How I got to 28 weeks 2 days…..and counting!

I apologize in advance for the lengthy post, but here goes. 

The beginning of our conversation to have another baby was a bit entertaining but I will leave that for another time.  We had always wanted more children and having Fiona has brought such joy to our lives.  We wondered what another pregnancy might entail.  This time we knew it could be more difficult but of course every pregnancy is different so it could be better than the first.  It was a leap of faith we decided to take. 
 

We're pregnant....Fiona is shocked!


On September 25, 2010 I found out I was pregnant with the baby I like to call Bitoski (a story for later).  I hoped and prayed I would feel well and vomiting would not be a part of this pregnancy.  I vomited for the first time on Oct 8th, it was a Friday and I remember it well.  Things spiraled downward quickly but I was smarter now and busted out all the tricks I had learned the first time around, saw my doctor immediately and began on oral zofran.  None of my tricks seemed to be working or even helping for that matter. 

I went to St. Joe's for IV fluids and meds on Oct 20th with minimal relief I was back and went inpatient on the 25th to spend a rather depressing couple days in the hospital.  I was about 8 weeks pregnant, very few people knew and the next 32 weeks looming ahead were frightening and seemingly impossible.  I couldn't even care for myself.  By Nov 8th I was back at the hospital and knew we needed a plan.  A PICC line was discussed but my doctor had what we had hoped was a better idea, a subcutaneous zofran pump (very similar to an insulin pump).  This would give me continuous zofran through a tiny catheter in my stomach.  I was very excited.  That night I was happy to meet Pam, a nurse from Alere (my home care company) who came to set up the pump and get me started.  Pam said if all went well we wouldn't see each other again.  I chuckle at that thought now.  Anyway, the pump provided minimal relief I continued to vomit often, I was still dehydrated and needed IV fluids.  Thankfully now I could get this at home but quickly realized an IV pole and Fiona who was just learning to walk made for a dangerous household.  Having a regular IV was good but they don’t last very long and are fragile.  It was apparent by the next week I needed constant fluids so on Nov 19^th I got a PICC line (peripherally inserted central catheter), which is a type of IV that is inserted in my arm, but the tip lies very close to my heart.  The benefits are it is a stable IV and can last for the duration of the pregnancy.  I have a love/hate relationship with my PICC but that will be a post for another time.  I was able to get rid of the IV pole and transition my fluids to a backpack.  This also allowed me to move the zofran to my PICC and off of my stomach, which was lumpy and sore from the meds. 

Around Thanksgiving I was realizing that fluids were a great trigger for vomiting.  Food was as well at times but drinking was almost a 100% way to induce vomiting.  So I made a decision (but did speak with my doctor about it too) to stop drinking anything.  No sips, no nothing (will save that for another post later and yes my mouth is dry and I do get thirsty).  I finally began making progress with the puking!  My energy level was still non-existent but I knew it would get a little better.  By the end of the year I was starting to plateau and the vomiting was controlled to some extent – it still happened but it was tolerable and I was gaining weight. 

On January 25^th we got the best news – the baby was healthy and growing well!  That is all I truly care about. 

For the past few months my life has become pretty routine, just a little different from the routine we were used to.  Thankfully I was able to return to work. 


There are lots of quarks and random weird and entertaining (well at least to me) things about my daily life I look forward to sharing in future posts.