Your Own Best Advocate

We had the busiest day ever.  I don't care to recap it, except to tell you that I got my van back.  Kinda.  They did NOT replace the hood (like the insurance paid for) or even repaint it! (like the insurance paid for.  A full $4800+).  Cough, cough.  I complained, and they are going to repaint it one day next week.  I'd already turned in my rental car, and we had baseball and boy scouts to skidaddle to!

..and I saw my obgyn today, and I'm still pregnant (it's a tiny bean with a blip-blipping heart!). : ) We did see a heartbeat (yes, I'm thankful!), and it was about four days behind where it should be, so they moved my due date, and he said maybe I ovulated late.  (since I certainly wasn't watching!)

The other thing.  I asked him to check my progesterone again even though it was fine last time.  I do a lot (too much..) internet-intelligence-building (heehee), and I know that progesterone should increase slowly through your pregnancy, topping out at least at 40-180 (see here, here, and here).  My doctor reassured me that I was over 20, and not to worry.  I pressed.  He said if it'd make me feel better, he'd draw up the lab request..and I did insist.  I even wondered on the way to the lab (for a voluntary blood draw) if I was CrAzY.

Now, I know I'm totally sane.  My progesterone has dropped to 17.6.  They called this afternoon and put me on prometrium (synthetic progesterone).  I feel better, I just hope it's enough and soon enough.  I'm just thankful for my experience, and that I pushed as my own advocate.  I've slowly learned that no one can/will speak up for you like you can.  No one else has the investment, motivation, or possibility of loss.  (same goes for your child's best advocate: no one is as invested as you in them.)

And..he said he'd see me every week till I could feel the baby move. (Can you see me smiling?)  He'll do ultrasounds every week until we can get the heartbeat on Doppler, then keep it up till movement, and we'll do testing around 12 weeks to check on everything.  I am also requesting progesterone testing again next week (not surprised?) and hematocrit and hemoglobin too.  Can't be too careful.  And now?  I have to advocate for my child too.

Is there anything else to test?  I've already done anti-phospholipid syndrome and NK (natural killer) cell levels.  Hmm..more research is calling my name. ; )  What did we ever do before Google?  Encyclopedias were so out-of-date by the time they were printed.  (and remember those little CD's of Encyclopedia Britannica that came with your PC back in the 1990's?  haha!  that's even funny now.)

I'm off to medicate and gestate.  Thank you for your prayers...and I might need them a little bit longer. : )  Hugs!

Diagnosis: Imperfection is Perfect

I love reading a good book-it broadens my horizons, makes me think about things in a new way, entertains me, and changes my writing. : )  Fun!  What more can you ask for?

A couple of things are going on here at my house.  One is laundry (did it ever not go on?), and the other is trip preparations.  How exactly do you prepare to be gone from your home during a horrible winter storm?  Last year, we had a bad ice storm (understatement), and the house had some damage-a branch came through our roof!  I also didn't realize what can happen when we aren't here to take care of it.  The ice in the freezer leaked out the front of the ice dispenser, down the front, and snaked across the floor, leaving dried ick behind.  We lost everything in our refrigerators/freezers, even though it was under 32 the whole time!  I guess the house stayed just warm enough to spoil the food?  Now I realize if I'd been here, I would have set the food outside!


So today I shopped for groceries.  Ches asked me to buy stuff for the road (although I don't want to eat in the new van!), and I bought some crackers and lots of fruit.  Don't you think you don't eat enough fruit when you are traveling?  I still can't believe it's coming, so I'm only halfway preparing.  Ches reserved a room in Lewisville, Texas for Thursday through Sunday, so he's a little more earnest.  I washed the car (so we could travel in a Shiny Car), and filled it with gas, so we make it.  I'm making an effort.  I'm also checking out the food in the cold storage and trying to decide what to eat first.  Does that count?


We had Clay's conference yesterday morning.  It went well, and I was happy to get some answers.  I'm hoping it'll help us move forward and help us have reasonable expectations for him.  He was diagnosed with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder), combined with mathematics disorder.  I'm not disappointed, nor do I think it's a personal defect.  Nothing is wrong with him, he just needs to learn in a different way.  What I found most amazing (or not..as he's my child), is his IQ!  It was so high in reading, language, comprehension, and the highest in perceptual/spatial understanding (which should help in math, no?).  I was glad to see the high scores, and know we didn't "mess up".  He just needs to focus to continue to learn.  I was so excited to know how to help him, I feel like campaigning for ALL kids to get such extensive testing!  They are all individuals, and we should cater education to them.  Imagine if our kids learned in their best way-we could maximize potential, minimize bad self-worth when they think they aren't measuring up.  Ahh, it's eye-opening, and I am glad.  We set off on a new road, and we are our children's best advocates.


I had my progesterone tested today, so I'm waiting to hear how it is.  I got my test results back from a couple weeks ago (the Panel of Tests), and they were normal.  (Is that Good or Bad?)  My doctor's office is so patient, or at least his nurse.  She's very sweet, and still has the patience of Job, even when confronted with Me.  I try to keep the paranoia and nervousness to myself, but I'm sure she can hear it in my voice as I apologize for being the high-maintenance patient.  I've never been on this side, the needy side. It's always been so easy for me.  I'm learning how to see from other people's shoes, and it's not bad.  I will never sit in a waiting room, calling all my friends to tell them what I'm having (as I Just Found Out!), knowing that someone in the huge waiting area may Not be pregnant, but was last week.  I won't complain about the pain/early contractions/exhaustion (ok, so don't mark my words), or the heartburn, knowing someone else might like to enjoy those things for once.  We all pray for wisdom, but say no thanks to the lessons.  I'll take lessons and find something redeeming in them.


** Update:  Doctor's office called at 3:30: My progesterone is 13.3, so it's fine this month.  We just wait a week, and see what happens. : )  **



So, I find myself even more thankful for my imperfect kids, just because they are here.  They are healthy, smiling, full of energy, eat my cooking, stay up late at night to read by flashlight, and have an almost limitless number of hugs to give out.  They are great because they are mine!