, after all this time, I would know better than to waste my time googling medical terms, particularly how they pertain to me. You'd think that I would have learned my lesson by now, and that I wouldn't bother, and yet...
I had an appointment yesterday with Dr. B. My weight gain/loss is still considered a non-issue (I'm down 6 pounds from when I first got pregnant... thank you GD). Blood pressure was good. The Halfling cooperated nicely and Dr. B was able to find the heartbeat right away (144 bpm). I asked about the cough that is still lingering, and he didn't seem to be concerned about it... just suggested staying hydrated and it will pass. I asked about my new OB, at which point he realized that he hadn't sent through the referral yet... GAH!!!! And then we got to my ultrasound results.
What the u/s tech thought might be a fibroid is most likely some scar tissue from my c-section. But that wasn't the biggest revelation. Apparently I have a 'low-lying' placenta. Dr. B didn't go into detail, just said I'd need to have another ultrasound when I'm 28 weeks, and that we'd get that booked at my next appointment.
Enter Dr. Google.
Of course, I found links to placenta previa and all the scary things that can go along with that (words like... profuse bleeding, apbrution, birth defects, premature delivery, blood transfusions, hysterectomy). I read for about an hour last night, getting more and more freaked out. Of course, I'm at higher risk for previa because I am over 35, I've had uterine surgeries previously (2 D&Cs) and a previous c-section. While it was often mentioned that previa diagnosed prior to 20 weeks commonly corrects itself as the uterus stretches with the growing baby, it wasn't until the last article that I read that there is a difference between 'low-lying' placenta and actual placenta previa. It's basically a difference of millimeters, but it is that much more likely that a 'low-lying' placenta will correct itself before the third trimester.
So needless to say, I got myself worked up over something that is, in all likelihood, not going to be an issue. Ridiculous!
Monday, November 28, 2011
Beautiful Stranger: The Birth Story
Howdy Humble Readers...
This post has been a long time coming, and it's a ridiculously long story, so I apologize. Because everything was so long and drawn out, it took me a long time to collect all my thoughts and memories. And then, honestly, I was embarrassed that it took so bloody long to get this written, and I couldn't decide when to post it. As Ginny's birthday approached, I decided that it was time. If you make it all the way through this post, you deserve a gold star!
Thursday, November 25th, 2010
Beloved and I woke up at 6am, and just stayed in bed for twenty minutes or so, talking about what was coming and enjoying what we thought would be our last morning in bed without a baby in our lives. We called the hospital at 6:30 to confirm that we were indeed on for that day, and oh, by the way, they wanted us there right away. I woke up my Mom, who had arrived the evening before, and then we all dashed around trying to shower, eat, and get organized.
We managed, miraculously, to get our poop in a group, and to the hospital by 7:20. My Beloved dropped me off at the front doors, and then both he and Mom went to look for parking. They ended up finding spots okay, but the pay parking meters were out of order. The last thing we needed was for one of them to get towed or something. They ended up having to go down to the bowels of the hospital to talk to someone in the security office while I headed up to the L&D unit by myself.
When I got there, I was taken into a room that for all intents and purposes looked like a storage room with two beds in it. No windows, and tons of 'extra' equipment, and just generally dismal. The nurse told me that they couldn't have someone being induced 'taking up one of the good rooms for days and days'. Fun stuff!
Dr. U arrived shortly after I got settled, and after a quick check (1cm dilated/30% effaced), he administered my FIRST dose of cervadil. One of the perks of the day was that I was allowed to eat real food while we waited....
And waited...
And waited...
At the end of a day of unproductive cramping and boredom I was making hardly any progress. Only 2cm and 70% effaced. Dr. U administered another dose of cervadil, and we settle in for the night. My Beloved and I played cards and then tried to get some sleep. Mom went back to our place, and my Beloved sacked out on one of those super uncomfortable hospital recliners. I didn't end up sleeping well at all, even though the nurse gave me a sleeping pill (which left a disgusting metallic taste in my mouth).
Friday, November 26, 2010
My mom came back in the morning, and after a third dose of cervadil it felt like maybe something was going on. I started to contract every 5 minutes or so, and the contractions were lasting 30-45 seconds. In the middle of the afternoon Dr. U stopped by for a check and I was STILL only 2cm and 70% effaced. Ugh! He stripped my membranes again. Double ugh!! And then he sent me home for the night.
Talk about frustration!
We got home around 4pm and I took a nap. By the time I woke up, the contractions had stopped completely. We had a quiet evening, watched a movie, and Mom bought Chinese food. I was totally worn out from the last two days and ended up falling asleep sitting up fairly early in the evening. Amazingly I ended up getting the best night sleep I had in months.
Saturday, November 27, 2010
We were back at the hospital at 8am, and this time I was given a 'good' room. It had a window and everything... woohoo! Dr. U checks me, and big surprise I was 2cm and 50% effaced. The nurses hooked me up with my first (of many) iv... fluids and pitocin. Dr. U broke my water and things got going pretty quickly. By 8:30 the contractions are going like gangbusters, but I was still able very able to talk and joke around. The nurses were increasing my pitocin every half hour and by 10:00 the contractions were becoming challenging, coming every 2 minutes. It was around this time that I started experiencing some pretty intense pubic bone pain. I was using my 'happy place' picture (taken from the top of Rockefeller Center, overlooking Central Park) for focus.
I was allowed to have lunch, but that was my last real food for quite a while. Right after lunch the nurses hooked me up to another IV... insulin, dextrose, and potassium. I had tubing going into both hands, and it made much movement challenging. The contractions felt really intense, but when the nurse checked me I was still only 2cm dilated.
After much debate and some acrobatics with all my IVs, I was allowed to get up to try different positions for comfort. I tried standing, swaying, bending over the bed, and sitting on the birthing ball, but I still had a lot of pubic bone pain. By 1:30 I was ready for my epidural (I never claimed to be a hero). They placed an internal monitor, and the anesthesiologist arrived shortly after 2pm. He had some trouble getting me stuck properly (took 3 tries) but eventually I got some relief.
Once the epi was doing it's thing, I tried to get some sleep, but the pain in my pubic bone came back very quickly. I wasn't feeling the contractions themselves, but Ginny was pressing hard against my pubic bone with every contraction.
Finally, when Dr, U checked me at 5:00pm I am making some progress. I was 5cm and 100% effaced!! Yay! Sadly, the pain in my pubic bone was so strong that I was ready to quit. I was still only at -3 station. Dr. U asked me to try to tough it out for another couple of hours. They top up my epi and I agree, but by 6pm I could no longer talk because of the pain in my pubic bone. My Beloved grabbed some dinner (which I made him eat in the hallway because the smell made me nauseous) and then I demanded that he brush his teeth. The nurses found that incredibly amusing.
At 7:00pm Dr. U came back and checked me. No surprise, no progress was made. As an aside, one of the nurses mentioned that I had some scar tissue or something on my cervix (wha?? no one has ever said anything about that before) that could be causing some of the problems, but it was mostly determined that Ginny was just in a bad position. After a few minutes conversation, we decided that it would be a c-section. Immediately, the nurses stopped the pitocin and my contractions stopped.
From there, everything felt like it moved at hyper speed. My Beloved donned his too small blue coverall outfit, and before I knew it, I was being rolled off the L&D ward and down to surgery. Beloved had to wait outside the surgical suite while they got me situated, which ended up taking a ridiculously long time. It turns out that the epidural wasn't in really solidly, and as they helped me shift from the bed to the surgical table the stupid thing came right out. There was a great deal of rushing around at that point, because they needed to get me frozen again right quick. It was a different anesthesiologist, and he managed to get me hooked up to a spinal in record time
Shortly after, my Beloved was able to come in, and they were draping the blue cloth everywhere and I was strapped down (what a freaky feeling!). The sensations of the incision were so strange. I could feel it, and I remember wincing, but there was no pain. It felt like they were digging around inside me for quite awhile, and it turns out that Ginny's head was jammed up against my hip bone (to the point that her left ear was completely flat, no ridges at all for a couple of days after birth) and her shoulders were stuck sideways in my pelvic bone. They had to use forceps to get her unstuck.
At 8:42pm, Dr. U (who was being assisted by Dr. B), told my Beloved he could stand up if he wanted to see her being born. As they pulled her out, my first question wasn't 'boy or girl?', but 'is there hair?'. Again, that made all the nurses laugh, but after all the wretched heartburn I had, I wanted there to be some serious hair!
I saw her briefly as they took her to the bassinet to check her out. I could see her red squirminess and instantly I started to bawl. And just as they brought her over to me, all wrapped up, the song playing in the room changed to Madonna's "Beautiful Stranger"... so amazingly fitting! I got to give her a kiss and spend a few brief minutes staring at her before they whisked her and my Beloved away to the Special Care nursery (to check her blood sugar levels) and they closed me up. That process was just as weird as when they cut into me... tugging and pulling, but no pain.
I had to go to recovery for about an hour or so afterward, and it was after 11pm before I finally got taken back up to L&D. I was given a different room again, and foremost on my mind was to see my wee sweet girl... and get something to eat! I was starving!
I had just taken a bite of the piece of toast they had given me when they wheeled in the most precious thing I had ever seen. She was red and squalling, her dark hair sticking up in every which direction. I honestly don't remember holding her for the first time... but just knowing that she was finally here was so incredibly overpowering. I bawled and bawled.
The next few days were amazingly fun (watching my Beloved change his first stinky diaper) and brutally gut wrenching (breastfeeding did not start well, and the nurses were really no help. They all told me different things and they all contradicted each other). Kind of like the last 365. And I imagine just like every day that will come on this journey.
If you made it this far, you are a super star! Thanks for reading!
This post has been a long time coming, and it's a ridiculously long story, so I apologize. Because everything was so long and drawn out, it took me a long time to collect all my thoughts and memories. And then, honestly, I was embarrassed that it took so bloody long to get this written, and I couldn't decide when to post it. As Ginny's birthday approached, I decided that it was time. If you make it all the way through this post, you deserve a gold star!
Thursday, November 25th, 2010
Beloved and I woke up at 6am, and just stayed in bed for twenty minutes or so, talking about what was coming and enjoying what we thought would be our last morning in bed without a baby in our lives. We called the hospital at 6:30 to confirm that we were indeed on for that day, and oh, by the way, they wanted us there right away. I woke up my Mom, who had arrived the evening before, and then we all dashed around trying to shower, eat, and get organized.
We managed, miraculously, to get our poop in a group, and to the hospital by 7:20. My Beloved dropped me off at the front doors, and then both he and Mom went to look for parking. They ended up finding spots okay, but the pay parking meters were out of order. The last thing we needed was for one of them to get towed or something. They ended up having to go down to the bowels of the hospital to talk to someone in the security office while I headed up to the L&D unit by myself.
When I got there, I was taken into a room that for all intents and purposes looked like a storage room with two beds in it. No windows, and tons of 'extra' equipment, and just generally dismal. The nurse told me that they couldn't have someone being induced 'taking up one of the good rooms for days and days'. Fun stuff!
Dr. U arrived shortly after I got settled, and after a quick check (1cm dilated/30% effaced), he administered my FIRST dose of cervadil. One of the perks of the day was that I was allowed to eat real food while we waited....
And waited...
And waited...
At the end of a day of unproductive cramping and boredom I was making hardly any progress. Only 2cm and 70% effaced. Dr. U administered another dose of cervadil, and we settle in for the night. My Beloved and I played cards and then tried to get some sleep. Mom went back to our place, and my Beloved sacked out on one of those super uncomfortable hospital recliners. I didn't end up sleeping well at all, even though the nurse gave me a sleeping pill (which left a disgusting metallic taste in my mouth).
Friday, November 26, 2010
My mom came back in the morning, and after a third dose of cervadil it felt like maybe something was going on. I started to contract every 5 minutes or so, and the contractions were lasting 30-45 seconds. In the middle of the afternoon Dr. U stopped by for a check and I was STILL only 2cm and 70% effaced. Ugh! He stripped my membranes again. Double ugh!! And then he sent me home for the night.
Talk about frustration!
We got home around 4pm and I took a nap. By the time I woke up, the contractions had stopped completely. We had a quiet evening, watched a movie, and Mom bought Chinese food. I was totally worn out from the last two days and ended up falling asleep sitting up fairly early in the evening. Amazingly I ended up getting the best night sleep I had in months.
Saturday, November 27, 2010
We were back at the hospital at 8am, and this time I was given a 'good' room. It had a window and everything... woohoo! Dr. U checks me, and big surprise I was 2cm and 50% effaced. The nurses hooked me up with my first (of many) iv... fluids and pitocin. Dr. U broke my water and things got going pretty quickly. By 8:30 the contractions are going like gangbusters, but I was still able very able to talk and joke around. The nurses were increasing my pitocin every half hour and by 10:00 the contractions were becoming challenging, coming every 2 minutes. It was around this time that I started experiencing some pretty intense pubic bone pain. I was using my 'happy place' picture (taken from the top of Rockefeller Center, overlooking Central Park) for focus.
I was allowed to have lunch, but that was my last real food for quite a while. Right after lunch the nurses hooked me up to another IV... insulin, dextrose, and potassium. I had tubing going into both hands, and it made much movement challenging. The contractions felt really intense, but when the nurse checked me I was still only 2cm dilated.
After much debate and some acrobatics with all my IVs, I was allowed to get up to try different positions for comfort. I tried standing, swaying, bending over the bed, and sitting on the birthing ball, but I still had a lot of pubic bone pain. By 1:30 I was ready for my epidural (I never claimed to be a hero). They placed an internal monitor, and the anesthesiologist arrived shortly after 2pm. He had some trouble getting me stuck properly (took 3 tries) but eventually I got some relief.
Once the epi was doing it's thing, I tried to get some sleep, but the pain in my pubic bone came back very quickly. I wasn't feeling the contractions themselves, but Ginny was pressing hard against my pubic bone with every contraction.
Finally, when Dr, U checked me at 5:00pm I am making some progress. I was 5cm and 100% effaced!! Yay! Sadly, the pain in my pubic bone was so strong that I was ready to quit. I was still only at -3 station. Dr. U asked me to try to tough it out for another couple of hours. They top up my epi and I agree, but by 6pm I could no longer talk because of the pain in my pubic bone. My Beloved grabbed some dinner (which I made him eat in the hallway because the smell made me nauseous) and then I demanded that he brush his teeth. The nurses found that incredibly amusing.
At 7:00pm Dr. U came back and checked me. No surprise, no progress was made. As an aside, one of the nurses mentioned that I had some scar tissue or something on my cervix (wha?? no one has ever said anything about that before) that could be causing some of the problems, but it was mostly determined that Ginny was just in a bad position. After a few minutes conversation, we decided that it would be a c-section. Immediately, the nurses stopped the pitocin and my contractions stopped.
From there, everything felt like it moved at hyper speed. My Beloved donned his too small blue coverall outfit, and before I knew it, I was being rolled off the L&D ward and down to surgery. Beloved had to wait outside the surgical suite while they got me situated, which ended up taking a ridiculously long time. It turns out that the epidural wasn't in really solidly, and as they helped me shift from the bed to the surgical table the stupid thing came right out. There was a great deal of rushing around at that point, because they needed to get me frozen again right quick. It was a different anesthesiologist, and he managed to get me hooked up to a spinal in record time
Shortly after, my Beloved was able to come in, and they were draping the blue cloth everywhere and I was strapped down (what a freaky feeling!). The sensations of the incision were so strange. I could feel it, and I remember wincing, but there was no pain. It felt like they were digging around inside me for quite awhile, and it turns out that Ginny's head was jammed up against my hip bone (to the point that her left ear was completely flat, no ridges at all for a couple of days after birth) and her shoulders were stuck sideways in my pelvic bone. They had to use forceps to get her unstuck.
At 8:42pm, Dr. U (who was being assisted by Dr. B), told my Beloved he could stand up if he wanted to see her being born. As they pulled her out, my first question wasn't 'boy or girl?', but 'is there hair?'. Again, that made all the nurses laugh, but after all the wretched heartburn I had, I wanted there to be some serious hair!
I saw her briefly as they took her to the bassinet to check her out. I could see her red squirminess and instantly I started to bawl. And just as they brought her over to me, all wrapped up, the song playing in the room changed to Madonna's "Beautiful Stranger"... so amazingly fitting! I got to give her a kiss and spend a few brief minutes staring at her before they whisked her and my Beloved away to the Special Care nursery (to check her blood sugar levels) and they closed me up. That process was just as weird as when they cut into me... tugging and pulling, but no pain.
I had to go to recovery for about an hour or so afterward, and it was after 11pm before I finally got taken back up to L&D. I was given a different room again, and foremost on my mind was to see my wee sweet girl... and get something to eat! I was starving!
I had just taken a bite of the piece of toast they had given me when they wheeled in the most precious thing I had ever seen. She was red and squalling, her dark hair sticking up in every which direction. I honestly don't remember holding her for the first time... but just knowing that she was finally here was so incredibly overpowering. I bawled and bawled.
The next few days were amazingly fun (watching my Beloved change his first stinky diaper) and brutally gut wrenching (breastfeeding did not start well, and the nurses were really no help. They all told me different things and they all contradicted each other). Kind of like the last 365. And I imagine just like every day that will come on this journey.
If you made it this far, you are a super star! Thanks for reading!
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Up From The Depths
Howdy Humble Readers...
I'm finally beginning to feel like a real person again (as opposed to a snot-filled slug). I'm still tired, but overall feeling much better.
So, this week is the busy busy week. Or at least the jam-packed with appointments week.
Yesterday was the diabetic clinic, to go over my insulin program. They have me starting really low, but increasing by a unit every day until we get things balanced. The nurse was great, and reminded me that in the second trimester, when I'm off the prometrium, my insulin needs may drop a bit before they start to go back up going into the third tri. So, two different kinds of insulin (one for meals, and one that's long-acting to help with my baseline sugars).
Today was Ginny's well-baby check up. It was technically her 9 month check up, but it had been rescheduled a couple of times. She's doing good (will give you a complete update in a day or two as I need to do 'Ginny @ 10 Months) and other than being made to wait for more than an hour for a 7 minute appointment, things went well.
Tomorrow... the ultrasound. 10:45. To say I'm nervous would be a bit of an understatement. I want to be able to say that I am 100% confident that all will be well, but really it's more like about 60% to 40%. After much internal debate, I have decided that Ginny will be coming with us. I figure, if things go south, then I'll have my wee sweet girl to cuddle. And if things go well, I want her there even if she has no clue what's happening. I'll post about that as soon as I can afterward.
Thursday... Must Clean The House! It's not terribly messy, but for some reason I thought black furniture would be great, never considering how much dust shows on it. Duh!
Friday... I have another Dr. B appointment. Follow up on the u/s and to discuss what happens next. I am really going to push for a decision on an OB referral. He's been holding off every time I ask (altho he seems to be open to it), but I want to get the NT scan booked asap, and that request needs to come from an OB.
Then comes the very busy weekend... this weekend is Thanksgiving here north of the 49th parallel. We are having turkey dinner at my MIL's on Saturday, and then I'm having 11 people for dinner on Sunday. Considering our kitchen table seats 4, ths could be a challenge. I'm doing roast beef (a huge costco sized roast), oven roasted autumn veggies (parsnips, carrots, sweet potatoes, mushrooms, onions, and maybe some asparagus for some green), mashed taters, gravy and rolls. My mom has said that she'll bring dessert (pumpkin cream cheese pie)... YAY!
Then Monday, we crash. Thank heaven for long weekends!
I'm finally beginning to feel like a real person again (as opposed to a snot-filled slug). I'm still tired, but overall feeling much better.
So, this week is the busy busy week. Or at least the jam-packed with appointments week.
Yesterday was the diabetic clinic, to go over my insulin program. They have me starting really low, but increasing by a unit every day until we get things balanced. The nurse was great, and reminded me that in the second trimester, when I'm off the prometrium, my insulin needs may drop a bit before they start to go back up going into the third tri. So, two different kinds of insulin (one for meals, and one that's long-acting to help with my baseline sugars).
Today was Ginny's well-baby check up. It was technically her 9 month check up, but it had been rescheduled a couple of times. She's doing good (will give you a complete update in a day or two as I need to do 'Ginny @ 10 Months) and other than being made to wait for more than an hour for a 7 minute appointment, things went well.
Tomorrow... the ultrasound. 10:45. To say I'm nervous would be a bit of an understatement. I want to be able to say that I am 100% confident that all will be well, but really it's more like about 60% to 40%. After much internal debate, I have decided that Ginny will be coming with us. I figure, if things go south, then I'll have my wee sweet girl to cuddle. And if things go well, I want her there even if she has no clue what's happening. I'll post about that as soon as I can afterward.
Thursday... Must Clean The House! It's not terribly messy, but for some reason I thought black furniture would be great, never considering how much dust shows on it. Duh!
Friday... I have another Dr. B appointment. Follow up on the u/s and to discuss what happens next. I am really going to push for a decision on an OB referral. He's been holding off every time I ask (altho he seems to be open to it), but I want to get the NT scan booked asap, and that request needs to come from an OB.
Then comes the very busy weekend... this weekend is Thanksgiving here north of the 49th parallel. We are having turkey dinner at my MIL's on Saturday, and then I'm having 11 people for dinner on Sunday. Considering our kitchen table seats 4, ths could be a challenge. I'm doing roast beef (a huge costco sized roast), oven roasted autumn veggies (parsnips, carrots, sweet potatoes, mushrooms, onions, and maybe some asparagus for some green), mashed taters, gravy and rolls. My mom has said that she'll bring dessert (pumpkin cream cheese pie)... YAY!
Then Monday, we crash. Thank heaven for long weekends!
Thursday, September 22, 2011
Not Terrible, Not Great...
Hey Humble Readers...
I'm in need of some reassurance, so this is your invitation to blow smoke and just try to make me feel better, ok?
I got my beta numbers back this afternoon. They aren't what I would like, and of course the ever sensitive Dr. B didn't really help matters with all his "well, they're pretty low" repeating like a broken record (he must have said it 5 times in my 10 minute appointment).
HCG Beta @ 14 DPO: 34
HCG Beta @ 21 DPO: 442
Doubling every 45.5 hours
They aren't bad, but they aren't really strong either. I'm above the 'minimum' line, but not at 'average'. (I apologize, but I can't figure out how to get the graphic from http://www.babymed.com/). I'm trying really hard not to stress about it. I'm going back for more blood work next Tuesday, so we'll see what we will see I guess. *sigh*
Have I mentioned how much I hate all this worry? Damned IF!
We also talked about my blood sugars, which are terrible! I have an appointment at the diabetic clinic next week, and I'll likely be on insulin from then forward. One thing I discovered recently is that prometrium, particularly at the dosage that I'm taking, can screw with blood sugars in a pretty significant way, so we'll see how they take that into account.
My ultrasound is 13 days away. Please God let there be a heartbeat!
I'm in need of some reassurance, so this is your invitation to blow smoke and just try to make me feel better, ok?
I got my beta numbers back this afternoon. They aren't what I would like, and of course the ever sensitive Dr. B didn't really help matters with all his "well, they're pretty low" repeating like a broken record (he must have said it 5 times in my 10 minute appointment).
HCG Beta @ 14 DPO: 34
HCG Beta @ 21 DPO: 442
Doubling every 45.5 hours
They aren't bad, but they aren't really strong either. I'm above the 'minimum' line, but not at 'average'. (I apologize, but I can't figure out how to get the graphic from http://www.babymed.com/). I'm trying really hard not to stress about it. I'm going back for more blood work next Tuesday, so we'll see what we will see I guess. *sigh*
Have I mentioned how much I hate all this worry? Damned IF!
We also talked about my blood sugars, which are terrible! I have an appointment at the diabetic clinic next week, and I'll likely be on insulin from then forward. One thing I discovered recently is that prometrium, particularly at the dosage that I'm taking, can screw with blood sugars in a pretty significant way, so we'll see how they take that into account.
My ultrasound is 13 days away. Please God let there be a heartbeat!
Monday, September 12, 2011
A Good News-Bad News Kind of Day
Hey Humble Readers...
So, I'm still kind of vibrating from our discovery yesterday (if you haven't read yesterday's post, please do so now).
I was 100% certain that we had missed the egg. Then throw in the crazy sunburn I got right at O time and then the doozy of a cold that we all had. Well, I thought that this cycle was a write off. I was never happier to be wrong!
As I mentioned yesterday, first on today's to do list was to call Dr U and Dr B to arrange for blood tests and a prescription for the prometrium (progesterone) suppositories. Well, I called Dr U first, as he is the miracle worker, wonder doctor with the best bedside manner I have ever encountered. When I got through to his office I was shocked and dismayed to learn that the good Dr U has packed up and moved to Australia! The new receptionist for the new doctor who took over his practice was really condescending ("Well dear, you need to call your regular doctor first. We don't take just any old pregnant lady. Your regular doctor will know if you need to see Dr W").
So I called Dr B's office and was able to get in today. I was very nervous... afraid that I had just imagined that line yesterday, or that he would tell me that he didn't want to give me the prometrium or an early u/s because everything turned out ok last time.
But every now and then, Dr B surprises me. As soon as he came in the room he told me that their test confirmed my pregnancy and that he wanted me on prometrium right away. We talked about my EDD (May 23rd) and my first u/s (Oct 5). We discussed how to tackle the dreaded GD issue (testing early and often) and he was even open to my request for a new OB (I did some research this morning after I found out about Dr U's departure and have a short list of options). I go for blood work tomorrow and again on Tuesday next week. It's unlikely that I'll get my beta numbers until my appointment on Thursday next week, as that's just how his office works.
So... here I am. Pregnant. Wow.
Symptom-wise things are pretty mellow. Sore b00bs, mild cramps, brief flashes of nausea, fatigue, and new this time around, a very dry mouth. Because Ginny and I walked to Dr B's office and then to my Beloved's office, I now have two very ugly blisters on my foot. Oh well. I'm still in a great mood. :)
So, I'm still kind of vibrating from our discovery yesterday (if you haven't read yesterday's post, please do so now).
I was 100% certain that we had missed the egg. Then throw in the crazy sunburn I got right at O time and then the doozy of a cold that we all had. Well, I thought that this cycle was a write off. I was never happier to be wrong!
As I mentioned yesterday, first on today's to do list was to call Dr U and Dr B to arrange for blood tests and a prescription for the prometrium (progesterone) suppositories. Well, I called Dr U first, as he is the miracle worker, wonder doctor with the best bedside manner I have ever encountered. When I got through to his office I was shocked and dismayed to learn that the good Dr U has packed up and moved to Australia! The new receptionist for the new doctor who took over his practice was really condescending ("Well dear, you need to call your regular doctor first. We don't take just any old pregnant lady. Your regular doctor will know if you need to see Dr W").
So I called Dr B's office and was able to get in today. I was very nervous... afraid that I had just imagined that line yesterday, or that he would tell me that he didn't want to give me the prometrium or an early u/s because everything turned out ok last time.
But every now and then, Dr B surprises me. As soon as he came in the room he told me that their test confirmed my pregnancy and that he wanted me on prometrium right away. We talked about my EDD (May 23rd) and my first u/s (Oct 5). We discussed how to tackle the dreaded GD issue (testing early and often) and he was even open to my request for a new OB (I did some research this morning after I found out about Dr U's departure and have a short list of options). I go for blood work tomorrow and again on Tuesday next week. It's unlikely that I'll get my beta numbers until my appointment on Thursday next week, as that's just how his office works.
So... here I am. Pregnant. Wow.
Symptom-wise things are pretty mellow. Sore b00bs, mild cramps, brief flashes of nausea, fatigue, and new this time around, a very dry mouth. Because Ginny and I walked to Dr B's office and then to my Beloved's office, I now have two very ugly blisters on my foot. Oh well. I'm still in a great mood. :)
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