The Basement

With all the recent rain and flooding in Iowa, our basement took a big hit. We're very lucky that we did not get as much damage as some other people, but for never having a drop of water in our basement in the 4 years we've lived here, it's still pretty bad.

Patrick noticed the water seeping in the night we got approximately 4 inches of rain in a couple of hours. And it soaked through...and soaked through...and just kept going. Our basement is (was?) finished with nice carpeting. We were in the process of organizing down there in preparation of my parents staying with us for about a week after the baby arrives.

Well, the carpet had to be pulled back, the padding removed, and the foundation dried. It smelled like dead bodies (I've never smelled one before, but I'm taking a guess). Patrick had to pull out cabinets from the wall and everything is just piled up and a huge freakin' mess. Just take a look:

34 Week Ultrasound

We had another ultrasound today to measure the baby for growth due to my diabetes. I have pictures, but am working from home, so I can't scan them in until tomorrow.

As for his size, the tech said that he was a "big boy." At 29 weeks his weight was estimated at 3 lbs 12 oz and today it was estimated at 6 lbs 7oz. There is a one pound differential, so he could be anywhere between 5 lbs 7 oz and 7 lbs 7oz. I still have 5 weeks to go according to my due date, but I'm beginning to wonder if I will make it that long. I have no medical reasons to think this, but just based on my doctor's recent comments and a gut feeling that I have.

We also were told that he has big feet and is very long (they had to estimate the length of his legs on several pictures because they couldn't get them to fit on one screen).

I'm getting anxious about these last few weeks. We're still working on the nursery (we're picking up the furniture this weekend while we're in Chicago). After that, we should pretty much be done. But I'm most concerned about labor and delivery. I'm scared of needing a c-section - honestly that freaks me out more than anything else. I hate the feeling of being out of control, and even though my level of control is still limited if I have a "natural" delivery, I still feel like I have much more control than if I have to have surgery.

Just trying to stay as calm as possible...

One Step Forward, Two Steps Back...

Last week my doctor called me and placed me on a new medication to help control my blood sugar. Apparently it stimulates the pancreas to produce insulin. I take it twice a day - once with breakfast and once with dinner. I was a little bit bummed about it because I really hoped the new "diet" would help control things, but it looks like I need some help.

The first couple of days, things were great. My numbers were well within the range. Then I noticed that the post-dinner levels were creeping up again. Yesterday, 3 of my 4 levels were high (near 140) and I was feeling pretty crappy - sluggish, headache, nauseated. This morning I did my little dipstick test of my urine and found traces of ketones, which means that my body is metabolizing fat instead of carbohydrates. It's a big warning sign that the diabetes is not under control.

I sat down and cried. I feel like I'm failing. I have always been a healthy eater, so following this "diet" hasn't really been that bad. The only thing I really had to cut out of my usual diet was orange juice (and fresh fruit in the morning). I'm not a sweets eater, so avoiding that hasn't been too bad. I just can't figure out what I'm doing wrong. I ate well my whole pregnancy. I exercised. I continue to take my prenatal vitamins. I attend all my doctor's visits and get the recommended tests. So why is this whole thing so out of control?

I see my doctor tomorrow afternoon, so hopefully she has some more insight into this situation. I only have about 6 weeks to go...I just hope and pray that he is OK. That's all I care about.

Ugh

It's 10:15 PM...so why the heck am I still working on a stupid financial spreadsheet for work?

This Blog Is Getting Boring

I am fully aware that this blog is either A) me ranting about gestational diabetes (and boy, could I go off on another tangent right now!) or B) me writing nothing for days on end.

Here's the deal - I'm swamped at work with trying to complete my "regular" projects, as well as preparing for my upcoming maternity leave. Right now I'm scheduled for 8 weeks of leave, but my boss and I have spoken about the possibility of me taking the full 12 weeks if it's financially possible. And since I am the entire Development Department at work, I don't really have anyone who can help pick up the slack while I'm gone. This doesn't mean that I'm not going to get any help, it just means that the more work I get done before I have the baby, the better.

Right now I have three grants due by the end of June and I just found out that I have another three HUGE grants due in the next 3-4 weeks (this is according to my boss - the deadline is probably the end of July, but she is convinced that I will have to deliver the baby early due to the aforementioned gestational diabetes).

On top of work, we're finishing the nursery, fixing up the basement for when my parents visit, and dealing with everyday life.

So this is why this blog has been so boring.

Resting

I started having some cramping last night - in my lower back as well as uterine cramps. I couldn't fall asleep because I was worried about it. When I woke up this morning, the cramps were pretty much gone, but I was feeling nauseated and tired...I just felt "off."

But the cramping returned this afternoon, so I finally called the doctor (why do I feel like I'm being annoying by calling my doctor?). They told me that I most likely was having Braxton Hicks contractions and that I should drink a bunch of water and take it easy tonight. They think the heat and humidity (and even the slightest bit of dehydration) can make the cramping worse. If I have more than 5 contractions in an hour, I need to call my doctor. I'm crossing my fingers that some water and rest will alleviate the situation.

Yum

My new diet plan requires me to eat two "carb choices" for breakfast (this is approximately 30 grams of carbs). However, I am not allowed to have fruit juice, fruit, cold cereal, hot cereal, muffins, bagels, pancakes, or waffles first thing in the morning.

I started off by having whole wheat toast with peanut butter. I ate this just about every day for the past two weeks - aside from a Saturday or Sunday when I would have an egg and a piece of wheat toast. I was growing very bored and had another diabetic tell me that I should try NutriGrain frozen waffles. Yes, they're on the naughty list, but they are whole grain and because they contain lots of protein, I get to subtract that from the total number of carbs they contain. I was shocked when I found out that two of the frozen waffles only contained 28 grams of carbs (and that's before subtracting for the protein!).

So my new favorite breakfast (that still keeps my blood sugar below 120) is the following: 2 whole grain frozen waffles with peanut butter. I place the peanut butter sides together and eat it like a sandwich. The heat from the waffles melts the peanut butter and it's like food nirvana. Sometimes, if I think my body can handle it, I spread a tablespoon of low-sugar raspberry preserves on the waffles before I smash them together.

The small things in life make me very happy.

My New Friend

Dear Insulin,

I hear that you and I are about to become new friends. I was hoping that I could get through my gestational diabetes without having to meet you. Please don't take offense to that, because I've heard so many wonderful things about you. It's just that I hoped my body would respond to my diet plan and an increase in exercise, but that doesn't seem to be the case.

With two more months to go in this pregnancy, it looks like my need for you will only increase and injecting myself is the only way to keep my blood sugar in check.

I promise not to resist this treatment if you promise to help me out - to stabilize my blood sugar and keep the Bambino safe and healthy. Do we have a deal?

Sincerely,

Tracy

Ups and Downs

This has been a very frustrating week with regard to my diabetes. Last week, I was doing extremely well - meaning that I was following my new meal plan and my blood sugar counts were excellent. I felt like everything was under control and I was even feeling a bit cocky about the whole thing. All I had to do to conquer this thing was cut out a couple of things from my diet and up my exercise just a bit. No problem!

Then it all came crashing down on me. My blood sugar counts started to increase and it didn't (and still doesn't) make any sense. No orange juice. No Coke. No cookies or sweets. I was sticking to my 1/3 cup of pasta or rice (in fact, I wasn't even eating any since there's almost no point when you can only eat 1/3 cup of it!).

I do my best to get in my range of "carb choices" for each meal and snack, but when your stomach has been shoved into the upper fourth of your torso, it's not easy to eat that much food. Plus, when I did reach those goals, my blood sugar would spike at my 2-hour post-meal check. I've had to do a little tweaking on my own to try to get those numbers back down to where they belong - increasing my exercise and cutting down to one less carb choice per meal. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't.

I see my OB/GYN this afternoon for my regular prenatal check-up and to review my blood sugar numbers. I'm crossing my fingers that the numbers aren't so high that I need insulin. Tomorrow is my follow-up with the dietician to review my numbers and possibly tweak my diet, and then on Thursday, I have my follow-up with the diabetes counselor.

This is so confusing and frustrating. I only have 9 weeks to go (if the baby doesn't grow too big due to the diabetes). I know I can get through this, but I'm starting to stress about what I eat and how many carbs I've had. Too many? Too few?

I'll know more later this week. Right now I'm thinking about lunch...