my own perspective

I’ve been off my TPN for a week now and they were observing me if I will be losing weight. Fortunately I was doing a-okay without it. I’m still gaining weight, but not as fast as before.

When they did my blood work yesterday, they said it was very good though my blood glucose level was a little low. Which was a surprise to me, since the night before my blood draw I ate a 1/2 a gallon of rock road ice cream hehe!. Which I told my nurse and she said its okay they will be concern if my sugar was up still during the blood draw.

Since everything was okay, I had the doctors order to remove the PICC line yesterday afternoon. And my nurse came back to remove it at around 5 pm. I thought it would hurt just like taking off an IV line, but I was surprise that I didn’t feel a thing. And once it was out it didn’t even bleed. I still have to wear a dressing over it for 24 hours and after that I’m free. Too bad I forgot to take a picture of it, anyways I’m glad its out.

Yes its official, we’re having a GIRL!

We had our 4th ultrasound yesterday for a consultation with an OB specialist. And they confirmed its a girl.

But the main reason we where there is to confirmed what my OB saw in my uterus, that I have a bi-cornuate uterus.

What is a bi-cornuate womb?

A bi-cornuate uterus is a womb that is roughly heart shaped instead of the more normal pear shape. In some women, the heart shape is accentuated, so that the two upper parts of the womb become elongated. This is a congenital abnormality resulting from a failure of the embryonic female genital tract (fallopian tubes, uterus, cervix, vagina) to form properly.

Approximately 3 per cent of women have some abnormality of this type and many become pregnant. Problems with miscarriage and premature labour occur four times as often as usual when the uterus is malformed because the muscular walls do not stretch as well as normal but the majority of women will carry their babies to term.

The altered shape of the uterus makes breech presentation (bottom first babies) and transverse lie (babies lying sideways in the womb) more common and repeated breech presentations or transverse lies may be the first clue that a woman’s womb is in fact bi-cornuate. Because of the shape of the womb, the regular muscular contractions of the uterine muscles in labour may not be as effective, leading to a fifth of women with a bi-cornuate uterus requiring a caesarean section at delivery. However, four fifths go on to a normal vaginal delivery. It is also more common to have a retained placenta after the birth, so any woman with a bi-cornuate uterus will have her labour carefully monitored.

I must admit that I’m a little concern for the baby, Dr. D told me that right now everything seems to be okay. The baby have enough space to grow and hopefully I will be able to carry her in full term. But I’m also preparing myself when the time comes that I would need an emergency C-section I am ready.

Right now I’m just being positive and not thinking about it.

I just saw her playing inside me yesterday, playing with her toes and grabbing it, playing with her hands. And for the first time I can’t wait to see her.

Wow its been awhile since my last post. Sa mga bumati ng congratulations on our pregnancy thank you.

Only a hand full of friends knew what I’ve been going through these past few months. The first 5 months of pregnancy was not so kind to me, I’ve experienced extreme weakness, lost of appetite due to nausea and vomiting, this is what they call hyperemesis. Rarely that it happens but it does and unfortunately I’m one of those rare being. Even drinking water was a task and this is one of the reason I got dehydration, every time I would drink a sip or two I would expel it right away.

The first time I was confined in the hospital, they found ketones in my urine which indicated that I was indeed dehydrated. And that I should improve my appetite.

In expand of less than a month since my first OB check up I lost 20lbs and I haven’t move my bowel for more than three weeks. Which got my OB concern and prompted him to confine me for another hospital stay. This time he said I would have to stay there for as long as I need to be. It means my health should improve and also my weight.

When the time came to go home my doctor ordered for me to have a PICC line (peripherally inserted central catheter) for my TPN (total parenteral nutrition) in short a nutrition and vitamins for me and the baby, since I can’t do it myself by way of the old fashion 3x a day meal.

It took an hour and half to put the PICC line since my veins are too small and constricted from dehydration. The surgical nurse poke me 8 times (that includes the lidocaine) before she was able to get the catheter inside. And when it was done, I’ve never seen so much blood and to think that it all came out of me.

Well, I’m now on my 22th week of pregnancy, no more nausea and vomiting, I’m gaining weight now too fast if you ask me. But my OB is happy with my improvements and I feel much better. I still have my TPN but instead of everyday I’m doing it every another day now and hopefully they can take out my PICC line soon.

Here are some ultrasound taken of the baby.

the little one at 10 weeks and 2 days.

the little one at 18 weeks and 2 days.

Merry Christmas Everyone

and a Blessed New Year!

Yehey! Mike was able to settle everything with the travel agency, he paid the down payment and the rest on January 23.

Will be leaving on March 14 Friday. The duration of the trip is 15 days, but we opted to stay one more night in London, so will be going back on the 17th day.

I’m so excited right now.

since my last post i’ve been taking nausea medication for my ‘all day sickness’. it helps but if i let myself get hungry there it goes again. and i can’t help it, i can only eat a few bites and that will not last long.

and while writing this post i’m still feeling nausea. i just woke up from a long nap and i miss my time taking my meds, i was suppose to take it every 8 hours. and now its almost 10 hour since i took the last one.

well 4 weeks and 2 more days to go. my only incentive for my morning sickness is that the doctor said its a good sign that means my hormones going up.

last night mike called my ob’s office to asked about the crinone cream (progesterone). the pharmacist at walgreens told mike they refund within one week after the purchase. but i forgot to asked the nurse and even my ob about it. in my defense i was not feeling well at that time, i was nauseous.

the nurse said the insurance approve it, thank goodness. we wouldn’t mind paying for it, but i’m glad to know that they will cover it. it is a pricey medicine for 15 sticks it cost almost $200.

mike told me he would have to go back today to get the refund for meds at walgreens since the specialist was not there. and they told mike that the insurance approved us last 12/08 and we bought the cream last 12/07, that’s why we have to talk to the specialist. i hope we can get this resolve soon.

first peek

i had my ultrasound this morning. i brought my Gatorade with me since it helps my nausea and some crackers too.

i was excited to see our baby and a little concern. since the last time i had an ultrasound it was not a good news. mike was wasn’t able to come with me since his schedule is so full and he can’t move the patient to another time. he was concern about me driving. it was suppose to be a bad weather today according to the news ‘ice storm’. but once i was on the road it was okay.

here’s a look at our baby at 6 weeks. the sonographer said everything is fine i saw the heart beating which was a relief. as soon as i saw something moving all i can say was ‘thank god’.

after the ultrasound i had a check-up with my ob. he prescribe an anti nausea medicine since i have been vomiting 4x a day since sunday and he said its a lot. he ask me to give him a call on friday for an update.

i hope the medicine works. i’ve been feeling tired and nauseous for the pass 3 days, i don’t think i can take another 4 weeks of this

i had a call from my Ob’s office today while cooking my lunch. the nurse said that they have received the result of my blood work and everything is normal, except my progesterone level she said “its normal but on the low side” and that “my dr. would like me to take some cream for it”. she continue saying that it “maybe” one reason i had the miscarriage before. it is something that my dr. is concern but nothing to be alarm with. she called back saying my ob needs another blood draw done today or tomorrow. I opted for tomorrow since mike drove my car and i am not comfortable driving his car on this weather. it just snowed over night here.

i text mike to call me back and then told him what the nurse told me. I’m still a little blurry on the role of progesterone in pregnancy, so mike ask me to look it up in the net.

i limit myself on reading about it as to not make myself think about it as much. the more information i know about it the more panic i would become. i know me!

here is one article that i have read.

Progesterone Problems
There are a variety of fertility problems that couples have. Men may have a low sperm count or low sperm motility. Of course, there are other problems that men may have, but this article is about women. And, don’t get me wrong– There are plenty of fertility problems other than low progesterone. However, low progesterone is what many infertility cases are attributed to.

So, what is progesterone? According to Dictionary.com, progesterone is “a hormone, C₂₁H₃₀O₂, that prepares the uterus for the fertilized ovum and maintains pregnancy.” It’s what increases the lining of the uterus and makes the embryo “stick” to the lining. If it’s too low in the beginning of a pregnancy, chances are that the mother will miscarry. There are three different kinds of supplements that a woman can take in order to increase or just maintain a high progesterone level: oral supplements, vaginal suppositories and injections. All of these supplements, however, must be prescribed by a doctor.

The most common vaginal suppository is Crinone, a progesterone gel that is squeezed directly into the birth canal and therefore increases the progesterone in the uterus. This progesterone is localized, and may not be detectable by bloodwork. Injections are a little more aggressive, but are necessary if a woman’s progesterone drops significantly, or is very low when the pregnancy is detected. The progesterone oil is injected deep into the buttocks, alternating sides everyday. I am currently on both the Crinone and the injections. Truth be told, the injections really aren’t that bad. It’s worse for my husband, who has to give them to me. He feels bad about sticking a 2″ needle into my butt every morning. But, hey, it makes for nice gifts from him.

The most common side effects of progesterone supplements is fatigue and frequent urination. There are other side effects, including nausea, sore breasts, acne and others that can also be associated with pregnancy. There is a slight risk to the baby, too: some cases using progesterone supplements have resulted in cleft palates and weak abdominal walls.

if this is morning sickness i hope it won’t get any worst.

for the pass three days i was just feeling nauseated and this morning for the first time i vomited. it was not bad, after a few seconds it stopped. i keep thinking relax relax it will go away and i guess it did.

i ate my morning breakfast and now i feel much better.

i’m still watching my weight ever since i found out that i am pregnant. it fluctuates plus or minus, but i think i’m good on keeping it under control. i’m not craving any food yet, if i am hungry i eat and if not i just stay away from the kitchen. i pretty much cook everything unless i’m to lazy to do it. basically what i notice with my appetite if it is too greasy or if it smells funny i don’t have a care for it.

my bias since i was little is chocolates, the more nuts the better, in moderation of course. that’s also one thing i notice, i don’t have my sweet tooth lately. its not that i don’t want to eat it, is just not appealing to me. i guess its a good sign, because i’m worried of getting gestational diabetes. my family on both sides have this disease, so as much as possible i want to control my glucose and carb intake if i can. i’m down to half a cup of rice every meal or when a rice calls for it. i try to limit it as much as i can.

it helps to watch what i eat now since i’ve been cooking my own meals. if i’m not in the mood, then our handy-dandy take-out brochures is very helpful, but we try to be healthy on choosing the food we buy for me that is.

hubby is still on nutrisystem, which i’m so proud to say he lost 10 lbs in the last month. his aiming for another 10 lbs for december. i know he can do it. i too was in nutrisystem, but after i found out i’m pregnant i had to stop, since its not good for the baby. i’m happy i lost 6 lbs before i found out i’m pregnant. my goal is to gradually gain the weight needed for the pregnancy. i want to be as healthy as i can be for me and the baby.

We dropped by a travel agency near our house yesterday to get the ball rolling for our vacation next year. We only had 15 minutes to spare since we have another appointment at 3:30.

The lady gave us some brochures to look at. We both wanted to see more countries if we can but we only have 3 weeks for the vacation and that would include one to two day of rest before Mike goes back to work.

Unfortunately, our first choice was not successful it would have been a great tour. But when our agent tried to get a quote for us it said not available, which can only mean that it is already fully booked.

I wanted to stay and get some more quote, but we needed to get going for our appointment.

When we got home last night we started browsing through the brochures and found one that we both liked, I marked it and will have call the agent tomorrow. We have to make a decision soon, the dates we want are getting full.

I just spoke with the agent while writing this post and she gave me the quote, first of all the date is still available…yahoo! our tour includes air fare and travel insurance which is not final yet, the price was descent. She would have to give it to the tour company and get the exact quote, but it was not bad. I also talked to Mike and gave him the numbers, which he didn’t say anything which means its okay. But he said we will have to talk later.

I hope we can finalize things, I’m excited!

How many weeks am I?

Yesterday was my first OB appointment. We were on time, considering we went to the travel agency to asked a few question and also inquire for our vacation next year.

We got there a few minutes early, not knowing that the OB-GYN move to a different building. Mike dropped me off at the entrance so he can park the car and I don’t have to walk far. When I got there there was only one patient waiting at the waiting area. And I let the receptionist know I’m already there. I asked her if they would need a sample of my urine, since I’m ready to pee. She told me a nurse would be with me in a few. I asked Mike to get the brochure that the lady gave us from the travel agency in the car so I would have something to read while waiting. I didn’t like the ones they have in the waiting area. While Mike was outside, the nurse called me and direct me to the exam room, where I put my bag, coat, gloves and scarf. Then I went to the washroom to pee and get a sample.

Back at the exam room, the nurse came in and brought a gown for me. She told me to undress everything and leave my socks on since the floor is cold. Darn it! I didn’t have any socks. I was wearing my overly comfortable Ugg boots, which should be worn without socks to receive d optimal warmth.

I was not comfortable taking my clothes off, because one of the vertical blinds is not closing properly. I have scoot myself at one corner. I was afraid someone would walk by and see me, after all the building is just one floor and my room is facing the parking lot…yikes.

After which seems to be a very long time, my Dr. came in apologise for the wait, the clinic where I live have to fax my medical records and it took some time. He asked a few question and I told him I was monitoring my ovulation with the kit and according to that I ovulated last Nov. 11. But the first day of my last period was last Sept 28. Which was for me was normal, I’ve been monitoring my period since the miscarriage last year and same time last year I didn’t have a period in October. And if I ovulated on Nov. 11 that would mean I’m on my 4th or 5th week.

He did a breast exam, got a swab from my uterus and did a pelvic exam.

According to his pelvic exam, I’m 10 weeks pregnant!

Hah! Which confuse me.

He said his standing with his pelvic exam and my last period, but he said he could also be wrong. I hope he is, because I just had my root canal fix last October. But the days before my appointment since I had two, I tested if I’m pregnant and it was negative.

I hope his wrong, which my gut tells me he is.

I even knew my implantation day, well 99% sure. Because I had this really bad cramping, pressure in my lower abdomen when we were in Canada. The same thing I felt when I got pregnant last year.

After the exam, I got dress and he asked me to wait so he can give me my prescription for prenatal vitamins and appointment slip to give the reception to get a schedule date. He also gave me some free prenatal vitamins and told me if my insurance would not cover the vitamins I shouldn’t get it, he will just give it to me free.

With all the thinking running through my head I forgot to asked him if it is okay to have my dentist appointment, shoot.

Just to be on the safe side I’ll just cancel it, and just make another appointment after my 1st trimester.

I have a US appointment next week to determine the exact week I’m at and also the due date.

I knew when I started feeling the extraordinary cramping during Mike’s aunt’s wedding last Saturday that I’m pregnant. And now heres the proof.

we are both very happy. kaya pala i was super sungit , my hormones changing pala

Its been a long time since my last post, part of the reason I’m not updating is because we have been busy and mahalong ‘katams (katamaran) na rin’…hehe.

So, what have we been up to this pass few months? for starters we have been attending birthday parties kiddie, adult you name it, almost every week since August. Two big birthdays was my cousin TinTin who turn 18th last September and my mom’s surprise 65th birthday.

First my cousin, she’s been preparing for this since last year with her mom. They ordered her gown, her entou gown from the Philippines, which save them a lot. They have been practicing her upbeat cotillion dance for two months. It was unique and really refreshing to see, unlike those traditional ones that I have attended during my days, which was not so long ago

Weeks before her debut, I was contemplating on doing my own makeup. I was confident enough to do it, so I ask Mike if I can buy my very own makeup accessories, which he said yes after a lot of ‘lambing’ on my side of course. I think my hair and makeup turned out nice (see second picture), now the trick is to do it in less than 30 minutes.

tintin and I before the party and during her pictorial

mwah, i have to sit down my heels are killing me

love his suit!

his favorite pose

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My mom celebrated her 65th birthday last October 6. My sister and I planned it, unfortunately some of our plans did not push through. But the outcome was still a success.

The plan for that day was to have my mom go to a retreat downtown which was not unsual since they always go there every first Saturday. That gets her out of the house until 3 pm, wihich gave us plenty of time to decorate the place.

When the time came, my mom was completely surprise…. she cried, we cried, everybody cried. But most of all she was happy, and even though my brother and sister wasn’t there, she was able to talk to them, thanks to technology.

before the guest arrive

my mom and the silly strings

with her birthday cake

up close

lets chow!

I was tagged by Melissa…

Rule: Name five of the Best Nights of your Life and then tag four people.

February 14, 2003: The first time Mike and I met. After almost 3 1/2 years of chatting, exchanging letter and phone calls we decided to finally meet. Totally unaware it was Valentines Day, we agreed because it was my weekend off and it was Mike’s long weekend too.

February 16, 2003: Our First Kiss

December 26, 2003: The Proposal, it was the night before my birthday.

February 12, 2004: The Night we got Married, very memorable it was late at night in Vegas and we only have a $100 to spend for the wedding. In the end we only paid $50 for the license and $20 for the pastor

February 18, 2006: The Wedding… need I say more?!

The month of February have always been a very special month for us, and I hope it continue to give us those special moments.

Feel free to tag yourself.