PGAL Check-In | 6.15.17

laeberge3

It's been a bit since we had this check-in ...how is everyone doing?

1. How far along are you today?

2. How are you feeling today?  Struggles?  Successes?

3. When is your next appointment? 

4. How is your SO handling everything?

5. GTKY: What's your favorite fast food restaurant? 

laeberge3

1. How far along are you today?  23w6d - almost viability! (Which reminds me, is it 23 or 24 weeks for viability?)

2. How are you feeling today?  Struggles?  Successes?  I'm feeling good today.  Since we're past the AS and follow-up AS and all looks well, I've been doing pretty well on the anxiety end.  The kicks are more consistent now too despite having an anterior placenta so that helps as well - LO even woke me up last night! 

Main struggle is trying to plan out these last few months.  My H is searching for a new job (he's in education so he looks just about every year) and he's looking pretty far and wide in the state. I had to explain to him that after a certain point in time, he'll have to be content to remain where he's at unless something super close opens up.  He doesn't seem to understand that I'm not going to be willing to move in August and establish new care that far into my pregnancy and I'm not going to let him move away and be home only on weekends for who knows how long.  This is our first child and some things are just not negotiable. I'm the dream killer, I know.   

3. When is your next appointment?  7/6 for routine OB appointment

4. How is your SO handling everything?  He's getting more excited; we're picking out the paint color for the nursery and getting things moved out so it feels more and more real.

5. GTKY: What's your favorite fast food restaurant?  Probably Chick-fil-A. 

aprilsarahjune

@laeberge3 23 weeks for viability - you have arrived!  I realize that we are apparently not a popular check-in spot these days, but I appreciate you starting another one for us! I hope your DH can find a good opportunity close to your current location soon - that is a tough one. 

1. How far along are you today? 23 weeks, 3 days

2. How are you feeling today?  Struggles?  Successes? I am doing well, but I do have a rant:

  I took my first Makena shot to prevent pre-term labor last night.
 (a) The doc first mentioned it at 17 weeks, as an afterthought because I am borderline in meeting the eligibility criteria.  I dragged my feet for a few weeks, knowing that 17 weeks started the window of its most effective start time.  March of Dimes says to start between 17-24 weeks.  The manufacturer says between 17-20weeks. But then the prescription had to go through my doctor, my insurance, and a specialty pharmacy.  I got my first contact from the specialty pharmacy on Monday at 22 weeks, 6 days.
(b) The shot's retail cost is about $1,000 and I need one per week through 37 weeks.  I have a high deductible insurance plan and would have had to pay the full $4,000 upfront for my first supply of 4 shots.  The specialty pharmacy actually wouldn't even give me a pricetag, and instead sent  me to the manufacturer who subsidizes that "based on income".  I have never in my adult life qualified for something based on income, but in this instance, the manufacturer reduced the cost to $25 per shot.  I possibly would have paid the full $4,000 to make it happen a month ago, though.
(c) My DH who has only ever given shots through on-the-farm training to large animals is giving me the shot because I am already at the back-end time table for starting it.

3. When is your next appointment?  On Monday.  I am a little embarrassed to tell them that I am having DH give me the shots, even though this is a drug intended to be administered by a health care professional, but he did such a great job with no pain at the injection site and I was desperate to get started!  Also, my doc told me that a home health nurse would typically administer it, and I have just been too overwhelmed in trying to understand the drug and how to get my hands on it to even ask questions or research the home health nurse issue.

4. How is your SO handling everything?  DH gave me a shot in the butt last night!  I read the instructions and we both watched a youtube video.  The video was actually intended for infertility treatments, but it is a similar drug and the info in the video seemed to be in line with what I was reading in the manufacturer's paperwork.  DH was really great about it!

5. GTKY: What's your favorite fast food restaurant? I guess Panera?  I know that is not the same kind of fastfood, but the one near my work has a drive thru that feels a lot like fastfood. 

migdala

@laeberge3 I also appreciate the check-in!  And my googling tells me 20-35% viability rate at 23 weeks, 50-70% viability rate at 24-25 weeks, and 90% viability at 26 weeks.  It's amazing that we're already here!!!!

@aprilsarahjune My DH is supposed to give me my B12 shots and I'm pretty sure we watched the same video!  But last time he did it he poked me too far over and it hurt and I yelled so I keep putting it off and am now WAY overdue.  I'm also a chicken about needles though.  Do you mind me asking what's going on that would put you at risk for pre-term labor?  Feel free to tell me to mind my own business, I'm just curious.

1. How far along are you today? 23 weeks tomorrow!!!

2. How are you feeling today?  Struggles?  Successes?  I'm feeling surprisingly good given the circumstances.  DH is in Vermont for a hiking bachelor party and we didn't realize he'd be out of cell service range the entire trip.  I got a text from an unknown number yesterday that was DH apprising me of the situation from his friend's satellite phone that only gets 5 texts a month so I couldn't even reply.  Cue a freak out on my end - what if something happens and I can't reach him?!?!  But luckily (for me) it poured last night so they bailed on the hike and are hanging out in Burlington for the day.  They'll be heading back to the woods later tonight but at least I had a chance to yell at him about the whole thing, haha.

3. When is your next appointment?  July 12 for the lovely glucose test

4. How is your SO handling everything?  He's read more books than I have, so.  He's gonna be such a great girl dad!  We read Dear Ijeawele, Or A Feminist Manifesto In Fifteen Suggestions, which is about how to raise a feminist daughter, and now he keeps pointing out all the evidence of the patriarchy and it's really adorable.

5. GTKY: What's your favorite fast food restaurant?  White Castle.  We don't have it here.  Everyone thinks I'm gross but I love it.

aprilsarahjune

@migdala I had a prior singleton pregnancy where my water unexpectedly broke at 37 weeks, leading to immediate dilation and delivery.  Though the twin pregnancy doesn't typically count (because it is apples to oranges with a singleton birth), my water broke at 33 weeks.  So, looking at that tendency, I am considered high risk for pre-term labor.  I spent the first week or so after the doctor suggested the drug in denial that I could be at risk.  But the truth is, if it happened at 37 weeks last time, what's to say it won't happen at 36 or 35 weeks this time or worse?

Also, @migdala, I looked at DH's first grip on the shot and made him stop before poking.  He was trying to hold it so that he already had his thumb and index finger on the plunger.  I made him take his fingers off the plunger and focus on a slow and steady poke first.  I would suggest that your DH slow down, make sure he has the fatty part of your upper-outer butt pinched, and then focus on one step at a time.  For my shot at least, it also says that injection of this tiny amount of fluid (1 mL) should take a full minute - so slow and easy does it!  Get back at it with your shots, girl!

migdala

@aprilsarahjune I would be nervous about it too with those early deliveries.  I'm sorry you have to get poked but good for you for doing what sounds like the absolute right thing for you and your baby.  And good tips on the injections -- DH definitely was trying to rush things, probably because he could see me hyperventilating and just wanted to get it over with.  Since he's out of town this weekend I think I'm just going to go pay the stupid $30 to get one at a med spa, but we'll try again in a few weeks and I'll make him go slow!

laeberge3

I'll respond later on (stuck in a Friday deposition - why did I agree to this?!) but thank you both for checking in! I was feeling totally uncool for awhile there  

migdala

@laeberge3 I'm so glad I got out of litigation  I don't know how you do it!  Especially on a Friday!!!

aprilsarahjune

@laeberge3 @migdala I will join the litigation hate wagon.  I have a total of one matter right now that I would label litigation (any probate matter has the potential of running that way at any time, as it turns out that families hate each other).  That one litigation matter, even though I largely handed it over to an experienced litigator, is still keeping me awake at night.  Also, as a bonus, I got a call late in the day on Friday from a partner desperately needing help with a different litigation problem and I apparently was the only person who could help; that usually doesn't happen in the estate planning and business worlds.

laeberge3

@aprilsarahjune Ugh, sorry you got the call to help on the litigation issue.  Litigation is definitely not very fun. It's pretty much all I do currently so I'm used to it but it's not something I imagine myself doing long-term.  I'm definitely awake too many nights worried about too many clients and issues.  I hope your appointment goes well today!

@migdala I hope your DH returned safely from his trip! And White Castle?! Haha, that made me laugh - no judgment here!