Saturday, June 1, 2013

Pregnancy Update

I haven't been the best pregnant lady recently. I don't want this to be a pity party even though it might sound like it. I really just want to remember what is going on in this pregnancy in case I think I want to get pregnant ever again (???)  Remember when I got pneumonia? And I knew that I needed to rest in order for myself to recover from it fully?  Yeah, well I did and didn't and it came back.

I started on a second dose of antibiotics and WOW! those things kicked my butt. Now I hate prescribing antibiotics for most of my patients because I know that it can have some negative effects on the body. However, I do prescribe them when needed.  

I had no idea what the antibiotics would do to my body. Around day 3 of the antibiotics I started to get a weird rash on my legs. It didn't itch, wasn't raised, no one else in the family had it. I ignored it. Then the next day my ankles started hurting. Both of them. I figured I walked wrong or strained myself some how. The next day my wrists started hurting. 

Now I know I have put on some weight, like 30 lbs,  (YIKES), but not like the 55lbs I put on with Cara, and this had me confused on why I was hurting so bad. Over the next few days my knees, finger joints, elbows, and finger joints started to hurt. It hurt to walk, open doors, write in patients charts, and especially going up and down the stairs. I was in tears some days because of this. Since I was moving so much less my feet and ankles started to get swollen which added to the pain. 

During this time Devyn came to stay with us. She was a life saver. She rubbed my feet and ankles, she pampered me, she made sure I didn't cook or clean, she got me water, and basically she gave Rich a break from having to do all of these things. I also tried everything I could think of to feel better. Heat, ice, baths, massage, chiropractor, and rest. Nothing was making this better. I also have tried to eliminate the sugar from my diet (hardest thing in my life!!) but no relief in sight. 
 I consulted with some other midwives, my dad, and the OB that I work with. While I still thought it was the way the antibiotics were reacting with my body, I was a little scared that it was something else. I haven't ever dealt with a patient who has had this severe of joint pain... I mean I have patients with back pain, sciatica, round ligament, headaches, calf cramps, carpal tunnel, swelling, etc... but not bilateral joint pain all over their body. We ran some tests for lupus and rheumatoid arthritis and thankfully it all came back negative. I did have some elevated white blood cells which show I am trying to fight some sort of infection, but we just haven't figured it out yet. And I don't know if we ever will.

So for more than 2 weeks I have been having this pain and I am starting to accept the fact that it isn't going away during this pregnancy. I have had a blessing and I know I will be fine, but for now I am just doing palliative treatment. Before I can get out of bed every day I massage my feet, knees, wrists and sometimes elbows (some days they don't hurt)


~~~~I wrote this post a few days ago and now today I am happy to update that I am starting to feel better!!  I have been still using my essential oils, massages, and stretching a lot, but the past 3 days I can say I have improved. Still not 100%, but so much better than I was. Finally I think the antibiotics are clearing out of my system and my body is starting to get back to its normal pregnant 35 week self. ~~~

1 comment:

  1. So glad to hear Britti-- I dont like you not to feel we.. But hang in there and keep healing. Baby Mac is on his way!! XOXO

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