Today's Latest Doctor's Update

So I went back to the doctor(s) today to find out what the next step is if there are any? I had called my OB last night because I was having some significant cramping and my OB thinks it's because I am not staying hydrated with this stone trying to move. She suggested I drink 24 ounces of water an hour from the minute I get up to the minute I go to bed. I about flipped, I have been drinking as much as I possible can. So I followed their advice last night and felt better this morning.

I went to the urologist this morning, and wasn't sure what to expect. The doctor came in and he looked frusterated. He did the usual questions, how are you feeling, how are things going, blah, blah, blah. He told me that they had still found a significant amount of blood in my urine, which immediately tells them there are still stones moving/caught. I wasn't surprised. I informed him I haven't been taking the pain killers because I'm trying to deal with the pain so our baby has better chances of staying put longer. He just shook his head and said, I hate to say this to you, but I don't know what to do. I know your in pain and incredibly uncomfortable. He explained our options again 1) continue taking the percocet to kill the pain and risk pre-term labor 2) go in and put a stent in which puts our baby in significant danger 3) continue on the path we are on which is drinking fluids and praying this sucker passes and doesn't cause any infection.

I knew there is really only one option and that's to just deal. I can't subject my little girl to risks because of my own pain and discomfort. She needs to stay put and every day and every week she is in my belly is another day and another week she will become just that much stronger. So unless something drastic happens such as me spiking fevers, more vomitting, or severe chills, we will continue to press on one day at a time. If i start fevers, vomitting, or chills, that is a sign there is an infection and that leaves us with no option but to go in and put a stent in.

SO, prayers that things stay the way they are or that this pesky stone is released and the others stay put for now. We need Baby E to get bigger and healthier. Pray for patience and an ability for me to continue to endure the pain and discomfort that comes with these freaking stones.

13 more weeks until baby E arrives

I feel like this is a great time for me to start blogging. Jeff and I are expecting our first baby and we are so excited to meet Baby E! This has been a long journey and our lives have changed so much already and I want to be able look back and thank God for what he has brought us through because I know there is a reason for all of this, even amidst the storm when I feel so discouraged.

Let me give you the details:

December 2010, Jeff and I decided we wanted to try and start a family. We love kids and we knew the timing would never be perfect, so we went for it. We found out in late June that we were expecting. Two weeks later, we had our first scare: I was bleeding pretty heavily and over the 4th of July called our OB and had an appointment scheduled to get things checked out. I went into the office and they did an internal ultrasound and assured me that I was pregnant, but it was most likely an ectopic pregnancy. They couldn't find a heart beat, but the signs of pregnancy were there. Jeff had just started a new job and I didn't want to jeopardize that so I had my friend Melissa come to the appointment with me. She had recently been pregnant but lost her baby at 5 months into the pregnancy. I was devastated, Jeff remained hopefull as they sent me to a specialist that same evening. Melissa left and Jeff joined me that evening, after a horrendous 2 hour wait in the waiting room (they were squeezing me in) it was finally my turn. Another ultrasound later and guess what, they found a heartbeat and our baby was there! The heavy bleeding was due to a tear in the placenta or the placenta attaching to the uterus.

Week 12: We had an ultrasound scan done to check for the possibility of birth defects. We just wanted to know ahead of time if we had higher chances of having a child with birth defects, we knew we would love this child regardless, but wanted to be prepared. Back to the specialist I went. Unfortunately it was another mid-day appointment and my amazing friend Melissa was once again their by my side so my hubby didn't have to leave work....not that he wasn't willing.I just hated to see him leave and take time from work when he had just started there. So the screening began and the doctor was telling me all the things he was looking for and measuring the fluid behind the baby's head. He then asked if my husband and I were going to find out the gender of our baby and of course I said yes and asked why. He informed me that with 98% accuracy he could tell me we were having a little GIRL! I felt so blessed to find out so early, but a little upset because had I known, Jeff totally would have been there! The doctor then had difficulty getting a clear picture of our little one's arteries from part of her bladder. He assured me it was probably just the position that she was sitting in. He saw the utter terror on my face as did my friend Melissa, who thankfully put words to the fear I was feeling. He offered to do an internal ultrasound to get a better picture, and ease my mind. Thankfully he was able to locate everything he was looking for. Three days later the results of all the pre-natal tests came back and everything was withing normal ranges, which just meant that there were no signs of birth defects.

One week later, I had the lovely onset of morning/all day sickness! 27 pounds later and 11 weeks later the morning sickness finally subsided (thanks Zofran for getting me through those long weeks).

Week 18: We went back to my regular OB to have our fetal ultrasound---this is where they normally tell you the gender and check to make sure everything is growing properly. They reassured us we were having a little girl and everything looked PERFECT. RELIEF! Our little girl was growing healthy despite all my sickness.

Week 20-22 were great. I felt so blessed to finally feel what everyone other pregnant person around me had been talking about the entire time, this amazing feeling of being pregnant and happy and full of joy. That lasted about 2 weeks.

That brings me to about 23 weeks when the dreaded phone call came. My doctor informed me
that after looking at the ultrasound pics, they were concerned with the picture they had of our little girl's heart. The nurse on the phone tried to assure me that everything was fine, but they needed to bring me in for another ultrasound so they could get a better picture of her heart. The nurse could have offered me a million dollars and told me everything was fine, but until I saw her again and heard that wonderful heart beat, there was nothing that could reassure me. A week later the ultrasound began and I heard that wonderful little heartbeat and the ultrasound tech had some trouble getting the pictures she needed, because our little girl was not cooperating. I started to realize that maybe this little girl was taking after her daddy a little bit. She didn't want to be bothered, but they finally got the pictures they needed and again everything looked fine! I knew our little girl was a fighter and quite stubborn! Sleepless nights then kicked in, cramps started, bouts of morning sickness came and EXHAUSTION set in.

The next three weeks were difficult, but all I could think about despite feeling so horrible, was that our little girl was healthy. She was growing like a weed and happy. In all the ultrasounds the doctors always commented how she seemed so content and just wanted to be left alone. She seemed so happy!

Week 26-I had been feeling more and more tired and crampy and concerned that I wasn't drinking enough fluids because I wasn't peeing enough. One saturday morning the pain hit. I knew exactly what it was and I feared it the entire pregnancy thus far. It was a kidney stone. It explained so much of how I was feeling. As soon as the pain hit, I immediately starting throwing up water and peeing blood, there was no doubt it was a stone. I went home, rested, slept the day away and drank so much I could have floated away. I felt great the next day thinking it had passed. I awoke Monday morning at 2 with more pain, I knew it wasn't over. As the morning progressed the pain was worsening. I called into school and made my sub plans and went back to bed about 6. Jeff decided to work from home that day in case I needed anything because the pain so just that bad. About 8:30 I went into his office at home and told him I had called the doctor and they had wanted me in right away. Got to the doctor about 10 and by 10:30 I was admitted to Wake-Med Cary Labor & Delivery. I was freaking out. I had no idea what was going to happen, the pain was unbearable, the doctors couldn't find a vein in my body to hook an IV into. 30 minutes laters finally an IV was in, fluids pumping and morphine dripping...the morphine wasn't even touching the pain, so they changed the pain meds to Daluadid, which kicks in within 2 minutes and finally I felt relief. They sent me to ultrasound and confirmed it was a stone, but were concerned because I was severely dehydrated. They strapped me to a heart monitor to monitor Baby E. She was doing ok, and then they strapped the contraction monitor on and my doctor was concerned that I was having contractions. Again scared beyond belief, all I could think of was, I was hurting my baby girl with all the narcotic drugs they were pumping through me to ease the pain, and no matter what treatment option they gave me it included a high risk of Pre-Term labor. They kept me overnight and kept the fluids pumping, thankfully one of the stones passed and oral pain meds were easing the pain. They sent me home on Tuesday with oral pain killers. The next few days got better and I thought it was all over until Sunday night. The pain started, but I was determined to go to school, I couldn't let my kids at school down, I have been out soo much and I owe it to them to be there. The pain got so bad at 2 that I had to leave. I have follow up appts. tomorrow to see what's going on and go from there.

If there is one thing that this little girl has taught me is to have Faith. She is a fighter and she is not giving up. She is happy in her little home and she constantly reminds me that she is there and that she's ok. She kicks, punches, and hiccups. It seems every time I start to wonder if she's ok in there, she gives me the cutest little reminder or nudge (kick) to let her mommy know that she is ok. I know I need to have faith, God has proven faithful thus far and no matter what he will guide our paths. Jeff has been absolutely amazing through this whole process from holding getting my wash cloths when i'm throwing up, rubbing my back when it's sore, getting me weird craving foods to just letting me know that everything will be ok.

I could not be more blessed! I just need to keep reminding myself of this through this trial.