So tomorrow I will be exactly 29 weeks. I CANNOT believe how fast this is going! That means only 11 more weeks left! AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
My feet have now taken on a new appearance of their own and are usually pretty puffy and swollen. I HATE looking at them when they are in that state and most people will say "Damnnnn" when they see them (when they are at their puffiest!). The heatwave we have been having doesn't help either! Oh the joys of pregnancy! :)
So today I spent 7 wonderful hours in Labor and Delivery. The past three days I have been having EXCRUCIATING pain in my abdomen, by the navel and traveling off to the right. I called the advice nurse I don't know how many times and sometimes put through to L&D and the main thing I was told was "lay on the side that doesn't hurt and take tylenol. It's just ligament pain". At 29 weeks...and this being my first pregnancy...what did I know. All I did know is that is NOT what I personally believed it was - but like I said, this is my first pregnancy, so okay...I'll suffer. But the pain kept getting worse and worse. This morning at about 2am is when it was at its worse. I was doubled over in pain crying. Erik of course is on shift so I was all alone. By 3 it was at an all time high which also caused me to throw up. Again...called Kaiser and was told "take tyelnol and rest". Well hell, if I could rest don't you think I would be! By 6 the pain had NOT subsided so I called them back. Again, "it's probably ligament pain, take tylenol and rest but just to be safe I GUESS we'll send a message to OB and see if they can see you today since they are open until noon". So okay. I forced myself in the shower since I felt gross from sweating so much from the pain and after throwing up...not a nice clean feeling. So by 840, I hadn't heard a word and I called back. This time I was crying on the phone because I was frustrated because I knew it was more than ligament pain, tylenol hadn't worked AT ALL ever, and I had thrown up again. They put me over to L&D and sounded SUPER annoyed but said "fine come on in".
So I felt REALLY stupid for bugging them, got ready and drove down there. It was excruciating walking down the longggggggg corridor over to them to the point when I finally got there and sat down to wait, I was crying. They annoyingly brought me into the room and I was still crying. She asked what was wrong and I said I am just in so much pain. She said okay, go pee and then lie down. So I peed - which by the way hurts REALLYYYYYYYYY bad to do and got in the bed with a lot of pain. She asked if I was having contractions as she was hooking me up to the monitor and I said no. So she went and checked my urine and told me it looked like I was having bladder problems and it was probably a UTI. Then looked at the monitor and said "oh...and you ARE having contractions".
She left and the doctor came in about 10 minutes later. He asked a bunch of questions, saw I was having contractions, and said it's probably a UTI. He asked the nurse to bring me in some stuff to drink so she brought in cranberry juice and water. It was too painful to even sit up and drink it but after they left I pulled myself up and had some. (I didn't want them to see me trying to pull myself up to drink).
So a few hours go by, contractions finally subsided, and the test results came back. No UTI. So the doctor said, let me just feel around. As he's feeling around, I want to smack him because it hurts so bad. He looks at me and his entire face changes and says "wow...this changes everything and the plot thickens". I said "why?" and he said "I think you have appendicitis. Unfortunately I am going to have to give you an exam so I will send the nurse in." I know they had talked about a vaginal exam earlier and I just wanted to clarify so I said "what kind of exam?" and he informs me both vaginal and rectal. OH HELL NO! I said "WHAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" He told me he was sorry but he had to. Oh my god - now I am freaked out - not only do I think it's appendicitis and I am laying there all alone but now he's going to stick his finger up my butt!!! I have never had one before!! AHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
So the nurse comes in, helps me get undressed (she had no time for me - she was not the nicest nurse - basically just yanked off my clothes since it hurt too bad for me to pull myself up and start to do it - but they were slammed so I could understand how I am not as high a priority as the women in labor). So the doctor comes in, does his vaginal exam which was uncomfortable but turned up no pain. Then the rectal. Oh hell no! : ( I explained I had never had one before before he started so he explained "when I put my finger in there, bear down like you are going to go poop" I said "what if I do poop!!!!" and he laughed and said "well my finger will be there to stop it!" AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! So okay fine. He starts the exam, it isn't hurting - other than being BEYOND uncomfortable and he asks "do you feel anything?" and I started laughing and said "only your finger up my ass" which actually got a laugh out of the nurse having a bad day too. So that turned up nothing too.
He left, the lab came in and drew 5 viles of blood and I sat there for another almost 2 hours waiting on the results. Amy came down to bring me something to eat since I hadn't eaten since 5am and then all I had was an english muffin. The doctor finally came back and sat down and shook his head and said "well I was wrong again, your white blood cells are fine". I said "could it REALLY be ligament pain like I was told over the phone?" and he said "well...ligament pain can be very painful but you are 29 weeks so you are pretty far into the pregnancy to have it, plus it's causing contractions". He sat there just beside himself saying he just didn't know what it could be and he'd hate to send me home in this much pain. He then started flipping through his PDA and finally said "by any chance do you have a fibroid?" So I told him I did. He asked where and I said I couldn't remember but I think the left side. He looked stumped again. He said "well, let's just do an ultrasound and rule that out." Okay fine. I FINALLY ate the disgusting grilled cheese sandwich that Amy got from the cafeteria (although it was soggy and gross...it tasted sooooooo good at the same time since I was SO hungry!) I am sooooo glad she came down but also felt dumb being in so much pain and then finding out it isn't appendicitis.
So the doctor comes back with the ultrasound machine. He's feelin' around looking at the baby, showing Amy the heartbeat and looking at the baby's organs. He said all looks healthy with the baby! Then he goes over the spot that hurts and says "oh wow - there's your fibroid". He kept looking and said it is probably dying and not getting enough blood supply and that is why I am in excruciating pain as that can cause a huge amount of pain. He said they can discharge me now as he is convinced that is what it is and I am feeling SO MUCH relief that it isn't appendicitis and that it isn't ligament pain and all I was suppose to do was go home and take tylenol and rest. Granted, that is what he told me to do - but now I know WHY I have this pain. He also prescribed vicodin for me but I really hesitate in taking it because I know it will go to the baby. But if I wake up at 3am again in that much pain, I will take it because that was absolutely horrible!!!! :( I do have to monitor myself and make sure I am not throwing up more or running a fever over 100.4 (I had one of 99.8, then 99.7 and then 99). Since appendicitis is very difficult to diagnose in pregnant women, it could still come back as that (even with the white blood count coming back normal) but I am pretty content in thinking that is not what it is and it's just this disgusting dying tumor! :( I have to follow up with my regular OB on Monday.
So that was my exciting day! I was suppose to celebrate father's day with my dad today but instead spent 7 hours in L&D.
On a brighter note...we did have another 3d/4d done on Thursday but the baby was camera shy and wanted to stay away from us papparazis and held her hand over her face almost the entire time. So we get to go back on Tuesday (if my pain is gone). I don't mind seeing her again - I love seeing her! It appears she is taking on more of Erik's characteristics now whereas at the first 3d she had more of mine. We did get a few VERY quick snapshots when she moved her hand for a brief second, so I am attaching the clearest one here! I am hoping she is all done being shy on Tuesday and we'll get some really good ones! :) So keep your fingers and toes crossed that she cooperates! :)
If you made it this far in the blog, you rock! Thanks for taking the time to read it! Now I am back to bed because the pain sitting here is getting worse. Sigh. Nothing more annoying than having to rest when I don't want to! : (
