All right, time for that traditional blog vent

I AM SO SICK OF THIS CRAP!!! Someone get this damn baby out of me NOW. Don't fricking tell me I don't have long left, or I'll make it, or I'll get by, or it'll be fine. Just reach up and rip her the hell out of me!!

I am sick and tired of limping around like a deranged monkey. I'm tired of being able to FEEL that all the bones in my right leg are totally out of socket and rubbing all over hell and not being able to do anything about it. I'm sick of having to ask Travis, or the ladies at work to do EVERYTHING for me. I can't even go down the damn stairs to get my own donut. I have to eat lunch alone in the conference room around the corner because I can't make it to the staff room anymore. I'm tired of sitting down in a chair or on the toilet and wondering if I am going to be able to get back up. I'm tired of taking a shower and worrying my leg will give out under me. Come to think of it, I'm tired of wondering if the next step I take will be the one where everything pops out for good. I'm tired of getting stared at if I do walk in public.

I want to be able to go SHOPPING for groceries if I want. I want to be able to take in a deep breath and not yelp because it hurts all the way down to my foot. I'm sick and tired of crying every other night because I'm in so much pain and so frustrated. I'm tired of having to grab on to everything and everyone just to stay upright.

I've taken enough Tylenol to destroy the liver of a small bull elephant. I am officially more excited to just not have to deal with this shit anymore than I am to hold my baby. I seriously contemplate beating up old ladies to take their walkers or their rascals. I have to physically lift up my leg and move it half the time to get it where I need it to go, which makes driving out of the question or very dangerous.

My blood pressure is up because of the stress on my body, which in turn could be affecting the other marfans elements that we've been monitoring. I KNOW the stress is taking a toll on the baby, because if it's this bad for me, it has to be bad for her. AND NONE OF MY DAMN DOCTORS CARE!! Apparenly being this immobile is NORMAL. Apparently having bones not in their sockets and not being able to do a god damn thing for myself is to be expected and there's nothing they will do.

I AM SO OVER THIS. Everybody better enjoy this baby, because it'll be the only one we have. I want my damn life back.

3 - D Ultrasound

I had a 3-D/4-D Ultrasound done about a week and a half ago. Here are some of the pictures from it:

Wouldn't Be a Pregnancy Without One Scare...

So I had a bit of a scare this morning. I was getting ready for work, making my lunch, when I felt a gush of fluid. At first I though it was just the usual for what pregnancy brings until I went to the bathroom and realized that there was a lot of it, it was clear and watery, and it had no odor to it.

So I called the doctor's office and they gave me a choice of coming in at 10:30am or going to the hospital to get checked. Needless to say, I chose the doctor's office. When I got there EVERYONE pretty much knew who I was after I said I was a last minute squeeze in. Apparently I am the type of phone call they dread getting.

They 'took a look under the hood' for the lack of a better term and tested the fluid. It was not amniotic fluid, which is very good. Everything looked normal and in order, and her heart rate was good (in the 140s). They think that since her head is right on my cervix, it's causing the regular fluids to back up and leak at random intervals AND the pressure on my bladder caused me to leak urine. So basically I peed my pants.

Never have I been so happy to learn that I peed my pants.

Anyway, my next appointment is April 6th, and I should be scheduling a 3-D ultrasound during that week as well. Guess I can't say it was a boring day!

Delivery Date and More!

So I have scheduled my last 2 cardiology appointments for the pregnancy, which is very exciting to me. I have to go in for one more echo, and then follow up with him after that. He's sent a letter to my OB about my C-section, so everything should be all set with that.

I did my gestational diabetes screening at my last OB appointment, and I will be calling about it today. I scheduled my C-section, too. Lyric will be born June 1st! The surgery is scheduled for 7:30am, which means we will have to be at the hospital at 5:30am, but that's okay because I won't be allowed to eat before then!! I know I'll be starving when all is said and done, haha.

This week I am: developing a brain, hardening a skeleton and helping mature her lungs and muscles. Better up my calcium intake, because she'll need it!

Next appointment is March 31st :)

Fetal Echo Results and Other News

I had my fetal Echo on February 16. It was basically a longer, more zoomed in ultrasound. There were a few points where I could tell she's still a girl, which is nice, haha! The office that did it was my cardiologists office from when I first started getting checked for Marfans, which was a plus because I was familiar with the doctor who would be reviewing it. So far there are NO SIGNS of Marfans in or around Lyric's heart! He would like to recheck her when she is between 6 and 12 months old, and keep an eye on it until she is through puberty just to make sure that nothing changes, but so far, so good!

I went to my regular cardiologist on February 8th, and he more or less told me not to be surprised if I just have to schedule a C-section. I asked my OB what her thoughts were on that at my appointment on the 16th, and she said that if that is what the cardiologist thinks will be best, then we should do that. So I will be getting a note from the cardiologist next appointment stating that he feels a C-section is medically necessary, and I will be scheduling my C-section at my next OB visit! We get to pick a day that is within the week before my due date. So here is hoping I don't go into labor early and all goes well!

Everything else at the OB appointment was fine. My weight gain is on track, and her heartbeat was 152 :)

I will also have my gestational diabetes screening at my next appointment, which I am somewhat dreading. I have no real reason to expect bad results, but I am still hoping for a good one.

Until next time :)

BIG Ultrasound Results...

So I had my BIG Ultrasound on the 19th, and the results are in - it's a GIRL! The tech thinks I may have been dehydrated because I drank the amount of liquid they said to drink, and my bladder still wasn't very full. But I didn't see any kind of evidence of a boy. She was picking out the kidneys and the stomach from what just looked like a belly to me, so I figure if she says it's a girl - it is.

So far everything looks normal. Travis got to see the baby wiggle around and everything for the first time, which I think he secretly liked more than he let on.

I have to check in with my cardiologist, my OB is scheduling a fetal echo and I have another 4 week appointment all in February. AND it's my birthday on the 10th, too. Looks like it will be a busy time!

Cardiologist Part II: Electric Boogaloo

So I had my recheck at the cardiologist today. According to him, my aortic root appears dialated, and has gotten bigger, but is not out of the range of normal yet. He put me on a low dose of a blood pressure medicine as a precaution and to help take the strain off my aorta. He's going to recheck me in 3 weeks to make sure that I am tolerating the medicine well, and then if I am, he will double the dose that I am on.

In other news, I am now 5 months along. My big ultrasound is on Tuesday! I am excited for it.

Travis had an interview for a new job. I'm really hoping he gets it because it would be such a big help for us. Keep your fingers crossed!

Either I cursed myself, or I have a very obedient baby

16 weeks today!

I had an OB appointment, which I have been anxiously waiting for. Before I left work for it, I looked down at my belly and said "Don't cooperate with the doppler so I can have an ultrasound." Lo and behold, the doctor couldn't find the heartbeat with the doppler, so I got an ultrasound! It was just a quick one, maybe 1 - 2 minutes. Everything is fine. The heartbeat was a strong 145 bpm, so I am starting to think more and more that it's a boy.

I scheduled the BIG ultrasound for January 19! I have to find the sheet of info on my next cardiology appointments, because I have no idea when they are, other than in January :X I may have to call them to refresh my memory.

After the anatomy scan and the cardiologist, I will go to an ultrasound specialist to get a fetal heart echo and make sure that the baby doesn't have any heart defects related to Marfans. It seems January will be a busy month for us!

It's been a while

The end of the semester push has me busy and neglecting to update.

I had my ultrasound 2 weeks ago on Monday morning. I don't know how I managed to drink all the liquid required for it, but holy cow did I have to pee! Luckily it didn't take too long, and everything is fine so far. The baby was all scrunched up on the right side of my uterus, so the tech had to wiggle the ultrasound wand on my belly to get it to move. It seemed to be sleeping (can't say I blame it, it was early!) They gave me a few pictures, and I met with a nurse who told me that everything is normal.

Next appointment is on the 22nd. It's just routine, so it'll be pretty boring, I'm sure!

Second OB Appointment 11/16/09

On Monday I went in for my 2nd OB appointment. They've assigned me a doctor, and he seems really nice. We decided to do the first trimester screening, mostly because I wanted an excuse to have an ultrasound. I go in on Monday for the first round of bloodwork and the ultrasound :)

Basically they just took my weight (I've lost 5lbs!), gave me the H1N1 vaccine, asked if I had any questions and that kind of thing. At the end, we got to hear the heart beat, which was exciting. Travis called his mom, and said it sounded like someone swinging a rope around their head. He's pretty much right on that one, so if you're curious to know what a baby's heart beat sounds like, try it, haha!

Hoping I get pictures on Monday!

What Happens When Your Doctor Looks at Your Medical History

So my follow up with the cardiologist yesterday went well. Suddenly I have Marfans! Evidently either someone called him and yelled at him for calling me a liar, or he looked at my medical records between appointments because instead of saying something about "If you have Marfans..." his tune was "Since you have Marfans..."

He said that my echo looked good and that he wasn't too concerned about my aorta, but he wanted to speak with my OB/GYN and see if they would be okay with me being on a low dose of a beta blocker. He also wants to recheck me in January to make sure there have been no major changes. Other than that, it looks like I am in the clear to just enjoy myself and not having to go to Ann Arbor anymore. Yay!

Oh nausea, my new best friend. Second only to cravings.

I don't have a doctor's appointment or anything today. In fact, my next appointment isn't until next week (Wow! A whole week with no appointments!!)so I decided to say a few words about the Great Pumpkin...er...wait a sec...

Anyway, the first couple of weeks that I knew I was pregnant, I was felling really good considering. After the initial shock wore off, things basically continued like nothing was going on. And then someone decided I was being to complacent, because the nausea hit. I haven't thrown up at all yet, which is good because it scares me to death... but I had a few days where I just plain didn't want to get out of bed because I knew at some point, I would be getting nauseous, and it suuuuuuuuucks. Sprite helped for a while, then stopped working. Vernor's, too. I tried sniffing a cotton ball soaked in rubbing alcohol, saltines, bland food, McDonald's french fries, and charcoal tablets... nothing really helped for more than an hour or 2. It's like my body finally recognized that there was a foreign invader and the solution was to make me miserable.

Walking through the mall on Friday, we passed the food court....Travis was taking in big, exaggerated sniffs and saying "Are you jealous of my ability to smell and not get sick?" Ummm...yes. I feel bad because it's making me really whiny, and I KNOW I'm being freakin' annoying. I haven't been able to take my prenatals in days because I'm afraid I won't keep them down. Though I am starting to think that the prenatals are why I have been nauseous, so I think I am going to switch and see if that makes a difference.

Now if only cheeseburgers had magical healing powers.

Echo of my Heart and 8 Weeks

Yes, I do indeed have a heart. I saw it yesterday. The ladies that did my echo were fantastic :) One was having trouble getting a 3 chamber view, so she had to call someone else in. They told me what the measurments of my aorta were before I left (though they said 'Shhh! We didn't say anything! The cardiologists love to disagree with us') When I got measured in March it was 3.8, yesterday it went between 3.3 and 3.5. 4.0+ is where they start to think something is wrong, so thus far it's nothing to worry about. They both saw the mitral valve problem, which is funny to me because the pediatric cardiologist I saw in March said it wasn't there! Given that those 2, and the 2 other cardiologists in that practice, plus the cardiologists I had in Germany all saw it, I'm going to hazard a guess here and say that Dr. Stone wasn't paying enough attention.

Anyway, I am hoping that because of what they told me I will be done with Dr. Hickox after my next appointment. I really, really didn't like him. And if I am done with him, that means I can keep everything local as far as appointments go. Not to mention it means no more seeing specialists! I'm already getting sick of going to doctors!

I am 8 weeks, 2 days today if all is still going well. Here's a little peek at Shrimpy: http://www.babycenter.com/6_your-pregnancy-8-weeks_1097.bc?intcmp=SPBirthClub_BCStagePagesExpertModule_textlinks

Starting to wish I hadn't mentioned the Marfans...

The cardiologist went okay, I guess. He didn't believe that I have marfans because my fingers aren't that long. Essentially he's saying that 3 other Cardiologists, 2 Opthomologists, an optometrist and a Genetics doctor are wrong. So I went on to explain I have the vision problems, the heart problems, the stretch marks and the crowded teeth/high palate (among other things) and he still seemed skeptical. There's only something like 25 markers for Marfans, and I probably have 20....but whatever.

I have an echo scheduled for tomorrow (RAWR!), and then I follow up with him on November 12. All these appointments are driving me nutsssssss!!! The good news is, once I am done with these, I should (in theory/kncok on wood) be done with the specialists and such for the remainder of the pregnancy. I'm tired of e-mailing to take time off work, so here's hoping!

Cardiologist

My Cardiologist appointment is scheduled for this Tuesday. I am hoping they can do an echo on-site. I will be very mad if I have to make yet another appointment just to get an echo done.

Time Line of What Has Happened so Far

October 7, 2009 - I had been having some problems with my legs swelling, and was not sure what to attribute it to. I wondered if it was work related or if something else was going on. It was suggested that it could be hormonal, or there could be something wrong with my kidneys. Not wanting to go to Urgent Care just to find out I was pregnant, I bought a test while Travis and I were out getting a new shower curtain rod (which is a story in itself). Long story short - the test was positive. Travis didn't believe it though, so we had to go out and buy a digital one, which was also positive. Travis' immediate reaction? "I'm calling my mom."

October 19, 2009 - My first OB/GYN appointment went well. It was basically an intake appointment. They took the family history, did a physical exam (much to Travis' chagrin), explained what screening we could get done and went over what to expect on next visits and in the future. Since I have Marfan's Syndrome, I was referred to a Perinatal Genetics Counselor at the University of Michigan Children's Hospital. They got me an appointment for the same week, which was nice. I was a little disappointed they didn't try to listen for the heart beat, but I didn't ask them to, either because I forgot. So I will definitely ask next time. My next appointment is on November 16.

October 22, 2009 - Today we had an appointment with the Perinatal Genetics department at the UofM Medical Center. It was a long drive, but they did give us a lot of information that was useful. Ultimately it comes down to me needing to see my new cardiologist so that I can get an echo done to determine how large my aortic root is. If it seems to be getting worse, than I may have to be upgraded to high risk and do all of my appointments and deliver at UofM. If it's not seeming to be a problem, then I can stick with the Lansing area for everything. I also got my official approval letter for Medicaid today, and should get my card in a few days. Yay free insurance!

For The Purpose of Easier Communication...

I have created this blog to help cut down on the "How did the doctor go?" IMs, phone calls and e-mails. I will try to keep it as up to date as possible with everything I know about what is going on, that way it's all kept in one place.