tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36794161581186189552012-02-16T00:38:39.090-08:00Carriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04768624175760256886noreply@blogger.comBlogger611100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3679416158118618955.post-70021099446368645672008-12-27T08:17:00.000-08:002009-01-01T15:48:15.302-08:00

Since things are getting more complicated, we have decided to move my blog. See you there.http://www.littlemisshannah.com/

Carriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04768624175760256886noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3679416158118618955.post-26631812795403176752008-09-29T11:49:00.000-07:002008-09-29T11:51:35.325-07:00

Dr. M, the hematologist, is out of town until Wednesday. But Dr. B, our pediatrician who I absolutely love for how much he goes out of his way to help, looked up the results of the liver function tests for Baby H from last Thursday. They all were normal with the exception of an elevated GGT in the 500s. What that means? Possibly some biliary duct obstruction or liver damage, but Dr. B

Carriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04768624175760256886noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3679416158118618955.post-39837110773156746622008-09-29T01:16:00.000-07:002008-09-29T01:36:27.924-07:00

There, I said it. I've been blowing this off for the past two months, but after Thursday's visit, I just can't deny it anymore. Baby H has always acted fine, so in my mind, I knew she was fine. But the truth is, she isn't fine. There is something seriously wrong with her, and at this point, the doctor's don't know what it is. All I know is that it isn't something very common or easily

Carriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04768624175760256886noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3679416158118618955.post-65029229856561431822008-09-25T14:46:00.000-07:002008-09-25T14:54:38.747-07:00

Went to TCH today for followup with the hematologist. Last time, he was very carefree and not very proactive with Baby H because it seemed as she was getting better on her own (hence the 5-week later followup). That changed today.It seems that since the ultrasound 3 or 4 weeks ago, her liver is now "significantly enlarged." What this means, I have no clue. He seemed pretty concerned and wants

Carriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04768624175760256886noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3679416158118618955.post-52402998375385815252008-09-18T18:08:00.001-07:002008-09-18T18:23:45.897-07:00

IkeWow, we made it! We were right in the eye of the storm, and we ended up hunkering down in the walk-in closet under the stairs. It really worked out great. Fortunately, the eye of the storm with the strongest winds hit after the kids went to bed very, very early in the morning. It sounded scary at times, but I was more afraid of and waiting to hear a tree fall on our house. There are

Carriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04768624175760256886noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3679416158118618955.post-50262866504886727352008-09-16T11:39:00.001-07:002008-09-16T11:40:38.729-07:00

Just a quick update to let everyone know that we are all safe and sound after Hurricane Ike visited us over the weekend!We are still without power or phone service. Cell service is very spotty and we seem to only be able to receive and send text messages. Our house held up very well - lots and lots of trees down but our house was spared, thanks to a previous tree-removal project!We're hoping to

Robertnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3679416158118618955.post-34868937061540697462008-08-29T08:24:00.001-07:002008-08-29T08:30:16.939-07:00

We got the ultrasound and Doppler results. Her spleen IS enlarged (no, duh) and is 8 cm, which according to the report, is 2 standard deviations above the upper end of normal. Not sure how much a standard deviation is though. I need to contact the hospital she was born at to get a copy of the original ultrasound report so the docs can compare the growth factor between then and now. There is

Carriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04768624175760256886noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3679416158118618955.post-13578728328262317002008-08-25T23:40:00.000-07:002008-08-25T23:47:37.054-07:00

Today was just a mess...I left the house at 7:15 AM to try to make it downtown for our 8:45 AM appt for Baby H's ultrasound and blood flow study. I was SO exhausted, as I don't think I got more than 4 hours sleep that night before. We didn't get checked in until 9 AM. However, we were waiting to be called, and Baby H was hungry because she hadn't eaten since 6 AM. So, I started feeding

Carriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04768624175760256886noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3679416158118618955.post-69744660734666687672008-08-21T07:12:00.000-07:002008-08-21T07:20:06.456-07:00

DH had to go out of town for a big conference on Tuesday, and he won't be back until Friday late afternoon. Taking care of three kids, especially with one being a newborn and on an every 2-3 hour eating schedule, is just wearing me out!! I cannot WAIT for him to come home tomorrow!! Today is going to be the worst day because they are both home from camp plus it is raining heavily outside. Baby

Carriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04768624175760256886noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3679416158118618955.post-70825291812764148432008-08-13T15:10:00.000-07:002008-08-13T15:14:27.776-07:00

Despite the fact that we had to wait two hours to see the doctor today, the appointment went really positively. We were completely SHOCKED when we found out her platelets jumped up to 93! Yes, that is NOT a typo! It went from 52 to 93 in just two days! They took the blood straight from her vein this time instead of a heel prick, but even the doctor said that should have not been such a

Carriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04768624175760256886noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3679416158118618955.post-79472501683995401142008-08-11T18:09:00.000-07:002008-08-11T18:15:26.817-07:00

Dr. B contacted the Hematology team at TCH downtown, and they said that we can wait until Wednesday's appointment. We are actually meeting with the Head of the Hematology team (of which there seem to be almost 100 clinicians), so we don't want to lose that coveted meeting. I was actually impressed that Dr. B was able to get an appointment with him directly so soon.But for now, we are just doing

Carriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04768624175760256886noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3679416158118618955.post-72648304109080906802008-08-11T07:09:00.001-07:002008-08-11T07:10:22.771-07:00

52. Her platelets dropped from 66 to 52 from Friday afternoon to today, Monday morning. I'm crushed. Dr. B is going to call his colleague from TCH downtown in the Hematology department to see if they want to see Baby H earlier than Wednesday. I'm just waiting to hear.

Carriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04768624175760256886noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3679416158118618955.post-67269184919031154722008-08-10T10:33:00.000-07:002008-08-10T10:41:11.990-07:00

DH got his wish... All three kids at home for the opening ceremonies of the Olympics. He and I have always been HUGE Olympic fans, especially during the summer games. We were so excited to bring her home that day before the opening ceremonies!It has been a very mellow weekend, as we are just hanging around the house. Baby H has not been eating AS much as she did in the hospital, and by trial

Carriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04768624175760256886noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3679416158118618955.post-37340507980842692352008-08-08T15:37:00.000-07:002008-08-08T15:47:31.281-07:00

It was great having Baby H home last night. She slept in a PackNPlay next to our bed. She ate every 3 hours, and I was on baby duty last night because DH was just beyond exhausted. I didn't mind, although I only ended up with 2+ hours sleep because of the novelty of everything.We went and saw Dr. B today, and he did another platelet level. She went down from 68 yesterday to 66. During our

Carriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04768624175760256886noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3679416158118618955.post-28059159157113888812008-08-08T00:30:00.001-07:002008-08-08T00:40:34.661-07:00

OMG, what a whirlwind day! It's 2:30 AM, and I'm wide awake after just feeding my beautiful daughter IN MY OWN HOME! I'm going to be a wreck tomorrow, but it is so worth it.To make a very long story short, my favorite NP and day nurse really spearheaded the drive to get Baby H home sooner than later (waiting for the 80). They talked to the neonatologist who is in charge of her care, and he

Carriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04768624175760256886noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3679416158118618955.post-88647639316516070352008-08-07T12:08:00.000-07:002008-08-07T12:18:13.489-07:00

Went to my general doctor this morning. My BP was 150/100, which is still high. We talked a bit about how my BP was in the normal range (120/70 and 118/74) on the two days after delivery of Baby H and how my BP seemed to increase once all hell broke loose with her having "a mass" and everything that followed that. So, he isn't sure if I have chronic hypertension, remnant pregnancy-induced

Carriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04768624175760256886noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3679416158118618955.post-84033020528201086882008-08-06T21:32:00.000-07:002008-08-06T21:58:23.774-07:00

I went and visited Baby H only twice today (because they were closed for a few hours because another baby had surgery). This afternoon, I picked E up from camp, and we went together. He is nervous about holding Baby H, but he kept showering her with kisses and talking to her with this cute little voice "Hi H, I'm your big brother E." I also let him feed her, but I don't know if he got nervous or

Carriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04768624175760256886noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3679416158118618955.post-62467939090082294572008-08-06T06:25:00.000-07:002008-08-06T06:37:00.641-07:00

64. That's it. Her platelet count only went up 2,000. The docs were hoping to see at least in the 70s this morning. "At least it didn't go down." They are going to test her again tomorrow morning. If she can't get into the 80s by Friday, they are going to "sit down and reevaluate" the situation including possibly another IVIg treatment or perhaps a platelet transfusion from me.I didn't

Carriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04768624175760256886noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3679416158118618955.post-3753851220893524132008-08-05T06:13:00.000-07:002008-08-05T06:21:56.284-07:00

DH just called after visiting Baby H on the way to work this morning, and we got the latest 48-hour platelet results... She went up to 62!!!!!!!!!!!!!! From 41 to 62!!! This is fantastic!! Also, her bilirubin went from 11.x to 6.7! Her liver seems to be functioning better finally!! I know we aren't supposed to totally expect this to be "the turnaround" they are hoping for because we need the next

Carriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04768624175760256886noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3679416158118618955.post-19349559938284354962008-08-04T16:37:00.000-07:002008-08-04T16:44:49.760-07:00

Tomorrow morning we should get our next platelet count. I'm hoping, hoping, hoping to see some improvement. I went to see Baby H 3 times today in the NICU. With both kids in camp, I was free to just be with her, feed her, and spend time with her. I cherished it immensely. E went with me to the last feeding this afternoon after I picked him up from camp so that he could see Baby H. While I was

Carriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04768624175760256886noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3679416158118618955.post-19380198278965169852008-08-03T19:33:00.001-07:002008-08-03T19:45:55.980-07:00

This is what I keep telling myself today after we found out there had been relatively little change in Baby H's platelet or direct bilirubin counts. Her platelets went from 40 to 41 in the 24-hour period, and her direct bilirubin went from 2.2 to 2.1. Definitely not the change we were hoping for, but "at least her platelet's didn't go down." Now, we just wait 48 hours for another blood test to

Carriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04768624175760256886noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3679416158118618955.post-23783457942597585142008-08-02T14:16:00.001-07:002008-08-02T14:27:34.558-07:00

Well, the IVIg transfusion didn't seem to help at all so far. The nurse practitioner talked to us for about 30 minutes, and it is extremely rare not to see any boost in platelet counts after IVIg with NAIT or NIIT, which means, it either isn't NAIT (which is most likely) or that we may see a late boost in platelets (not very likely).So, we are back to square one with no working diagnosis.The

Carriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04768624175760256886noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3679416158118618955.post-56843075303651691712008-08-01T14:58:00.000-07:002008-08-01T15:11:24.781-07:00

Severe neonatal alloimmune/isoimmune thrombocytopenia. That is the working diagnosis for Baby H's main platelet problem. The viral panel came back this afternoon, and thank goodness, her CMV (cytomegalpvirus) was negative. It also causes similar symptoms to what Baby H has, but it comes along with hearing, vision, and possible neurologic problems. So NAIT is the diagnosis of exclusion that

Carriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04768624175760256886noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3679416158118618955.post-22478593595712912782008-08-01T05:50:00.000-07:002008-08-01T05:54:03.650-07:00

Bilirubin only went down .1 from 11.4 to 11.3. I wonder if they are going to put her back under the phototherapy lights?Platelets went down only 1 point to 41,000 from 42,000. I guess I should take solace that they didn't go down dramatically again like they did yesterday (drop of 12). I know that 30,000 was the number that they were going to give her another transfusion at, but I also know

Carriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04768624175760256886noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3679416158118618955.post-23500039482609668902008-07-31T19:09:00.001-07:002008-07-31T19:12:15.616-07:00

Unfortunately, her platelet count has dropped quite a bit from this morning ... from 54 to 42. I'm heartbroken. I want so much to have her healthy and bring her home. I had the hardest time putting her back in her crib tonight.Her bilirubin did go down, just a bit from 11.7 to 11.4. Not quite the drop they wanted to see tonight, so that isn't great news either...though at least it didn't rise

Carriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04768624175760256886noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3679416158118618955.post-31127506329894920622008-07-31T14:43:00.000-07:002008-07-31T15:40:07.712-07:00

I've tried writing this post for almost three days now. Each time, I get to a point and decide I'm just not in the mood to do it. Nothing horrible is going on -- my beautiful daughter is here, in the NICU for 5 days now, but as of today, things are looking more positive (nothing lifethreatening). I'm exhausted and sore, my blood pressure is still really high and for some reason my body has

Carriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04768624175760256886noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3679416158118618955.post-1966119421112673572008-07-25T08:08:00.001-07:002008-07-25T08:18:24.601-07:00

Bad news first... My BPs have creeped up again at my doc's office. 160/110 and then 162/111 twenty minutes later.Good news... My doc has decided that it is better to deliver baby girl today than wait until the 31st! Of course, I'm freaking out right now because I didn't really expect it, but at 36w1d, I feel comfortable knowing that she should be okay! OMG, I'm having a baby today!!! We are

Carriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04768624175760256886noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3679416158118618955.post-39486600257432258502008-07-24T07:42:00.000-07:002008-07-24T07:52:44.837-07:00

Around 9 PM last night, we were all lying in our bed and watching "So You Think You Can Dance." I started feeling very blah and felt my heart start racing out of my chest. So I took my blood pressure (which I haven't done in quite a few days), and it was 148/126. My DH and I looked at each other like "huh?" (My doc doesn't want to see a lower number higher than the 90s). After lying down

Carriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04768624175760256886noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3679416158118618955.post-31708889679444886402008-07-21T11:54:00.000-07:002008-07-21T11:59:19.784-07:00

Just got back from my ultrasound. For 35-1/2 weeks, this is one big girl! She is measuring 7 lb 4 oz already! If I went full term, 40 weeks, she could have been a 9-pound plus baby! Everything looked great. We found out some cool things on the ultrasound though today, as our technician was not that busy (doc is out of town so not that many patients) and seemed to show us more than usual.Baby

Carriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04768624175760256886noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3679416158118618955.post-84765251697023830312008-07-15T08:13:00.001-07:002008-07-15T08:19:48.785-07:00

Well, we had my nonstress test again this morning, and I drank about 16 ounces of orange juice before the test to make sure little girl was awake and active. It definitely worked because for the first time, she passed on the first go round!After laying there for 30 minutes, the nurse took my blood pressure, and it was 150/92. Pretty high considering I had been lying there and not moving. My 24

Carriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04768624175760256886noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3679416158118618955.post-60721020787124905242008-07-14T19:37:00.000-07:002008-07-14T19:54:04.272-07:00

My cousinWell, it is very difficult trying to figure out what is truly going on down there is Costa Rica. However, my brother did talk to my cousin today, and it seems that he has lost sensation in all of his extremities, even though he is sugarcoating it for his parents. He is doing physical therapy three times a day, and it is exhausting for him. Thank goodness he is still young (36). The great

Carriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04768624175760256886noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3679416158118618955.post-43425519831949093602008-07-13T21:39:00.000-07:002008-07-13T21:45:06.231-07:00

One of my cousins is in his late mid 30s. He went down to Costa Rica with some friends and was severely injured in a freak accident. We don't know all of the details yet, but apparently he was tubing in some shallow water, fell, and something happened and he ended up unconscious. Some of the sketchy details we have received are that he ended up in local village clinic, and he was paralyzed.

Carriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04768624175760256886noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3679416158118618955.post-3654660467104007642008-07-12T22:26:00.000-07:002008-07-12T22:50:00.917-07:00

MeI cheated today. DH and the kids went with me to get my haircut down the street. I had to do it. Having curly and frizzy hair that was getting way too long was driving me crazy, especially after having to lay in bed day after day! I didn't want to go by myself because I didn't want a repeat episode of what happened at the market a couple of weeks ago where I almost passed out. However, nothing

Carriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04768624175760256886noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3679416158118618955.post-85190975301565911742008-07-11T13:04:00.001-07:002008-07-11T13:13:43.402-07:00

We had an ultrasound this morning. Our last one was at 29w6d, and our baby girl was measuring about a week ahead at 3 lb 12 oz. We were concerned that with my hypertension and me still not gaining any weight in the past two months that the baby wasn't growing as well as she should. Well, obviously someone didn't tell her that -- get this, 6 lb 2 oz!! She is still growing about a week and a

Carriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04768624175760256886noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3679416158118618955.post-90284828574144574142008-07-08T21:19:00.000-07:002008-07-08T21:28:20.342-07:00

Oh yeah, in the midst of everything that has been happening over the past few months, we have been looking for a new car to replace my mini-SUV. After buying the baby's car seat, we realized that we just can not fit three kids in this car with two of them needing car seats. A is going to have hers for at least another year. So, we have been looking at mini-vans and bigger SUVs.After a lot of

Carriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04768624175760256886noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3679416158118618955.post-61824314254427787232008-07-08T21:16:00.001-07:002008-07-08T21:19:42.731-07:00

A was home today since it was Tuesday. E has camp this week, so he is entertained there. I was looking forward to some mommy-A time today. However, I ended up having a horrible reaction to my medication today and must have slept most of the day away. I felt horrible because A ended up watching three movies today (more or less). DH was going to come home around 2 PM, but the person who was

Carriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04768624175760256886noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3679416158118618955.post-12294181270924318892008-07-07T22:35:00.000-07:002008-07-07T22:53:58.668-07:00

Gosh, since I can remember bringing her home, I've always called A "my ladybug." I'm not sure why I started doing this, but usually when I pick her up from preschool, I will give her a huge hug and say "how was my little ladybug today?" or even in the house I will just call her that.As I mentioned before, she is having a rough time lately with me being on bedrest. Especially on Tuesdays and

Carriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04768624175760256886noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3679416158118618955.post-51282354026904212982008-07-07T09:31:00.000-07:002008-07-07T09:35:07.969-07:00

Got back from my doctor's appointment, and even though my BP was 146/88, he wasn't too concerned at this point. I brought him up to date on my symptoms, and everything seemed "normal." We did another nonstress test today, and again, the first time he wasn't happy with the results because the baby's strip was basically a straight line. I guess that means "nonreactive." However, after drinking a

Carriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04768624175760256886noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3679416158118618955.post-33107636827543543632008-07-06T17:09:00.000-07:002008-07-06T17:12:12.924-07:00

I have another doctor's appointment Monday morning at 9:15 AM. I'm VERY anxious about it. After all, we are at 33-1/2 weeks, and he wanted to try and get to 34 weeks, which is Thursday. 36 weeks is his absolute goal. However, my BPs have been gradually creeping up this weekend (in the 150s/90s today), and I'm wondering if he is going to either increase my BP meds (god, I hope not just because

Carriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04768624175760256886noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3679416158118618955.post-45710919961624293372008-07-02T22:06:00.000-07:002008-07-02T22:12:42.628-07:00

The thing that stinks about being on strict bedrest is not being able to get our new baby girl's room ready. We've bought some things and washed the clothes we had purchased and that were given to us by our neighbor. I suppose maybe this 3-day weekend for my hubby and the kids we can start organizing a bit, and I can send them out on a shopping spree to get stuff. I really miss shopping!We did

Carriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04768624175760256886noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3679416158118618955.post-10139652391479850862008-07-02T16:33:00.001-07:002008-07-02T16:39:08.469-07:00

We made it another week. Tomorrow will be the beginning of week 33. My blood pressures have remained in the 130/140s over 80/90s range. Still getting sick on the meds sometimes. Monday was the worst...I was so miserable that I ended up sleeping 15 of the 24 hours in the day, I just felt like my body was wasting away. I even called my doc's office because I was so lightheaded that I couldn't

Carriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04768624175760256886noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3679416158118618955.post-16469809334432921952008-06-25T10:15:00.000-07:002008-06-25T10:25:10.669-07:00

It has been a rough past few days. I started developing more symptoms of what could have been either preeclampsia or medication side effects. For about 4 to 5 hours on Monday, I had blurry vision (had trouble reading the computer, magazine, or TiVo listings), a dull annoying headache (not severe by any means), lightheadedness, and just overall generalized weakness all over my body. Called the

Carriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04768624175760256886noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3679416158118618955.post-28258436488589122462008-06-20T22:19:00.001-07:002008-07-07T15:54:03.744-07:00

I found my old blog earlier this evening. I realized that I really haven't truly blogged like I used to. Sharing stories, feelings, and just otherwise sharing whatever I want, whenever I want. That lead me to a internal dilemma about why I haven't posted much about things that are going on in my head, especially about this pregnancy.I'm going to be a mom for the third time. I'm going to have a

Carriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04768624175760256886noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3679416158118618955.post-8767170536261125402008-06-20T10:47:00.000-07:002008-06-20T10:56:07.130-07:00

First of all, I wanted to thank everyone for your support and advice, especially from those of you who have been here before. It is immeasurable!Great news. I got the call from my OBs office, and my protein has actually gone down to 180 from 265ish! 300 ml is the cutoff for a preeclampsia diagnosis, so this is fantastic news. I've been monitoring my BP at home, and it has stayed in the mid

Carriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04768624175760256886noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3679416158118618955.post-40670965117542918402008-06-18T07:35:00.000-07:002008-06-18T07:42:05.065-07:00

Yesterday, I went to my primary care doctor for an EKG and to get my BP checked. It was actually 138/82! The lowest it has been this whole time. My EKG came back normal, yay, and my doc doesn't think it is underlying chronic hypertension. That's not to say that I may not develop chronic hypertension after this pregnancy. Went back to my OBGYN today, and my BP was 144/84. He was pleased that

Carriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04768624175760256886noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3679416158118618955.post-87260241330508307532008-06-16T16:46:00.001-07:002008-06-16T16:48:17.306-07:00

Got to the doctor's office this afternoon. BP was 178/110. Obviously way too high. My doc tripled my medication - 500 mg 3 times a day instead of 250 mg 2 times a day. Also, I have an appointment scheduled with my primary doctor (internal medicine) for an EKG and cardiac workup. My OBGYN wants to rule out any chronic heart problem developing before he sends me downtown to the high-risk

Carriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04768624175760256886noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3679416158118618955.post-23815692897002807482008-06-16T10:27:00.000-07:002008-06-16T10:32:16.112-07:00

I swear this past week has been like a roller coaster. I've been on pretty strict bedrest since Friday morning with the only exceptions being to go to the bathroom, shower, and to have meals with the family. Even with that, I've been watching my blood pressures creep up every day since I've been home monitoring them. Friday, they were in the upper 140s/mid 80s range like the day before.

Carriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04768624175760256886noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3679416158118618955.post-33682287899280855062008-06-12T08:09:00.003-07:002008-07-07T16:00:29.320-07:00

I'm smiling so huge right now.First we did the ultrasound. She is looking great and measuring actually a week ahead (31 weeks) in terms of size. She is already 3 lb 12 oz big! Our worry that having PIH would cause the growth restriction hasn't happened, at least not yet. Her heart is nice and strong.Then, my doctor came in. My BP actually dropped to 148/86 (which is still high for pregnancy, but

Carriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04768624175760256886noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3679416158118618955.post-38728819929389400002008-06-11T07:34:00.000-07:002008-07-07T16:00:45.947-07:00

I just got back from my OBGYN appt. My BP was still 170/100, which is considered "severe" hypertension even on the medication and bedrest for the past two days. I did the 24-hour urine collection thing, and the results should be coming back tomorrow. Also, I have an ultrasound tomorrow because they want to see how big the baby is because PIH is known to cause IUGR (intrauterine growth restriction

Carriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04768624175760256886noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3679416158118618955.post-15908232210619340422008-06-10T17:25:00.000-07:002008-07-07T16:01:03.137-07:00

I'm very anxious about tomorrow morning. Sure, it is just a blood pressure check to see if the medication (methyldopa) and rest has helped, but what if it is still high? Then what? DH bought me a blood pressure cuff yesterday, and I have been taking my BP every 4 or 5 hours. When I'm just hanging out around the house (not resting), it is ranged between 160 to 179 over 89 to 96. Not good. If I

Carriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04768624175760256886noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3679416158118618955.post-88463583647787367952008-06-09T10:01:00.000-07:002008-07-07T16:01:17.589-07:00

This weekend I took it pretty easy. At my insistance, we did a big baby stuff shop this weekend at Target and Babies R Us. After everything I have been reading about PIH online, I just have a feeling this baby will be here sooner than later. Apparently, according to BabyCenter.com, since I developed PIH before my 30th week, I have a 1 out of 2 chance of developing pre-eclampsia (of which the only

Carriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04768624175760256886noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3679416158118618955.post-68492780734498196142008-06-06T08:01:00.000-07:002008-06-06T08:06:13.141-07:00

I had my 29-week appointment today. When I first got in, my blood pressure was 160/90. The nurse had me lay down for 30 minutes, and when the doctor came in to recheck it, it went down to 140/90. Then he said something I was dreading... "So, we are going to have to treat this pregnancy a little bit differently now...".He doesn't think it is toxemia, but he wants me to have 2 to 3 hours of

Carriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04768624175760256886noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3679416158118618955.post-68247445289840369392008-06-05T08:37:00.001-07:002008-06-05T08:40:02.662-07:00

We went in for our 4D ultrasound today. Unfortunately because I have an anterior placenta (in the front of the baby instead of the back) and because her cord was right in front of her face, we couldn't really get that many good pics of her. These were the best that we could get. But you know what -- THERE REALLY IS A BABY IN THERE!!!! How cool is this?There are a lot more pics from today

Carriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04768624175760256886noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3679416158118618955.post-1691637729278979582008-06-02T12:28:00.000-07:002008-07-07T15:54:29.885-07:00

So, I've been working on hydrating myself much more as well as eating more. Saturday, we went to the water park that just opened and had an absolute GREAT time there for a bit over an hour or so. The kids loved going up the bridges, down the slides, and E just LOVED standing in the pool where this huge bucket of water gets dropped every 5 minutes. Towards the end of the time there, I saw on the

Carriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04768624175760256886noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3679416158118618955.post-36704187439882990312008-05-26T15:07:00.000-07:002008-07-07T15:54:50.273-07:00

Here we are -- THIRD TRIMESTER!! I feel like I have to say it over and over again, and yet it still doesn't feel like it is real. I keep waiting for all this surreal stuff to become real, you know?I definitely have a soccer ball stomach now. From what I've read, this little girl has already passed the two-pound mark! Whoa!!!I'm starting to get exhausted again, and walking in the 90+ degree and

Carriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04768624175760256886noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3679416158118618955.post-56133226187495740292008-05-13T06:34:00.000-07:002008-05-13T06:36:40.426-07:00

So, the doctor's office calls this morning at 8:30 AM. Of course, I saw it on the caller ID and knowing that most doctors only call with bad news, I prepared myself for the worst as I answered the phone. She said "I know you would have probably called this afternoon, but I wanted to give you the good news this morning. You passed your glucose tolerance test with a 106!" Whoo hoo!! I can

Carriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04768624175760256886noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3679416158118618955.post-32428341673435521892008-05-09T08:21:00.000-07:002008-07-07T16:01:31.143-07:00

Had my monthly checkup this morning, and everything looks right on track. I asked him about the numbness that I have been getting on the front of my right thigh at night when I lie on my back, which he attributes to being "normal" and the baby lying on the sciatic nerve. Also, I asked about what I had read on the internet about a higher rate of having a breech baby with an anterior placenta, and

Carriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04768624175760256886noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3679416158118618955.post-36648035988517533762008-04-29T12:39:00.000-07:002008-07-07T15:55:53.881-07:00

Here we are at 23w5d, and I'm still having a difficult time grasping that I am having a baby in the next few months. I mean, physically I feel it -- the peeing all the time, the little flutters here and there, and my stomach feeling like I have a volleyball in there. But for whatever reason, I'm having trouble wrapping my heart around this, as if I am going through the motions.But, I'm feeling

Carriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04768624175760256886noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3679416158118618955.post-67696841192750905392008-04-11T11:06:00.000-07:002008-04-11T11:20:14.127-07:00

Thanks Mom for reminding me to update :)I had my 21-week appointment this morning. Very quick and simple. The baby's heartbeat sounded right on target, and we talked briefly about how I was feeling and questions I had. I'm still down about 12 pounds from when I found out at 9 weeks that I was pregnant, and I haven't gained or lost anything since week 13. My doctor said that since the baby looked

Carriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04768624175760256886noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3679416158118618955.post-52263522634716583532008-04-04T14:05:00.000-07:002008-04-04T14:06:28.306-07:00

We got the full amniocentesis report back today, and I'm excited to share that everything came back NORMAL!!!

Carriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04768624175760256886noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3679416158118618955.post-60988435881139041612008-04-01T10:57:00.001-07:002008-07-07T16:01:49.189-07:00

So, I was wondering why I was feeling so crappy during the holidays and into the new year. I thought it was just a really bad stomach flu, but then one night in bed, A put her head on my stomach and said "you have a baby in your tummy." DH and I looked at each other since this had never been a consideration why I had been ill.After all, we had gone through 4+ years of intense infertility

Carriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04768624175760256886noreply@blogger.com18