Eye Dr. & OB Visits

So... last night I noticed that I popped some blood vessels in my eyes, which FREAKED ME OUT! I don't like the sight of blood... ESPECIALLY in my eyes! So... I went to bed kind of scared and hoped to be able to get in to see a doctor the next day.

EYE DOCTOR VISIT

9 am - We went to see Dr. Boeke, my optomatrist to rule out anything serious. He checked my eyeballs and my vision and found that things seemed to be okay. I asked him if it was normal to feel that my left eye felt different than my right eye... like there was more pressure in that one. He said that there was more pressure in that one, but not to worry. He told me that the blood vessels probably broke when I was wretching on Saturday morning and my blood pressure most likely spiked, causing them to rupture. He said not to freak out if I see more blood on the white part of my eye as gravity will pull the blood down and then it will turn yellowish as it's healing. I'm so glad to know what to expect so I won't be so freaked out! I seriously was in such a silly mood today! He walked us up to the front desk and said to call him if anything happens. I told him I'd let him know if my eyeballs explode in the meantime!!! He's like... "Let's not go there!" HAHAHA!!! (As Ed and I were laying down for a nap later, Ed was like... "You hardly have any white left on your eye! Don't look in the mirror or you might freak out! It might be how you are laying though." Yeah... I will try not to look in the mirror any time soon! BLECH!!!

OB VISIT

10 am - Next stop, my OB's office. I wasn't scheduled this week, but we really needed to find out about what was going on with my glucose levels! Dr. Wing was so great as she explained soooo much to Ed and I. I seriously felt such a weight lifted off of my shoulders after we left! She said that when they check for glucose levels in the urine it's MUCH different than when they test the blood, so it didn't even really compare. Which means that I WAS NOT on the verge of a diabetic coma! *SIGH* She said that the sugar levels can spike when someone is sick, which I am and in pregnant patients because the kidneys often leak causing a spike as well. She's also not concerned because I did pass the second gestational diabetes test within the last month. I failed one of the tests, which you have to fail two in order to be considered to have gestational diabetes. She said that we just need to work on getting me feeling better, eating more protein and whole grains. So glad I went today. I just wanted to come home and sleep. She also prescribed me some anti-nausea meds since I've been feeling so bad for the last couple of days. Also... I'm not sure if I could find a Norman Rockwell painting of an OB office visit... who knows... ;o) hehehe

Sunday, November 1 - The Day After

Like I said in my last post, I woke up at around 1 pm when Ed said that his dad wanted to check my blood glucose level since it was at 500 yesterday in the E.R., verging on diabetic coma... NICE. They tested it today, although I had nothing to eat all day since I was sleeping and it was 89. That's what I'd like to hear. My throat was feeling better, my tooth was feeling better, but my headache was killing me and my eyes were still very sore from vomiting yesterday. Ed and his dad went back to eat lunch with Ed's mom and the kids. I went back to sleep until about 4 o'clock. Ed came back home without the kids, since I'm contagious once more... with something different. UGH! So... another week without the kids.

Tonight after we went to bed, I was missing the kids terribly and I started crying. I couldn't breathe because my nose was congested again so I went into the bathroom, blew my nose, cried some more, blew my nose again and washed my hands. As I was washing my hands, I noticed that my eyes were really bloodshot... I mean like... the white part in the corner of my eye was red. I lifted my eyelid a bit and there was tons of blood. SCARY!!! I told Ed that I think I broke a blood vessel in both my eyes. I was a bit worried. He got out of bed and looked up broken blood vessels in the eye and said that it could just be from rubbing them, crying, coughing hard, pressure, etc. I thought back to how hard I puked yesterday and the feelings I felt in my eyeballs and thought that the crying just made it worse. It may take up to two weeks to go away. Then he read about broken blood vessels due to being diabetic and I had to stop him from reading because it was making me queasy and scared. UGH... I don't know what more I can take. Now I can't cry from stress of being sick and missing my kids for fear of busting up my eyeballs... GREEEAAAT! :O(

Please... be better tomorrow... please.

Saturday, October 31 - Emergency Room Halloween

I had only about two hours of sleep, due to my pregnancy insomnia and other ailments as of late, when I woke up at six am to extreme pain in my tooth! I've had pain in that tooth on and off for the last couple of months and so I figured I'd deal with it AFTER the baby is born. This pain was HORRIBLE! I've never experienced tooth pain this bad in my life! It's the bottom right molar, the last one which is hurting so badly. It was hurting even when my mouth was open, but the pain was severe when I closed my mouth and my teeth met. Holy cow!


I got out of bed and looked up tooth pain and pregnancy to see what it could possibly be and if I could even do anything while I'm 8 months pregnant! From what I saw online, it seems to me that I'll either have to have a root canal or an extraction if it's a fractured tooth. I called my friend a few hours later who happens to be a dental assistant to ask her what it could be and she said the same thing. I called my dentist on the emergency number, but hadn't heard from him today at all. Anyways... I took my hydrocodone (for my back pain), and tried to do anything I could to ease the throbbing pain! Ed got up with me and called around to various dentists offices to see if I could get in anywhere, but since it's Saturday... no one is open. ARGH... why couldn't this happen YESTERDAY?!


Anyways... after a bit, I felt like I was going to puke, and finally at around 11 am, it came. Let me tell you that this was the WORST vomiting experience I've ever had! I've had a sore throat and congestion anyways... but bring on the vomit and holy cow... I thought my head was going to explode. I was seriously scared because I couldn't breathe! I was laying on the couch just heaving into the garbage can while the whole family is looking on! I hadn't had anything to eat yet today, but I just kept heaving and heaving sooooooo forcefully! I couldn't breathe because I got sooooo congested and I couldn't breathe out of my mouth since I was vomiting so I seriously thought I was going to pass out. VERY scary. I felt sooooo much pressure in my eyes and they felt like they were bulging out of my head!!! Afterwards my head was seriously swollen, my glands under my neck were HUGE, my eyes were swollen into slits which felt like they were popping out of my head and they were really itchy! My throat was on fire and felt like it was closing. I still felt like there was a pukeball lodged in my throat, but I couldn't puke anymore. No matter how much water I drank, I couldn't get that feeling to go away. Ed was just staring at me because of how weird my swollen head looked! He said that my eyes looked chinese because they were sooooo swollen. I have to admit that I was really scared because I've never felt this way during or after puking. It lasted for over an hour afterwards!!! I had a horrid headache, my eyes were killing me and my glands were still pretty large and my throat was killing me.


I called my doctor's office and spoke to the triage nurse who didn't seem to be bothered by it. Ed had taken the kids over to his parents to get them out of the house. I was bummed because I had a fun day planned before we went trick-or-treating. My other symptoms felt like they were going away and so I was planning on going out tonight with them since I'd be outside anyways. We were going to paint pumpkins and make caramel apples as a family since we hadn't done anything this year since I've been so sick. Anyways... I posted my symptoms on FACEBOOK and a doctor friend said that I should go to the E.R. I was going to try and go to sleep and see if I felt better afterwards, but after I read that I decided to call Ed and have him take me to the E.R.


We got there and they took some blood and urine. They had to get it by catheter because there would be less bacteria in the urine... OUCH. Come to find out later... they put the wrong label on it, but luckily I could just pee in a cup that time. UGH. So... the doctor came in, we told her the brief version of my medical history and what happened that morning. She looked in my mouth and said that my throat looked horrible and that I most likely had Pharyngitis. I'd never heard of it. Anyways... she hooked me up to an IV, so I wouldn't get dehydrated because that is one of the biggest risks for fetal complications. The IV had antibiotics in it as well. We got there at around 1:30 or 2:00 and didn't get home 'til around 7:30 that night.


Anyways... I laid on the bed for awhile and Ed and I watched the Game Show Network while we were there. I tried to sleep a bit since I only had two hours sleep, but to no avail. I had to get up an pee several times while the IV fluids went through me. The nurse came in again with the results of my blood and urine test and said that my hemoglobin was low (I already figured that) and that my glucose level was a little high. She said that it was 500 and I asked her what was normal and she didn't know. So she left and came back and said around 100 is normal. I'm like... okay... what do I do for that? She just said to lay off the sugar. Okay... whatever. So... she gave me another bag of fluids and left again. She really didn't seem to know what was going on. I should have listened to my friend and gone to Allen hospital's E.R. instead, but I went to Covenant because IF anything were to happen, that is where my OB will deliver the baby. I had to ask if I was contagious, what to do for the symptoms, what I could eat and drink, etc. They weren't good about giving me any information. So, we got the paperwork and prescription for antibiotics and left.


Right after we left, my lips started tingling and I was like, "Oh, great! Why couldn't this have started before we left?!" Any little change has been freaking me out lately! We went to Walgreens and got my meds and some throat friendly foods and drinks and came home. Thankfully, my friends took the kiddos out trick-or-treating for me so they wouldn't have to miss out on that, too. THANK YOU!!! Then Ollie and Eden spent the night with Grandma Young and Jaren was still with G&G Palmer. Also... Ed was supposed to work his last overnight, but luckily Dan said he'd take his shift so I wasn't alone... just in case Ed needed to take me to the hospital again. THANKS, DAN!


We got home, popped in a movie, heated up some tomato soup and laid down. I was sooooo dang tired and feeling crappy that I went to bed at about 8:30ish. I didn't finish my soup because I was feeling urpy again and reeeeaaaallly didn't want to puke again. So... off to bed I went with my puke bucket right next to the bed. I slept most of the night (minus two hours) and slept until about 1 pm Sunday afternoon when Ed and his dad woke me up to check my blood sugar level since in reality I was verging on diabetic coma with a level of 500 at the ER the day before. It was 89. They gave me a blessing and I slept until about four. The kids are off to G&G's house for the week since I'm contagious until my symptoms go away. Another long sick week is ahead of me... *SIGH* :O(

Tuesday, October 27 - OB Appointment and H1N1

So, today started like any other day. I got up for my now weekly OB appointment at 9:20. Outside of the waiting room there was a table set up with some hand sanitizer, some face masks and a paper saying that if you have any of the following symptoms to put a face mask on. I had a headache, sore throat, congestion and slight cough, so I thought that I would go ahead and put one on. I entered the waiting area and talked to the receptionist only to find that my appointment was scheduled for yesterday morning. UGH. Luckily, she got me in to see someone anyways since I was 32 weeks along and obviously looking like I had just gotten hit by a MACK truck.

As I sat in the lobby, I could see everyone just staring at me like I had the freakin' plague! I'm thinking to myself, "I'm wearing this for YOUR benefit! I already feel like crap so stop freakin' starin' at me or I'll take it off and cough on ya!!!" I was annoyed because I missed my appointment and felt like an idiot, annoyed because everyone was staring at me, and annoyed because it was hotter than hell wearing it and every breath I took fogged up my glasses. I didn't want to touch any magazines because if I did people would freak out, but I had to grab one and start fanning myself as I felt like I was going to pass out any minute! A man came by and told me to follow him to a room. I don't know if it was from a sincere desire to help because he could tell I was miserable or if it was to get me to a room to quarantine me!! Either way, I was happy to get to a room and away from the penetrating stares.

I waited for a few minutes only to be greeted by a nurse wearing something that resembled a HAZMAT suit! She had on rubber gloves, a face mask and a robe of some sort. I had to laugh to myself!!! Later, the doctor came in looking similar to the nurse. I was thinking they were going to strip me down, shave me, shower me and put me into a plastic bubble! (I envisioned a scene from Monster's INC.) I told her my symptoms and she said that I probably had H1N1 (swine flu). I was like, don't you have to test me for it? She said that it's so rampant now that they just assume people have it and treat it as such. I'm like... GREEEAAAATTT... now I REALLY feel like I have the plague! Since it had been several days I couldn't have Tamiflu to help it. I just had to let it run it's craptastic course.

So... last week it was my parathyroid hormone level that was back up and now I supposedly have the freakin' swine flu. Anything else to worry about? CRIPES!!! Soooo... back home, kids are going to G&G Palmer's for the week while I deal with this crap. Even though they've been exposed to me already it's just safer for them, especially Oliver and Jaren because of their asthma problems. Even more to worry about. I just want to scream.

Wednesday, October 21 - Endocrinologist Appointment

I've been seeing my Endocrinologist every four to six weeks to check my vitamin D level, calcium level, and parathyroid hormone level (PHT). Everything was going well up to this appointment. I had my blood drawn the day before so that it would be read for my appointment. She said that my vitamin D and calcium levels were okay, but my PHT level was high again. That was quite a shock to me! I asked what it was and she said 86.3. Since I didn't know how high that was I asked what the normal range was and she then told me it was anywhere from 17 to 70. I figured okay... it's a little on the high side, but I can deal with this. Then I asked what it was when I was there four weeks ago and she said 23. Okay... I was thinking that it was crazy to have jumped sooooooo high in only a month's time! She said that it may have been a mistake at the lab, but I really wasn't going to get my hopes up. I was fighting back tears as I thought to myself, "What freakin' timing... If my calcium and vitamin D levels go haywire then I will have to have ANOTHER parathyroidectomy WITH A FREAKIN' NEWBORN!" I held it together as long as I could. We talked for a minute and she said that I needed to come back in two weeks to have my blood work done again. I made it out the front door and just burst into tears. One more thing to have on my plate. As if I'm not dealing with enough physical problems right now. We'll just have to wait and see what happens I guess. Hmmmmmmmmmmmm........

Oh, the Joys of Pregnancy

WARNING: Massive amounts of ranting and raving are about to take place. Read at your own risk.

I went to my regular OB visit to test for gestational diabetes and failed so off to my 4 hour test at the hospital. I downed the nasty orange drink that they give you in record time, only to feel sick about 1/2 hour later. I felt nauseus, lightheaded and had a horrible headache. I also had to visit the toilet... quickly a few times. I was fanning myself with a copy of the Ensign that I brought with me to read for the first hour. They called me back to get poked for the second time and I told them what was happening and that I felt as if I were going to pass out! They said that sometimes people feel sick during this test... YAY, ME! So, they led me down a little hallway to a small room and said that I could lie down on the examination table. YEAH... not the most comfortable thing invented. I would have much rather stretched out on the blue couch in the lobby, but I'm sure I would have gotten some dirty looks out there! So, after the second hour, I'm poked and the third hour, I'm poked again. Afterwards, they sent me home and told me that I would hear from my doctor.

I came home thankful that I could crash since I wasn't feeling well, as my in-laws were watching Jaren for me, but that didn't last too long since he was sick as well and had been crying all morning long. He had been on antibiotics for strep throat, as well as Eden, but he wasn't eating or drinking even. We took him to the doctor and found out that he had several sores in his mouth including a HUGE one on the side of his tongue! Poor little guy! The doctor said that it was a virus and that it just had to run its course. We got some stuff to numb it with the hopes of him at least drinking his milk, but he did NOT want to have anything to do with it! It sucks trying to take care of two sick kid, one of which just screams all day long, when I'm pregnant (anemic, horrible back pain, ligament pain) and sick as well. UGH! SERENITY NOW!!!!!! Some days I don't feel like I can handle it! I've been EXTREMELY tired and have been nodding off while laying on the couch or sitting in the recliner which is soooooooo not like me!

Soooo... a few days later, my OB calls and says that I passed the test. So... I guess I don't have gestational diabetes. Which is a good sign! But... my bad headaches, fatigue, nausea, back pain, etc. are still plagueing me. So... why is that I wonder. Many friends say... preeclampsia??? So... I look up preeclampsia and now I'm really worried because it sounds just like me. Plus the fact that they didn't test my urine for protein the last time that I was in there because I couldn't pee... yeah... that's really odd for me right about now... not being able to pee! So... I call my doctor, see a different woman since my doc is on vacation and find out that everything is okay. She says I probably just have a touch of the flu or something that the kids had. At least I know it's not serious.

To put it plainly... I feel like crap... all day... every day. I know that I should be grateful to be able to get pregnant and carry my babies... but I hate it. I hate the way it makes me feel. I seriously feel like I have the flu for 9 months, but worse. I have had chronic lower back pain for the last 10 years so I know what it's like to be uncomfortable every day, but this pain that I've been in for the last several months is almost unbearable. There are days that I can barely get myself to the restroom let alone care for my 2-year-old!!! I'm in CONSTANT pain. PAIN. I know that ladies suffer from backaches in pregnancy, but this is just ridiculous! I've seen my doctor, my OB, my chiropractor and a physical therapist for it, but it just does not go away and it's only getting worse the bigger this kid gets! I just want to scream some days. And I'm soooooooo freakin' tired... it's not even funny! I know that since I'm anemic that really doesn't help the situation and having two surgeries and recovering from those doesn't help. I take gobs and gobs of medicine on a daily basis that I usually gag on and throw back up... AWESOME. Plus, I can't sleep at night because of pregnancy insomnia and back pain! I can't wait for the next few weeks to pass. I pray that I can get better soon after I have this kid. Don't even get me started on my mental state... or my spiritual state... I feel like I've been to hell and back. I feel like my prayers aren't being heard. It just feels like everything is piling up on top of me and I honestly don't know how much more I can take. I can understand why people want to hurt themselves. Seriously. Most days I just feel like a zombie and I just want to stay in bed ALL DAY LONG. I really signed up for this?! Really? Reeaaalllly?!? I know there is a reason for my going through all of this... just don't ask me what the crap that reason is... because I haven't the slightest idea. This baby had better be healthy... that's all I have to say about that! (But... since it's a boy... I'm sure he'll be as sickly as my other two... woo-hoo!)

Breathing Buddies

It's that time of year again... when Ollie's asthma and allergies start flaring up! I kept him home from school the other day because his breathing was HORRIBLE! I wanted to get it under control before sending him back. I knew I could keep an eye on him better while he was home. The previous night he woke up about 2:30 am and said he couldn't breath! I jumped out of bed and gave him a breathing treatment. He's been using his Albuterol (Inhaler) several times a day. We now need to up his meds during this time of year. Pulmicort (inhaled) TWICE a day - Preventative, Xopenex (inhaled) every 4-6 hours as needed and his children's allergy meds (liquid) 1 tsp. each day. I hate to hear the raspyness in his breathing! My poor little man! We called our doctor and he told us to up his meds and keep an eye on him. He said that he sounded fine. In a couple days, he'd be like new again! That's a relief! He's been on his nebulizer since he was about 18 months old, so he's used to it by now! He knows what he's doing.


Jaren has been fighting a cold for over 10 weeks now. It started as a cold and turned into sinus infection. Don't worry... we've taked him to the doctor like 5 times already... it just has to run it's course. Our doctor prescribed him a lower dose of Xopenex... the same thing that Oliver is on. It has helped his coughing and gagging alot. Ollie has been such a good helper and helps me give him breathing treatments. What a sweet brother!

I LOVE this picture of the boys.

Where Would I Be Without Friends?

In answer to that question... probably still on the toilet. Okay... yesterday two friends helped me out TREMENDOUSLY! After a 15 minute walk with Jaren around the "Hood", I walked into the house and immediately felt really hot and flushed and started sweating profusely from my face! (This was about 40 minutes before I had to pick up Eden from preschool.) I had to rush to the bathroom because I was about to crap my pants... My stomach was in painful knots and I felt like I was going to puke or pass out! I tryed calling my brother, Chad, to see if he could pick up Eden from school, because I felt HORRIBLE! I then called Krista to see if she could do it for me since she lives about a block from the school. She agreed to and I was SO THANKFUL! So, Jaren is screaming, I'm on the toilet in horrible pain... and this goes on for about 15 minutes. So, I think I'm done, but no... the sudden rush comes again... this time I'm holding Jaren as well... still sweating profusely and in pain. Not happiness people!!!

I call my friend, Meghan, and ask her if she was feeling the same way I was because she was a little loose as well. I think hers was from some food she and her hubby ate. Anyways, she asked if she could watch Jaren for me and at first I said no, but later agreed to let her take him! VERY THANKFUL yet again! It's hard for me to accept or ask for help... even though I have great friends who would help in a heartbeat! So, she came and picked him up so I could rest while Eden watched a movie in the living room when she got home.

I received a call from Krista and she said, "I don't want to freak you out, but I can't find Eden!" I was like... what?! Then she said that she was in the office and couldn't find the room Eden was in. Then she said... Castle Hill (where she went LAST year)! I had forgotten to tell her that she was at Edison's preschool. I know I've told her before, but she said that she forgot it was a new year and just remembered Eden going to Castle Hill. I felt horrible. So, she went and got Eden for me and brought her home. I was able to rest for several hours before Ollie got home. So, thank you Krista for picking up Eden for me otherwise I would have pooped in the van. Thank you Meghan for taking Jaren for the afternoon so I could rest in peace. Well... yes... in peace. :) THANK YOU MY DEAR FRIENDS... THANK YOU!!!

Sick and Tired of Being Sick and Tired

Okay... Summer of Pain... it is TIME to be done, finished, overwith, finito! Sooooooo... all summer... I have been in one pain or another and let me tell ya folks... I'M SICK OF IT!!!

- JUNE: Pains of pregnancy and childbirth. Let me break it down for you... lower abdominal pain, lower back pain, gallstone episodes (including horrific pain in the back and chest and vomiting), headaches, not being able to sleep or catch my breath for that matter, insomnia and the list goes on and on. Childbirth, which was the easiest of all three I must honestly say. I did have an epidural, THANK HEAVENS! Then Jaren went to the NICU, and so I'm "recovering" in a small little "pod" where Jaren resided for the first week of his life. Yeah... I really didn't get a chance to recover much this time. (With Ollie and Eden I desperately needed a week or so of recovery time. I could barely walk or stand or lay down due to many rips and tears and all of that fun stuff.) Nevertheless, I just had a 8 pound 5 ounce manchild pass through my loins! Not a feeling you feel every day! So my body is STILL trying to recover from that.

-JULY: Recovering from Childbirth and Gallbladder Surgery.
Okay... childbirth and having a newborn home... lower back pain, fatigue, various ligaments and tendons popping and stretching when I move in a certain way... weird feeling I must say... I really need to go see my Chiropractor, but I'm still recovering at this time... I must wait. Family comes to visit and I was lucky enough to have some relief at that time. Then... I have my first Gallstone attack since being pregnant... not fun. I threw up and NO relief... so I went to the doctor and got an ultrasound to make sure it was actually gallstones... I was admitted to the hospital in a great deal of pain and I was FULL of GALLSTONES. So... was there, had two operations and four incisions. The morphine really didn't do much for the pain. Life kinda sucks.

-AUGUST: Recovering from Gallbladder surgery, swollen elbow and the flu. So... I'm still recovering and it is the 16th of August. I saw the doctor and asked him why I was still in so much pain. He explained that everyone is different and that the incision that was hurting so much was because he actually stitched it to the muscle to prevent a hernia. Okay........... that explains the pain. Then a week after surgery my arm, around the elbow, started to swell and become extremely painful (not allowing me to sleep). Come to find out, it was the arm the IV was in for my surgery and the doctor told me that it could be blood pooling there or something else, but it didn't seem infected or inflamed. After a week of pain, it FINALLY went away on it's own. Then I get the flu. I've had it for four days now and I still don't feel right. Nausea, explosive diarrhea, chills, fever, headache, weakness and fatigue. NOT FUN! MY BUTT HURTS! Most symptoms are gone, but I still have a bad headache and body aches. AND... Jaren is sick as well. It sucks being sick and then having to take care of a sick infant as well. I JUST WANT TO FEEL BETTER!!! AAAAARRRRGGGGHHHH. So I'm still having pains from my surgery and I don't know why. It hurts when I sneeze, cough and laugh. My innards just don't feel right. My stomach turns at times, I feel really hungry, there is a dull stabbing pain in my back by my shoulder blade. Sometimes when I breathe I feel a snagging sensation in my chest and on my side. Hopefully they are just signs of healing. I don't want to trade one pain for other pains. That just sucks.

There you have it. I want to feel better. Normal. Even though "Normal" for me means lower back pain everyday. At this point I can handle ONE of the pains. Not like 10 pains all at once. *Sigh* *Side Pain* *Grimace*