Weekly Appointment 02/23/07
I haven't written this update because I never know where to start. I guess the beginning of the appointment is a good place. Remember my ankles? That's the result of a 15 lb weight gain in one week. That makes a total of 30 in the last 3 weeks. My first response was to swear that my eating habits had not changed. The nurse responded that there was no way to eat a 15 lb gain in one week. My legs are swollen to the knees pretty much all the time. Dr. S. felt them and his only response was "whoa! that's bad." I should have thanked for that great bedside manner. It was certainly reassuring. Since there aren't any proteins in my urine yet and my blood pressure is still not too high, they aren't going to do anything about that just yet.
Up next was the nurse asking whether I felt good movement. I told her honestly that I hadn't felt much since Tuesday. Maybe one kick Thursday night, but that was all. This brought Dr. N. rushing into the room asking what I meant by saying that I hadn't felt her since Tuesday. I told her I thought it was self explanatory. They brought out the ultrasound and started the appointment right away. We immediately say her heart beating, which was a huge relief. I guess the magic words to not wait in the exam room are along the lines of no fetal movement. I think she's just wedged in so tightly that she doesn't have much room to move a lot. She's measuring right on target for gestational age, but they didn't measure the tumor this time. Since they're draining the bladder by needle, her amniotic fluid levels have switched from too high to low.
They drained her bladder again and it was much lighter in color than last week. Apparently Dr. A, aka the one who took three tries to get the needle positioned properly, also caused a bit of trauma and there was some old blood in her bladder. It seems to be clearing out. We go back twice this week (in addition to meeting with the grief counselors again). I asked if the appointments would be close enough to do the serial draws, and once again Dr. N. waivered. She told us that she doesn't think that it matters and that I'll get too sick and she'll have to be delived in the next two weeks or so.
There you have it. Things don't look great and I'll probably be cut open from pubic bone to sternum in the next two weeks. Okay, maybe not that far, but it will be pretty big.
Up next was the nurse asking whether I felt good movement. I told her honestly that I hadn't felt much since Tuesday. Maybe one kick Thursday night, but that was all. This brought Dr. N. rushing into the room asking what I meant by saying that I hadn't felt her since Tuesday. I told her I thought it was self explanatory. They brought out the ultrasound and started the appointment right away. We immediately say her heart beating, which was a huge relief. I guess the magic words to not wait in the exam room are along the lines of no fetal movement. I think she's just wedged in so tightly that she doesn't have much room to move a lot. She's measuring right on target for gestational age, but they didn't measure the tumor this time. Since they're draining the bladder by needle, her amniotic fluid levels have switched from too high to low.
They drained her bladder again and it was much lighter in color than last week. Apparently Dr. A, aka the one who took three tries to get the needle positioned properly, also caused a bit of trauma and there was some old blood in her bladder. It seems to be clearing out. We go back twice this week (in addition to meeting with the grief counselors again). I asked if the appointments would be close enough to do the serial draws, and once again Dr. N. waivered. She told us that she doesn't think that it matters and that I'll get too sick and she'll have to be delived in the next two weeks or so.
There you have it. Things don't look great and I'll probably be cut open from pubic bone to sternum in the next two weeks. Okay, maybe not that far, but it will be pretty big.
posted by Valarie at 2:10 PM
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