My cerclage was a success!

I finally made it home yesterday from the hospital at 5:15 PM. My cerclage was successful! I went in yesterday at 9:00 AM and the nurse started my IV. I was placed in a Labor/Delivery Room, a room that I will be using when I have 'Lil Bean. It was a very nice room, and it was huge. I had to have 2 bags of fluids in me before my surgery, which was scheduled for 11:00 AM. Phillip got to stay with me in the room the whole time. We watched TV to kill time and solved a crossword puzzle. 11:00 AM rolled around, and my nurse came in and told me that my OB was stuck in a surgery downstairs, and she would come up immediately afterwards already gloved up. She came back in to take me to the operating room at 11:30. We get to the OR and I was sitting on the operating table for the anesthesiologist to administer my spinal. She numbed my back and administers the spinal; I felt my legs get really warm and losing sensation. I was laid on the table so they could get me prepped and ready for my OB to get there. I was also advised that I would be able to feel them working on me, but it shouldn't hurt. I told them I kind of knew what to expect, as I had this procedure done 6 years ago during my pregnancy with my son, Kaleb.

My OB finally got there at 11:45, and went over with me briefly the procedure she was about to do. She started the procedure immediately after. I felt her working on me, and then I started to wince and squirm. She asked me what was wrong; I told her that it hurt, whatever it was she was doing. She spoke to the anesthesiologist and told her that I wasn't supposed to feel any pain, and then the pain got worse. At this point, I was in tears. Tears streamed down my face as I tried to endure the pain. The anesthesiologist said that it must be that specific lot of anesthesia; she used it twice before and it never worked 100% like it should. They finally agreed to give me additional anesthesia through my IV, which would make me sleepy. I agreed, and it was administered. I remember the nurse turning on the suction and watching the suction catcher gather blood (it looked like a lot), and that's all I remember. Next thing I know, I was being wheeled back to my room where Phillip greeted me with a kiss on my forehead, and the nurse telling me that the cerclage was in place and that all went well. I looked at the time, and it was 12:30, The Young and the Restless was starting. I fought sleep to stay up and watch my favorite soap opera. When it ended at 1:30, I was starting to itch from the anesthesia. I asked my nurse if I could get something for it, she came back a few minutes later and gave me a shot of Benadryl through my IV. It made me sleepy. Phill and I took a nap. I woke up because Phillip was snoring badly! I was cramping and I called for the nurse. She said that cramping could be expected, but my OB said that if I wanted to, I could take Vicodin. I decided to take the Vicodin, because the cramping was very bad. I felt a lot better afterwards.

The nurse advised us that I would not be discharged until I had full control of my legs and was able to get up and go potty. The anesthesia didn't wear off until 4:30, when I was able to get up and go potty on my own. I was discharged and allowed to leave the hospital at 5:00 PM. I was given a prescription on Vicodin to take for the pain and discomfort I was feeling. When we got home, Phillip made sure I was settled in before leaving to get my script filled. He also went to Cracker Barrel to get dinner. I told him I was craving pot roast and he remembered! I enjoyed my dinner!

It was so good to be home and in my own bed, finally! I am still thanking God that everything went well yesterday. I am so glad to have this behind me. It is another milestone we have tackled. With this procedure and the fact that we are now in the second trimester, it decreases the risk of miscarriage dramatically. I will be monitored closely to see how the cerclage is doing. No lifting anything heavier that a gallon of milk from now on, and minimum activity. I am counting down the weeks when I have to get this cerclage removed at 37 weeks. I have an appointment with my OB in a week, and will let everyone know how that goes. Thank you all for checking in on us :)

My cerclage is finally scheduled!

Becky from my OB office called on Friday to inform me that my cervical cerclage has been scheduled for Thursday, February 19th at 11:00 AM at Brandon Regional Hospital. I am to arrive at 9:00 AM and I have a pre-op scheduled for Wednesday, February 13th at 11:00 AM. I am so relieved that this procedure is finally scheduled. It's one more thing I can scratch off my list of worries. I entered my 2nd trimester on February 10th, and I am so happy. The risk of having a m/c has dropped, and will continue to drop once this procedure is done. I forgot to ask her, however, if I need to fast for this procedure. I guess I will ask someone on Wednesday when I go for the pre-op. It is an out-patient procedure, so I will be home later that day if everything goes well. Please say a prayer for me :) Thanks!

One more thing, we finally told Phillip's family. We were supposed to have dinner with his parents after we went in for the NT, but I was sooo sick I couldn't even get out of bed. So we went to dinner on Wednesday instead (I was still very sick). He told them that we went and had pictures done and asked them if they wanted to see them (he didn't mention what type of pictures), and of course they said yes. So I pulled the U/S pics out of my purse and let them see them. They were very happy and congratulated us. We had a lovely dinner. I also called my family in Virginia and shared our news with them, and they too, were so very happy. We also started to tell friends and so far, everyone seems to be happy.

When I went in for my appointment on the 6th, I saw a different Dr. at the office I go to (they have 4 OB's) and she said that they are still waiting for the results of the blood work for the the Sequential 1 testing, but looking at the measurements of the fluid in the back of 'Lil Bean's neck, it doesn't appear to show any signs of DS or any other NTD's, and for that I am praising God! So far, this pregnancy is progressing great. I am praying that it continuess that way.

Nuchal Translucency Test

Today, I am 12w1d pregnant. I am looking forward to welcoming the 2nd trimester on 2/11/09, I can hardly wait! I went in for my nuchal translucency u/s on Tuesday, 2/3/09. DF took the day off work and was able to go to the appointment with me. We got to hear our 'Lil Bean's heartbeat (3rd time for me, 1st for him) and it was strong at 182 bpm. We also got to see our baby swimming around in my belly! 'Lil Bean was very active! The technician didn't tell us the results because I also had to have some blood drawn for this test, too, but I was able to see the measurement of the fluid under the skin at the back of our baby's neck, and it was 1.2mm, which is in very good range and at a low risk for DS, praise God! The technician did not tell us this, I know this from doing some online research in my spare time. We also got 3 more pics to take home, and we have been looking at them non-stop since! We will not get the results back from the Ob office for another week or 2, as they are waiting for the results of the blood work from the lab to come back. I am eager to get the results back so I can relax.

Last night DF and I went to dinner with his parents and decided to tell them that they will be grandparents! DF told them that we went to get pictures done yesterday, then asked them if they wanted to see them. Of course, they said yes. They had no idea what he meant was pictures of their grandbaby! They were surprised and happy! And I'm glad now that we are not keeping this secret anymore, as it was getting too hard to keep up!

I go for another u/s tomorrow, 2/6/09, to get measurements of my cervix and to schedule my cerclage. I'm hoping that it gets scheduled for sometime next week. That will be a big weight lifted off my shoulders. Then I can finally breath!

Please continue to pray for a happy and healthy pregnancy for us, and for a healthy baby to take home. Thank you all!

2nd OB Appointment

I went to my 2nd OB appointment today at 8:45 AM , and I have to admit I was scared. It started out with the usual... getting my weight (I already gained 2 pounds, but the nurse said that was really good), my BP which was 94/62 and also very good, urine sample which showed a normal increase in HCG level; so far, so good. Then I was placed in a room for my Dr. to do an abdonimal exam. She came in, we talked for a bit about my concerns. I asked her about the pap smear that came back showing abnormal cells and she explained that it was a low grade level of dysplasia and that they are recommending a colposcopy to rule out signs of carvical cancer. She explained that it was just precautionary, and no need to worry. She also said that in most cases during pregnancy, these things cure themselves because of the immune system being reved up. I also asked about the time frame for that to be done and they are still thinking after I reach 20 weeks would be best. We then went on to talk about when to schedule my cerclage. She wanted me to come back in 2 weeks to do a sono to measure my cervix and to schedule my cerclage. As it stands right now, I have a sono scheduled on 2/3/09 for the NT and AFP test then I come back for another sono to measure my cervix on 2/6/09 and to schedule my cerclage. Then she went on to listen to 'Lil Bean's heartbeat with the dopplar...... NOTHING! I freaked out! She explained to me that sometimes it can be hard to detect the heartbeat before week 12. So to make sure everything was still going good, she made an appointment for me to get a sono done at another facility because their sonographer was out. I left my OB office at 10:00 AM with a script for a trans-vaginal ultrasound in hand. My sono appointment was scheduled for 11:45 AM.

I arrived at the facility at 11:30 AM, filled out some paper work and was taken back to the ultrasound room within 15 minutes. The sonographer asked me a few questions, then the ultrasound started. I told her the reason I was sent there, and my concerns. She immediately found 'Lil Bean's heartbeat and told me it was very strong at 170 BPM. She took many more pictures of my uterus, ovaries, the gestaional sac and of the baby. I asked her if she could tell me if my cervix was showing any signs of shortening, so she showed me and told me no, it was fine. She then turned the screen towards me so I could see it and there was 'Lil Bean, swimming around without a care in the world! It was the most reassuring image I have seen! I saw Bean's arms and legs which were constantly moving around, the spinal cord, the heart, the belly and the head! My 'Lil Bean looked so perfect! She also told me the same thing my Dr. told me earlier, sometimes the heartbeat can't be heard before the 12th week. She said that the baby was measuring 9w4d and the sac was measuring 10 weeks, but was completwely normal. She explained that the measurements can be off from what it should be based on my LMP, but give or take a week was still considered normal. She was kind enough to print 2 pictures for me to take home, and I have been looking at them non-stop since. My baby looks so precious! I am so thankful that everything is going great. Praise God!

Now that I am reassured that all is well, for now I just have to wait til my next appointment.

Colposcopy update

Melissa, a nurse from my OB office, called me yesterday to update me on my colpo procedure. She spoke to the Dr's. (there are 4 Dr's. at the practice I go to) and they all agreed that it would be in my best interest to have this procedure done after 20 weeks to reduce furthur complications. That would give my cervix enough time to heal after the cerclage. A colposcopy is a biopsy. They will actually have to cut a piece of my cervix off to send for analysis. It is just precautionary. I have had abnormal cells show up in previous pap smears, but nothing was ever done about it. This procedure MUST be done to rule out cervical cancer. In most cases, I'm told, is that there is a cyst on the cervix, most times benign, and they will have to go and freeze it off. Both colpo and freezing are out-patient procedures and can be preformed at my OB office. The cervical cerclage, on the other hand, is an out-patient surgery procedure and must be done at a hospital.

I am praying that this is not cancer, that it's just some fluke thing or a cyst, even. I have a long history of cancer in my family (mainly my paternal side) but never cervical cancer.

So I guess for now I will wait until 20 weeks to schedule my colpo and TRY not to worry until I know for sure there is something to worry about.

I got a brand new wardrobe, and then some!

I was very blessed yesterday to have a friend of my sister Dana sell me ALL her spring/summer maternity clothes (Motherhood, Gap, Old Navy, Liz Lange and Duo brands) for $100.00! I got 14 pairs of jeans, 4 pairs of pants, 5 capri’s, 5 shorts, 40 shirts (dressy and casual, a few are long-sleeved), 3 sweaters, 2 new nursing bras, 2 belly bands and a maternity tankini bathing suit. Before my m/c, I started buying some maternity clothes before quickly realizing that they just cost too much. So on top of all the clothes I bought yesterday, I have another 5 pairs of jeans, 3 capri’s, 5 shorts, 10 shirts and 8 dresses. Hopefully, I won’t have to buy anymore clothes for the next 31 weeks, just a few more bras, nursing bras and underwear. I also bought a Fetal Doppler on e-bay yesterday for $80.00; that should be arriving sometime this week.

We were also so very blessed when my DF’s sister, Dana, (yes, we both have sisters named Dana!) gave us a brand new set of baby furniture before the m/c. She was given this by a friend when she was preggo, but she also received furniture from their other sister, Denise, for her shower. She didn’t want to hurt Denise’s feelings, so she used the furniture she got from her instead of what her friend gave her. In turn, she gave it to us when she found out we were expecting last time.
Now we can focus on buying things that we can before finding out our ‘Lil Bean’s sex like a rocking chair, air purifier, humidifier, boppy pillow, bottles, bath tub, toys, diapers, etc. We will buy the other things like the stroller, car seat, swing, bouncy seat, room and crib décor, clothes, etc. when we find out the sex of our baby. If Bean is a girl, I want to buy them in pink and if Bean is a boy, I want to buy them in blue or green.

I’m so very thankful that things are coming together so well for our ‘Lil Bean. Praise God!

My Pregnancy, so far...

So today marks the end of week 9 for me. Tomorrow I will start to embark on week 10 of my 40 week journey.

DF and I are expecting our first child together on 8/19/09. We are very excited! We suffered a m/c on 8/14/08, but wasted no time to TTC after getting the green light from my OB. We are very blessed to be successful.

We went to Va. to spend Thanksgiving with my family and we both had a very relaxing, good time. When we got back home, we went back to our normal routine. I was supposed to get AF on 12/10/08 but it never came. I didn’t want to get too excited. Matter of fact, I waited to test until Monday, 12/15/08, and there she was, a positive test! I immediately sent DF a text telling him our good news! He was so excited, as was I. We talked when he got home, and decided that we would wait to tell our families until after the 1st trimester (which is 2/4/09) because of what happened last time. I did tell a few friends though. But when my sister saw me, she said I looked like I was glowing and asked me if I was preggo! I ended up telling her, too, and she is happy for us. I called my OB office to set up an appt and was able to get in on 12/26/08. DF had to work so was unable to go with me. Nothing exciting happened anyways. We just talked about what our plan would be. I will be having another c-section ( I had one 6 yrs ago when I had Kaleb, my son) and I even get to choose the day ‘Lil Bean is born up to 2 weeks early if labor hasn’t started on it’s own, and will have to have a cervical cerclage between 12 and 14 weeks (I was diagnosed with incompetent cervix during my pregnancy with Kaleb). My OB wanted to make sure all was well since what happened last time, so she made an appt. for me to get a sono done somewhere else because they were just so busy and due to the holidays. I had the sono done on 12/28/08. I was able to see my ‘Lil Bean and the heartbeat but it wasn’t audible because it was still so early on. The sonographer said that my OB would call me after she got the results from her. I got that call on 1/13/09, everything was going good but I was put on pelvic rest because my cervix was already showing signs of shortening. That means NO SEXY TIME WITH DF ANYMORE!!! He was totally ok with it though. We knew it was coming, just didn’t anticipate it until after the cerclage. But better safe than sorry!

I got another call from my OB office on 1/15/09, informing me that the results from my pap smear done on my first visit came back showing some abnormal cells. She advised me that I need to have a colposcopy done to rule out cervical cancer. I reminded her of my incompetent cervix, and she agreed that it would be best if the colposcopy is done along with my cervical cerclage to prevent further damaging my already fragile cervix.
I have my next OB appt on 1/28/09. I’m hoping and praying that I get to hear my ‘Lil Bean’s heartbeat (fingers crossed)! While I’m there, I will go ahead and schedule the cerclage and colpo (to be done somewhere between 2/4/09 and 2/14/09). Then I have a follow-up sono on 2/3/09 and an AFP test and blood work to make sure nothing is wrong.

Now I wait until my next OB visit.