Thursday, February 28, 2013

Busy Day

You know, most days now, I stay inside all day.  My 1 big activity of the day is getting dressed, taking a bath, something like that.  Yesterday I got out.  Twice.

First we had an OB appt in the morning, here in Brownsburg.  I take this as a Wonderful sign.  My OB comes out here only once a week, she doesn't do any fancy testing or ultrasounds, thus I've only been able to have about 1 other checkup with this baby here in town.  All of my other appointments have been up in Carmel, where if things go wrong, there are ultrasounds, many technicians, a lab to do stuff, you know a Hospital, right there.  And I don't mind doing that.  Sam was born up at IU North (though it was Clarian North then) and it's pretty swanky up there.  The doctors and nurses are all Wonderful.  They've taken very good care of me and Baby #3.

Nonetheless, it was Refreshing to not have to drive as far.  We even took Sam with us!  His first time going to a doctor's appointment with us.  He did great.  We listened to the heartbeat, and when the doppler went Wooh, Wooh, Wooh, Sam just giggled.  He giggled like a madman.  He thought it was hysterical.  Indeed,  both sounds are probably the most beautiful sounds in the world to me too.  Sam's going to be a great big brother.

Our appointment went well.  Baby's heartrate was awesome.  No protein, sugar, or ketones in my pee.  I asked if there was a possibility I might have hypoglycemia, Kathleen has been worrying about me.  Nope.  She said I am doing so well with what we're doing:  Labetalol, moderate bedrest, and daily gatorades, that she'll see me back next week before we start doing weekly ultrasounds and biophysical tests in week 32 (I'm only still 30 right now).   We even tentatively discussed doing the c-section on May 3rd, provided I go all the way, which she thinks I am doing so well, I may very well make it all the way to full term.  Nice.

Then we came home and napped.  And when Mom W. arrived, Eric and I plopped in the car, and drove downtown to University hospital.  After some confusion we found ourselves in the diagnostic clinic to see my new pulmonologist.  My cardiologist recommended back in January that I see someone for the shortness of breath.  It sounded pretty random, and when they had originally told me on the phone they couldn't see me until the end of February, I burst into tears.  With that, and the facts that now, not only am I short of breath all  the time because a. I have been since October, 2.  I haven't moved in 3 months, and d.  now the baby is big enough that even if I could take a deep breath, I can't because there's a big baby in my lungs.  I did not hold out much hope that this doctor could help me.

I had very low expectations walking into it.

So the doctor completely exceeded my expectations!  She was very attentive, very thorough, getting the most thorough medical history of me I'd had in a while.  She asked lots of questions, gave us a lot of time, and thoroughly listened and examined me.  She thinks maybe it's asthma, but doesn't want to put me on steroids or inhalers as I'm already on labetalol and I'm not that bad off.  Plus, since the odds are it's just pregnancy induced, it will most likely go away.  Great.  She also thought I could be anemic or have a funny thyroid, so she ordered blood for that too.

The only complaint I had was with the blood drawing techs.  They were not competent.  I walked in, hungry (because it was after 5), and told them Not to Dig on me, because I've been having vasovagal episodes.  If anything was going to set me off, someone digging around in my arm with a needle would certainly do it.  It happened when I was expecting Sam.   So I said that up front.  She didn't dig, but she used butterflies and failed twice.  By which time I was getting a little warm so I asked for some juice.  They had to hunt for it.  Seriously?!  All blood labs I know have that sort of thing right there Just for such an occasion.  Then she forwarded me on to another gal who made the offhand comment, oh those morning gals, they get so much more practice, they've been doing this for years...And You Haven't?!  Hello?!  Don't tell me that when you are poking me in the arm.  I took blood for a couple months when I was a CNA at St. V's back in college, and butterflies are not your first line of defense.  Nor are hand sticks.    Lazy.  The other gal got me once, another fail.  Now I've finished my juice, but when she fails, I'm like forget it, I'll go to IU West.  I decided to let her try my other arm, they'd done 3 pricks in my right (usually not a problem arm).  At last, she had success.  And I Thanked God to get out of there, and also that I'd left Eric in the waiting room.  He is so good about staying with me, and toting me all over, taking such good care of me.  But he doesn't do well with blood.  And if I was getting a little iffy on the blood draws, he really would have.  So I was just glad it was done.

Overall, the day was a Success.  Baby and I are doing OK, we're just going to keep on keeping on!

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