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Last NC Appointment

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I had my very last OB appointment today with the fetal medicine specialist. He said everything looked great—the baby weighs approximately 1.2# and is developing nicely.

Of course Owen was obstinate today and didn’t give us a good face-on view for the photo shoot (even after the doc flipping me on my side), but I was able to see legs and arms (and an elbow), lips, the chambers of the heart, the spine, organs I will never be able to point out on the ultrasound video, and of course the boy bits. I told the ultrasound tech that we needed her commentary along with the video, to be able to point out everything. 🙂

The doc also said I was doing great for having had (or still have but is currently in remission) Grave’s Disease. He is still in a bit of disbelief that I am not showing any symptoms or having any problems—but he is thrilled nonetheless. (Oh, that’s right, he said he couldn’t see the baby’s thyroid, which was a good sign. If he could see it, that would mean I was passing on issues to the baby. Of course I couldn’t see anything. Even when he pointed.)

My blood pressure was just fine today, too (as compared to my BP at the hospital two weeks ago when it was a bit high), so that’s good.

I did have the doc take a swab because I was a little concerned about some discharge, and it turned out to be something bacterial, so I am now on meds for that…but he said it was nothing to worry about.

I really love this doctor, and am going to miss him terribly—even if I have only seen him three times.

Appointment and Maternity Clothes

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This morning I had my last on-base OB appointment. It was just a quick check-up, really—heard the baby’s heartbeat and the doc warned me about high blood pressure (apparently, it was a bit high again, and I am at the point in the pregnancy when it should be the lowest of all). He said I might have to worry about a few forms of hypertension. Then it was off to medical records to request a copy for the move…but of course I needed Tom’s orders (which I didn’t have) so he has to go back and request them for me.

On the way back to work I stopped at Target just to see what they had in the way of maternity clothes. Ha, funny. They had about six racks, none of which were plus size…so I guess maternity clothes are only for rail-thin people and I will have to wait until we get to Michigan with a wider variety of stores. (Sidenote: I don’t REALLY need maternity clothes yet, but some pants are finally starting to get tight.)

Two OB Appointments

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I just got back from my first OB appointment of the day and it was pretty useless. The doc didn’t have any of my test results—because they were at another doc’s office (the specialist I am going to see this afternoon). And the doc didn’t have much else to say other than my blood pressure is normal (so maybe when it was high those few times, it was just a spike for whatever reason) and everything looks good. We did get to hear the heartbeat again (which is always cool) but I had hoped for…more. I am sure I will get more this afternoon, with the specialist.

The appointment with the specialist was, as expected, much better. I had another full ultrasound (all on DVD, if we can ever figure out how to convert it to something we can upload here) and…we found out the sex!

To be totally honest, Tom and I were both momentarily disappointed, only because we both REALLY wanted a girl—and I was SURE I was having a girl. But a little Owen is just fine with both of us… I teased Tom that he could now be a coach for his son and he was like “Our daughter could be in sports, too.” And I just looked at him like “Please? Not if my daughter takes after me!” 🙂

Anyway, the doc said the baby is perfect—about 7oz (which seems to be a bit larger than the averages WebMD and Baby Gaga estimate)—and I am doing fine as well. He said of the three main issues that sent me to him in the first place—high blood pressure, past thyroid issues, and my “advanced age”—two seem to be reconciling themselves (blood pressure and thyroid) and don’t seem to be anything to worry about (although we will still keep checking them).

My next appointment with the base doc is in three weeks, mainly so they can start the process of transferring my records and possibly recommending a doctor in Michigan. My next appointment with the specialist is in six weeks—right about the time we should be moving—so I hope I can keep the appointment (I really really like that doctor).

When I called my mom to tell her, one of the first things she said was something along the lines of “Katie needs a big brother!” so it looks like grandma is already expecting kid #2. 😉

Edited 11/18/2009 to finally add the ultrasound video (the quality isn’t the best, but I didn’t want to upload a 100MB file):

Fetal Medicine Appointment

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Michigan, here we come. 🙁

The doc said of course I am high-risk, but not THAT high-risk. And if I WAS that high-risk they would WANT to transfer me out of the area to a bigger city. (In fact, when we first mentioned Detroit, the doc’s response was “That’s great!”)

We then basically flat out told him we wanted to stay here and were worried about the stress of moving within two months and he said they couldn’t really do anything about that—as far as they are concerned, the baby is healthy and I am healthy. They are running some tests (like for my thyroid) and they did an EKG, but as they said, I’m good to go in their eyes.

They did a looooooong ultrasound (which we have on DVD, we just haven’t had a chance to pull pics from it yet) and told us everything looks good. The baby is the right size and shape, the heart and umbilical cord are working well, and whatever they look for in the spine and nasal cavity (looking for deformities) is perfect. We got to hear the heartbeat again as well.

So, good news and bad news, all rolled into one.

Midwife Appointment

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I just got back from my first appointment with the midwife at my local clinic. (At our orientation, they said since they have so many pregnancies right now, they are trying to spread them out so they don’t get overbooked. Everyone who lives on base or has a high-risk pregnancy goes to the naval hospital, and those who live in town can go to a clinic. I love the clinic since it’s my regular clinic, they know me by name, and it’s two minutes from work.)

First, my blood pressure was high. After assuring them that wasn’t normal, they said they would take it again after my appointment.

The doctor/midwife was very nice and personable. She went through my files (all the paperwork I filled out at the hospital two weeks ago), confirming what I had put and asking more questions.

Due to my age (you know, the dreaded 35 is this September!), she is sending me out in town for a consultation with Maternal Fetal Medicine—to see if I am going to be a high-risk pregnancy or not.

Also, due to past thyroid issues, I am going back to the naval hospital to consult with an actual OB doctor (since it’s a bit outside the scope of the midwife). She said that even if I am not having any issues right now, they can come up after pregnancy, so they just want to be in the loop and take any necessary preventative measures.

Lastly, at the same time I consult with the OB doc, I will also have a consultation with anesthesia—since I am overweight, they just want to make sure (in the case of a caesarean) that my airways are not constricted and an anesthesiologist would have no problems.

I really hope they don’t deem me high-risk, because that means all my future appointments will be on base, instead of at the clinic two minutes from my office.

She asked if I had any questions and I mentioned that I was still sick every day and she said she would give me a prescription for anti-nausea pills. I am debating whether they will work or not, because I really don’t think I have nausea per se (I just feel all around crappy, not specifically nauseous)…but I assured her I wouldn’t take them if they didn’t help.

Then I asked what she thought of me doing the HydroMassage Dry Hydrotherapy.

Hydro Massage: Unique, open design for comfort with a traveling water-jet system for full back and side body massage. Hydro Massage has 39 preset programs for customized, massage sessions that may be recalled at any time with a temperature controlled cooling system. This service is engineered using heat and water pressure to relieve stress, decrease muscle tension, and increase flexibility while leaving tired muscles feeling relaxed and rejuvenated.

HydroMassage

This is a spa treatment offered at my tanning place. Since I stopped tanning when I learned I was pregnant, they said I could turn my tanning membership into a spa membership (at the same rate). I had to wait until this appointment to get my answer. So, now, if I want, I can go get a 20-minute massage once a day!

So, after the questions and whatnot, it was time for the exam. She started with the ultrasound—YAY! I didn’t think I was going to have one today (at the orientation, they stressed that we would have TWO ultrasounds, one of which was that day)! Of course she saw the baby, but all I could see was a big black blob (my uterus) and something that I think might have been the head. But I did see the pulsating dot that was the heartbeat! She said everything looked great.

Then, since I had a pap smear in April, she didn’t have to do that part of the exam, but she still had to do a test for, oh, I forget, gonorrhea and syphilis I think (mandated by the state of North Carolina for all pregnant women).

A quick breast exam (which she said was excellent, and no need for a baseline mammogram until I’m 40) and then I was done. On my way out, I had my blood pressure taken again, and it was still elevated, so they just put a note in my chart and will keep an eye on it.

My next appointment (as far as I know right now) will be in 5-6 weeks (at about 16 weeks) with the OB at the naval hospital. I have to wait 48 hours to call the Maternal Fetal Medicine doctor, so that appointment could likely be in the meantime.

On the way home, I stopped at Planet Beach, gave them my permission note from the doc, and had my first massage! It wasn’t perfect, but it was nice and relaxing…and it’s something I will definitely enjoy getting out of the office for a few times a week!

More about the appointment.

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So now for more details about yesterday’s appointment.

I knew it was an orientation-type appointment, but they weren’t very clear with instructions. They said to get there 15 minutes early to fill out paperwork, so I was dutifully there 20 minutes early…and they said “Okay, just go have a seat.” Um, okay. So there was no paperwork.

Tom was there with me, and we watched some other women trickle in, but I didn’t pay much attention to them because, well, it is an OB office. I had to go to the bathroom, but didn’t want to because I had been told (on the phone when I made the appointment) that there would be an ultrasound and it helped if you had a full bladder.

So about 8:35 someone came in and announced something (which I couldn’t hear) and a bunch of the women all got up and left. We still sat there because we hadn’t heard what was said and no one had told us what was going on. The woman at the desk motioned to me and said “I think you’re supposed to be with them.” Oh, nice. So we went over to the counter and she looked up my info and said yes, I was supposed to be in orientation. Well, duh, I knew that, but they certainly didn’t make it easy—someone literally stuck their head in the door and said something in a normal voice. I would have thought someone would have come in, stood in front of us, and made a real announcement. 🙄

So we walked across the hall and of course they were already started, so I apologized for interrupting. We sat down and listened to a powerpoint presentation on things to do, things not to do, things to eat, things not to eat, who to call with problems, etc…everything that was on the handouts they gave us. Then it was time to fill out the paperwork. Ahhhhh, yes, most of which I could have already had done had they given it to me when I thought they were. The woman did have to explain a few things, but it was no big deal.

I now have to pee worse, and it’s about 9:30. They start taking women for their ultrasounds, and of course I am not being called. I make an educated guess that since I have to pee so badly, I will of course be the last one called, LOL. I went in to the instructor’s office (we were back in the OB clinic by this time) and asked if there was any way I could bump up my ultrasound because I REALLY had to pee. She said “Oh, it’s not that important to have a full bladder, you can go to the bathroom.”

>:XX

So I did, then came back to schedule my physical. The good news is that I can have most of my appointments at my regular clinic (a mile from work) instead of having to drive 20 minutes to the naval hospital on base. (This is, of course, assuming I don’t end up with a high-risk pregnancy.)

As I had guessed, I was the last one called for the ultrasound…but it went well. I layed on the table, she put some gel on my stomach, and I made a comment about how Tom was sure there was nothing in there. The tech made a comment about how she would prove him wrong, and said “There it is!” and Tom and I were both like Where? What? We don’t see anything. It looked like a black hole. So Tom said “I still don’t believe it.” So then the tech said “Okay, then here’s the heartbeat, you can’t disagree with that.”

And it was amazing. She timed it and said it was like 175bpm, which was just perfect. She also measured it and said my due date was fine at February 19.

Then she manipulated it a bit to try and get a good picture. It is so tiny that she had to blow it up quite a bit to get the picture you see. And of course she put the Xs on it so we could have some idea what we were looking at. I found it funny, too, that she labeled it BABY. :>> That said, it was over too soon—I wanted to hear more heartbeat. 🙁

Then it was off to the lab for blood work…which I was not looking forward to, only because I know I am NOT a good draw. The last time I was there for blood work, they had six people try to draw me, I had about four needle pokes, and they ended up taking it from the back of my hand (very painful). So I told the tech I wasn’t trying to scare him, I was just warning him. So imagine my total amazement when he got me on the first poke and successfully drew seven vials! I told him I was coming back to him each time!

The Official Announcement

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Something I (we) have been waiting and waiting and waiting and waiting for has FINALLY happened…Unfortunately, I haven’t quit my job and am still working at the same place…but I will have a “new job” of sorts come February 19th or so!

I had the 10-week ultrasound this morning and there is NOTHING in that picture that is even faintly recognizable to me, but the tech said the head is on the left and the feet (butt?) is on the right. But we did get to hear the little blob’s heartbeat so we do believe it!

I have been dying to say something the past month, to explain why I have felt like crap and why I have been so tired and why I have been offline a lot, but we promised we wouldn’t say anything until the 3-month/12-week cutoff—but then I decided I couldn’t wait, and the 10-week ultrasound would have to suffice! (We were just paranoid about saying anything too soon, since the last pregnancy didn’t end up as we’d hoped. We also didn’t want to get too excited ourselves, since we got overly excited the last time, and then got depressed when it didn’t happen.)

So far, the pregnancy has been MOSTLY awful. XX(

The first four weeks (when I had no clue I was pregnant) were great, LOL. I took the test on Father’s Day and after that, I started to get tired. Very tired. Exhausted, even.

About a week later, I started feeling horrible. JUST HORRIBLE. The strangest sensations I couldn’t even put into words – but definitely horrible. Not morning sickness per se (I never threw up once) but I had nausea, upset stomach, headaches, I could eat a tiny portion but then felt like I ate an entire buffet…every day. I was sleeping a minimum of 10 hours a night and was STRUGGLING to make it through the work day, trying to appear like nothing was wrong (because I didn’t want to tell the bosses). So, work (which is normally hell for me) was 100 times worse because I felt like death. Each weekend was spent between the bed and couch, pretty much sleeping all day. I cursed the day I asked to be knocked up! 😉

But knock on wood, I think it’s over…and none too soon because a month of that was making me insane. The past few days I have felt better (not great, but approaching good) and I hope I only feel better from here on out.

No blood test.

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I went to the doctor’s office this morning to see what I had to do to get a blood test. Why did I want that? Because it’s guaranteed proof that I am pregnant.

Yes, I’ve had two positive at-home tests and one positive doctor’s office test…but that is the same exact thing that happened the last time—so I just wanted to ease my apprehension with a blood test. ESPECIALLY after the last time.

Unfortunately, they didn’t feel the same way.

They said as long as I’m not having any complications (cramping, bleeding, etc.) then they are to assume I am fine (and if I do have those complications, to go to the emergency room).

I am sure I am fine. I feel completely different than I did the last time (more actual pregnancy symptoms, no cramping and bleeding) but I still wanted to set my mind at ease.

The ladies were very nice about it, though, even joking with me (agreeing with me) that I am thinking too much! :yes:

So, I have to wait until July 17th (my first OB appointment) for blood work and/or an ultrasound.

That’s three weeks.

Three agonizing weeks. |-|

Doctor’s test results!

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I didn’t go to the doctor on Monday because I had lost my military ID and thought I would need it at the clinic, so spent Monday morning replacing my ID.

So this morning I went to the doc for a walk in pregnancy test. It was torture waiting for the results—I couldn’t call, but had to wait for them to call!

They finally called and told me yes, I was pregnant, and gave me the numbers to schedule my initial OB appointments. Oh, and the anticipated due date is February 22, 2009. Of course, that can change once I actually see a doctor, but it’s a good enough guesstimate for now (an online predictor said 2/20).

On one hand, I was totally geeked…but on the other hand, I was still trying to pretend it was no big deal because I did NOT want to get excited this early.

Pills, ugh.

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I am not good at remembering to take pills. I never have been, and I imagine I never will be. Especially when I am supposed to take them in the morning, with food/milk/lots of water.

Yes, I am talking about prenatal vitamins. I got a new script last week when I was at the docs for my annual exam.

The problem is that I usually eat on-the-go (a smoothie on the way to work) or I am eating something quick before rushing out the door. Very rarely do I drink anything with breakfast (I don’t really count a smoothie as a “drink” although technically I guess it is) so I completely forget to take them.

I know taking them at another time during the day is still better than not taking them at all, so I tend to take them around dinner. Or before I go to bed. Basically whenever I remember. :))

Finally, genetics on my side. Or luck.

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So today I went to the dentist for the first time in—are you ready?—over six years! Yes, the last time I went to the dentist was when we lived in Lansing, before we got married!

Why has it been so long? Well, first it’s six months and then you know it’s time but you have to find a new dentist, and then I didn’t want to deal with new insurance, then you completely forget, and then we were moving again, and then I thought about it a few times, but if you’re not on a schedule you don’t think about it, and before you know it, it’s been YEARS.

So about a week or so ago I thought I was having a toothache, so picked a dentist and made an appointment. (Turns out it was a sinus headache, but at least I had the appointment.) It was just supposed to be x-rays to see if anything else needed to be done, with a follow up teeth cleaning in a few months (because they were completely booked) but they were actually able to fit me into a cancellation right when I was done with my x-rays and oral cancer screening.

So long story short, my teeth are great! No cavities, no gum issues, nothing! They were honestly shocked that I hadn’t been to a dentist in 6+ years (and that I don’t floss regularly). That said, I did have two teeth that needed to be sealed because they had tiny fissures that could eventually turn into cavities, but that was it!

So, I am not sure who I have to thank for my good teeth health (the past need for braces notwithstanding), but I am appreciative! And if it’s completely a stroke of luck, I will accept that as well!

A month of miscellaneous updates.

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Wow, it’s been almost a month since I last posted. Nothing much has been going on…just little things here and there.

Well, I did have some major problems with my new Vista computer, but at that point I really wasn’t loving any computer and was keeping my distance so was not online posting about it. What happened? Let’s just say that little things here and there weren’t working right, so I had to do some system restores, then in trying to get those little things to work right, the solutions caused my system to crash and I had to do three (yes, THREE) full system recoveries (which means taking the computer back to day 1) which meant I lost all installed programs…never fun. It’s back up and working now, but it was a very, VERY, VERY traumatic few days. >:(:'(

I’ve had some good times with our friends… a few drinking and hot tub nights over at Roger and Ursula’s and a night out at a local bar with a co-worker (which made me glad I did not really have to live through the dating scene).

I had my vein surgery just about a month ago and it went very well—he said it could not have gone better. I have to go back shortly for a follow-up to make sure it’s still doing well.

We have had more rain and storms this past month than the whole time we’ve lived here, I think. Poor Maggie… and add the 4th of July sounds to that, and miscellaneous noises in the neighborhood? The poor dog must think she’s going nuts.

My job is…well, it’s still just a job. I am not having any fun and some days it’s just dreadful. There’s a long and involved story but suffice it to say I am SERIOUSLY looking for other employment.

And last but not least, Tom and I continue to chat and talk just about every day. He’s online every morning (my morning) from about 8:30 to noon, and he tries to call once a day. If I am up late some nights (mainly on the weekends) we chat around midnight or 1am as well. Right now, we’re counting down the days until he gets here—we’re finally under one month!! :>>

Bloodwork Results

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I went this morning to get the results of my bloodwork—the first stop in trying to determine what might be wrong with me, if anything.

And you know what? I’m perfectly healthy (other than needing to lose weight, of course).

My sugar levels are good, my kidneys work, my liver is functioning, and my cholesterol is awesome (which is cool because I’ve always been curious).

And, most importantly, all my female things are on target (at acceptable/normal levels)…I can’t remember what all the things were (and hell if I can understand the results sheet he gave me) but all my hormones are okay and I am ovulating (that was a big question, as I had done ovulation tests for a month with no positive results).

So, he referred me to a specialist. I will probably get an appointment within a month or so, so until then…

My medical lessons for the day!

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Today was my appointment at the hospital for a [I forget what it was technically called, but basically, an ultrasound on the veins in my leg to see if they were working correctly or not]. Interestingly, once I saw the machine and sat down, I realized I had already had this same procedure back in Virginia at Bethesda (2002ish)—so, apparently at the time, they had determined nothing was wrong??

Anyway, for the most part, the veins in my leg are okay—no deep vein issues, everything was superficial. However, the tech did find one vein that doesn’t seem to be working properly—it’s not horrible, but it is definitely why I’m feeling pain again in my lower leg. (And no, it’s not at all related to the sprain I had.)

So where does the medical lesson come in?

Well, since I had a captive audience :>> I asked the tech a few questions. Yes, I could ask my doctor, but I always seem to forget what I want to ask (I know, I know—I should write everything down) so I figured why not ask the guy who was running a wand over my leg and explaining everything he was doing. :)) (He was awesome, by the way.)

I learned that during my previous surgery (microinvasive phlebectomy, if I remember correctly) what happened was that they made a bunch of micro cuts, pulled out the vein via a fishhook type device, and tied off the bad vein(s). I am sure I knew this part at one time. However, what I didn’t know is what happened to the blood that ran through those veins. I always sort of wondered what happened to it—where it went if the veins were tied off. Well, now I know: apparently the body is such an amazing thing that it creates new veins or seeks out alternate veins that may not have been used before (much like blocking off a riverbed—the water has to find somewhere to flow!).

I asked why this was happening again, since I had surgery for this very thing two years ago. He said they could have missed one bad vein the first time, and it just took this long to become a problem…or another vein just went bad. Another surgery could fix it completely, or I could be going through this every so often.

I also learned that weight really doesn’t have that much to do with the problems I am having. He said that bad veins are mainly hereditary and can happen to anyone at any time.

So, the gist of the appointment is that the problem vein is a perfect candidate for a newer type of surgery that the doc will have to decide on—instead of cutting into the leg to tie off the veins, they do an RF something-or-other [I looked it up, and I think it’s Radiofrequency Ablation of Saphenous Vein] and make one incision, insert a catheter into the vein, and through the magic of science, when they pull the catheter out it seals up the vein like a zipper. It is much less invasive than the other surgery.

Radiofrequency Ablation of Saphenous Vein

So, my next appointment is April 9, when the doctor will tell me what’s what and if I will be having surgery, and which surgery I will be having.

My Leg Update

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I went to the specialist this morning (the same guy I went to in 2004/2005 and who did my surgery). The gist of the visit was that there is an issue and they need to do more tests…so I have an appointment at the hospital in two weeks, at which time the results will determine what comes next (possibly another surgery). If I recall correctly, I believe he said that the other surgery is a more invasive surgery than the one they did before (something like the one he did two years ago was the starter surgery, for lack of a better term, to see if that took care of it). Of course, he also said that I should be wearing my compression stockings as much as possible. 😳

Oh, and he said the “pulled muscle” that I experienced was unrelated to the vein issues, and that he didn’t hear anything that sounded like a clot—but the hospital tests will show more.

Everything happens for a reason, right?

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Well, I just got the results back from the clinic: negative. I said “So what do we do now [since I had a postive test three weeks ago]?” They said they had to call me back. After the longest half hour of my life, they called me back and said to come in for bloodwork. So…I just got back from getting blood drawn—and unfortunately, I won’t know anything until next week after the second draw so they can compare the two results to see if the pregnancy hormone is increasing or decreasing.

God, this just sucks.

I know whatever is meant to be will be and everything happens for a reason, but I have to say I’m more than a little depressed at the moment. On one hand, it’s a HUGE relief, as I did not want to do this alone. But on the other hand, we were getting really excited about it…as were our parents, of course. (I knew there was a reason we didn’t tell everyone—but at this point, I feel bad having told our parents for no reason.)

Of course, it’s not 100% definitive yet, but I’m going with women’s intuition on this one. That said, if it is truly negative, everything will be put on hold until he returns in January 2008…and this blog wlil cease to exist until then.

This is going to be a loooong week.

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Well, I just got back from the clinic and I have to say that it didn’t quite go like I wanted it to. How hard can it be to get a blood test??? GRRR. >:(

They said in order to do any bloodwork, I had to have an appointment, and the earliest they could get me in was October 10—which is pointless, since my OB appointment is October 15. They did say, however, I could do another urine test, so to come back later in the week. If it tests negative at that point, they will do bloodwork. She said even if I did miscarry, there should still be enough hormones in my system to give a positive test result…so the likelihood is that it was a bad test.

So I might just run and get some cheap tests today, just because it’s going to be a loooooong week since I have to wait until Friday (their recommendation) for another urine test.

First Official Appointments

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I called today to make my first OB appointments. Unfortunately, I have to go to the base hospital (which means an hour just in drive time)…so am not looking forward to that part of it.

The appointments are Monday, October 16 for the orientation (not quite sure what all that entails) which includes an ultrasound, and Tuesday, October 17, which I guess is the first official exam. Unfortunately, they said that exam can take the place of my annual exam (already scheduled for October 5) because they do all the same tests. I say unfortunately because that means I had to cancel my appointment with my favorite doctor in the world (had the best annual exam of my life with her last year). 🙁

But, on a positive note, I can’t wait to see the ultrasound! At only two months, there won’t be much to see…but there should be something!

It’s Official!

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Well, according to the doctor’s office, I’m officially pregnant! Of course, I was 99.999999999999% sure before that, due to two (okay, three!) positive pregnancy tests. (I’m not that anal—I just still say the first one was inconclusive!) Tom knew I would be calling at 2pm to get the results, so he was calling at 2:15 to talk to me!

I was going to wait to tell my mom and David and dad and Linda when I got home, but I just couldn’t wait. I did have to wait until certain coworkers left the office, however, since I do not want this to be public knowledge yet…

I called mom and David first and they both picked up, as she was upstairs and he was downstairs—so I got to tell them both at the same time that I was pregnant. Mom didn’t believe me—she thought I was joking! I said “Why on earth would I joke about something like this?” I think she was just in shock!! Of course, she was very excited as well, as this will be her first “real” grandchild (the other four are technically David’s). The comment that sticks with me is mom telling me that “our visit worked” — meaning our visit to Grandma Len’s gravesite in July…

WARNING: 😥 ALERT!

My grandmother (mom’s mother) died probably 25 years ago. When my cousin’s wife was having trouble conceiving, her father-in-law went to his mother-in-law’s grave (our grandma, above) and said a prayer and asked for some divine intervention in making his wife (grandma’s daughter) a grandma as well. Within a few months, my cousin was pregnant. That was about eight years ago, and I didn’t hear one word about this story until a few months ago when we were about to go home for my other grandmother’s funeral. My mom told me the story and then told me we would have to “go visit grandma, like [my uncle] did” (since all my grandparents are at the same cemetary, actually buried within 40 yards of one another). And we did. So, after three emotional days of my grandmother’s viewing/funeral/burial, we walked across the road and went to see my grandma and my mom said a little prayer and asked HER mom for help, saying she did such a great job with [my cousin and his wife]. That was in July. At that point, we had been trying for ten months. In August, I was pregnant.

Then I called dad and first wished him a Happy Birthday…then said I had a surprise for him. He was scared. I then told him he was going to be a grandpa and amazingly, he was at a loss for words (for just a few seconds, but still). Of course, he was very happy!

When I got home, Tom had gotten me the cutest card…saying he can’t wait to start this new experience with me!! Awwwww, I know! Then he called his mom to tell her that it was official (she was the only one who knew beforehand) and of course, she was thrilled as well!

We decided to wait a bit on telling everyone else, just in case anything bad should happen. It’s customary to wait until the end of the first trimester, so we’ll see if we can actually wait that long. I am pretty sure our close friends/neighbors will know before that, because there are always get-gethers and drinking…and if I am not drinking, they will surely suspect something!

I thought it was going to be the worst day of the year…

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I thought today was going to be the worst day of the year. I mean, what woman looks forward to her annual exam? I try to be adult about it—I know it’s something that HAS to be done and I know I shouldn’t be nervous, but I just can’t help it. My blood pressure was higher than normal, and sitting there waiting in the exam room in nothing but thin paper sheets, my hands were sweating like crazy. I wasn’t thrilled about my doctor, either—I don’t have a problem with male doctors for this exam, but I had seen him before on other occasions and I have to say I wasn’t overly thrilled with him—especially when there’s a female doctor there THAT I LOVE. But, as it was, I had to wait a month just to get this appointment, so I didn’t want to be particularly choosy.

I was getting myself all worked up while at the same time trying to calm myself down and think logically about the situation (no matter how bad it really is, it will be over in less than two minutes). So…imagine my surprise and total delight when the door opened…and it was my favorite doc!!! I was instantly a bit more at ease and we all joked about how nervous and sweaty I was and it was a little better. And, as luck would have it, the exam went very well and it was over just about before it began! Of course there was a bit of discomfort, but nothing like I had experienced before or had anticipated! She even said that she had gotten compliments before on how great her exams were! So, I am definitely requesting her from now on!!!

Playing Catch-Up

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What does my weekend consist of after having been on vacation for a week and coming home to outpatient surgery (I had a varicose vein removed from my leg)??? Laundry, laundry, and more laundry—I am currently on load 2 of 9! I guess I should throw in some cleaning, as well.

FYI: Temperature update? A brisk 37 degrees! It was 21 this morning! Brrrrrr!