I can't believe that I already had my 6 week OB appointment today.  B will be 7 weeks on Thursday!  Where has the time gone?

I was really nervous for my appointment this morning for a few reasons.  The first reason was because I had to go alone with B.  I have gone alone with him to appointments before, but never to the hospital and never for 4 1/2 hours.  I had to go early this morning to first get my 2 hour GTT and then for my OB appointment afterwards at 11:20 AM.  So yeah, I had to entertain B for several hours, in a hospital setting, by myself.

Turns out it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be.  I nursed him a total of 2 times and changed 3 diapers in the family restrooms.  Luckily everything in the hospital is wheelchair accessible!  I hate the nursing covers and would prefer to just "free-boob" it, but I am not sure how legal that is in my state (or anywhere for that matter).

The 2 hour GTT test wasn't as bad as the 3 hour, but the drink was by far worse.  It wasn't the orange flavored one, it was no flavor other than sugar water.  I choked it down and it threatened to come back up for several minutes.  Luckily I could drink water to take the sticky, sweet taste out of my mouth.  GROSS!

After chugging the gross drink, B and I did several laps around the hospital.  We walked past the fertility clinic.  I wanted to go in and thank my RE and their staff, but didn't think they would even remember me since it was September that I was there last.  I saw the doctor that delivered B and I also saw a few other doctors that I remembered walking the halls.  It was weird to be back there again for what will be the last time for quite a while (or until I try to get pregnant again or get pregnant again on my own).  The site of so many heartbreaks and bad memories, now has a bunch of great memories for me.  They helped me conceive and birth my son.  I am forever grateful.

After my last blood draw, I headed over for one last visit to MFM.  I am not sure what my BP was, but my weight is 133 (down from a high of 164 plus).  I still have 13 lbs to lose to get back to my pre-pregnancy weight, or 15 lbs to lose to get back to my goal weight.  I realize that this weight should not come off until I stop breastfeeding and I am ok with that.

I talked to my doctor one last time.  We discussed birth control, as he gave me the all-clear for sex (which I still have no interest in right now...sorry hubby!).  I am going to start the mini-pill on Sunday.  Not really excited about that, but I also do not want to get pregnant for at least a year and having something put into me like an IUD sounds completely unappealing.  We also discussed exercise and my diastasis recti.  I told him about the marathon and he told me that I can start running...slowly.  I am surely going to be at the pace of a turtle for some time.  As for the ab situation, he told me that he has never seen anyone have luck with physical therapy, but he agreed to write me a prescription if I agreed to call him and let him know if it worked or not.  He also told me that if I choose to have another baby and a c-section that he will stitch my abs back together as part of the surgery, if that was going to be my last child.  I love this man!!  He also checked my incision, which he said looked good and he gave me a pap smear which hurt like hell.  He told me to give them a call if I get pregnant and we'll do it all over again starting at 8 weeks.

I really felt like hugging him, but I thought that would be weird.  Seems like so long ago that I walked in there for the first time, crying and so scared.  He really always helped to calm me down.  He never tried to blow smoke and sugar coat anything, but he also didn't unnecessarily scare me either.  It is crazy that you spend so much time at their office when you are pregnant and then you just stop going.  It sounds weird to say that I will actually miss going for regular check-ups there.

When I handed the receptionist my paperwork and told her that I did not need to schedule a follow-up it felt like I was graduating.  I now have my healthy baby that I worked so hard for.  Quite a surreal feeling.  I did it.  I overcame whatever issue I had.  I fought and I won.

When I got home I already had an email from the nurse giving me the results of the 2 hour GTT.  I PASSED!  NO MORE DIABETES!!  My fasting was 87 and my 2 hour was 112.  I breathed a sigh of relief, but know that I will forever have changed my eating habits and will always be thinking about diabetes.  I know that I am at a higher risk now for type-2 diabetes, so I have even more incentive to stay healthy.

Today was a good day.  B has been doing better the past few days.  I have a more thorough update of him that I need to write, but I hear him stirring from his nap so I need to get back to mommy duty.  

For fun, here are some before and after shots of my mangled belly.  Something to work my ass off for.    I am jealous of my old body!  Enjoy!

Today was one of those mornings that I would like to request a do-over or wish that I would have stayed in bed to avoid completely.  I'll give a little background first before I start, yet another, depressing post.

I got my test results back from my 3 hour GTT yesterday.  The results were rather inconclusive.  The nurse who wrote the letter stated that, in their MFM practice, one failed test is borderline and not a flat out GD diagnosis.  She said that I barely passed the second screen (and my 3 hour was just weird) so that I should think about self-testing.

So I am in the waiting room at the hospital.  I decided to do a little timeline of events since so many people have asked what the 3 hour GTT is and how it affects people.  I am going to be the real life guinea pig for anyone that wants or cares to know.  Here goes:

So I might be jumping the gun here (or maybe not), but I went out on Friday afternoon and bought a blood glucose monitor.  When I went to C.VS to purchase this monitor, I had no idea that there was more involved than just the monitor.  I saw the O.netouch Mini on sale for $9.99 and I was sold.  I then realized that you also needed lancets for $12.79 (ouch), control solution for $10.99, and test strips for a whopping $29.49.  Oh and you only get 25 test strips for that amount of money.  The total at C.VS was $64.48 after my $6.50 in "E.xtra B.ucks".  They keep the test strips behind the counter because they are so expensive, small and thus and easy to steal (I feel for the poor diabetic with no insurance coverage that tries to go in and steal test strips only to find that they are locked behind the pharmacy counter).

The pharmacist asked if I was sure I wanted to buy the test strips without a prescription.  I told him that I wasn't diagnosed officially yet and just wanted to get a handle on things in advance.  He started making some jokes and then could tell that I was not really in the mood so he stopped.  Nothing really funny about diabetes, my friend.  Thanks, though.

I took my diabetic goodie bag home and dumped the goods on the table.  I opened the instructions and found them to be the size of a AAA map with tiny writing.  I was way too overwhelmed so I asked my husband if he would learn how to use it and then show me in the AM.  He agreed with no complaints.  Just a hunch, but I think he might feel bad for me.  He is much better with directions to complicated devices than I am.  How do old people figure out how to use these things (and see the instructions)?!

The schedule that I found for testing on most GD websites has been, first thing in the AM and then 1 or 2 hours after each meal.  I decided to adopt this pretty basic plan.  Based off of ADA guidelines the following is true: Fasting blood glucose should be 95 mg/dl or less and one hour after a meal, glucose levels should be 140 mg/dl or less. Two hours after a meal, blood glucose levels should be 120 mg/dl or less.

On Saturday morning I decided to start my experiment, already several days into my new diet.  I decided to test fasting and 2 hours after each meal since I read on one of the forums that this is what most MFM doctors suggest.  The worst part if getting my fingers to bleed enough, especially in the AM.  I sometimes have to prick my finger 4 times to get enough blood.  I have already developed a hematoma under one of my fingers.  Here are my numbers so far:

The past week or so has not been one of the greatest on record for me, so I apologize in advance for this post because it is a rant with lots of whining.  It started with me coming down with shingles (or not...I'll get to that), then me coming down with a horrendous head cold that I can't seem to get rid of, to my last MFM appointment yesterday.

Last Thursday, I had an appointment with my PCP to diagnose the weird rash on my neck that I had since NYE.  She was fairly certain that is was shingles so she put me on A.cyclovir (5 times a day for 10 days) and also on an antibacterial ointment, M.upirocin (3 times a day), in case I had impetigo or another related infection.  She also did a viral and bacterial culture on it to be sure of the diagnosis.

Yesterday morning I got a call from her office telling me that both of my cultures came back negative. The nurse said that the doctor was still fairly confident that it was shingles and I just didn't have a raging case and to continue taking the meds until they run out.  She also said I should continue the ointment, as well.  Lovely.

Now on to the head cold.  This started on Friday.  In the matter of a few minutes I went from feeling fine to feeling like I had to sneeze to being all stuffy.  I went out and bought B.reathe R.ight strips, a humidifier, and V.icks V.apo R.ub.  I know that they say you can take T.ylenol C.old during pregnancy, but I am already on so many other meds that I don't want to take anything else.  I have not slept more than an hour at a time since Thursday night.  I missed work Monday and today.  I feel like total crap.

Next I'll discuss the MFM appointment.  The ultrasound went great.  In fact, they used me and my little boy in a teaching demonstration.  His heart, brain, arms, legs, spine, kidneys all looked great.  He measured in the 63 percentile (~2.5 lbs) with a HB of 155.  Here is a pic of him (scroll to the very bottom).

After the ultrasound I went to the MFM office.  They checked my blood pressure and of course it was high as it usually is in their office, 133/66.  My weight was 139, which was better than I thought.  So I am up 19 lbs.  Then they gave me the orange drink for the 1 hour GTT and I chugged it in under 2 minutes.  Totally gross and more sugar that I have had in quite some time.

I saw the doctor and he was happy with the ultrasound and everything else.  He checked my rash and concurred that it was most likely shingles.  He explained that if it is a low level infection that your body is already fighting successfully that the culture could very easily come back negative.  He told me to continue the meds.  He said he didn't need to see me for another month and that was that.  I then peed in a cup (as per usual) and once the hour was up I got my blood drawn.

This morning I had a message telling me that I (quite miserably) failed my 1 hour GTT and to call and schedule a 3 hour test.  

GTT Screen (GLT): 163 (Normal Range = 54 to 139): OUT OF RANGE

After another night of no sleep and another day of calling in sick to work this was just too much for me to handle.  I called my mom and sobbed to her.  Half the time she couldn't tell what I was saying.  I was embarrassed and upset.  I eat so healthy 99% of the time.  I don't drink soda, ever.  I NEVER eat fast food.  I eat so little processed food and what I do eat that is some what processed is usually organic.  I eat a very high fiber cereal at breakfast.  I eat lots of fruits and veggies and I was of a healthy weight when I got pregnant.  Up until I got sick I have been exercising 4-5 times a week with 2-3 mile walks and some light weight-lifting.

I seriously feel like a failure.  What did I do wrong?  I called the nurse to set up my 3 hour test and they forced me to schedule an appointment with the nutritionist as well.  She told me to stay away from food products where the first ingredient ends is "ose" and simple carbs and to "start eating healthier".  I started crying on the phone with her because I already do that.  My friends make fun of me because I eat so healthy.

I told her that I already eat healthy and exercise and that I haven't gained an obscene amount of weight.  I think she felt bad for me because she could hear how congested and nasally I was.  She told me that she sees 300 lb women pass the test with flying colors and 90 lb vegetarians fail miserably.  She said it doesn't have to do with weight, but how your body handles sugar during pregnancy.  Yeah, yeah, yeah.  That didn't really make me feel better.

So now I have to further restrict what I eat.  No more cereal or wheat crackers for me.  Back to the lovely world of constipation.

I have spent my day feeling down and miserable.  This cold is kicking my ass and now I have to worry about diabetes, too.  How is it that some women get pregnant by sneezing, share their wet pee-stick with their 5,000 FB friends, buy nursery furniture before 12 weeks, eat McD.onalds every day, don't exercise, and have completely healthy babies (over and over and over again).  Then others have a hard time getting pregnant and have problem after problem during their pregnancy?  It isn't fair.

Sorry for the vent and kudos to you if you read this whole thing.  I am not feeling great today.  Hopefully tomorrow will be better.