The Ugly Side [Pregnancy Pains]

I didn't want to post about this stuff, I kind of thought if I ignored it, it would just go away.  Well it hasn't, so for documentation purposes, here goes...  [but if you don't want to hear about all the aches and pains of pregnancy, you should probably skip this post!]

[Round Ligament Pain]
At the end of my first trimester or beginning of my second trimester I began having sharp pains in my right side [just above my hip bone].  Sometimes they last longer than others.  On bad days the pain shoots into the front [low, like pelvic bone area].  It seems to hurt the worst when I get into my car or when I hold Jordyn too much [is that even possible?!].  My OB diagnosed this as Round Ligament Pain.  She said stretching can help, but pretty much it's common in 2nd pregnancies [and on I suppose] and will stay until I deliver.  The scar tissue from my Appendectomy earlier this year is likely to increase this pain.  Rest is really the only thing that seems to help.   

But it kept going.  Getting worse.  More frequent and more intense.  Like quit talking mid sentence and hold my breathe.  And then, hold my breath and grab my side.  But now it was higher, like right under my rib cage.  So I called the OB Office again. 

[Gallbladder]
After much discussion, we're pretty sure it's my gallbladder.  Looking back it tends to happen more after I eat or drink.  This pain is higher up.  More cramp like than the ripping feeling I get with the round ligament stuff.  It goes into my back and right shoulder blade area.  I'm sure it was worse with the holidays because the junk I was eating.  [Foods that make it worse...meat, grains, fried foods, soda, water, chocolate -- insert pretty much every other food I ate this weekend!] :(  Other symptoms include low Thyroid, foggy brain* [haha--all this time I was blaming it on being pregnant!], nausea, constipation [did you want to know that?!], oh and weight gain [yes, just a little! :]

So obviously I'll talk to them more about it at my next OB appointment, but for now I'll try to watch what I eat and see if it helps at all.  Obviously, we'll do whatever we can to wait until after I deliver H2 to do surgery [if that's what's necessary].  I guess the people that told me [after my surgery of course!] they should have  removed my gallbladder when they removed my appendix were right.  [::sigh::]

And for the record...when my round ligament pain and gallbladder aren't acting up, my acid reflux flares...do I sound like a whiny, pregnant, wuss or what?!  Ya, so that's why I prefer to give everyone the 'I'm great!' [with a big smile] when they ask.  It's way quicker & nobody wants to hear about everyone's aches and pains...we all have them! :)

*Speaking of foggy brain, I'll post this with my Christmas post too, but after we were done opening presents on Christmas morning, when I started putting the Christmas decor away [because I'm a scrooge like that] I found SIX more presents that I forgot to wrap and put under the tree for Jordyn!  Mom FAIL!  :(

The Night My Husband Saved My Life

No, literally!  Here's how it all started...

Last Friday [January 20th] I woke around 3am with terrible stomach pains.  I was supposed to watch my Godson all day, so I was really trying to shake off the pain.  Adam googled stomach pains and it said most of the time stomach pains is gas or flu related [both of which nothing is typically done for] so I waited it out a little longer.  Finally around 8am, after flailing around the floor for 5 hours, I decided I couldn't take it any longer and drove up the road [~ 1/2 mile] to Urgent Care.  Adam stayed home [by my demand] and fed Jordyn & got her ready for the day.

It really didn't feel like gas or a bowel issue, much more like contractions.  My stomach hurt from my rib cage to my pelvic bone and across my entire front.  I was vomiting, but not sure if it was from pain or sickness.  I checked into Urgent Care and they had me in a room within 5 minutes.  They took blood & urine samples.  After getting sick in the office, they gave me a shot for pain.  After getting sick in the office again, they gave me a shot for nausea.  15 minutes later, all was well.  I was ready to go home.  Dr. Colby had other ideas.  After 2 x-rays, a jug of yucky juice, a CT scan, & 5 hours, it was confirmed it wasn't a bladder or kidney issue, but rather my appendix.  I was sent directly [but I begged for 5 minutes at home to tell my baby goodbye] to the hospital.

[Oh yes, Adam met up with me.  And my sister watched my baby.  And my parents came down for the weekend to watch my baby more.]

After 3 or 4 hours sitting in the ER at the hospital, I finally made Adam go up and demand more pain meds or to admit me.  After all, this was EXTREMELY URGENT when I was begging for 5 minutes to stop at home.  So, after Adam worked his magic, I was taken directly into a room.  Within 30 minutes my 2nd IV was inserted, blood was drawn, and I was being wheeled into surgery.  Luckily [or maybe not so luckily] I knew my Surgeon, Resident Surgeon, and Student since I work with them everyday at the hospital.  I must admit it's a bit awkward having 'coworkers' insert your catheter and cut open your stretch marked belly! :)

For those of you who don't know, for a non ruptured appendix they perform surgery laparoscopically with three small incisions.  One right above your belly button, around your pelvic bone, and one larger incision off to your left side.  The whole procedure only takes about 15-20 minutes.  Mine went well.  I was in, out, & off to recovery.  I got sick, which is common, but was transported to my room where in no time.  There, Adam talked to the surgeons and waited for me to sleep off my anesthesia.  Then, according to Adam my breathing became shallow and I quit responding to him.  That's when he ran to the hall and called for a nurse.  She quickly came in, didn't feel my pulse, and called a code blue [which is cardiac arrest/non breathing patient].  Adam was escorted out of the room and they performed chest compressions on me.  I woke up fighting the oxygen mask with my gown open, and 20-30 physicians/residents/nurses [read again: coworkers] around my bed.

They said it was a good thing Adam was there to call for a nurse because I wasn't hooked up to a pulse oximeter which would notify them if I quit breathing & the nurse thought I looked alright.  To keep things light they laughed and said they're positive I don't use any recreational drugs, because people get this dosage of narcotics often after surgery with no issues.  But in all seriousness, they said to notify people that I'm allergic to Dilaudid in the future.

Working at a hospital, I hear code blues called often, but it's definitely something I never thought I would be a part of.  I'm so thankful I insisted on taking the 5 minutes to run home and kiss my baby goodbye.  At the time I was planning on coming home that night, but after this incident I stayed overnight [my first night away from my daughter].  I'm especially thankful I kissed my baby goodbye [even though she had no idea] when I look back and realize that could have been my final words to her.  Without going into details, this experience shook my husband up pretty bad.  I cannot imagine if the roles were reversed and I saw him unresponsive and being worked on.  I'm so thankful for every day I get with my little family, even when I get overwhelmed.  I cannot imagine my life without them.  Thank you God for not picking me yet!