I don't know what it is about me and doctor's offices, but apparently I don't sound "urgent" enough when something is really wrong. Or maybe they think everyone is calling just to complain or is stupid. The nurse called me back and at first tried to explain to me the difference between "discomfort" and "pain." I said, "yes, I know. I would not have called you because I was in discomfort. I have been uncomfortable for about two months now. I'm used to that. These are sharp pains." She asked if I had taken Tylenol, and I said no, but that I could do that. She advised that I do so and if it gets worse or stays the same to go in to Labor & Delivery or call the on call doctor.
She said she could schedule me for an appointment but that they were swamped and I'd have a long wait. Quite frankly, if it was going to be a "long wait" from their perspective, I certainly wasn't going to go and sit there in my condition for 3 hours; I didn't think my body would be able to handle it. I agreed to take Tylenol and see what happens. She scheduled an appointment for me at 10:30 am the next morning that I could cancel if everything improved.
The Tylenol took the edge off, and I stayed in bed without moving the rest of the evening. But when I woke up, while I felt a little better, I still needed to keep that appointment.
When I got there, they made me wait (of course). I was miserable and on the verge of tears when the doctor finally saw me, told me I wasn't dilated and my blood pressure was fine. She asked if I was drinking a lot of water, and I told her that I drink a TON of water but that I just don't feel like I was ever able to catch up. I told her that I'd been dehydrated before and that I was pretty sure I was dehydrated now. She told me to "drink more" and that sometimes you think you're drinking a lot and you're really not (I measure my water intake and was getting nearly a gallon of water a day).
She also said that I was probably just coming down with something. I am SO sick of hearing from them that my symptoms are because I'm "coming down with something." I looked her in the eye and told her that I was 100%, without-a-doubt positive that this was not some virus but that it was certainly pregnancy related. She said okay and said they were going to give me a fetal non-stress test (which apparently my insurance doesn't cover?!) to see what comes out of it. They were going to do that anyway, regardless of whether I thought it was pregnancy related. (I must be really stupid).
After sitting, attached to the monitor, for almost an hour, she came to check and seemed surprised to see that I was having "uterine activity," or an irritable uterus. She then asked if I could feel the sharp pains. (Are you kidding me?!) My patience level at that point was minimal, and I said "of course." (I thought that was better than, "Duh, isn't that what I told you?!") She told me that I could either get a prescription for some medication and go home and see if it improved, or I could go in to L&D and get a shot or two and be monitored. Honestly, their lack of intensity when I am flat out telling them what is wrong with me was on my last nerve, and I chose L&D because I wanted to be safe and because I didn't think that was all that was wrong with me.
It's pretty sad when you have to diagnose yourself and then force your doctor to do something about it...
At L&D I had the nicest nurse in the world. She got me a huge glass of water, watched me suck it down, and then got me some more (I downed 64 ounces of water in the first two hours I was there, and that's not counting the 25 ounces I had before even getting to the doctor that morning). My nurse explained things to me, and she even relayed my frequent complains to my doctor that I was starving. (They couldn't let me eat until she gave them the okay). They monitored me for several hours, gave me two shots to stop the uterine activity (it slowed it down considerably but it never went away completely), and she even came running in with the menu and the number to call to order food when I was finally released to eat... 6 hours after my last meal (which to a pregnant woman is like days).
By the time the food had come, I was nauseous from the medication in my system and the lack of food. I ate a few french fries and half of a turkey sandwich, pushed the food away, and laid down. When the doctor came to see me, I was nauseous, cold, and shaking from the medication (which is normal - they warned me about that). She told me that the contractions were still there but better, and said they would probably release me soon. The nurse told her how well I was doing on drinking water, and I told her that I still didn't think I was hydrated. She said, "well, keep drinking water."
I stopped her. I told her that I still didn't feel like I was catching up and if I was going to be here a while longer AND I was complaining that I was dehydrated, didn't it make sense to give me an IV of fluids? She said, "well sure, we could do that if you think it would help." (Again, DUH.) I said I thought it would. I guess that jump-started her brain and they finally tested my urine, which showed that I was EXTREMELY dehydrated. She asked the nurse who was going to give me an IV to take a blood sample to save and be tested later if we needed it, just in case. Then she said she'd come back later to check on me.
Well, I hate needles. Not the tiny ones they use to give you shots - the ones they use to take your blood or give you an IV. I didn't want the IV, I wanted the fluids... and part of the problem is that I have very tiny, sturdy veins that roll and make it very hard to get what they need. I also am so extremely aware of any tiny change in my blood pressure that I'm notorious for getting light-headed or nauseous when they stick me.
So there I am, dehydrated, already nauseous, already full of some type of medicine that my body was processing, and the nurse (a very nice, super kind and incredibly competent nurse) sticks me once with the stuff to numb me and then again with the actual IV needle... and I feel my vein roll. FAIL. My nausea increases, and she gets me a wet washcloth for my head. She has to start over. She sticks me with the numbing stuff again in a new spot, and then the IV needle, and she succeeds, but I'm so incredibly dehydrated that she can't get any blood for the CBC test. None. All the while, I'm fading fast. I ask for something to throw up in, and poor thing, she doesn't want to let the needle go because it was so hard to get in in the first place... and I throw up everywhere. SO embarrassing... let's just skip over that part for now.
She gives up on getting blood for the CBC and gives me some fluids first . . . which hydrate me enough to get the blood she needs (and THANK GOD she did). She checks my temperature (high) and my blood pressure (very low), and then goes to call the doctor about it. They decided to go ahead and send in my blood sample and wait to see the results.
Well, the results were that my white blood cell count was high (which the nurse shrugged and said that could either indicate I was pregnant or fighting some infection. I told her that was very helpful information), my iron was low (I'm constantly anemic no matter how many iron pills I take), and that my potassium was dangerously low... which can cause cardiac distress and an imbalance in my electrolytes (hmmm... no wonder I was dehydrated despite drinking like a camel). So they decided I was staying the night so they could continue monitoring the contractions (the babies looked great so they stopped monitoring them), get me more fluids and get my potassium levels back into normal levels. I didn't mind at that point. I just wanted to feel better and was glad that I would finally have someone take my symptoms seriously.
So I got 3 IV bags of fluid, 4 potassium pills and another blood test before the night was over, and when I woke up the next day I was feeling much more like a normal person. I even ordered belgium waffles and sausage for breakfast (which were NOT good, believe me), and the next morning they checked my hormones to see if I was going to go into labor anytime in the next 1 to 2 weeks (it came back negative), and even though I was still having random tiny contractions, they were going to release me with strict orders to take it easy and to come back for my 28 week appointment on Wednesday. They finally released me around 2 pm that afternoon.
I would have been released earlier but apparently my doctor had a couple of patients in the hospital and an emergency c-section to perform. I am beginning to think my doctor is far too busy to really give me the care I need, and am trying to figure out what it will take to get referred or just go to a specialist who deals with multiple pregnancies. I don't feel like the response I got from her would have even been sufficient even for a normal pregnancy.
So that's the story - I came home and have basically been in bed since, and am waiting anxiously until my next appointment in a few days where I will get to see an ultrasound of the babies, take my glucose test, and try to get the response I expect out of my doctor. (What is it with me and OBGYN's, anyway?? This is my fourth in 3 years, and she's the best so far!)
3 more days until the next appointment...
8 more weeks until "full term"...
10 more weeks until my goal....
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