The New Adventures of Old Kristine

Catchy title that is fitting for my last few days...

Sunday - I do my 24 hour urine test because of elevated proteins in my urine. Weird peeing in a bucket. Weirder that I have to take bucket with me to work and pee in a stall in a bucket. I only had to explain it to one person. I told her to go ahead of me, she insisted I go first. I refused saying I rather not have her have to watch me pouring my urine from the collection holder into the bucket... Okay then. Too much information? Oh well.

Monday - Doctors appointment. Blood pressure - 140/60. Again still in the "borderline" high, even though the bottom number (is that systolic?) is low. Pee in cup (don't they have enough pee from the bucket?). Talk to the nurse about the glucose test tomorrow. Talk to the doctor about me being pre-pre eclamptic, she says that although I am borderline at this point she will be cautious and just treat me as though I am pre eclamptic. She explains everything to me and tells me she sees a ton of pre eclampsia cases a day and there is nothing to be concerned about.

So I go home and start my nursery project. Painting murals on the wall. The first is a monkey in a tree... It was easier then I imagined and if I do say so myself came out pretty damn good!
Go out to eat with Scott. I am going to eat good since I have to fast tomorrow!

Come home to a message on my machine. It is Dr. J - "We got your 24 hours urine sample back from the lab. It shows you are spilling a lot of protien. Since you will be here tomorrow, we would like to do an u/s. It is 7pm now, so have me paged when you get in in the morning so I can talk to you".

I freak out because I have an u/s scheduled for next week. Why do they have to bump that one up? Why did the doctor call and not a nurse? Why do I have to page my doctor in the morning? All of which in my racing mind, with no answers, freaks me out! I cry a little. A hide that I am nervous from Scott. Who doesn't buy it. I call my mother who tells me, the doctor called because the nurses went home. She had pre-e and a ton of u/s with my sister. Relax, breath. My sister is okay and so will Dillon. Okay. Good I am somewhat calm now.

Tuesday - Go in for my 3 hour glucose, which should really be 4 hours since that is how long I am there for. 7am, no coffee, no food = cranky. I check in and have Dr J paged, then I am called for my first blood draw. This girl is good - in and out, no issues. I am told to come back every hour. Okay.

I go into the waiting room and my nurse comes out to tell me she talked to Dr. J and that she scheduled my u/s. She says she just likes to be precautious since I had elevated protien in my urine and that they will be doing a series of u/s from this point on to track the growth. Nothing to worry about. Okay done.

So I spend the next 4 hours in between blood draws and u/s.

Dillon is thriving. He is 2 pounds 6 ounces (right where he should be). His lungs were doing practice breathing which the u/s tech says is good. Everything was perfect with him and he loved the sugar high he was on from the glucose syrup thing I had to drink. He was dancing all around.

I wish I could say my blood draws went as well. I went back and had nurse hatchet, a different blood drawer then my first. She stuck me 6 times to get 3 vials for 3 hours. I have had my blood drawn 5000 times in the past 3 years with my thyroid, and monitoring for IUI's and IVF's and never once have I ever come away with a bruise... right now my arms are covered in them!!!

As I was about to leave, my nurse comes in. "Oh good, perfect timing! Dr J still wants to talk to you. I will have the front desk page her, wait here until you speak to her"... So I wait. 10 minutes. I am hungry, I am tired I have been here for 4 hours. I go to the front desk and tell them to have Dr. J call me at home.

I head home. When I get in, the phone is ringing. "Hi it is Dr J sorry I couldn't get back to you right away...blah blah... we want you to come in to L&D and be monitored for an extended amount of time. We want to make sure all is okay with you and baby - plan to spend the night"
She assures me not to worry, that they just want to be sure the babies heart rate and my blood pressure do not spike or anything.

Of course not worrying is not an option. Spending hours on a monitor is not normal when pregnant.

So I eat, call my mom and Scott. Freak out. Head in.

I am there for about 7 hours. Hooked up to machines. Blood pressure is low - 110/60 - 120/70 the entire time. Babies heart rate is in the 140's - 150's.

All is good.

So they send me home and tell me that I will need to come in 2 times a week from now on.

Hopefully my blood pressure will stay low so I do not have to repeat this adventure any time soon. Hopefully no new adventures will begin and the baby will stay in there nice and cozy and growing big and strong.