Having a hard time sympathizing...
Hello all. I have GD, like many on this board. I also have PCOS, so I knew early on that I was likely to develop GD. I'm well acquainted with the workings of my less-than-stellar endocrine system, so none of this has really been a surprise. What I have fond surprising is my jealousy and seeming inability to empathize with the women in my life who are nervous about taking the GTT.
I'm right around the time when I would be taking the test normally, but never even made it that far before being put on insulin. Which I am allergic to and have rashes and bruises all over my belly from the injections. So when I hear complaining about how much the glucose drink is gross, and how much it sucks to wait for the results, I find I get really, really irritated. This is not like me. I have a friend IRL who is about a month ahead of me and was going on about dreading the test. And it was frustrating to me she wasn't thinking about the fact that the things that she's worried about dealing are the things I am CURRENTLY dealing with.
Anyway, just wondering if anyone else is feeling this way, and how you snapped out of the pity party, because I don't like feeling like an un-gracious jerk. Any words of advice will be appreciated.
Re: Having a hard time sympathizing...
I get where you are coming from to a certain degree - once you are on the other side of the test, you realize there are other things to worry about! However, I was a wreck even thinking about taking the test. It is a stressful thing when you are first going into it: you don't know what to expect, you worry about if you will pass, if you hate blood draws (like me), you might be having anxiety attacks about 4 draws in three hours.
The thing with pregnancy is that we get very focused on ourselves and what we have to go through just due to the laundry list of things they make us do for being pregnant. I guess I would say to try and think back to when you first got tested/diagnosed with PCOS. Use that experience to try and create the empathy you need when talking to others about this.
Now, as for your friend, she also does need to be a good friend and recognize your needs with support and commiserating. Maybe once she gets past the anxiety of the test itself, you can have a conversation about what you are feeling and going through and it can be her turn to be supportive.
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ETA: Being nervous about the results, I can understand. Complaining about the test itself gets no sympathy from me.
I can agree to a point, but rember these woman don't understand. I get more annoyed from the woman who want to skip the test, or not follow what there Drs tell them to do. Or crappy Drs who just shouldn't be working with high risk woman. Instead of getting irritated with your friend, talk to her, she might be worried about the test results. Maybe hearing from you might ease her mind that Hey maybe she could handle it. She might just be scared, or she might not realize what you have to go threw.
On the other hand, she could just be going threw the I am pregnant and its all about me me me moments I think most people have.
Yeah, this. Having unfortunately fallen in the 1% of people who have an incompetent cervix and coming dangerously close to losing our twins (after working for three yrs to conceive them) and now being on BR for four months, I have a really hard time feeling sorry for people who are overwhelmed by the minor inconveniences of pg. Grow a pair folks, you're having a baby.
5 REs + 3 surgical hysteroscopies for septum/lap + 3 failed IUIs
IVF w/ICSI/AH & acu = BFP!, unexplained spontaneous m/c @ 8w2d (our little girl),
FET w/acu = BFP!, B/G twins!, lost MP @19w, dx w/funneling cervix @20w,
twins nearly lost to IC @21w, saved by rescue cerclage, 17P & 16w of bedrest
Our twins born @36w4d via CS when A came foot first
Thankful for every day
Thanks for weighing in, folks. I'm glad to know I'm not the only one who gets irritated by complaining about the test. And I found out that my friend's test came back fine, and I'm glad for her. I've been trying to accept that I'm just jealous, basically. Her pregnancy has been difficult emotionally, but physically, she's totally fine. I'm having a hard time impressing upon her how lucky she is without being snappy, so I think I will have to let that one be and just deal with my stuff.
Also, it's good to have a reminder that there are folks who have a harder time within the High-Risk category. Needing to be on bed-rest, etc sounds incredibly difficult, and I could have it a lot worse. So, thanks for the perspective!
Good luck to all of you - I really love having this board to talk to all of you, since I don't know any other High-Risk moms IRL.