June 12, 2009
20 Weeks and All Is Well, So Far…
Yesterday was absolutely chaotic. CHAOTIC.
I woke up early to start working and get half my work done before leaving for my 11 a.m. doctor’s appointment. Doug had off so he kept Dawson occupied so I could be poked and prodded without distraction. Yay me!
On the drive to the clinic I got stuck behind a school bus (last day of school, I think), and arrived in the waiting room of the OB/GYN’s office at 10:55 on the dot. I went through the check-in process, the one where they ask me my name, DOB, insurance carrier and person to notify in case of emergency, EVERY SINGLE TIME, and the receptionist says, “Oooh. You were supposed to be here at 10 a.m.”
“Uh, no, my appointment slip says 11 a.m.,” I told her, and reached into my purse to show her.
“This is for your labs,” she said, with a very snotty tone of voice.
“It doesn’t say that. It says OB/GYN and I had labs yesterday.” I was beginning to get upset. The day before I had blood drawn and picked up the 24-hour urine collection jug. What other labs is this crazy woman talking about?
The receptionist called back to my doctor’s office and told one of the nurses that she was putting me in at 11 a.m. because I no-showed at 10 a.m. After she hung up, I really let her have it.
“I did not no-show. And this office called me on Tuesday to confirm my 11 a.m. appointment with Dr. F.” my voice was shaking. It doesn’t take much to make a pregnant woman (and a very hormonal one) cry.
“Don’t worry she said. The doctor will still see you.” she was oblivious to the fact that they screwed up.
I took my seat in the waiting room, pee in hand (I had to bring in a small sample so the OB nurse could dip it or whatever it is they do) and waited to be called back for my 11 AM APPOINTMENT.
Ten minutes later the nurse calls my name and I followed her to the exam room. She weighed me, took my blood pressure and apologized for the confusion. Apparently I was supposed to do glucose testing after my appointment, and someone entered the wrong appointment times into the computer.
“Can you tell that to the mean receptionist? She blamed me for this mistake.”
The nurse laughed and told me that the receptionists get flustered too easily and she apologized for the rude woman’s behavior. I felt a little better but was annoyed that I had to wait another 35 mintues for my doctor to see me.
Apparently he had another 11 a.m. appointment AND a “walk-in”. They don’t even take walk-in appointments, but a woman showed up without an appointment and demanded to see Dr. F. This woman and her husband were in the exam room next to mine and I could hear everything they said. From what I gathered, this couple had been trying to conceive for a very long time without success. They were angry, and rightfully so.
Dr. F explained all of their options, just as he had done when I first came to see him. He was patient and kind and answered every single question they asked. I began to calm down, because I realized I’m lucky to have such an amazing doctor. He truly cares about every single one of his patients and it shows.
When he finally made it to the room I was in, he gave me his signature hi-five and said, “Okay, so how eez eet going?”
I told him I was concerned with how much this baby is growing, I was concerned about my weight and I was afraid of the possibility that I could have gestational diabetes.
Dr. F told me the baby is growing nicely, and yes it is a big baby (or as he said, ” a veddy beeg babee!”), and that my weight gain of 7 pounds is perfect. Perfect! Imagine that. I’m doing something right, for once. He said that even though he only wants to see a gain of 15 pounds total, if happen to hit 20 pounds, he won’t be upset. He even told me my blood pressure was great. He checked my ankles and no swelling was present. The only concern was gestational diabetes, but I’d be doing that test that day.
The entire time he spoke to me, I felt 100% calm. He had me climb onto the table and measured my belly. Still measuring 3 weeks ahead of my gestation. Then I heard Baby’s heartbeat. It was back to 150s (at the ultrasound it was 138).
Then Dr. F explained that they will monitor Baby’s growth very closely. If baby is still rather large at 38 weeks, and the lungs are mature, they will induce. If not, then I’ll be required to have a C-section if the baby is over 10 pounds. This will all be determined by bi0physical profile, and he told me not to worry. I still began to worry. So much for calm.
Then he ordered the glucose testing and another ultrasound for Tuesday. Since I had to come back to the office later that day to drop my off my big jug of urine at the Lab, which required another blood draw, I decided it would be better to do the glucose testing at the same time. I figured they could take two blood samples with one poke instead of me being poked twice in one day.
Turns out I was poked three times that day. I arrived at the second appointment at 3:30, dropped off the pee, elevated (or took the elevator) to the 3rd floor, drank the disgusting flat sprite drink, went back to the first floor lab, waited an hour, and finally got called back to have the blood drawn.
The phlebotomist poked my left arm first and missed. Then she tried my right arm, the one with invisi-vains, and missed. Finally she resorted to poking my left hand and FINALLY! THANKS BE TO GOD! she got it right. Two viles later and I was so exhausted I thought I was going to pass out. And today? My freaking hand hurts. I still have four months of poking and prodding to endure before this baby arrives.
So that’s what’s going on. I’m healthy, baby is healthy, weight is good, blood pressure is good. The only concern is gestational diabetes and having a ginormous baby. I’m hoping to get the results of the glucose test today. Cross your fingers for me. I’m still worried. I can’t help it. It’s just my nature.
Help me calm down, will ya?
UPDATE – My favorite nurse, Jane, called at 11 a.m. with the test results. All my labs were fine. No gestational diabetes, no protein in the urine. The only “problem” was that my heboglobin and hematocrit tests showed low iron. I have to take ferrous sulfate, one pill each day to prevent anemia. Other than that, all is well. Hooray!
Posted by Dana @ 9:58 AM • Pregnancy,The Mommy Files
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June 12th, 2009 at 10:06 AM, DesignHER Momma Says:
glad to hear everything went well…I’m just a couple weeks behind you!
June 12th, 2009 at 3:16 PM, becky Says:
1. that receptionist SUCKS. i’m sorry woman!
2. how come i never knew you had a blog? lol. i always just thought of you as my flickr friend and thought you found me on there randomly. then i go to jennster’s facebook and see she follows your blog and i’m like OMG danafiles is a blog?! bahahah how dumb am i?!
June 12th, 2009 at 3:28 PM, becky Says:
crap i put the wrong url up there
this is the right one!
June 12th, 2009 at 8:19 PM, Dana Says:
DesignHer Momma, THANK YOU! and CONGRATULATIONS to you!
Becky, I flippin’ heart you.
June 12th, 2009 at 11:12 PM, Headless Mom Says:
Thanks for the update!
Dude. RELAX!!! Your doctor is closely monitoring you, and like I told you last time I had a monster baby and he was fine. So was I. YOU WILL BE TOO!!
.-= Headless Mom´s last blog ..A Letter To My Son: On Baseball =-.
June 13th, 2009 at 7:45 AM, Dana Says:
BUT…the PAIN!
I’m really gonna have to brace myself for this one. ha ha.
.-= Dana´s last blog ..The Kid and The Dog: A Photo Essay =-.