So I've had my husband back for a few days now, and we've jumped up and down celebrating and the kids have forbidden him to ever leave again, and yes, I do care about what happens to my BIL. I had a momentary flash of selfish anger when I missed Mr.Cotta, but I'm feeling a tad more generous now.
(I admit it, I actually muttered, "Just leave him at the side of the road and run away, fuck it..." but I didn't really mean it. Same with the several times I declared that I would kill said BIL myself with my bare hands for putting us through this, if he ever recovered.)
Anyway, it turns out that he is seriously physically ill as well as all the mental/emotional issues so I am glad we brought him back to Canada. He's getting everything fully checked out and readjusted since of course any new drugs he needs will affect his liver and kidney function, etc, not to mention his cardiovascular system. Frankly, this sounds like the kind of thing most people need. I can't tell you how many times I've heard of people with medical issues having their socio-emotional issues overlooked, and how many times I've heard of people with mental illness having their physical issues overlooked. And then everyone is surprised when things fall apart later. Now I'm just hoping it all works out the way they claim it will.
So enough about that for the moment.
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The baby is still kicking away and my tummy is getting bigger all the time. So far, no stretch marks this time...quick everyone knock on wood! I know I won't escape them totally, but I was hoping not to add to my collection. I mean---if my skin has stretched a couple of bunch of times already, then eventually don't I get a free pass?
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I have to do my glucose tolerance test next week, so I'm trying to pick a day with as little barfing possibility as I can find, or at least as much time afterwards for me to recover. I hate the orange stuff they make me drink--blech. I'm hoping I can get something better tasting, but who knows?
After I do the glucose tolerance test, I can get my steroid shots. (My cervix was fine, 3.5 cm, so I probably don't need them but I begged and he gave in, nice man. Love my OB to bits.) Apparently, if the shots are done too close to the glucose test it messes up the test results? Dunno...anyway, I am trying to figure out who can give me one of the shots in my rear, since I can get the OB to do one, but the other one has to be exactly 24 hours later or before. And Mr.Cotta is squeamish about needles and anything medical related. If men had to be the pregnant ones and give birth, we'd be childless for sure....poor man. I'm trying to book an appointment with my GP but just in case she has no space, I need to line up some volunteers.
Anyone in the Big Smoke wanna shoot me in the ass?
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I want to take my husband to the interior design show tomorrow, since the kids will be busy with other activities. (Mac is at the zoo, and Kaz is going on a school trip.) We need to start deciding on things we would like in the house and I want to get an idea of his taste, etc. so we can work on the house reno. He would rather stick a fork in his eye than go to it. Go figure...
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I spoke to the patient advocate's office about the holter monitor, and between my digging around and theirs, we figured out that there is a way to do this without making women go braless. Basically, 18 months ago they got new monitors that are extra sensitive and if a bra strap goes directly on top of the pad they stick on the skin, they produce artifacts. So the techs just banned bras. Never actually occurred to them that a woman could adjust her bra straps so that they don't cover the pads....fuckin' idiots. So, I have asked that they tell every woman coming in to the situation and make it clear that they could use a sports bra or a camisole with a built in bra, or a bra extender, or whatever, and that the straps can't go directly over the pads, but have to be below or above them.
They seem to think this will be too hard for women to understand, especially uneducated women or ones with ESL problems. I think that if they simply say "No bras" that women will be less likely to get the test, especially immigrants or women who are well endowed, or women who simply have modesty issues, either cultural or religious ones. So, I battle on.
Same issue btw, for the window coverings. Turns out they aren't in the postpartum or L&D or high risk floors...the nurses went apeshit when some goof suggested those be installed over in that department. So I can sigh with relief on that one. As for the cardiology department, they insist no one can see in, but I insisted that is untrue, and even if it was true in some lighting and in some situations----most women don't feel comfortable stripping in front what they perceive to be open windows. Even if it's expensive to change the shades, they could put in a movable screen to cover the bottom part of the window. Exhibitionists can strip away, and the rest of us can put up the screen. Reasonable IMO, impossible in their opinion. So, again, I battle on.
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I have to get my professional organizer in to help me move furniture around in anticipation of the baby coming. I'm not setting up a nursery just yet, but I'm thinking about where things will go, and it looks like Mr.Cotta will be losing his office. And our bedroom will be switched with Kaz's so we can get the baby at night easily without stumbling down to the other end of the hallway. Needless to say, I can't move all this furniture, and my husband has no time, so I'm hoping she can bring in her crew and we can get the place painted and sorted out without too much pain and agony.
So, there you go ladies and gents. A quick rundown of the miscellany of my life. Hopefully not too boring. Then again, boring is nice sometimes. In fact, it can be pretty great.
I'm one of those frightening go-braless ones, but good for you for sticking up for women's rights to wear their bras. Good grief, why can't we (I trust it's clear that present company is excluded!) respect people's rights to control what happens to their bodies, whenever possible?
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of, would it help at all if you presented the following study to your OB prior to the GD test? Maybe you could substitute jelly beans (assuming you might find them less offensive, obviously otherwise this is no good):
Am J Obstet Gynecol. 1999 Nov;181(5 Pt 1):1154-7. Jelly beans as an alternative to a fifty-gram glucose beverage for gestational diabetes screening. Lamar ME, Kuehl TJ, Cooney AT, Gayle LJ, Holleman S, Allen SR.
OBJECTIVE: This study tested the hypothesis that a standardized dose of jelly beans could be used as an alternative sugar source to the 50-g glucose beverage to screen for gestational diabetes mellitus. STUDY DESIGN: One hundred sixty pregnant women at 24 to 28 weeks' gestation were recruited for a prospective study to compare 2 sugar sources for serum glucose response, side effects, preference, and ability to detect gestational diabetes mellitus. Patients were randomly assigned to consume 50-g glucose beverage or 28 jelly beans (50 g simple carbohydrate). Serum glucose values were determined 1 hour later. The test was later repeated with the other sugar source. Finally, a 100-g 3-hour oral glucose tolerance test was performed. Participants completed a questionnaire recording subjective outcome variables. American Diabetes Association criteria were used to interpret all test results. RESULTS: Among 136 participants completing the study no significant differences were found between 1-hour serum glucose values (116.5 +/- 27 mg/dL with 50-g glucose beverage, 116.9 +/- 23.6 mg/dL with jelly beans; P =.84), frequency of discrepant results (P =.47), sensitivity, specificity, or predictive value. Jelly beans yielded fewer side effects (38% with 50-g glucose beverage, 20% with jelly beans; P <.001) and were preferred by 76% of participants (P <.001). Five cases (3.7% incidence) of gestational diabetes mellitus were diagnosed, 3 with 50-g glucose beverage alone, 1 with jelly beans alone, and 1 with both sugar sources. CONCLUSIONS: Jelly beans may be used as an alternative to the 50-g glucose beverage as a sugar source for gestational diabetes mellitus screening. The 2 sources provoke similar serum glucose responses. Patients report fewer side effects after a jelly bean challenge than after a 50-g glucose beverage challenge.
That's because the "Soda" is horrible!
ReplyDeleteAnyway, good for you on all counts. You've done the baby thing before, but I'l say it anyway, get things together sooner, reather then later.
Glad your husband is back and his brother is cooperating. I hope he does well.
Sounds like everything is going relatively well on pretty much all fronts. Let's hope that it's smooth sailing from here on in.
ReplyDeleteHey, I'm not squeamish. If you want me to shoot you in the ass, all you have to do is call.
ReplyDelete"aaand I'll be there, yes I wi-ill. 'cause you've got a friend..."
All I wish for you is boring, boring and more boring.
ReplyDeleteWhy is everyone in cadiology being such an ass?
December baby you are a good friend.
man, why does Dec-baby have all the fun?!?
ReplyDelete[If I were w/in 50 mi I would gladly come inject your ass!]
After all, you KNOW that needles are my life, mwah ha ha haaaa!