Sick and Tired

Nothing new today. Just more of the same. Sick and tired.

Real (Pregnant) People Sick

I’m still struggling with nausea and the remnants of that stupid H1N1 flu shot.

Yesterday I called the OB to ask if there is anything else we can do besides the Zofran. It seems that my love affair with that little pill was very short-lived. It turns out the only other thing we can do is IV fluids … which I would have to receive at the ER. Yuck. So I am forcing the fluids and testing for ketones. Luckily I’ve only had negative to trace amounts so far.

I read Lee Ann’s post over at the Butter Compartment this morning about guilt and I could really relate. My husband had planned to stop at Walmart last night to pick up some things for his lunch this week. I asked if he would pick up some Ketostix, Pedialyte popsicles, and chicken broth. He went to three stores, never found the popsicles, and forgot his lunch items altogether. I am so glad to have him. What would I do without his help at a time like this? But it is definitely hard to let him accept some of my burden. The guilt is indescribable. I have been building a post about this topic in my mind for some time now, but I want to give it the time it deserves.

That’s all from here for now. It is taking all of my energy just to get out of bed this morning.

Zofran, I think I love you

Our visit with the OB was relatively positive yesterday. The heartbeat is up from 97 to 119. I still have to go back in a week to make sure everything is growing.

We got another ultrasound picture … a white blob with a blinking black center suspended from a white yolk sac. I’m sure that it doesn’t look like much to the outside world, but it is beautiful to us. We hung the picture on the refrigerator. I am getting less and less nervous with each visit.

One of the highlights of the visit was the prescription for anti-nausea medicine. The doctor prescribed Zofran and I am actually starting to feel human again. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t feel normal, but this stuff is definitely taking the edge off and I am preparing for a day at work (and out of bed) for the first time in almost a week.

Of course, it makes me a little leery that the drug is not actually approved for use during pregnancy, but there is a lot of good anecdotal evidence out there, so I am just hopeful that everything works out. And for the first time in five days, the scent of my own deodorant (powder fresh?) is not making me gag.

H1N1 Shot and Morning (and Noon and Night) Sickness

I got a H1N1 shot last Thursday afternoon. I waited in line for three hours at a clinic run by the county health department at the fairgrounds. It was just like what you see on the news. Gobs of “Tier One” people and small children waiting in long lines outside in the cold.

Don’t get me started about how broken our health care system is.

The bad news is that between the effects of the shot and my morning sickness-turned-all-day-sickness, I can hardly get out of bed. I have already missed three days of work. In a row.

Our appointment to check the heart rate is this afternoon. We are looking for a number higher than 100. Last week it was 97. After  the whole tubal pregnancy scare, this seems like just  a small concern, so I am not too worried about it. The doctor mentioned that he might be able to give me something for this nausea, too. I am definitely going to take him up on that.

A Peanut with a Heartbeat

I broke into tears of relief when the technician showed us the little blob on the screen. “There is definitely a baby in there,” she said “And there is the heartbeat. Do you see it?”

I nodded through blurry eyes. Yes, the little blob was blinking: in, out, in out.

Next she focused her attention on the mass. “This looks like a pedunculated fibroid. It is on the outside of the uterus near the ovary. It doesn’t look like it is bothering anything. I think it will be fine.”

More relief.

We saw a different doctor this time. She confirmed that the fibroid is nothing to be concerned about. We’ll just keep an eye on it to make sure it doesn’t grow into anything problematic. She was a little concerned about the heart rate, though. At 97 beats per minute, it was a little low, but she said this is not so unusual in such an early pregnancy. So I need to go back on Monday for another ultrasound to confirm that the heart rate  is increasing. She said the age is 6 weeks and 2 days and that my due date is June 29.

She was also mildly concerned about my HCG level. She thought it was slightly high for the age of the embryo. Nothing to be too concerned about now, but she suggested genetic testing when it’s time. We had planned to do that anyway.

So I finally got some sleep last night and life is returning to its normal rhythm.  A peanut. With a heartbeat. Inside me. Amazing.

Preparing for the Appointment

I am fasting and preparing an overnight bag. Just in case. I have no idea what to expect. Thankfully I will have my husband with me today. I’m not sure I could get through this without him.

Lots of Tears and More Sleepless Nights

This morning I went to the OB for my first exam. And I was so excited. Fresh off of my 5.6 result at the Endo, I was ready to share my joy and elation with  the OB. And just like that, the wind was knocked out of my sails.

The exam started with the ultrasound. The technician was friendly and energetic. And she took the time to point things out to me, which I really appreciated. Things were on the right track.

Then the doctor came in. He was not nearly as energetic and friendly as the technician, and he started right off with lots of serious questions. When was my last period? When did I go off of the pill? Was I having any pain? Any bleeding?

I started to get nervous. He finally spilled his thoughts. The ultrasound rose some concerns. The technician showed me the gestational sac and the yolk sac. And she commented that she could not see “the little peanut”. It is probably just too early, she reassured me. The doctor was  not so sure, though. Apparently they also saw a “mass” on (or maybe near?) my ovary. And all of these signs and symptoms added together point to a possible ectopic (tubal) pregnancy. OMG. My mind started spinning. My eyes welled up. I became a blubbering mess.

So he ordered more blood work — tests to measure HCG and progesterone. The good news is that the HCG is plenty  high for the pregnancy to still be viable. The progesterone results are not in yet.

It is possible that it  is just too early. Perhaps we estimated the gestational age incorrectly. This is not uncommon for women with irregular periods. The problem is that a tubal pregnancy is pretty dangerous for the mother. If the fallopian tube bursts, I could basically  bleed to death, so they don’t like to just “wait and see.”

I have to go back on Thursday for another ultrasound. My husband will go  with me. We are hoping to see a “peanut” complete with heartbeat. I also need to be prepared for surgery. If the ultrasound results are not good on Thursday, they will do laparoscopic surgery the same day and remove the “mass”, whatever it is. The doctor tells me that if the pregnancy is in fact tubal, they will remove it from the fallopian tube and, if possible save the tube. If not, they might need to remove the fallopian tube. OMG.

I am a nervous wreck.

In the “Safe Baby Range”

I saw my Endo yesterday. The best news of the day was my A1C: 5.6! Can you believe it?! I am so happy with that number! I only hope I can keep it up for the next eight or so months.

He spent a good deal of time with me, which was welcome  because I came to the meeting with a list of questions (big surprise, huh?)

One of his most surprising answers was about the flu shot. He said I am not in the “target demographic” for the regular flu shot, but that I should ask my OB about the H1N1 shot. That was a shock to me and I’m not 100% convinced that I believe it. Everything I’ve read says that I have two risk factors — diabetes and pregnancy. Don’t get me wrong, I really don’t want to get the flu shot. It usually leaves me with a mild case of the flu for about five days. But if it  is important for the health and safety of my baby, than I am all for it.  So I guess I need to do a little more research on this.

Another (somewhat disappointing) response was when I asked to talk to a dietician. I really need to get my food choices under control. Donuts out of the vending machine are never a good choice, but especially now. It turns out that he does not have a dietician that works with him exclusively. He would just send me over the hospital where they will likely push the ADA’s carb-laden, high calorie meal plan on me. Sigh. It is as if I am living in the dark ages. I am going to give it a try, but I am not holding out much hope.

We talked briefly about a CGM.  He is still pulling for the  Medtronic Minimed product. I have been trying to figure out why given all of the anecdotal evidence I am finding that suggests the Dexcom is better. I am guessing it is because it’s  easier for him to assess the reports if they all come from the same device. I have to admit, the Medtronic reporting is pretty  impressive.

Aside from these responses, his knowledge seems impressive, but he really  doesn’t have that compassionate, you’re-going-to-be-fine bedside manner that I am looking for. I guess I am on the fence about whether I should stick with him or jump ship. Afterall, how important is the reassurance if he is helping me reach the “safe baby range?”

This morning I have my first “pregnant” appointment with the OB. I think I will ask  him what he thinks about my Endo and see if he has any advice for me.

What have you been hearing about flu  shots for diabetics? And for those of you who have already had children, what was your medical experience like? Did you have a team, or did you work with individual doctors? If you worked with a dietician, did you find it helpful?

This Just In: Pass the Veggies

There has been quite a bit of buzz online lately about a study conducted in Sweden that indicates that expectant mothers who ate more vegetables were less likely to have children diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes:

• Veggies in Pregnancy Lowers Child’s Diabetes Risk
• Pregnant Mothers: Eat Greens to Lower Child’s Diabetes Risk
• Intake of vegetables during pregnancy may prevent diabetes in unborn child
• Veggies in Pregnancy Lowers Child’s Diabetes Risk

In particular, women who ate vegetables every day during their pregnancy were less likely to have children diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes by the age of five than women who did not eat vegetables everyday. The study tested 6,000 five-year-olds, three percent of which either already had been diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes or already had the antibodies in their blood that indicate an elevated risk of developing the disease. The  risk was twice as  high in children whose mothers who rarely ate vegetables during pregnancy. Meanwhile, children whose mothers ate vegetables every day during pregnancy had the lowest risk of developing the disease.

I have to admit, this idea seems like a  longshot … especially given the genetic predisposition for my child in particular. I was diagnosed at the age of four and my mother was diagnosed at the age of 12. But maybe the veggies help ward off the “environmental trigger” that pushes our bodies over the edge. At the very least, the veggies should help me keep my weight gain down and my blood sugars in range which should help prevent complications. And besides, every little bit helps, right? I will be pushing the leafy greens during this pregnancy just in case!