High Risk Pregnancy Check In 8/1/19

Stac928

I thought we could start a weekly check-in since we are far enough along at this point that folks are identified as high risk and might want some support

EDD/Weeks and Days:

Risk(s):

Upcoming Appts/Monitoring/Tests:

Questions:

Raves/Rants/Worries:

GTKY: Favorite summer activity?

Stac928

EDD/Weeks and Days: Dec 22 (but will deliver no later than Dec 16), 19w4d (I think)

Risk(s): Advanced Maternal Age (AMA), Gestational Diabetes, Pregnancy induced hypertension, Recurrent Pregnancy Loss (RPL)

Upcoming Appts/Monitoring/Tests: Anatomy Scan next week, regular OB on August 15.  Blood sugar checks 4x/day and BP checks 1x/day

Questions: None really right now

Raves/Rants/Worries: I'm not being very good about checking blood sugars and limiting carbs.  My last pregnancy I was very careful, this time I just can't find the will or energy to be that focused on it. 

GTKY: Favorite summer activity? Swimming! and we have a new house with a gorgeous deck/backyard so eating dinner on the deck has become a new favorite.  We do it 3-4 times/week lately.

lemonpoppy

Thanks for starting this!

EDD: Dec 19/ 20 weeks 

Risk: placenta previa (currently complete previa)

upcoming appointments: 5 weeks until my sugar/diabetes test and additional blood work because my thyroid might be an issue. In 8 weeks I have a follow-up ultrasound to see if the placenta has moved 🤞🏽

Questions: I have complete previa and have been put on pelvic rest but my midwife said just nothing in the vagina whatsoever. I’m only 20 weeks so does anyone know if I can continue doing light exercise? I didn’t think to ask the midwife at the time. 

Rants/raves/worries: right now I worry about going into labor early and there being a complication or having placental abruption! So afraid of bleeding because I know it could be serious. I have pretty bad health anxiety so I’m just trying to focus on my odds of everything being okay. 

GTKY: I’m in Texas and it gets so hot here in the summer but I love swimming and getting snow cones and having more daylight!

janiep81

Great idea!

EDD/Weeks and Days: Weeks today - due 12/19

Risk(s): Advanced Maternal Age and hx/o Gestational Diabetes. I haven't been diagnosed with it yet this pregnancy but I'm watching it like a hawk.

Upcoming Appts/Monitoring/Tests: Appt at 22 weeks - will bring in two weeks of blood sugars.

Questions:

Raves/Rants/Worries: I tried so hard not to have GD last time... I was a late diagnosis. This time I'm basically living like I have it because I think its probably inevitable, plus I'm walking frequently and drinking lots of water. I think that helps a lot. 

GTKY: Favorite summer activity? Waiting for autumn to begin...

cpk3535

EDD/Weeks and Days: Dec 1st, 22W4D (I think...this has changed a couple of times)

Risk(s): Advanced Maternal Age (AMA), epilepsy 

Upcoming Appts/Monitoring/Tests:  So far, so good- my anatomy scan was really good, no big issues yet.  I’m getting bloodwork done in about 4 weeks for GD, as well as testing for my epilepsy medicine levels.  

Questions: None really right now

Raves/Rants/Worries:  I actually feel a lot better this pregnancy than the last.  I am on a different meditation for my epilepsy than last time, and apparently it’s lower risk.  I’m also feeling more in tune with my body this time- possibly because my last medicine had a more overall numbing effect between body and brain?  But as I said, so far, so good!

GTKY: Favorite summer activity? Yoga and Disneyland (these are both year round, but still my favorite activities)!  As far a specific summer things, I love making watermelon smoothies, drinking iced drinks, and going to the ocean when it’s not so frigid!

KTZ17

Thank you for starting this @Stac928 !

EDD/Weeks and Days: Dec 16, 20 weeks 3 days

Risk(s): History of HELLP syndrome onset at 30 weeks, delivered my daughter at 31 weeks 3 days, and had GD last pregnancy.

Upcoming Appts/Monitoring/Tests:  Had my anatomy scan yesterday and it went really well, but they want me back in two weeks to calibrate my home blood pressure monitor because my readings at home are lower than in the office.  I passed the glucose test at 16 weeks but will repeat it at 28 weeks and I have a follow up growth ultrasound in 4 weeks. They want me checking my BP once a day.

Questions: Anyone have GD in their first pregnancy but not in subsequent pregnancies?

Raves/Rants/Worries: Just always worried my BP will shoot up and they’ll put me on bed rest.

GTKY: Favorite summer activity? Not working (teacher), catching up on reading 

Stac928

@lemonpoppy I don’t remember an exercise restriction, but might be worth a call to your provider. 

@janiep81 I’m an autumn fan too! 

@KTZ17 I worry about bed rest too. I was on it for four days last time. I suck at it. Like super suck. 

mrszoobear

EDD/Weeks and Days: est due 12/18, currently 20+ weeks 

Risk(s): hypertension, showing signs of preeclampsia but no diagnosis of it yet thank goodness. Currently off work but not officially on bedrest.

Upcoming Appts/Monitoring/Tests: I completed my 24 hour urinalysis on Friday and turned it in with blood work. Hopefully I will hear back on that soon. Next doctors apt is next Wednesday (not this Wednesday). 

Questions: Does anyone else get jealous of pregnant women who are doing and feeling great? I wouldn't wish this on anyone but I'm also very envious. I just want to be one of those happy healthy moms and I wonder if it makes me a bad person for being so jealous all the time.

Raves/Rants/Worries:

Rave - My family is so amazing. My mom and step dad came up from down south this week. My mom took care of me. Taking me to appointments, cleaning my house, making me food. Then my dad paid to have my car fixed and gave us a bunch of money to help relieve some financial stress. It was a godsend for them to come up and help. I cried hysterically after they left. 

Rants - I am still having a hard time keeping food and water down all the time but have not been diagnosed with HG despite having all the symptoms of it. I know my doctor is more worried about the high blood pressure and the potential for preeclampsia. But HG is scary and painful too. He wrote me off work for the symptoms related to HG but I'm so confused as to why he hasn't made it a diagnosis.

Worries - I'm obviously terrified of preeclampsia and what that means for the baby and myself. I scared about the symptoms starting this early and her being born too early to be healthy or make it.

I had a dizzy spell today that nearly caused me to pass out at the grocery store. I started the trip fine but by the time we were standing in line I felt like I couldn't hold myself up anymore. I walked to my bathrooms very dizzy, I got tunnel vision to the point things almost were all black, I wasn't able to hear much around me and almost passed out before I made it to the ladies room. Once I sat down on the bathroom floor for about 5 minutes I felt better and got all my hearing back. But even now, hours later, I still feel shaky and weak and I get very dizzy when standing. I feel like I'm trapped inside a body that doesn't belong to me. I hate feeling this way. It makes me feel guilty for not enjoying having my daughter grow inside me. I'm so beyond happy for the chance to have her but I'm hating every last moment of being pregnant. Its like I'm being slowly tortured from the inside out.

GTKY: Favorite summer activity?

Swimming.

Stac928

@mrszoobear I hate pregnancy. Don’t feel guilty. It’s a means to an end for me. Worth it. But I don’t enjoy it. It’s a messy, difficult process. 

cpk3535

@mrszoobear @Stac928 I totally agree with you.  It’s really not fun being pregnant for some of us.  Your tunnel vision experience sounds similar to some experiences I’ve had pre-seizures, and those are awful!  I’m glad you’re at least off of work for a bit to care for yourself.  Just go as easy on yourself as you can.  I also hope you get more info from your doctor soon!

lucylivesinwa

EDD/Weeks and Days: 12/19, 20w5d

Risk(s): New to the high risk club. For those of you not reading my ridiculously lengthy posts in the Group 3 check-ins, I'll try to make it short. I had a couple ovarian cysts show on my early ultrasounds, one of which grew rapidly and I had to have it taken out. That surgery was on 7/19 and I am just now pretty much fully recovered from surgery. Unfortunately the pathology from those cysts came back and part of it was a rare type of cancerous tumor. So now I'm meeting with a gynecologic oncologist and a maternal fetal medicine specialist to determine the best course of action. I'm deeply hoping to avoid chemo while pregnant. From what my surgeon described, it sounds like I'll most likely need surgery post-pregnancy to get rid of an ovary (and possibly the second ovary and uterus). Chemo is still a maybe as is the timing. I'll certainly know more concrete details after talking to the specialists. The amazing news in all of this is that the baby seems totally unaffected by the chaos surrounding him and the prognosis for this type of cancer for survival is excellent. All fingers crossed that it stays that way!

Upcoming Appts/Monitoring/Tests: Monday 8/12 with the gynecologic oncologist. Will also be scheduling the maternal fetal medicine specialist some time next week with a debrief appointment with my OB immediately following.

Questions: Has anyone ever been diagnosed with a super rare condition? I'm finding myself frustrated at the lack of resources for my specific situation on the internet - no matter how deeply I go into weird corners of the internet into medical research and people's video blogs!

Raves/Rants/Worries: In all the discussions and research of this new information it only just recently dawned on me that "I have cancer". It in no way changes any of my courses of action or risks, it was just kind of a heavy realization to think about. Other than that, I'm genuinely working as hard as I can on maintaining a positive attitude through everything. I have a wonderful support system at home, with family and at work and my insurance/time off benefits at work are top of the line. I'm probably more equipped to deal with something like this than most, and I'm trying to stay grateful for all of that.

GTKY: Favorite summer activity? Hiking and camping for sure! (I live in the Seattle area, so you could in theory do both year round, but I'm a fair weather camper)

Stac928

@lucylivesinwa I would say welcome, but this isn't a fun club to join.  Your outlook is great. Keep us posted on your appointments.  We are here for support. 

I don't have anything super rare....just a horrible combination of pretty common things.  I'm half expecting to also have placenta previa (I did last time) to add to my list.  Just because that's my luck lol

lemonpoppy

@lucylivesinwa I’m so sorry!! That is a lot to process. Keep looking on the bright side. Our positivity in all of this can only make things better ❤️

KTZ17

@lucylivesinwa in 2017 I had a complete molar pregnancy that became persistent and turned into gestational trophoblastic disease (cancer) and I had 5 months of methotrexate (chemo shots).  I don’t know much about your specific type of tumor, but I’ve been through the process of seeing a gynecological oncologist and they also talked about doing a hysterectomy on multiple occasions.  Thankfully, the chemo was able to take care of my tumors and apparently didn’t affect my fertility.  I hope that for you they can keep you pregnant until the baby is able to be delivered safely before they begin treatment.  I’m so sorry you’re going through this.  I joined a support group on FB for my specific condition and it really helped me to speak to other women who had been through it.  Some women had molar pregnancies with a coexisting twin, which I would imagine is a similar situation to what you’re going through because a baby is growing but there’s also cancer there.  And many of those women had positive outcomes.  I encourage you to seek out a group like that.  

holly321

@lucylivesinwa I have a very similar story to @ktz17, I had a partial molar pregnancy/gestational trophoblastic disease, and needed chemo/gynecologic oncology, they suspected I had choriocarcinoma but the pathology was never clear and we weren’t waiting to find out.  It is hard have a rare condition that no one knows anything about.  My DS had FPIES which is pretty rare.  Like @ktz17 Facebook groups was the best option for finding people going through the same/similar.  I wish you the best.  

Even with a great prognosis cancer, it is still cancer and a lot to process.