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I'm a simple gal who loves to do about anything. I am engaged to the most wonderful man in the world who I love with every breathe I take. We just recently found out that we are expecting and are due on July 4th, 2008!!! I'm here to learn as much as possible from the wonderful women on this site.
OK so for the past month or so I’ve been battling a horrible fight with a kidney stone. I’ve known about this specific stone since I found out I was pregnant, and it’s decided recently to start acting up. Two weeks ago, I went to the emergency room for extreme burning pain and was only treated for what they assumed was a UTI. After several bags of fluid, and some morphine, I was released. Another week goes by and boom, flanking pain that is unbearable. I decided to have Cal take me to the emergency room again on the evening of the 18th. We spent all night there and have them treat me for yet again, what they feel is another UTI. I got home early Wednesday morning and was instructed by my doctor to take the day off and continue to work on Thursday. So before the alarm even goes off, I wake up with excruciating pain in my flank area followed by not being able to hold any food or fluid down for 24 hours. Poor Cal at this point, had to go to work and just told me to continue taking the vicoddin that was prescribed to me. At 9 am, I said fuck it, and called an ambulance. Minutes later I’m being rushed to the hospital and admitted to labor and delivery...In rush the nurses with IV’s and pain medication. At this point, the pain has numbed for the time being and I’m waiting on a urologist. Upon our conversation we decided the best thing to do is have an MRI to find out what exactly is going on in my kidneys. It was a touch decision because of the low radiation that the baby would be exposed to, but it had to be done. Once the urologist received the results, bad news. Go figure that I not only have one big ass stone in my kidney, but another blocking the valve to the ureter. At this point its been placed in my hands to either try and live with the pain for the next three months, or we go in and have surgery. I decided that since there was little to no risk to the baby, that surgery would have to be my best option. So on Friday the 21st, I went under the knife and had a tube placed in my back straight through to my kidney. All in all, it’s really a catherator that is to help my kidney drain the infected urine that my body isn’t processing. The worst part is, the surgery itself was horrible because I could not be knocked out. I had to sit on a one-foot wide table on my belly, wrapped in a lead blanket while they drilled a tube into my infected, swollen kidney. And better yet, I get to live with this stupid thing for the next three months until I deliver. I know I made the right choice because the pain has subsided. I’m just dealing with the extreme soreness of getting used to this tube. So I go back to my urologist next week to replace the tube and follow up. But, no work for me until further notice says my OB. I’m pretty sure I’m on bed rest now until our little one is here...
Monday, 7 Apr
So Friday my tube wasn’t draining anything from my kidney. Cal came home and tried to flush it, and nothing. We decided to call the after hours emergency line for my urologist and have my doctor paged. Sure enough he calls back, listens to my complaint of the bag not draining and so on. So go fucking figure that I’m back in the hospital on Saturday to have the damn surgery over again. They had to replace the entire tube from my kidney because of the calcium buildup causing my tube not to drain urine. Although the procedure was extremely painful, I’m feeling better today as if I didn't have anything done. I'm just worried that this will cause my OB to really start considering have to induce labor earlier than my due date. We had discussed it previously when I first had the procedure done, I'm just sure that now it will be a problem if the tube continues to block and I have to go in for surgery to replace it every two weeks. We'll see what she has to say about it when I go on the 11th for my 28-week checkup.
Wednesday, 23 Apr
So I had my 30 week appointment today and it went so so. It appears that my glucose test didn't go all that well and I have to go back for a 3 hour one to check for gestational diabetes. Reagan on the other hand, is growing really really fast! His lil head and body are measuring that of a baby at 32 weeks and 2 days! So the doctor wants to make sure that I cut down on the sugars and carbs to try to curb his rapid growth. All in all he was great, a solid 150bpm heart rate which is perfect. We even had an ultrasound and I got to see my lil man smiling at me, which made my day. My doctor did advise me that probably around week 37 I'll be induced if my kidney will hold out that long. So it’s another two weeks before my next appointment, but I do go for my 4D ultrasound on Saturday which Cal & I are extremely excited for. As soon as we have the pictures and DVD I'll be sure to post them!
Saturday, 26 Apr
Let me just tell you.. having a 4D ultrasound done was by far the best thing I have ever done! Cal and I went this morning to have it done and what an absolutetly amazing experience it was. Little Reagan was projected on a huge screen so we could see him and what a precious baby he is. Although he wouldn't remove his hands or feet from his face, we still got to see what a beautiful baby we have created. One top of this wonderful experience we bought Reagan some really neat gifts. They have these "Rockabye Baby" CD's with really awesome bands turned into soothing lullabys. So Cal and I bought Reagan a wonderful starter kit to his music education; Nirvana, Led Zeppelin, The Beatles, The Eagles & The Smashing Pumpkins. If you know anyone with a baby you have to have them check them out.. www.babyrockrecords.com! I am so glad that Cal & I got to experience today together and I'm soo lucky to have such a wonderful husband! In about seven more weeks I'll have my little Reagan and I can't wait!
Wednesday, 30 Apr
Yeah so the damn drain wasn't working again in my kidney. I had an appointment with my urologist yesterday and once the nurse told him that it wasn't draining, he wouldn't even see me. He wrote a STAT script for me to go upstairs in the hospital and have the damn surgery all over again. Only this time it was worse than the first initial placement of the tube. Somehow, someway there was a kink in the tube.. in my kidney. They tried several methods of removing the kink ( wires, twisting) and nothing worked. Unfortunately, they had to yank the damn thing out, and let me tell you how much that sucked. The nurse holding my hand kept asking if I was OK and all I could do was say how much Reagan was worth it. Hopefully we can keep this thing working for the remainder of the pregnancy, because I can't stand doing this every 2/3 weeks.
I go back to my urologist next week for a follow up. Hopefully the ultrasound they do will show the tube is working better. Now on top of all of this, I'm waiting for my results of the 3-hour glucose test. I pray that we don't have gestational diabetes on top of all of this. And if we do, it will only make my OB bring little Reagan out sooner than later.
Tuesday, 13 May
So the kidney stopped draining again today, causing me to have the surgery again. This time the surgeon put in a larger tube to the kidney. Hopefully this will be the last round of surgery for the remainder of the pregnancy. Fingers crossed…
Monday, 19 May
So I went for my 33-week check-up today and everything went great! Doctor Rogers advised me because of the fourth surgery on my kidney last week that we'll be inducing. We go back on 6/2 to check my cervix and see if I'm dilated any. If so, we are going to schedule an induction sometime around 37 weeks! I'm so excited at the thought of having Reagan here in less than four weeks! Also, that means that all of my family will be filtering in during my maternity leave. Mom, Dad, my little brother Connor, Cal's Aunt and sister are all coming! I can't wait!
Tuesday, 3 June
So I had my week 36 appointment today and it went just ok. My cervix at this point was not favorable; meaning absolutely nothing is going on yet. The doc was pretty upset about that, but hopes that something will come up by next week. At this point it's a C-Section, which I am 100% ok with. But depending on where we are at next week, it's possible that little Reagan may be here by June 13th/14th. Unfortunately, I have to go for a new tube replacement on Thursday but hopefully that will be the absolute last one before I deliver. I'll keep you all posted on my status!!
