Turkey

Gabe: Well, thanks to some good friends, and to Karen's determination, we were able to do a real Thanksgiving get-together and enjoy some real Thanksgiving food. We definitely weren't going to cook up our own turkey and sides this year, but after a miserable day, Karen decided to go for it. We headed down the road, her medications in full-effect, and she was able to put away some turkey and mashed potatoes. Which meant I was able to pack in large portions of everything.

But, yesterday was definitely a down day compared to what she's had to deal with so far, and things seem to be getting worse. Today, Friday, was Karen's first full day entirely in bed. All day. She's still able to take in some food, but if things keep deteriorating at this pace, I think we'll look back at the first two weeks of HG as the good old days, before things got really serious.

A heartbeat!!

Karen: Just got back from our visit with the perinatologists in the city. The ultrasound showed our little pumkpin with a strong beating heart!!! Phew, what a relief. The mass on my right side turned out to be neither tubal nor fibroid, but a cyst, common in early pregnancy and already starting to shrink. So we are good to go!

That white blob, inside that dark sac would be our little pumpkin, only 6mm long! The little tics you see at the bottom of the scan is the heartbeat.


After the scan, we met with a perky young perinatologist who reviewed my history of hyperemesis, and compared my protocol to hers. They match up beautifully with one exception. She wants me admitted immediately if the need for an IV arises. She says she'd rather I spend a couple of days on fluids and IV meds, then have to go in once or twice a week for quick fluids in the ER or an infusion center. Fine by me, this says that my team is on top of things and is taking me very seriously. I couldn't be more pleased.

Luckily, things seem pretty medically controlled at this point. The nausea is near constant, but at a level I can handle. And there has been NO vomiting yet...WOW! Now, I am only 6.4 weeks, so things could change very rapidly and at any time. But so far so good....better than last time for sure! Still, its no cake walk, I'm in bed or on the couch all day and already my muscles are screaming to be used. The restless leg at night is almost as bad as the nausea! So I'm going to try doing some laps in our tiny condo, just to keep things moving.

So hopefully there won't be much drama for the next few weeks. If there is, Gabe will be sure to hop on and let you know. Happy Thanksgiving! We have much to be thankful for!!

Here we go

Karen: Just a quick update on how I'm feeling. For the last couple of days I've had constant nausea, not anything debilitating yet, but its there and though my meds knock it down significantly, I can tell its just messing with me right now, waiting to pounce on me just when I start to think this time may be different. I'm taking about half of my full dosage of medication (Zofran to control vomiting and Unisom/B6 to control nausea). I'm trying to stay hydrated, but am already barely able to choke down 40 ounces in a day. Though nothing sounds remotely appetizing, I manage to keep down little meals throughout the day.

I'd say the biggest clue I have that HG is looming is the ridiculous exhaustion that's come over me.  If I attempt much more than moving from my bed to the couch, I am overcome with dizziness and a faint feeling. The only other time I've felt anything like this was the last time I was pregnant!

More to come on Tuesday, when we get our third scan.

Ultrasound: good news....kinda

Karen: So we went in for our second scan today. The good news is that we saw SOMETHING in the uterus. The "eh" news is that we only saw the gestational sac and yolk sac, no fetal pole, no baby bean. She also dated me at 5.2wks, rather than the 5.6weeks I thought I was. Bummer.

So the saga continues. Next week I'll be seeing a Perinatologist for a THIRD scan (three scans by six weeks must be some kind of record!), and a consultation to discuss how we're not going to let me get as sick this time. I'm feeling pretty crummy already, not able to eat or drink much during the day and taking my meds already. But in the evenings, my appetite returns with a vengeance and I managed to gain one pound in the last 1.5 weeks! I'll need that extra pound! Oh, and Gabe and I received our preservative-free H1N1 vaccinations today, so there's one less worry for me....now if only we can get Miya covered!

Here's a really crummy iphone shot of my scan, but there's not much to see anyway, besides that little black hole (the sac).

Please keep your fingers crossed four our scan next week!!!

Work is going to work

Gabe: The one major stress outside of the HG itself has always been around my ability – or potential inability – to continue making a living while being home to help Karen and care for Miya throughout the pregnancy. My company has approved a work-from-home arrangement, starting as soon as it needs to start, with full pay as long as I'm still able to work. If I can't keep up a regular pace from home, they'll shuffle me down a few hours a week. Which is is fine – I'd like to keep working, and be paid for the contributions I'm able to continue making. If I drop to 80%, I'll happily take 80% of my salary in order to keep this flexibility. All in all, they've been great – completely understanding and supportive beyond what could have been reasonably expected. So now we can just focus fully on the pregnancy, and on battling the HG.

And yeah, the last few days have been quietly intense. Fibroid tumors are totally benign, but can interfere with pregnancy in many ways. Of course, the mere thought of a tubal pregnancy was enough to throw our psyches completely out of whack. Not knowing exactly what's up, but knowing that something's going on...not fun, not glowy, not positive. But the optimism is back today, for both of us.

Looking Better, Thank Goodness!

Karen: So I got my hormone levels tested again today and they have more than doubled since Tuesday, which is a very good sign! Looks like we're looking at a fibroid tumor, rather than an ectopic pregnancy. Though it carries its own risks of complications, I'll take the fibroid happily!! The last 48 hours have been so revealing to me. I've been sick with worry, shrouded in a sense of gloom, and I realize just how much I really want this baby!! I'm already so attached to her/him, it's pretty incredible.  So now we just wait for my ultrasound in one week to confirm that this precious little bean is where it should be!

Mass on Right Fallopian Tube?

Karen: Just a quick update. Saw my OB for the first time today at 4wks 4days. Though my hormone levels were still too low to show anything, she decided to take a look by ultrasound. As we expected, she saw nothing in the uterus. However, she did see a large mass on the right ovary. She had two theories: fibroid, or tubal pregnancy. Yikes, was not ready to hear that one, especially with all the strange cramping and sharp pains I've been having! I don't think anyone on earth has ever wished so hard to have a fibroid!!

On a good note, she seems wonderful and will take good care of me through the pregnancy. She's willing to do whatever it takes to get me through HG, and has assured me that she won't let me experience the pain and weight loss I suffered last pregnancy. Let's just hope there's a pregnancy for her to monitor!!!