How To Lose 10 Pounds In A Week

(TL;DR - I had a my gallbladder removed, complications, another surgery to remove stones and put in a stent, had another surgery to remove stent. As of now, life is good.)

When I wrote this post I had no idea that I'd endure 5 more months of unnecessary pain, and occasional suffering. Turns out, I had gallstones that ultimately caused a severely infected gallbladder because it went undiagnosed for 9 months. NINE.

Apparently, pregnancy can cause gallstones. Who knew? Certainly not me. And I suspect that neither did the young ER doctors (residents?) I saw at 3-weeks-postpartum who ran a couple of tests and sent me on my way with a diagnosis of muscle spasms.

This hospital room (and one other) was my view for nearly a week at the end of October and early November.

On the 26th of October, I had a serious gallbladder attack that I thought was muscle spasms. I hadn't had an episode that bad since around April. I was writhing in pain, throwing up, and trying not to freak out. Ultimately, with Zac's help, I rode it out and was able to fall asleep. My mom came the next day to stay with us so she could help me with Aiden, since my back was shot. This time was a little different than the other attacks, because I never really recovered, even after a few days had passed. My back never felt better, and I was essentially bedridden until my next attack.

After Zac got home from work on Tuesday the 29th, I was feeling worse and had an eerie sensation that I was about to have more spasms. I rolled over in bed to try getting comfortable, and here came the pain. In a matter of 20 minutes, I was literally screaming and moaning in pain, throwing up, and trying to figure out what to do. It was far and away the worst pain of my life. I'd made a doctor's appointment for the upcoming Thursday, but we both decided that I needed to go to the emergency room instead of waiting it out like the other times.

The ride to the ER was horrible, as the slighest movement caused me to feel worse. After waiting for a room for what seemed an eternity, I was finally able to see a doctor. Thankfully, after a few hours my pain subsided as they treated me. Thank God the doctor thought to order an ultrasound, because it revealed the cause of my tough postpartum life: gallstones, and an infected gallbladder. He said it was good that I hadn't waited even another day because it was so bad. He told me I'd need emergency surgery, and all I could think about was that I hadn't shaved my legs in days. Shit.

I was taken by ambulance to a nearby hospital and had my gallbladder out a few hours later at 2am. I apologized to everyone, from nurses to doctors, about my hairy legs, and they just laughed. My surgeon smiled and said "that's the least of our worries."

They let me go home on Halloween, but it didn't feel quite right. My liver enzymes were really elevated, but they had gone down since I was first admitted, so they would just do another draw at my follow-up appointment.

I was focusing on not throwing up the whole drive home. I spent the next few days feeling absolutely miserable: vertigo, nausea, couldn't eat, couldn't drink, couldn't get out of bed. I was unable to spend much time with Aiden, and I was barely able to breastfeed him. I was worried that my breastfeeding journey was about to come to an abrupt end, and it broke my heart. I called the nurse hotline a few times to make sure my symptoms were normal, and one even suggested that I visit the ER again (it was a Sunday), but I wanted to wait until my appointment the next day.

I met with my doctor, gave some blood, and was actually starting to feel a bit better. They had to send out the blood for testing because their labs were down that day. At 10pm, the phone rang, and it's the doctor saying I need to go back to the hospital. My liver enzymes shot back up, but at least I could wait to go in until the next morning. I started to shiver from being nervous.

Okay, honestly, I'm getting tired of writing this novel, so I'm gonna try and summarize from here on out. I got to the hospital, it took 4 different people to get an IV in my arm because I was so dehydrated. They didn't let me eat or drink for 3 days. I had an MRCP, 3 HIDA Scans, and then an ERCP to remove remaining gallstones and they had to put in a temporary stent from having been so infected. I wasn't able to see Aiden that whole time (didn't want to expose him to hospital germs), and I missed him terribly. When I got home, I cried as soon as I saw him.

Temporary stents are removed within 4-6, and mine was taken out last Thursday. I was slightly nervous, considering nothing about my whole situation has been a normal case or gone as planned. But other than dizziness and fatigue, I feel great! I was pretty shocked at how good I felt afterward, and I was even able to eat a celebratory steak dinner.

I'll have another blood draw this week to make sure my liver enzymes are at normal levels, and if that goes well, this whole nightmare should be a thing of the past. Considering how good I'm feeling, I'm very hopeful that I'll get good news.

I'm ready for this to be all but a distant memory.

Out of Place

Ever since the late stages of pregnancy, my back has been giving me trouble in one way or another. At the end of my pregnancy, it felt like my lower-back/spine was compressed, and I couldn't get it to feel right.

When Aiden was 3-weeks-old, I had a really bad scare with a strained upper-back and ended up in the ER. At first, I wasn't sure what was going on, because all of the sudden I was feeling a burning sensation in my back, I was throwing up, and I could barely breathe. The pain was intense and unrelenting for at least 30 minutes. It was the worst pain of my life, even worse than labor! At one point, I actually called 911 (for the first time ever), because I was alone, and could barely move. I was fearful for not only myself, but for Aiden. I didn't want anything to happen to him if something truly was wrong with me. I'm not a dramatic person by any means, so for me to even consider calling 911, it has to be bad.

After a while, the pain began to ebb-and-flow, which made me realize it was back spasms, and not something worse. I still went to the ER to make sure nothing else was going on, but that's what they deemed to be the cause of my pain, as well. I've had 3 other very intense spasm episodes, but I've been able to keep it in check a little better lately.

 

Let's just say that taking care of an infant with a bad back can be quite a challenge. For the first few months of his life, I was very hesitant to take him anywhere by myself in case I had more spasms. And it took me about 3 months to feel confident enough to take him out on my own.

Fast forward to last week, and suddenly my lower back is causing me problems again. It feels like I need to pop, or stretch, but I just can't get it loosened up. Sometimes I end up walking like an elderly person, or hunched over because it's so tight and compressed. Whenever I walk up stairs, or roll over in bed, I can feel something click. That... can't be good.

It's been suggested to me that I visit a chiropractor. There are few things in life that freak me out, but the popping of bones and joints is one of them. I wonder if my nerves would prevent me from reaping the full benefit of an adjustment. 

I just know I need to do something. It's preventing me from being able to exercise as much as I want to, get out as much as I want to, and babywear as much as I want to. It's just getting in the way of my LIFE. I'm over it.

Is Twitter The New Blog? And Other Pregnancy Related Things

For me, it seems, that Twitter has killed my desire to blog regularly. I kind of feel like "what's the point?" because those (a handful of people) who would read this already follow me on Twitter anyway. And I probably would've tweeted what I would write a post about.

Maybe it's just because I'm pregnant, and overly-lazy right now. I don't know. I would've thought that pregnancy would be the perfect excuse to blog constantly, keeping tabs on how I'm feeling, etc. 

Perhaps it's because I generally don't like to talk about myself. 

I was thinking about this at work yesterday. It's kind of strange, but it almost irks me, in a way, when people ask me how I'm doing, or how I'm feeling. (This doesn't apply to everyone, just mostly people at work). I simply don't like to talk about myself much, or be the focus of attention; so being in the "limelight" because of pregnancy is slightly foreign, and honestly, slightly annoying. This must make me sound like an asshole, but that's how I feel a lot of the time. I know (for the most part) that these people are genuinely caring and just want to be nice, so I always give them a smile and a courtesy "doing/feeling pretty well." Maybe it's because a lot of these people ask me the same questions every single day. How much is going to change in 24-hours?

Some days it doesn't bother me as much, so maybe I'm just more moody and sensitive than usual. I'm guessing by the tone of this post, you're gonna go with moody. I must sound like a miser right now, huh? Don't answer that.

Today...

...I've felt the baby's kicks stronger than ever. At one point this morning, it felt like he was tap-dancing on my uterus and bladder. THAT is a strange feeling. I wonder if he had a little growth spurt, because his movements were much more pronounced today than even just two days ago.

And did I mention it's a boy? We're thrilled. I can't believe we agreed upon a name just one day after we found out his gender. Considering we had ZERO boys names in mind, I'd say it's impressive. For now, we're keeping it a secret. We're 99% settled, but still open to another name if we find one down the road. But, I think this is it. 

It's all becoming so much more real now. And yet, it's surreal. Zac and I went baby shopping (browsing for ideas) for the first time last Friday; and though we were browsing, I had to pick up a few things, of course. Leaving the store with an umbrella stroller and a bathtub shaped like a whale, that was the point in which we realized, "wow, this is really happening."

There are many times throughout the day that I forget I'm pregnant. I forget that in just a few short months, my life will be changed forever. And then he moves, and I feel kicks and butterflies in my stomach all at the same time. And then I remember. I'm having a baby. A boy. And I smile.

Today has been amazing.

Thankful Thursdays: 3

Seems as though it's been quite a while since I've written one of these, but here goes ::

1. Big Day for us tomorrow! We're having "the" ultrasound, and will be finding out the sex of the baby. I am so excited for this moment. I think it'll definitely feel more real once I know if it's a little boy or girl wrigglin' around in my tummy.

2. I've had a teeny, tiny problem with my lady-parts over the last few months. I'd developed a cervical polyp during the first 13 weeks. Generally they're not removed during pregnancy to prevent complications. At my last check-up, it had grown, and my doctor recommended that I have it removed. Well, I was worried and nervous and scared for the unknown. Would it hurt? Would I have any complications? WOULD IT HURT?

I'm so happy to report that during the removal this morning, it did not hurt at ALL. I didn't feel a thing, and I was beyond thankful for that. I said prayers last night and this morning, and then did some deep breathing to stay calm. It certainly worked! Phew!

3. Our sectional from Macy's is already done and will be delivered next Thursday! Sadly, they didn't have an earlier delivery date that fit our work schedule, but considering they're ready about 3! weeks ahead of schedule, I can't complain too much. I can't wait to be comfortable in my living room again!

4. Today was the first eye appointment I've had in about 3 years. I like my new doctor, and the fact that they had my contacts in stock, so I don't have to wait to get them! I'm also going to get some new glasses, as my old ones are definitely ready to be replaced. It's the little things that make me happy. I like being able to see.

I'm Alive!

Whoa. Where did the last 25 days go? I am finally(! I think) starting to come out of the coma that I've been in for the last 2 months. I don't fall asleep as soon as I get home from work every night (just some nights for a little nap). And I generally feel a bit better.

What's killing me, though? My allergies. Holy cow, the snot. Sorry for TMI, but firreal. It's driving me INSANE. I naturally have allergies 100% of the time, all year long. And now that I can't take my Allegra, it's just misery. The past few days have been full of sneezing, runny nose, and itchy, watery eyes.

I'm taking Zyrtec, because it was deemed more safe than Allegra, and it is just. not. cutting. it. I have nausea every morning, and end up throwing up all of the post nasal drip goodness from the day & night before. (Again, sorry for the visual). I learned that pregnancy actually exacerbates all of the symptoms I already get from my allergies, and it's no lie. BOO ON THAT.

But, there are things to be grateful for. Like, the fact that I don't generally feel nauseated all day, and SOMEHOW, I've only gained 1-2 pounds thus far. Confession: I haven't been to the gym since the week before I found out I was pregnant. It's been 2 MONTHS, people. I was sick with a cold the week before I found out, and then right after I found out, I was a little paranoid about over-doing it and causing a miscarriage.  After a while, I wasn't worried about causing a complication, I was simply TOO TIRED to even think about exercising. I know I've fallen out of shape, but now that I'm starting to get my energy back, it is time for me to get moving.

I'm 14 weeks and 4 days, which means I've finally hit the 2nd trimester. I'm excited for all that this trimester brings, because I have some serious to-do lists to tackle before this baby's here!

The First Time I Turn 29

Today is my 29th birthday. The last year of my 20s. Just typing this seems really crazy to me. Almost as crazy as the notion that I'm currently growing a tiny baby inside of me. It's quite surreal.

Normally, I'd be at work right now. But a few weeks ago, I decided to request the day off, and just have a "me" day. So far, my "me" day has consisted of laundry, doing some dishes, and a little bit of tidying up. I'm embarrassed to admit that this is the most housework I've done in nearly a month. I simply don't have the energy.

When I first found out I was pregnant, I knew that I'd be tired. But I had no idea how tired that I'd become. I mentioned it a little in my last post, and it certainly hasn't gone away. If it's a workday, once I get home, I'm done. I can't keep my eyes open. Last night, I got home from work at 6:45. By 8pm, I was truly fighting to keep my eyes open, and I slept on the couch until 11:30, when I finally got ready for bed. Rinse, repeat. Every day.

I'm so beyond thankful to have such a wonderful husband who has seriously picked up the slack. Not only does he do it all- he doesn't get angry, or resent me for it. How lucky am I?

Later this evening, we're meeting up with some friends who are visiting from Idaho. We're going to have dinner with them in Seattle at 6pm, and we get to meet their 2-month-old daughter for the first time. I'll be honest though, I'm just hoping to stay awake. Fingers crossed!

The Biggest Secret of My Life

I haven't been blogging much over the last 3 weeks, because I've been keeping a secret.

On May 20th, I found out that I'm pregnant with my first child. As the line began to turn blue, I said "holy sh*t" probably fifty times in the span of one minute. When I told my husband after I was SURE the test was positive, he gave me a big hug and we did an awkward high five. We were in shock. I've had irregularities in the past, so we weren't even sure that we'd be able to conceive.

The pregnancy has been pretty much the only thing that's been going on for me, and since we couldn't tell anyone yet, I became kind of a hermit. That, and the fact that I'd been completely and utterly exhausted once my work day was over. The other night, I fell asleep on the couch at 8 pm. I woke up at 10 and it took me a half-hour to muster the energy to go upstairs and get ready for bed.

Nausea hasn't been an issue for me until a few days ago. In fact, it's taken me 25 minutes between the last two paragraphs because I'm feeling decidedly woozy. The nausea doesn't usually result in anything, it's just a nagging feeling. Not fun. I'm ready for the 2nd trimester pick-me-up. I'm tired of being tired!

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We didn't keep it a secret from everyone. We actually called our parents about 20 minutes after we found out that I was pregnant. I was disappointed that my brother wasn't able to find out right away, because he was on vacation in Poland. Luckily, he was coming back a few days after we found out.

We couldn't wait to tell him in person, so I called him up. After the 100th time of him yelling "unbelievable!" I knew that I needed to record our phone conversation. It was hilarious, and touching at the same time.

I could've kept recording, but it probably would've filled up all 16GB on my iPhone! To answer the question at the end of the video, I'm about 8.5 weeks. (At the time, I was 5 weeks). We initially planned to wait until 10-12 weeks to tell anyone else, to be in the "safe zone."

But, we had our first appointment yesterday, and the doctor yesterday said that everything looked great. She told us that if I didn't have any complications up to this point, it should be no problem telling the world. We got to see our baby for the first time- see and hear its little heart beating a mile a minute. 

I still just can't believe it sometimes. And then I remember every time I can't fall asleep, even though I'm exhausted. Every time I can't stay awake, even though I have to get up. Every time my husband looks at me with pure love in his eyes, and then rubs my belly.

So here I am, announcing it to the world. We're having a baby! And we couldn't be happier.