An Update!

Okay here is our non-medical attempt at deciphering what the doc said: I am not going to have to be induced today! I get to go home on bed rest. I do not officially have preeclamsia but I may have pre-preeclamsia (on my way there sort of thing). The main issue has been my platelet counts which have been low and lower. This could mean preeclamsia but the other preeclamsia symptoms are not worrisome (protein levels aren't high enough, liver's good, headache is gone, bp hasn't been over 140 consistently for 8 hours...). 

So it's very possible I'm on my way to preeclamsia but I'm not there yet! One other explanation is thrombosis-something or another. I could be way off on that spelling but I think that's what it sounded like. (Just checked online, I think this may be a good link though I haven't read much it does say "Being pregnant may cause mild thrombocytopenia" from the mayoclinic). This means my platelets are just low. Not ideal but not horrible. Your platelets help your blood clot. 

We are currently waiting for the blood specialists to do some tests since that is their specialty... we are either going to go home and make an app't with them tomorrow or they will just come on down while we are still here. More waiting. I will also be getting a steroid shot today and another when I go into my obgyn office tomorrow. This is to help baby's lungs and whatnot in case I do deliver early... and the doc says it may also help my platelets which is why he is prescribing that. 

 So tomorrow I will go into the office for that and an ultrasound. So far baby has been looking great on the monitors so she's being a very good girl. I will go again on Monday and quite frequently for monitoring in the next weeks. The doc is also trying to get me an at-home blood pressure monitor and having his nurses figure out with insurance what they will cover (you can get some sweet service where people come to your house with the BP machine and check a bunch of other stuff and report back to the docs). Regardless, we will have to check my BP in case I am in pre-preeclamsia. 

 So I have to be basically on bed rest at home, I can get up for 10 minutes or so every four hours. I hope Greg buys me a recliner. Ideally my platelets are just super platelets and are always a little low but work better than other peoples. Ideally I will make it to full-term 37 weeks (the 28th I think) and I'll go into labor naturally after that point... This is helping me process - I really don't expect people to really want to know all these details! I'm trying to remember it all... it's sort of hard to process all these new words. And a little weird b/c this is the first time I've ever met this doctor. Thankfully he was very nice and thought our questions were good. And he'll be in the office tomorrow so that will bring a little continuity to my case. 

 I asked the doc if there is a super food I should eat to help my platelets... there isn't, just FYI in case you find yourself in my shoes. So we'll be here at the hospital until they figure out the blood specialists and get me the steroid. Then we'll head home and get settled there. And get ready for a lot of trips downtown to the office and hospital in the next weeks. But we are happy baby can stay in there and cook a bit more! And we have more time to figure out a name, install the car seat, wash some newborn clothes, get mentally prepared... etc! Thanks for keeping up with us... you deserve a medal for reading all this!