Thursday, August 18, 2005

If I thought it was the "homestretch" before...

then I'm not sure what to call this! Just got back from the OB, and I have quite the update (finally).

A few visits ago, Dr. Travers (not my usual doc) measured me and proclaimed me "off the charts." For those uninitiated, "measuring me" means measuring my big ole belly, from top to bottom, with a measuring tape. Since I still had so far to go, and it seems like one person says one thing and another says another, I didn't overthink it.

My regular doctor, Dr. Levitt, never mentions my size at all. So I sorta figured there wasn't much worth mentioning, right?

Today I saw Dr. Nwosa (pronounced "Woah-sah"). She measured me, and then looked a little startled. She said I was "huge." This is not a word that a person wants to hear, especially naked from the waist down. She looked at the tape again, and repeated: "huge."

Then she checked my pee, and my swollen swollen feet, and told me that I have the early signs/start of pre-eclampsia (blood pressure problems). Ironically, my blood pressure reading is fine. And the swollen swollen feet (and calves and thighs)? Well their scale says that I gained 9 pounds in 8 days. Have you ever heard of something like that? 9 pounds in 8 days, and I swear to you that 8 of those pounds are in my feet and calves and thighs. You should see them. Wait, you shouldn't. No one should.

So the long and short is that I have to go back in 4 days and get a sonogram to see how big this boy really is, and get my blood pressure checked again. In the meantime, I am to abstain from anything I don't want to do, and stay off the feet as much as I can. Then, on Monday, we'll decide on a course of action. From what she said, this course of action could include everything from "wait and see" to scheduling a c-section. So maybe there'll be a baby soon!

Tonight is ordering Stewart around while I keep my feet elevated, and trying to get as much done as possible in the next few days. Unfortunately we have painters coming early next week to finish up the big construction project, but other than that we're in really good shape. And with my incredible parents, sister, and friends around insisting that they help out, there really isn't anything that can't get done. Focus on the goal, right? The goal is not an orderly house, but a healthy baby here in the house with us. Looks like we'll be there a little sooner than we thought!

So if I disappear and no one can reach me, try me at Holy Cross Hospital in Silver Spring! I just might be there. Wait: we just might be there. Wow.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

How can you write that without telling us what "huge" is? Huge could be a lot of things. In order of preference I'd like a photo followed by the measurement in inches.