D’oh!!!

Well, I just got the official diagnosis of pre-eclampsia. Or maybe that’s preeclampsia. It’s seems unfair to have a condition that I don’t even know how to spell. Anyhoo, that second jug-o-pee yielded a result of 420 and put me well into the “over 300” range.

But don’t cry for me, Blogentina. There is some good news in all of this:

(1) The baby passed the non-stress test, and is therefore not showing any signs of distress at this time. He was sleeping through the first half of the test, but woke up just in time to pass. Nice one, mini-muffin.

(2) The doctor placed me on “modified” bedrest rather than complete bedrest. This means I have to spend at least 3 hours in bed in the morning, at least 3 hours in the afternoon, and generally take it as easy as possible the rest of the time. Dr. Gobbles said I should be in “princess mode”. Hmm… not really my style. In fact, I had to repress a gag reflex when he said that. I still prefer the term “load mode.”

(3) There really isn’t a third thing… but a list of two just seemed silly.

The doctor said an early induction is inevitable, but is just a question on “when”. If my condition worsens or if the baby shows signs of distress, we may have to deliver right away. But if I can remain in stable condition and the baby is doing fine we should be able to put it off for a while. According to Dr. Google (not to be mistaken with Dr. Gobbles) the average time from diagnosis to delivery is 2 weeks. Of course, I am hoping and praying that we get to keep this kid baking for at least another 6 or 7 weeks.

In addition to the modified bedrest, I’ll continue with the weekly non-stress tests and regular ultrasounds until delivery. I’ll also have to start doing weekly 24-hour urine tests. The doctor’s office had run out of those large orange biohazard jugs used for the 24-hour collection. So I had to go down to the lab to get one for this week’s test. So they gave me the jug, but as if the bright orange biohazard jug wasn’t embarrassing enough to walk around with they also put it in a big bag that clearly reads “24-HOUR URINE SAMPLE” on the outside. Yep, I’ll tell you folks… leave your sense of shame at the door when pregnant.

So that’s the update. Sorry I don’t have better news to report, but we sort of saw this coming too. Again, the most important news is that the baby is doing just fine right now. Prayers and/or “low-protein-in-pee vibes” are welcome.