Monday, November 7, 2011

Not Panicking But Losing My Cool

I finally had my follow up ultrasound this morning. The good news is that the baby remained in the perfect position to get all the measurements that were needed for the anatomy scan. I even got some great profile pics and one fantastic confirmation pic that showed, without a doubt, that I'm carrying a boy.

The bad news needs to be put in a list because it, overall, was not the appointment I was hoping for.

1) Not only is baby boy's tubes that leads from his kidneys are dilated, but he also shows calcification in his heart and also had a higher measurement for the nuchal fold (did I say that right?). I'm being sent to a specialist to investigate more. My Dr said this could be a sign that there is a chromosomal disorder or it could mean absolutely nothing, just measurements and the angle of the pictures were misleading. I'm still banking on nothing but I'm definitely more concerned about it, especially when she started talking about possibly having me go in for an amnio. I almost started to cry when she started going through everything but I held it together when she said she had to give me the "worst case" scenario speech and that it didn't necessarily mean it will happen.

2) Up till the beginning of October I hadn't gained more than a pound or two. I weighed myself this morning and realized I had gained 10 lbs in a month!! The doctors office confirmed the weight gain too. Looks like tonight I will be re-evaluating what is in my refridgerator and cupboards. I know with the stress of finishing yet another high-profile grant application caused me to eat a lot of fast food so, hopefully, if I convert back to my traditional eating habits I can control my weight gain for the rest of the pregnancy.

3) My blood pressure was so much higher than what it normally is. I think my last appointment had me at 117/73. This appointment it was 147/78. Since I gained a lot of weight and my blood pressure is all wonky, they are sending me into get the dreaded glucose test next Friday.

Overall it was a lot to take in during one appointment. I'm trying to keep my wits about everything but I can't help but to teeter on the edge of despair. The eating habits are a piece of cake (excuse the pun) to correct, but the chromosomal abnormalities and possibly the blood pressure issue may be uncorrectable. If you have received similar results but had a great turnout, PLEASE share your story with me. I could really use the positive feedback.

7 comments:

wottadoll said...

Well, I haven't had an official turn out yet, but I can say that a) yes, even a high neck-fold ratio often means nothing, and b) I gained 10 pounds at my last check up too and was somewhat shamed by my ob, so I have been super careful to just eat for one and have gotten this month's weight gain down to the recommended 2-3 lbs, so you're not alone in that. I feel for you how stressful all this "checking for abnormalities" thing is, hang in there!

Ali said...

I'm sorry to hear that you are dealing with all this. You both will be in my thoughts and prayers.

SurlyMama said...

Sorry you had such a difficult appointment. I wouldn't worry too much about the abnormality markers. My friend who recently had a baby had something similiar where there were a lot of markers, so they had an amnio and everything was fine. As for your blood pressure it's not that far off, and considering all the recent stressors it's "normal" for it to be a little high. And the weight gain. I went from not gaining anything, to suddenly jumping 10 lbs too.

Good Luck - hope everything starts to look up soon.

Tiara said...

That is a lot to take in all at once. I'm sorry you're having to go through this stress & worry. I wish I had some sage or zen advice to get you thru. Keeping you in my thoughts & prayers.

R said...

I'm so sorry you had a rough appointment. I'm thinking positive thoughts, though, and I'm sure everything will work itself out. If they took your BP after telling you potential issues with the baby, that could explain a lot! But I bet eating better may help your BP, too, since there's so much salt in fast food. Hang in there, take some deep breaths, and know you have lots of support out here in internet-world!

MeAndBaby said...

Thinking of you! Hang in there.

Little One said...

That's a lot to deal with in one appointment. Like other posters, I have heard that often the results can be false positives and send moms-to-be into a tailspin. However, this is something that is sure to worry you. I'll be thinking of you.