Milk Blister

The bizarreness that has become my body during pregnancy continues to unfold. I've got to say, I'm starting to take the oddest things in stride these days - I suspect that green blotches could appear on my nose and I'd assume it was some normal pregnancy thing I just hadn't read about yet....

This time it is a milk blister. I'm in the shower last night and I look down at my breast and see this white pimple looking thing in the middle of my nipple. Too strange! It's kind of hard, but doesn't act like a pimple, so I decide to google it later. Apparently, it is a milk blister. Fairly simple to remove, but talk about strange!

Off bedrest - hooray

Cleared to be off bedrest! Freedom sweet freedom!

Strange smell follow up

So, the check they did last week showed it wasn't amniotic fluid. But I still had it going on this week so they checked for other stuff and it's bacterial vaginitis. According to my doc, it's nothing serious, especially since I'm in the 3rd trimester, but that it was important to treat it. So, they gave me antiobiotic cream (same form factor as what you get for a yeast infection) that I have to apply before I go to bed tonight and that's that. According to the pamphlet they gave me, this is the most common vaginal infection you can get. To diagnose it, they check a) the color/consistency of your vaginal secretions, b) the acidity of the secretions c) the smell of the secretions, and d) they look at the sample for certain cells that are a clue to the presence of BV.

If you suspect you have this, make sure they test you and don't just brush it off as "typical strange pregnancy stuff" - mine didn't smell fishy, but it was still BV. And other than the smell, I had no symptoms.

Bed rest - not free yet.

Back from the doc and have good news/bad news. Good news - they say the baby is looking good (4lbs, measuring large for his age), cervix is closed and long, all good things. Bad news - still on bedrest for another week. If I don't have any more cramping or contractions, they'll *probably* let me off of bedrest next week. So, happiness about the baby being fine, but slightly bummed about being home bound and couch bound for a while longer. All for a good cause though :)

Strange smell (TMI)

So here's the "ewww, what's that all about?" post for the day. Over the last 1.5 to 2 weeks, I've noticed some "leakage" (I've been slacking off on my Kegels so I suspect it's urine) in my panties. However, it doesn't smell sweet (like they say amniotic fluid does) and it doesn't smell like urine - it smells strange, almost like popcorn but not quite(odd, I know). Guess I'll ask the doc about it tomorrow...

Baby Safety article on CNN

http://www.cnn.com/2007/HEALTH/family/11/13/par.baby.safe/index.html
I hadn't even thought about the hot water thing....

Christmas is coming...

I already hate bed rest. The day before I went to the hospital, John brought all the Christmas decorations down. I had planned on putting them up the next day. Now, I'm stuck here on the couch, not allowed to lift anything or do anything. And there are boxes *everywhere*. Argh!

3D ultrasound, hospital visit, bedrest

Yesterday: I woke up in the wee hours of the morning with some pretty unpleasant cramping. We had a 3D/4D scheduled for that day, so I figured I'd just ask them about it when we got there. So, after the ultrasound, they had me talk to the nurse who did an FFN (Fetal Fibronectin) test to determine if I was in preterm labor, then did a pelvic exam. She thought I was slightly dilated so she sent me to L&D. After a couple of hours of fetal/blood pressure/pulse monitoring and another pelvic exam, they decided to send me home. I took a nap for a couple of hours, got up, went to the bathroom, and when I wiped, there was bright red blood. Not a lot, but not a little either. So, called the doc back and she sends us back to L&D. They set up an IV with the rest of the monitoring gear and I get to spend the night (ugh).

Today: They can't figure out why I'm still cramping - baby is perfectly fine, and I'm not dilated at all, and the bleeding stopped. So they've given me some drugs to stop contractions (seem to be working) and sent me home.

The doc says I'm on bedrest for the next week. Then I get to go back and get reevaluated. whee! Hopefully everything will be aok and I will be off bedrest after that. Happily, everything is fine with the baby - they are just being careful so he doesn't try to put in an early appearance.

3D/4D Ultrasound: The Baby-in-the-Womb Whisperer

So John and I go in for our 3D/4D ultrasound. I get up on the table and she starts looking. After a few minutes she says "Sorry - he's turned towards the back. Drink this gatorade and walk around until you feel him turn then come back." So, up I get and down I drink and around I walk and after 15 minutes "fwump" he turns. Hooray. Back in, getting up on the table "fwump" he turns back. D'oh! John says "Shhh...don't tell her..." just as the technician walks back in.

"Well, get back to walking." she says. "Just tell me where he is and where you want him" John tells her. "What're you going to do? Reach up in there and yank him out?!?!" she asks (ha ha). "Just trust me." he says. So she tells us he's head down, facing my spine and need to turn around to face my belly. John takes a deep breath and claps his hands together loudly, rubbing them to build up the energy then puts his hands on my belly. "Fwump" - the baby turns right over to face John's hands. "Whoa - that's cool!" she says and starts recording pics. Each time the baby would start to turn over again, John would move his hands and sure enough, the baby would face him (and give him a few kicks too).

I told John he is the Baby-in-the-Womb Whisperer! :)

How big around are we today?

43.5 inches around! Hooray for the glorious baby belly!

Cord blood

John and I decided not to do cord blood banking - no family history that would indicate a need, and it's awfully expensive. Instead, we are going to donate it (don't want it to go to waste). We're supposed to fill out the forms and get them submitted no earlier than 28 weeks and no later than 32 weeks. For more information, check out: http://www.cryo-intl.com/

RH Positive shot

31 cm
218.5 lbs
Got my Rhogam shot - and the doctor hollered at the staff for not calling me back or taking me seriously last week. :)

Strking a blow for pregnant ladies

I hear stories from other ladies about some of the incredibly, unbelievably NASTY things coworkers were saying to them while they were pregnant (asking if they're having twins, making beeping sounds as they back up, etc.). I had shared this with John who was filled with righteous indignation. He got on a tirade of "if I ever hear anyone say anything like that about you or any woman I will (fill in appropriately amusing threat of a southern gentleman here)." Well, today he finally got his chance. One of our coworkers (a really nice guy who apparently left his good sense at the door that day) came up to him with the "I can't believe your wife still has 3 months to go - she looks ready to pop" comment. John explained to this guy, in no uncertain terms, that this was a completely unacceptable thing to say to ANY pregnant woman for ANY reason and that anyone who would say such a thing is showing not only his obviously crude upbringing, but also a gross lack of intelligence. The guy was apparently totally embarassed and went away as quickly as possible while the female coworkers in the area cheered.

Hiccups

Felt the little guy hiccup Monday night. Really strange! And then last night he woke me up just throwing his hands and feet around like crazy. Hope this doesn't mean he's going to be a fuss budget later :)

Pregnancy Glow Revealed

While it is common knowledge that pregnant women emit an almost supernatural "glow" during gestation, visible to those around them but not to themselves, the effects of this phenomenon remain unstudied. Professor Ima D. Oktor first noted the issue and lack of research in the area during her own pregnancy and has made some remarkable discoveries.

"It first came to my attention when I was about 16 weeks along,just after someone said they saw the glow." said Professor Oktor. "I noticed my staff acting oddly towards me. At first I dismissed it as pregnancy hormones and overreacting, but as I started keeping a journal, I realized that it was real!"

After careful observation and empirical study, the professor was able to pinpoint the symptoms afflicting her staff, including deafness, altered perceptions of her abilities, and an overall glassy-eyed expression. "It was bizarre," she explained, "students who normally listened to my instructions quite clearly, suddenly became incapable of hearing more than 3 words. I had one student actually try to tie my shoes for me!"

Realizing the potential of the scientific breakthrough, she expanded her study to include other pregnant women and their experiences. The results were astounding. "The story was the same everywhere - even health professionals who were trained to listen to pregnant women, were often unable to hear anything the women said and replied to them as if they were children." The Pregnancy Glow Syndrome (PGS) was quickly becoming a well-defined phenomenon.

Professor Oktor's next step was to isolate the cause. After several tries, she came up with the Pregnancy Glow Detector (PGD) - a device that detects and isolates the pregnancy glow. Using the PGD, she was able to definitively show that the "glow" extends in a radius of 10 to 20 feet from a pregnant woman (far further than originally supposed) and entering the Glow Area of Effect (GAE) initiates the symptoms of PGS.

What's next? "Well, " Professor Oktor says " the implications for military applications are immense. Consider a tank cloaked in GAE! The enemy wouldn't be able to hear it and would assume it was harmless and incapable of doing anything." She adds that she hopes to study other pregnancy effects for similar applications, such as Belly Touching Compulsion (BTC), during her next pregnancy.

Angry, upset, and scared

So, I've been really horribly sick since Friday night - coughing, sneezing, low grade fever, running nose, terrible sore throat, the whole nine yards. I went to ER Centers on Sat to get checked out and they said "yup you got a cold - take some Tylenol." Then I called my doc on Monday just to follow up, because that's what I'm supposed to do, and the nurse said, "yup you got a cold, take some Tylenol."
Then yesterday, I'm coughing and get up to go pee (because it's been like an hour and Lord knows I can't go longer than that between trips to the bathroom) and there is brown blood in my panties. ACK!!!! So I immediately call the doc and the little receptionist gal says "It's probably just a UTI - maybe you should get it checked out." I'm like - what? That makes no sense, so I try to explain to her again (bad cold, lots of coughing, late term miscarriage, frightened pregnant woman here) and she said, well maybe you should go to the ER. Maybe? So, I press her further - if I'm going to the ER, I want the DOCTOR to call me back and tell me to go. She says she'll have a nurse call me back.
So I wait. And wait. AND WAIT. No one calls me back. At all. So today I finally call them again and they try to tell me that the little twit "explained that it was normal so she didn't think anyone needed to call you." What!?!?! You told me someone was going to call me back after suggesting I go to the ER and that was normal? I don't think so. I explained the facts of life to them (ie, told me you were going to call and didn't) and they apologized, but were not terribly sincere. I've had no further bleeding, so I am going to wait until my doc appt on Monday and then they are getting an earfull.
I have been so careful not to "overreact" to anything that I got YELLED AT by my doc when I had some contractions and didn't call right away because I didn't think it was a big deal (I was right, btw). So, now, following doc's orders, I call about anything out of the ordinary (like BLOOD) and I get treated like an oversensitive idiot because I actually expect a reasoned answer instead of a bunch of "maybe" and "probably" 's. I am not happy. I am sick. I am worried about my baby. And I am pissed off at being treated like I'm simple.
Grumph.

Miserably sick

Ugh. John got sick this week and unfortunately I caught it. Started with a sore throat last night and today I am thoroughly miserable. We went to ER Centers of America (me, because I'm pregnant and need to make sure it's nothing serious, John because it might be bronchitis which could quickly get worse for him). Looks like I've just got a really bad viral thing and his is indeed bronchitis. They gave him loads of medicine and gave me Tylenol (that's all I can take). Lovely.

Ultrasound 26 weeks

everything is looking good. Baby is moving like crazy these days - all the time kicking me and rolling around. He's taking after his karate dad!

GD test and active baby! Almost 25 weeks

The baby kicked and my shirt jumped - how fun is that!

Had to take my gestational diabetes test today (also called a screening glucose challenge test). They make you drink something that is essentially like really sweet flat orange soda on an empty stomach then take your blood after an hour. I passed with flying colors, apparently - they want you to be under 140 and mine was like 110 or something. Hooray!

Scary moment

Dog jumped up on the bed and hit my belly last night, hard. It hurt but then everything was ok. It really scared me, so I called the doc, but she said no worries unless there was blood or water leakage. Whew!

Not for me

I was walking the dog this morning, grumping a long because I've got 100 things to do and no time to really walk the dog. When suddenly I realized, that I was walking/eating right/etc. not for me but for someone else who can't do it for themselves. My baby can't choose what I eat. He can't make sure I'm strong enough to care for him. Only I can do that - and I need to do it for him, not for myself. And somehow, that makes it easier.

Measurements and Back to the Gym

Called the doc to see if I can start working out again - got the green light! Whoohoo!

Belly measurement today: 41" Boob measurement today: 46"

Pelvic rest

Doc says I can't work out again until after 28 weeks. I had some irregular contractions the other night and called to ask. Since I've had a miscarriage previously, she says she wants me to be safe. I'm glad to be safe but frustrated about the no exercise thing.

Baaaaaaaaaaby Belly!

Measured my belly last night at the belly button - 41.5 inches. Yikes! It wasn't that long ago that it was only 29 inches. Say "hello" to the baby belly! My favorite thing right now is for John to come up and rub my belly and say "Baaaaaaaaaaaaby belly" Makes me giggle everytime

Prenatal DVD Reviews

Prenatal Yoga with Shiva Rea
A well-balanced, gentle yet challenging video with few of the production errors found in similar selections, this video provides time flexibility for the busy mom by breaking down the 60 minutes workout into 4 manageable parts. Required equipment is minimal (a chair, a block, and a strap) and a woman in each trimester of pregnancy is shown to help demonstrate variations both in position and equipment. I found this workout to be ideal for me, helping to alleviate back pain, leg cramps, and general sleeplessness.

ZenMamma by Rainbeau Mars
An odd tendency to chat with the camera and other participants makes this video more awkward than interesting. The exercises, overall, seem to be well-balanced and presented in an easy to understand way with an eye to safety. Women at each trimester of pregnancy are shown so that variations are not simply explained but also demonstrated. The editing and camera work lacks finesse (a common flaw in many workout videos) as does the dialog provided by Ms. Mars, detracting from the workout.

Pilates for Life: Prenatal and Postnatal
As a prenatal workout video, this piece is sadly lacking. Unlike most similar videos, this lacks any adjustments for trimester specific concerns and does not discuss the potential issue of abodominal muscle separation. It does not, in fact, have any pregnant women in the video. The background for the video is a lackluster, painted cinderblock gymnasium which, while obviously not the focus of the video, provides a somewhat depressing atmosphere. The exercises themselves are simple and unchallenging. Overall, the video was disappointing.

Leisa Hart: FitMamma - Prenatal Workout
An excellent video for those just starting to workout, this video provides a good workout without overtaxing the audience. Simple moves with frequent repetition (a combination that will quickly become tiresome for experienced viewers) combine to provde the confidence building success needed when a workout program is started. Participants in each trimester are shown, so variations can be observed as well as described. Overall, a good solid workout video for beginners.

Week 20: Baby doc

Week 20 and the baby doc visit went well. No pics this time, but got to hear the heart beat. Cool! Baby is moving around a lot more these days, kicking and knocking around inside. It's kinda strange to think I'm some kind of big incubator.
Apparently incubators need more gas than regular people - yesterday I had a little experience with hypoglycemia. I got home from work, a little hungry and told John I'd fix myself a sandwich just as he was leaving to go grocery/dinner shopping. Then I thought, well I'll just check my email....next thing I know, it's 2 hours later and I'm as loopy as if I'd taken Vicodin. John came in and asked what was wrong and I just wasn't sure. So he found out I'd forgotten to eat anything, fed me, and I got better. I told the doc about it and she said how I should keep snacks around the house. Problem is, there *were* snacks around the house (granola bars, cheese, etc.), I just didn't remember to eat them. So now I've got to keep an eye on it and make sure I eat every couple of hours. It sounds stupid to say I forgot to eat, but there you have it.

Water water everywhere

Totally thirsty all the time and if I drink another glass of water I'll float away. Ack! We start week 20 tomorrow.

Definitely "popped"

Well, it's official - I can't zip up my pants any more. The baby bulge went from hardly a bump to "boom" - hello I'm a belly. Almost overnight, amazing! I need to go by maternity pants right away. Nothing fits that fit last week. What a weird thing!

Week 19: Baby Doc Visit

19 weeks and it's official - it's a boy :) The doctor was making me laugh - he handed us a set of three pictures and said "Here's the skull, you can see the eye sockets here, and here's a foot, and in this third picture, here's the penis. I'll just circle the penis." Then he takes out a pen and does! Hilarious!
The ultrasound looked good - baby is coming along fine and my cervix looks good too. Although they are 99% sure that the miscarriage was due to the fibroid, they are keeping an eye on the cervix "just in case."

17 weeks, Baby doc visit

More pictures and another thumbs up visit to the baby doc at 17 weeks.
Symptoms: Swollen hands and feet, uncomfortableness while sleeping (or rather, while tossing), occasionaly sharp pain in the left hip area.
Baby stats: heartbeat 144 bpm, 6 inches (give or take) long, and a big ham waving at the sonogram :)

First Movement

Felt the baby move this morning. Felt like someone lightly drumming their fingers on the inside of me. Very odd!

Week 15, Cruisin'

Starting into week 15, which means 2nd trimester. Hooray! Risk of miscarriage at this point is much lower, but, as previous experience tells me, not impossible.

We've started letting people know, which is good because I'm starting to "show" - God bless the bellaband! I still have nausea occasionally and am hungry a bit more often. And it's exceptionally hard to sleep at night - muscle aches, need to urinate, and difficulty in getting comfortable - but I find that if I work out, that gets better.

Currently I'm renting FitMamma as a workout DVD. Not bad, but fairly repetitive - if you didn't work out much before you got pregnant, it'd probably be a good starting point. Even then, I'd recommend it as a rental, but not a purchase - you'll get bored. I like the Perfect Pregnancy workout better - it's more interesting and more challenging (especially good if you were working out before pregnancy). I should have regained my breath/endurance enough by next week to start using it again. I don't want to push too hard, but I also don't want to be a couch root vegetable!

Week 13, More Pictures and maybe gender...

We went in yesterday (13 weeks) for our first trimester screening. I spent the weekend before going in practically biting my fingers off I was so worried and nervous. So far everything looks great. The nuchal translucency measurement was good (2.1) and the ultrasound didn't show any structural issues at this point. We got to see little hands and little feet - the baby was bouncing around, rubbing it's little head and jumping a lot. It is an indescribable thrill to see this little person inside you who is part of you and a part from you at the same time (bonus: we didn't have to use the vaginal ultrsound - he was able to see everything with a regular belly ultrasound). Now, Dr. Albert, the ultrasound doc, has a reputation for being able to guess the gender of a baby very early on and has, believe it or not, NEVER BEEN WRONG. Pretty cool, eh? He was absoltely right for our first baby (the one that died during the miscarriage) being a boy. And he said that, while he couldn't be 100% sure, he guessed this one was a boy. He said he'd probably be able to confirm that when we come back at the 18th week for our subsequent test and scan.

Interesting piece of information - the AMA has changed it's recommendations as of this year on who should get screenings done to include everyone, not just women over 35 or those at risk for chromosonal issues. I found this very interesting (I couldn't find a link, but it was a fairly long announcement that I had to read and sign at the dr's office). Worth pondering the reasons behind that for a few minutes.

After the screening, we had our 13 week visit with my gynecologist, Dr. Paroski. She's the best. We talked to her about my symptoms (cramping, hands falling asleep, pain in my hips, excessive discharge) and were relieved to find out they were all normal. Whew! She said we'll schedule my C-section for week 38, so that means I need to pick a date in the first week of February. I'm thinking February 7th might be good since it's Chinese New Year. She did say I need to take it easy and not over do. So far the exercise I've been doing is fine, she just wants me to be cautious.

Now, my last day to take the progesterone was Sunday. Everything was hunky dorey when we got home and went to bed. Until...about 3am, I woke up and could not get back to sleep. I was so depresed, I just started crying. John woke up and held me and we talked about things. All I could think about was our first baby - I felt the grief of that loss hit me like it did when it happened, all fresh, raw, and hard. Finally, after a long time, we were able to get back to sleep. I decided to work from home today because I just couldn't bear to deal with other people. The whole idea of being around others was awful, repugnant, harrowing. And it's a good thing I did. Around 2pm, I started crying again, for no discernible reason, horrible, racking sobs. I IM'ed John to let him know (not expecting him to do anything, just an FYI so he can help me track these things) and he suggested it might be the progesterone crash. I had't thought of that, but it makes perfect sense. One of the contributors to post-partum depression is a sudden drop in progesterone levels - at least according to some sources. Seems the jury is still out on that one.

Week 10: Symptoms and thoughts

Week 10 - Occasional nausea, another migraine (sinus induced), continually runny nose.
Overall, not bad, except the nausea. It usually hits in the afternoon or evening. V. inconvenient. Morning would be much better because it would give me an excuse not to work out ;) Unfortunately, no such luck. Oh - and very tired all the time. Duh.
I took some Sudafed and Tylenol when I got my migraine because both were on this list I had for drugs that are ok. Then I read that maybe that's not ok.
Well, this is me trying not to worry about it, since, let's face it - can't do a thing about it now.
Sigh.

Week 9: Pictures and heartbeat

Got to see the doc today (9 weeks) and saw the little jellybean bouncing around. Good strong heartbeat too. Hooray! Such a relief to know everything is ok for now. Get to go back in 4 weeks for genetic tests and more pics. I like the pics :) We were able to get it recorded on DVD. Amazing.
I've managed to only gain 1 pound, so that's pretty good. I was overweight when I got pregnant, so I know I need to keep my weight gain down to around 15-25lbs (don't want unhealthy conditions for the little jellybean!)

Week 7 and cruisin' along

Here we are at week 7 with no problems so far. The frequent urination is a bit of a pain (up and down all night), sore/tender breasts, and I keep getting a persistent pain, like a running cramp, in my side, but otherwise all is well.
I'm keeping my weight pretty steady right now which is good - since I was overweight before I got pregnant, it's important that I keep my weight gain under control for the health of the baby. I'm not dieting, just watching what I eat carefully: cereal and fruit for breakfast with a glass of milk, salad and soup for lunch (actually, I can only finish half of it usually, so I save the 2nd half for my afternoon snack) and something with lean protien for dinner. I've lost my sweet tooth and my taste for coffee, so that's been a blessing.

First peek at Baby Baker

First appointment today - 6 weeks along. Did a vaginal ultrasound and we saw "the sac" which is good (don't expect to see more than that at this point)
My body is adjusting to the progesterone. Still bloody tired all the time and occasionally a bit constipated, but daily exercise and an increase in fiber intake (read: a bowl of mini wheats in the morning) seems to have taken care of that.
Next I'll bring a writable DVD so I can bring back pics!

Symptoms to date

Well, here we are in week 6. Symptoms thus far:

• Minor cramping (like a period), alternating sides
• Migraine
• Runny nose/conjestion. Quite a lot, really
• Very very very very tired
• Occasional nausea
• Constipation
• Heartburn
• Dizziness/light headedness

Tomorrow is the first visit to the gynecologist. I am more than slightly nervous about this. I really really want everything to be ok

Positive Test!

Well, the little stick has been confirmed by a blood test and it's a fact - we're pregnant. It still seems unreal, and I'm reluctant to get too excited after the miscarriage.
Blood test results:

Day 15 HCG: 53 Progesterone: 16.3
Day 17 HCG: 27.7 Progesterone: 27.7

Symptoms so far:
Occasional nausea, extreme fatigue, one killer migraine, crampy pain, feeling hot all the time (not helpful given that it's in the 90's outside).

Dr. P has me taking progesterone "just in case."

This puts us at week 4 and counting

HSG - The Sequel

Somethings get better with time. Others definitely don't. I'm here to say that my first HSG (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hysterosalpingography) was pretty uneventful - not pleasant, but not painful. The second was considerably more unpleasant. This third one was downright painful.

Good news - they were able to see both fallopian tubes. So, the last time was just a "spasm." It continues to be fascinating to watch the mapping of your insides on the Xray screen. Painful, but fascinating.

I'll be taking Clomid this time as well to "stack the deck" as it were. So, here's hoping it works!

HSG

Ugh! Well that was totally unpleasant! I had my HSG (hysterosalpingography http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hysterosalpingography) today. For those that don't know what this procedure involves, it goes like this:

You lie on your back in the usual crap-I've-got-another-gynecological-exam position. The Dr. cleans your cervix with iodine then inserts a small needle with a balloon behind it into your cervix. They inflate the balloon to make a seal, then inject dye into your uterus while taking Xrays of your abdomin. The dye will fill the uterus then move into the fallopian tubes. In this way, they can see if you have any blockages, fibroids, etc. The technique has the added benefit of "cleaning the pipes" - that is, removing any mucuous build-up that might be in the tubes. It can be fairly uncomfortable - the first time I had it done was not too bad, but this time was downright unpleasant.

Results this time were not exactly what I'd hoped for. The uterus appears to be healed nicely, but my left fallopian tube would not show up on the Xray. The dr. said it could be "spasming" - although, exactly what that means was a bit of a mystery. The upshot being, that if I do not get pregnant in the next couple of months, they'll want to do it again. Ugh!

Myomectomy: Recovery Update

We're 5 weeks out from the surgery now and I would consider myself to be fully recovered. I've got a lovely scar that stretches from hip to hip (I plan on telling people I was attacked by an alligator and nearly disemboweled, but managed to fight him off with only a nail file and some kitchen twine). I've been able to workout without pain (30 minutes on an elliptical, 20 minutes gentle yoga stretching, including cobra pose) and I can work a full day without falling over exhausted. All good things! I've lost 6 lbs (only 1 was from the fibroid) and I'm starting to feel like myself again (as opposed to a deranged teenager). My face still breaks out but it's getting better.Next week, I get to go in for an HSG. This is an interestingly uncomfortable procedure that lets the docs take a good close look at your parts - specifically, your uterus and fallopian tubes. They want to make sure I'm "all clear" before I try to get pregnant again. Ought to be interesting!

Myomectomy

The day after Christmas (just a month after the miscarriage), I have a myomectomy(http://www.myomectomy.net/). When they removed it, it had grown to be over 6 inches in diameter (large grapefruit). A nurse walking by the surgery unit popped in to yell at my doc for doing a c-section outside of labor and delivery - apparently it was so large that she thought it was a baby's head coming out of my abdomen. Forunately, the biopsy came back negative for cancer. If you read up on the internet, they say stuff like "you'll be out for 2-6 weeks" and "there will be some pain" Stuff that everyone should know about this operation (at least, stuff that happened to me - I'm no medical expert):

• You are not allowed to have any ibuprofen, asprin, or naproxen sodium for a week beforehand. This particularly sucked for me because the stupid fibroid started to die (as predicted by gyn #1) and I was utterly miserable. You can take tylenol, but that did not even touch the pain.
• When you wake up, your throat will be sore (from the intubation) and you will be catheterized. Both are unpleasant but will probably be gone the next morning.
  Everyone wants to know when you fart. I have not ever seen so many people both interested and delighted about my ability to pass gas in my life.
• Farting hurts. Ok - that's not entirely accurate. The gas pressure before you fart hurts. A lot. And there will be a lot of gas pressure in you.
• They will not give you any solid food until you fart.
  The only thing that makes nurses happier that knowing that you farted is knowing that you have urinated. Hooray for pee!
• Peeing hurts. Do not push (you will be tempted, just please don't do it - it hurts). Try to relax. Get a book or something. And ask the nurse to step into a different room - they'll forget and try to hang out with you in case you fall over or something.
• They have to measure the amount you pee 3 times, at least, before you leave.
  You will bleed. Not from the incision (at least not from mine) but like you are having a very very very heavy period. I was actually having my period when I went into surgery (oh joy), so it was even heavier than usual.
• You need to take iron supplements and stool softeners. The iron is to build up your blood. The softeners are to make you have NORMAL stools because the iron and the pain meds will make you constipated.
• They will give you a sponge bath the day after your surgery while you sit on the toilet.
• They will get you to walk the day after you surgery.
• How well you handle the pain is dependent on several things: 1) your attitude - if you think it will hurt, it will 2) your health - the heavier you are the more pull you have on that area - if possible, get skinny first. 3)your support system - my husband stayed with me both nights and it made all the difference knowing I could get him to get me an apple juice instead of having to pester the nurses.
• You will have hormone surges like puberty after the surgery. Your face will break out, you will cry for no reason, etc. This will go away (I'm told) after your body adjusts to not having the fibroid. Talk to your doc about taking an antidepressant if it gets bad.
• You will not be allowed to drive for at least 2 weeks.
• You will not be allowed to pick up anything heavier than a glass of milk for 2 weeks. After that, you will not be allowed to pick up anything over 20 lbs for another 2 weeks.
• For the first 1-2 weeks you will not be able to:1) Put on your panties or pants unassisted,2)Wash or dry anything lower than your knees,3)Pick up anything you drop (if it gets past your knees, kiss it goodbye),4)Wipe your butt like you used to (twisting hurts as much as bending over),5)Touch your toes6)Stand for more than a few minutes at a time7) Walk at a normal pace or very far
• When you are at the hospital, they will give you the following fashion items:1) Thigh high support hose - these keep clots from forming in your legs2) Diaper-sized max pad with matching mesh granny panties - hubba hubba3) Leg massagers - like at Sharper Image (very nice) - again for keeping clots from forming4) Socks with gripping strips on the bottoms for your walks
• Laughing, coughing, and sneezing hurt. Hold a pillow tightly to your belly when you do these things - it will help a lot.
• You will feel a burning (highly unpleasant) sensation along some parts of your incision as the nerves grow back together. This is almost as painful as the gas and may be exacerbated by laying on one side or the other.
• YOU WILL NEED SOMEONE TO STAY AT HOME WITH YOU FOR THE FIRST 1-2 WEEKS. No exceptions.
• Stairs suck for at least the first week. Did I mention we live in an upstairs apartment?
• Nurses are exactly as nice to you as you are to them. Be nice to them - they have all the pain meds.
• Some pain meds will make you sleepy, some will make you loopy. Be prepared to be unable to think straight or remember things for 1-2 weeks. Do not plan to work (even from home) until you are off any narcotics they give you (like Vicadin).

First pregnancy and miscarriage

Our story quiet mundanely in the office of a local gynecologist.
"Hmmm...looks like you've got a fibroid (http://www.4woman.gov/faq/fibroids.htm)"
"Ok - is that bad or good?"
"It's about 3cm."
"Once again - bad or good?"
"Well, neither, really. We'll just have to keep an eye on it when you get pregnant. Sometimes these things can grow. If it does, it might outgrow it's blood supply and die and that is really uncomfortable."(note to our dear readers - "really uncomfortable" in doctor speak = "incredibly painful" in normal person speak)

10 weeks after getting a positive pregnancy test, back at the gynecologist office.
"How far along did I say you were?"
"10 weeks"
"Uh....can you come in for an ultrasound tomorrow?"
"Sure...WHY?"
"You feel like you're 16-18 weeks"
"What does THAT mean?!?!?"
"Well, it could be the fibroid has grown. Or, more likely, it could be that you've got multiples."
"Multiples? Like twins?"
"Uh, yeah, it could be twins and a fibroid."(holy crap!!)

The next day, at the ultrasound.
"Whoa! That's one big fibroid!"
"And there's just one baby, right?"
"Yep, just one. But look at the size of that thing! It's like 10 cm!"
"But just one baby?"
"Yeah, yeah, and one giant fibroid. That thing is huge! No wonder the doc thought you had multiples."
"Well, that's ok right? I mean, it's not going to hurt the baby is it?"
"The doc will have to talk to you about that."

My water breaks and we have a miscarriage (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miscarriage).[My water broke the Tuesday before Thanksgiving. I went to the emergency room where they told me the amniotic sac had burst beyond repair. Since the baby was only 17 1/2 weeks along, his lungs were not developed enough to be able to survive outside the womb, so, although he was still alive and healthy at that point, we knew he would not be able to live, no matter what we did. They gave me some drugs to induce labor, set me up with an epidural (it took them 4 sticks to get that in - not nice). My gynecologist left to go to Aruba for her Thanksgiving vacation and I was passed through 4 different doctors. I ended up being in labor for 30 hours. They wouldn't let me have anything except crushed ice the whole time in case I had to go into surgery. When I finally delivered, our baby boy had passed away. We were able to hold him and touch him - I have his footprints. He was 8.5 inches long. I didn't even know him, but I miss him so much my heart hurts. ]

2 weeks later, at my new gynecologist's office (I switched to the doctor who delivered my baby - she was the most wonderful lady I ever met, even though the circumstances were grim).
"You're recovery is amazing - I'm so pleased. As soon as you feel up to it, I'd like to get that fibroid out."
"Out? What do you mean "out"?"
"Well, I'm pretty sure it's what caused your miscarriage so, before you try again, I'd like to do a myomectomy."
"Can you do that with one of those little bitty incisions?"
"No, it's too big. Plus, I want to biopsy it, so we'll need to do this abdominally - it's like a C-section."
"Biopsy?? Why?""Well, it grew awfully quick and I just want to make sure..."