Day 4 of 7 in Week 32: Today was supposed to be just a regular OB visit. My folks just flew in from Michigan last night as our baby shower is planned for this Saturday. The plan was for me to go to my OB visit then meet my folks back at the house. WRONG! Here's what happened in the day's leading up today along with today's events...
I had an appointment last week on June 30 (saw a nurse practicinor) and on the week before on June 22 and saw my OB. During the Jne 22 visit everything was doing great; my nausia was finally gone, the baby was growing well, heart beat was good, my urine sample was fine. Then a few days later, while at a care of new borns class (Saturday June 24) I had about of nausia come over me. Then after spending the next day at SF Pride Celebration, I went home and threw up. I called my OB office on Monday reporting that I still felt nausious and run down. My OB called back and said she thought it sounded like a virus. She suggested that if I still felt bad later in the week to come in. So Friday June 30, I went in. My urine, blood pressure were fine. But the nurse didn't seem to get that I was concerned that my nausia was back. She just said "everything looks fine, I don't know why you don't feel well." Plus she seemed to have trouble getting an accurate fundus measurement, as she measured three times. That should have been a clue.
On July 4th I still felt low energy. I had a bit of discharge that I was convinced was amniotic fluid. I called the doctor on call. When I told her of my concerns, she chuckled and said, "Is this your first baby?" as if my question was kind of silly. Well today, two days later, things are not so silly...
Today, my doctor was on vacation in France, so I saw the staff midwife. I went in, did the usual pee in a cup and was weighed. I had lost 5 pounds and had significant protein in my urine and the fundus had shrunk (something like 1 or 3 cm). The Doppler found the baby's heart beat and it was fine. My blood pressure was fine. After much struggle to get a catheter in, the midwife and medical assistant took a sterile urine sample. While waiting for the midwife to speak to the staff doctor on call over the phone I had a visual disturbance, saw many black spots. The doctor was informed about my condition situation and I was strongly urged to drive myself directly to the hospital for an ultrasound and stress test and to drop off the urine sample at their lab for immediate results. They told me that most likely I had a urinary tract infection but they wanted to do some tests to be sure.
I called Vera and asked her to meet my folks at our house, pick them up and then all drive together to Alta Bates. At this point, I was still thinking that everything was fine the tests would come out normal or show I had a bladder infection and that I'd be going home after the tests. I met Vera and my folks in front of the hospital.
At the Hospital: Went to admissions to check in for the tests, dropped off unine at the lab. Then headed to Ultra sound lab. The ultra sound showed that I had lost some amniotic fluid, but not a concerning amount. The baby was doing well, good blood flow through the umbilical cord, good strong heart beat, good body movement, and she showed practice breathing, which meant she was exercising her diaphragm. The woman who did the ultra sound said the baby was a bit small, about a week behind her gestational age, but otherwise all looked healthy. She also confirmed that it was a girl.
I then went to maternity ward triage area for the non-stress test... While there my blood pressure jumped up and stayed up for over 30 minutes... The triage nurse called the doctor on call and he admitted me for pregnancy induced hypertension.
So I was admitted to labor delivery. After meeting two of my OB's colleagues (one of whom was the chuckler that I spoke to on the phone on 4th of July), I was diagnosed with Preeclampsia a.k.a Pregnancy Induced Hypertension. I was to be on bed rest and they were going to monitor me in the hospital over the weekend.
At some point late this evening I had a EKG of my heart which showed that my resting heart rate was in the 40s. And got a steroid shot to help the baby's lungs develop faster.
The bed... uncomfortable. The room... no windows. Me... combination of denial and scared. The Baby... holding her own! Vera... same as me.
The life and times in the House of Chreblett
