I'm home

Last Tuesday and Wednesday I felt like hell. Slight headache and dizziness between my eyes, complete anorexia, stomach pains, fatigue, crying fits. Thursday I dragged myself in to work, feeling terrible. Oh, and P was in Indiana all week. My mom decided to come down and help me because P was scheduled to have a guy's weekend he had planned (not good timing) and knew I needed help and didn't want me to be alone. Friday/Saturday I was fine. Saturday we ran all over the country shopping and walked to the playground with V. Sunday am at church I got that little headache and dizziness behind my eyes. Lots of nausea. By 1:30 pm, My head hurt so badly, and I was nauseous enough that I had a pillow over my head on the couch.

I took a Zofran and a Tylenol with no avail. By this time P was finally home. My entire head was on fire, I couldn't open my eyes, the side of my face was numb and tingly, and I never felt like this before, ever. I thought I may have been having some sort of stroke. I finally called OB triage about 7:00 pm and of COURSE they told me to come in. My mother was there pushing V in the swing and I hastily threw some things in a bag. Thank goodness we didn't have to make arrangements for me.

When I got there the OB triage midwife was very nice. Thankfully the baby was fine and looked "beautiful" on the monitor. I was contracting every 3-4 minutes, had ketones in my urine, and they felt I was dehydrated. They started an IV and the attending OB came in and expressed concern since I have not had anything like this before, ever. They wanted to perform a Head MRI, of which I am unable due to the large amount of metal in my skull/mouth from dental surgery. So they took me to CT and heavily shielded the baby. I informed the two techs I couldn't lay on my back. Of course they didn't listen and I kept yelling at them as I went into the scan that I had to vomit. Of which I did all over. The nurse from Triage brought down Zofran and we tried again. Same thing. Another nurse visit and more Zofran. Same thing. Finally a bolus of Benadryl knocked me out. I ended up sending P home by this time - 1:30 am.

Back in the room, they moved me to a regular room and started giving me Compazine, prednisone, and Fiorocet. My blood pressure was really low - 69/49 ish. My head was still killing me and so they started Fioracet (sp?) for migraines. Neurology came and saw me and people were in and out of the room all night. The scan showed nothing unusual except a thickened optic nerve.

To shorten the story, I was kept for the next two days. Fioracet lowered my headache from an 8/10 to a 3ish/10. P worked the next two days and my mother has no sense of direction and was taking care of things around the house, so I was on my own up at the hospital. I was too ill to get lonely. Opthamology came and saw me and basically thought my vision was okay. They aren't sure of the significance of the optic nerve nor can really decide what was wrong. So they are calling it a migraine. Neurology thought maybe it was a small brain bleed that sealed itsself up.

I haven't been able to work all week. There is still nausea and light headaches and fatigue. My husband is super busy at work and we are struggling at this challenging time. He wants to work all weekend and I understand the pressure he is under. I feel crummy still though. Typing this has tired me out.

The important thing is that the baby looks great and I am doing a bit better.

Hospitalized

In the hospital. Baby fine. Severe headache, bought I had a stroke but thankfully not. May go home today, may not.

Friday Night Leftovers

* The weather has been glorious here (well, except for the areas where the tornado rolled through). I had to find spring coats, short sleeve shirts, and the biggest challenge - something maternity that fits and is lighter (thank goodness V was a summer pregnancy). We've been outside every evening just enjoying the goodness.
* My tulips are coming up!
* I don't ever remember it being this warm, this early in the year.
* P wants to look at minivans. Can you imagine fitting a double stroller and assorted junk in the Edge (I adore my Edge)? It's difficult because the only American branded minivans on the market are the two Chryslers. GM and Ford have killed their lines. We are not huge Chrysler fans. Sorry to offend anyone. Considering a Ford Flex, but the sliding doors on a minivan would be great in the garage, wouldn't they?
* Hunger Games movie is out next weekend. I can't wait!
* P got a promotion and raise at work. I'm very proud of him.
* This morning at my work is going by so slowly. I had to be here at 7:00 am for a meeting and the morning is just dragging on. Usually it is time to go home before I know it!
* 32 weeks pregnant today. With my second. Gosh, that is foreign sounding.



For more leftovers, visit Danifred.

New School Update

V loves her new school. She has a new friend, smaller class sizes, a hom-ier atmosphere, extra attention, and new activities. On the plus size, I don't have to make lunch and she is forced to eat things that I wouldn't make her eat, like meatloaf and fish. In addition, she naps there. She never napped at the old school; I'm not sure why. She has had one potty accident in the last two weeks. She had them daily at the old school. She is being attended to and reminded, which I love! She comes home excited and Saturday even asked, "are we going to Miss Debra's today"? which surprised me.

There are some things I miss about the old school. The spacious parking lot, the sign in/out area, the other parents, seeing and knowing the other children. We also received a daily sheet there with what exactly our child ate and how long they napped. We don't get that at the new school; I always ask about the nap at least.

I am thrilled at how well she is doing there. Plus, it is $180 a month cheaper.

30 weeks

and I am FEELING IT.


Last Tuesday I went to the OB for my 28 week, really 29 week check up. P came with me. I don't her I haven't been feeling so great, really tired, lots of back pain. I told her I think I'm anemic, but she declined to check my iron. When are MD's going to LISTEN to me? I gained 5 lbs in the last month for a total gain of 19 lbs. She said if I continued to gain at that rate, I will be above the 25-35 limit. What? I have 10 weeks to go. I felt she was rude about it, P thought I was overreacting. We discussed VBAC vs. a 2nd planned C-section. She had this formula that she plugged certain things into and came up with a number of my success with VBAC - mine was 58%. Great. I still think we are going to go for it. The VBAC that is. I asked what position the kid was in (I think still frank breech) but she just told me where the head was. I guess what I am trying to say is that I don't like her. The bad thing is that is way too late to do anything about it. Whether it is justified or not, she has me CONSTANTLY anxious about the weight gain. Constantly. I don't eat any differently. I exercise four times a week. My diet is healthy with occasional treats. The weight thing is giving me a LOT OF ADDED STRESS. A LOT. In all likelihood she won't deliver my baby since she is part time; but the weight thing has sucked a bit of joy out of this pregnancy to be 100% honest.

So back to the VBAC - I haven't ever written V's birth story on this blog. It was too traumatic and difficult. But I did leave the hospital with a healthy baby, and that is all that counts, right? The recovery from a C-section, an emergency C-section, a C-section after days of labor is not easy. Avoiding that would be really great.

Anyway, I've really slowed down this pregnancy and I just can't get comfortable. In the car, on the couch, in bed, in my chair at work. My back is so painful some days and the top of my uterus feels like it is suffocating me. I'm hanging in there and I'm grateful. I really am. I apologize for complaining, I think it is hormones contributing. The back pain was nonexistent with V, with this kid I am carrying straight out, not low like with her. Wow, what a difference.