I had my first appointment with my new OB/Gyn and it went better than I had expected. When I checked in, his nurse gave me a packet containing a boat-load of information; a preferred list of pediatricians/family doctors, a 1-year free subscription to Parents magazine, office and appointment protocol, emergency phone numbers, hospital information, etc. That was pretty cool. I actually begin to feel like the doctor believes it's important to have informed patients.
My appointment started off with the typical - blood pressure reading, weigh in and pee in a cup. Then I met the doctor in his office to talk about family history, how I'm feeling, answer any questions, etc. He said my weight gain was right on target and to keep walking because it's going to help me tremendously right before and during labor.
The only real concern he had for me was failing the glucose test. He explained that the 'normal range' is below 140 mg/dl, 'pre diabetes range' is 140 - 200 mg/dl and 'diabetes range' is above 200 mg/dl. My result was 197 mg/dl. He said he wasn't too concerned about my result, but what made him concerned was that my grandma died of complications due to diabetes. He suggested that I bypass the 3-hour test because of my family history, he's going to treat me as a diabetic. Therefore, I have to meet with a dietitian to discuss what and when I eat during the day.
I will never forget what my high school biology teacher said about procreation......"Be careful who you choose to share your genetic profile with because it's going to directly affect your children." I would like to thank my family members for some of my undesirable genes.
Other than that, everything is going really well. The bedroom is done, the furniture is ordered, we're registered and the baby shower is planned. Now we just wait......
Friday, August 31, 2007
Thursday, August 09, 2007
Lots to talk about!
I have lots to say today, so here it goes:
-I found a new OB/GYN! I'm so super excited! His office isn't too far from my house (about 6 miles) and is affiliated w/ Toledo Hospital (also about 6 miles away). Aside from the poor disposition of my old doctor (OD), I was more concerned about hospital affiliation. The OD is affliated w/ Mercy Memorial in Monroe, which is about 15 miles away. It really bothered me when I found out that Mercy doesn't have a NICU. If something happened during delivery or with the baby, then he would be life flighted to Toledo Hospital. Needless to say, I would feel a ton better if I was at a hospital that could deal w/ a high level emergency, if necessary. My first appointment w/ the new doctor is on the 22nd. His office staff were so nice. The woman I talked to about my insurance explained *everything* to me - tailoring the conversation to the insurance plan Jason and I have. Everything from the cost of a natural birth to C-section to ultrasounds to pain meds during delivery, etc. Basically, I will know exactly how much it's going to cost for this baby to be delivered. Thank God for insurance. The only thing that I'm concerned about is his office hours. I hope I don't have to take too much time off from work to get to my appointments. With my OD, I was able to leave work at my "regular" time and get to his office on time. We'll see - at this point, it's a small sacrifice to feel a little more comfortable and happy w/ prenatal care.
-I went in yesterday for my gestational diabetes test. A nurse from my OD's office called today to tell me that I "failed". A normal glucose level is 140 (for a 1-hour test) and mine was 197. Now my OD wants me to go in for a 3-hour test. I'm not going to do it before my new doctor has a chance to review my records. Has anyone else "failed" their test? *sigh* I eat well and have stayed active. I've only gained 14 lbs so far. Is it genetic?
-One of my pet peeves is creeping up again.....Remember when I said that my plan all along was to find out what we are having and NOT tell anyone? Do you remember why? Because I'm afraid that if we tell people we're having a boy or a girl, we'll get EVERYTHING in blue or pink, respectively. Well, bless her heart, my MIL brought over a bag of baby clothes. All of the outfits are super adorable and to die for, but they're all blue. I didn't have the heart to say "don't start this evil trend" because the clothes are really, really cute. So, I just vented to Jason.
-Speaking of Jason, he's coming home tomorrow from China. I hate China. He's been gone for 2 weeks and it sucks. I don't sleep well when I'm alone. I get really paranoid that someone is going to break into the house and kill me. I know, I watch way too many scary movies......I can't wait for tomorrow :)
-Creepy story: I got three calls yesterday from a number that I didn't recognize, so I didn't answer the phone (cell phone). On the third call (at 8:30 pm), I decided to answer it because I thought that maybe it was a friend that had changed their cell phone number and wanted to make sure I got it. HUGE MISTAKE. This guy was on the other end babbling something about the freight company he works for is trying to deliver a package to my sister (he didn't identify her as my sister, but said her name - although mispronounced her first). Then he said that there is a sticker on the package that says if it's lost or undeliverable to call "Dina or Deanna" at *my cell phone number*. Anyone who has known me for a long time knows that I get very leary when it comes to my sister. Why? Because she's used my name for credit, she's opened accounts in my name, used me as a reference on loans she and her hubby have reneged on, etc. Not very trustworthy, to put it mildly. Now since he mispronounced my name, I totally played it off like I had no idea who he was talking about. I said that I didn't order anything and my name wasn't either of the two he mentioned. I apologized for not be able to help. I don't know if he wanted me to give him my address or what, but I started to get edgy when he didn't want me to hang up. I repeated that I didn't order anything and that I wasn't who he's looking for. After I got off the phone, I immediately called my sister. She said she didn't order anything and had no idea why this creep was calling me. I got a copy of my credit report to make sure everything is kosher and it was, thankfully. I tried calling the number that guy called from (at work so he didn't recognize the number) and it rang forever. No voicemail, no secretary, no answering machine. Hmmmmmmm
-Guess what today is?! The first Lions' preseason game!!! YIPPEEE - football season is here! Cheers to spending Sundays on the couch for 6 hours straight! I love football. I'm trying to get on a Fantasy league. The league I was on last year didn't invite me back because I won 2nd place by beating 14 other guys (at least that's what I think). I'm trying to get with the league I was on 2 years ago. The people were super fun, I just didn't like how the commissioner ran the league. We'll see how this year goes.....Game time is at 7:30 pm against the Bengals.
More later.
-I found a new OB/GYN! I'm so super excited! His office isn't too far from my house (about 6 miles) and is affiliated w/ Toledo Hospital (also about 6 miles away). Aside from the poor disposition of my old doctor (OD), I was more concerned about hospital affiliation. The OD is affliated w/ Mercy Memorial in Monroe, which is about 15 miles away. It really bothered me when I found out that Mercy doesn't have a NICU. If something happened during delivery or with the baby, then he would be life flighted to Toledo Hospital. Needless to say, I would feel a ton better if I was at a hospital that could deal w/ a high level emergency, if necessary. My first appointment w/ the new doctor is on the 22nd. His office staff were so nice. The woman I talked to about my insurance explained *everything* to me - tailoring the conversation to the insurance plan Jason and I have. Everything from the cost of a natural birth to C-section to ultrasounds to pain meds during delivery, etc. Basically, I will know exactly how much it's going to cost for this baby to be delivered. Thank God for insurance. The only thing that I'm concerned about is his office hours. I hope I don't have to take too much time off from work to get to my appointments. With my OD, I was able to leave work at my "regular" time and get to his office on time. We'll see - at this point, it's a small sacrifice to feel a little more comfortable and happy w/ prenatal care.
-I went in yesterday for my gestational diabetes test. A nurse from my OD's office called today to tell me that I "failed". A normal glucose level is 140 (for a 1-hour test) and mine was 197. Now my OD wants me to go in for a 3-hour test. I'm not going to do it before my new doctor has a chance to review my records. Has anyone else "failed" their test? *sigh* I eat well and have stayed active. I've only gained 14 lbs so far. Is it genetic?
-One of my pet peeves is creeping up again.....Remember when I said that my plan all along was to find out what we are having and NOT tell anyone? Do you remember why? Because I'm afraid that if we tell people we're having a boy or a girl, we'll get EVERYTHING in blue or pink, respectively. Well, bless her heart, my MIL brought over a bag of baby clothes. All of the outfits are super adorable and to die for, but they're all blue. I didn't have the heart to say "don't start this evil trend" because the clothes are really, really cute. So, I just vented to Jason.
-Speaking of Jason, he's coming home tomorrow from China. I hate China. He's been gone for 2 weeks and it sucks. I don't sleep well when I'm alone. I get really paranoid that someone is going to break into the house and kill me. I know, I watch way too many scary movies......I can't wait for tomorrow :)
-Creepy story: I got three calls yesterday from a number that I didn't recognize, so I didn't answer the phone (cell phone). On the third call (at 8:30 pm), I decided to answer it because I thought that maybe it was a friend that had changed their cell phone number and wanted to make sure I got it. HUGE MISTAKE. This guy was on the other end babbling something about the freight company he works for is trying to deliver a package to my sister (he didn't identify her as my sister, but said her name - although mispronounced her first). Then he said that there is a sticker on the package that says if it's lost or undeliverable to call "Dina or Deanna" at *my cell phone number*. Anyone who has known me for a long time knows that I get very leary when it comes to my sister. Why? Because she's used my name for credit, she's opened accounts in my name, used me as a reference on loans she and her hubby have reneged on, etc. Not very trustworthy, to put it mildly. Now since he mispronounced my name, I totally played it off like I had no idea who he was talking about. I said that I didn't order anything and my name wasn't either of the two he mentioned. I apologized for not be able to help. I don't know if he wanted me to give him my address or what, but I started to get edgy when he didn't want me to hang up. I repeated that I didn't order anything and that I wasn't who he's looking for. After I got off the phone, I immediately called my sister. She said she didn't order anything and had no idea why this creep was calling me. I got a copy of my credit report to make sure everything is kosher and it was, thankfully. I tried calling the number that guy called from (at work so he didn't recognize the number) and it rang forever. No voicemail, no secretary, no answering machine. Hmmmmmmm
-Guess what today is?! The first Lions' preseason game!!! YIPPEEE - football season is here! Cheers to spending Sundays on the couch for 6 hours straight! I love football. I'm trying to get on a Fantasy league. The league I was on last year didn't invite me back because I won 2nd place by beating 14 other guys (at least that's what I think). I'm trying to get with the league I was on 2 years ago. The people were super fun, I just didn't like how the commissioner ran the league. We'll see how this year goes.....Game time is at 7:30 pm against the Bengals.
More later.
Wednesday, August 01, 2007
Ballpark Trip 2008
We've decided to hit Yankee Stadium next summer. I guess '08 is the last season before the team gets a new ballpark. It'll be fun because I love NYC and Jason has never been there. I already know where we're going to stay, now we just have to wait until March 1st for the 2008 schedule to come out!!!
Traveling with an infant (the baby is going to be about 10 months old) is going to be a challenge but we have to do it. If we're going to travel once a year to a park, then we might as well break him in early. This could get interesting....We haven't decided if we're going to fly or drive. My vote is to fly. I'd rather take my chances on a 2 hour flight than an 8 or 9 hour drive.
I'm excited and it's a whole year away!!
Prenatal Appointment #5
I truly wonder why I'm still seeing this OB/GYN. Jason and I had our prenatal appointment last week and I still am not totally comfortable with this doctor. Firstly, his staff just seems so miserable. No one smiles, no one seems happy to see pregnant women, no one seems to even act fake around patients. Whenever I have an appointment, I'm never instructed on what to do. Although I know I'm going to get weighed, have my blood pressure checked and pee in a cup. I've started my own routine. Instead of following the assistant, I walk directly to the scale, sit next to the blood-pressure-taker-machine and go to the bathroom. What irritates me is whenever I step out of the bathroom the assistant has already directed Jason into an exam room and I have no idea which one it is. So I walk around like an idiot until I find him. That really bugs me.
Anyway, back to last week's appointment:
The doctor comes in and asks us if we're interested in getting the triple screen test done. WTF?! I must have had the dirtiest look on my face because this was the conversation:
Idiot Doctor (ID): Is something wrong?
Diana Stark (DS): Yes, we were offered the test during my first trimester and we declined it. Why are we being asked again?
ID: Well, your chart says you're 15 weeks.
DS: No, I'm 25 weeks - almost my THIRD trimester.
ID (looking at his assistant): Who's the idiot that wrote this?
DS: That idiot reflects poorly on you as a doctor. You've been seeing me every month since March so you should know that I'm past 15 weeks.
ID: I was wondering why you looked so big if you were 15 weeks.
After about 2 seconds of silence (a blessing at this point because I just wanted to call him an incompetent asshole and leave) I asked if we were still scheduled to talk to the nurse (his wife) about family history. "Oh yeah, yeah. Sure." Basically, thanks for the reminder. GRRRR
Didn't get the ultrasound I was supposed to have (because of the hypothyroidism) but that didn't bother me too much because I didn't want to give him the pleasure of charging our insurance for another $300.
I'm fed up with his unprofessional attitude. Have you, or anyone you know, changed doctors in the middle of a pregnancy??? HELP!
Anyway, back to last week's appointment:
The doctor comes in and asks us if we're interested in getting the triple screen test done. WTF?! I must have had the dirtiest look on my face because this was the conversation:
Idiot Doctor (ID): Is something wrong?
Diana Stark (DS): Yes, we were offered the test during my first trimester and we declined it. Why are we being asked again?
ID: Well, your chart says you're 15 weeks.
DS: No, I'm 25 weeks - almost my THIRD trimester.
ID (looking at his assistant): Who's the idiot that wrote this?
DS: That idiot reflects poorly on you as a doctor. You've been seeing me every month since March so you should know that I'm past 15 weeks.
ID: I was wondering why you looked so big if you were 15 weeks.
After about 2 seconds of silence (a blessing at this point because I just wanted to call him an incompetent asshole and leave) I asked if we were still scheduled to talk to the nurse (his wife) about family history. "Oh yeah, yeah. Sure." Basically, thanks for the reminder. GRRRR
Didn't get the ultrasound I was supposed to have (because of the hypothyroidism) but that didn't bother me too much because I didn't want to give him the pleasure of charging our insurance for another $300.
I'm fed up with his unprofessional attitude. Have you, or anyone you know, changed doctors in the middle of a pregnancy??? HELP!
Wednesday, July 04, 2007
Friday, June 22, 2007
Prenatal Appointment #4
During yesterday's appointment, the ultrasound confirmed that we're having a boy. After 5 seconds of silence and one tear later, I was happy. I have to admit, I knew all along that we're having a boy. I still wanted a girl.
The measurements of the fluid sac, head, femur and base of the skull were normal. The heartbeat was/is 143, which is very good. The normal range is 120 to 180. The baby cooperated very nicely for the ultrasound. He's laying across my belly with his head on my left and feet on the right. Although it seemed like he was flipping during the ultrasound. We got an image of his profile, face (that is still way freaky to me), feet, manhood and hands. It was kind of funny because he was kicking and moving a lot. Based on the measurements, I'm 20 w and 6 d. That will probably guarantee that he will be born in October. I hope. Jason was all puffed up and beating his chest since he's having a son. He was really sweet to me since he knew that I was minutely upset about not having a daugher. At least it guarantees we'll have a second child!!
All in all, I was really happy to hear that the baby appears to be in good health and normal.
Yesterday's ultrasound would've been the last for a "normal" pregnancy, but because I have hypothyroidism, I'll have an ultrasound every month until the baby is born. The doctor wants to monitor the baby's size and development. That's fine with me!
Now time to paint! More next month......
Why are people so irritating?
One of my friends, Mandy, approached me a couple of weeks ago to start talking about the baby shower. We've been throwing ideas around about date, place, food, etc. Nothing too concrete. I know that Jason's aunts will "throw" a shower for me since they do for every nephew in the family. So far not one aunt has called me yet.
I decided to take yesterday (Thursday) off from work to focus on getting a date and place set for the baby shower. My first choice, our church hall, is booked for the entire months of September and October (Saturdays and Sundays). STRIKE 1. That sucks. Since I'm very organized and extremely anal about planning stuff, I started to panic [slightly]. I told Mandy on Tuesday about trying to get a place so that I don't worry about it anymore. She offered to call around to community centers, restaurants and banquet halls to get pricing. Thank God for teachers and summer vacations!!
She called me on Wednesday and gave me a list of 4 places to choose from. Two were definitely off the list because of price. One place was charging $14/person and that didn't even include soft drinks (just coffee and tea). Yeah right. The other place charged $16/person and that included drinks. I'm sorry, but we paid $30/person for our wedding. I can not see paying that kind of money for a baby shower. Sorry baby. Anyway, I checked out the other two places yesterday and neither of them really struck me as outstanding. I picked the better of the two. The place is slightly outdated with its paint job and small kitchen set up, but I think I can overlook it....I think. The smell was slightly musty because I'm sure the facility isn't used every weekend. Nothing a few Plug-ins can't fix. I'm beginning to realize that I am WAY too particular about details.
So, the baby shower is planned for a Saturday at the end of September. Now for the irritating part:
I get a phone call from one of Jason's aunts telling me that she's "upset that I went to Mandy to plan the shower instead of talking to the aunts". Why? I didn't approach Mandy to plan my baby shower. Mandy approached me. Which I'm grateful for because obviously we didn't plan enough ahead or else we'd have the shower at Mount Carmel. Anyway, I tried to explain the situation with Mandy just wanting to gather ideas and to book the place since we've already run into a road block with my first choice. The rest of the details can be planned whenever and by whomever. Does this really have to be a big deal??? Jason's aunt said that I should've approached them if I wanted to start planning the shower. Firstly, I'm not going to call one of Jason's aunts and say, "when are you going to plan my shower?". Secondly, it shouldn't be my responsibility to plan my shower. THEY should approach ME. Right? I will be more than happy to tell them what I want and have them plan it. Plus, it's a little more complicated b/c I am having only one shower. That includes my family, too. So instead of planning for 50 or 60 people, they're going to have to plan for about 80 to 90 people. She said that they weren't thinking about plans for the shower until sometime in July and have the shower in October. Um, no. Reminder: I'm due November 8. I don't want a shower 3 weeks before my due date. What if the baby is early? I want my shower in September. Am I being too crazy? Again, why does this have to be a big deal? Maybe if they would've talked to me about it instead of assuming the shower would be in October, then we wouldn't be having this discussion. I'm not mad though.
To make matters worse, Jason's mom is in Charleston until July 3rd so I can't talk to her about it. She'll be the peace maker :)
I decided to take yesterday (Thursday) off from work to focus on getting a date and place set for the baby shower. My first choice, our church hall, is booked for the entire months of September and October (Saturdays and Sundays). STRIKE 1. That sucks. Since I'm very organized and extremely anal about planning stuff, I started to panic [slightly]. I told Mandy on Tuesday about trying to get a place so that I don't worry about it anymore. She offered to call around to community centers, restaurants and banquet halls to get pricing. Thank God for teachers and summer vacations!!
She called me on Wednesday and gave me a list of 4 places to choose from. Two were definitely off the list because of price. One place was charging $14/person and that didn't even include soft drinks (just coffee and tea). Yeah right. The other place charged $16/person and that included drinks. I'm sorry, but we paid $30/person for our wedding. I can not see paying that kind of money for a baby shower. Sorry baby. Anyway, I checked out the other two places yesterday and neither of them really struck me as outstanding. I picked the better of the two. The place is slightly outdated with its paint job and small kitchen set up, but I think I can overlook it....I think. The smell was slightly musty because I'm sure the facility isn't used every weekend. Nothing a few Plug-ins can't fix. I'm beginning to realize that I am WAY too particular about details.
So, the baby shower is planned for a Saturday at the end of September. Now for the irritating part:
I get a phone call from one of Jason's aunts telling me that she's "upset that I went to Mandy to plan the shower instead of talking to the aunts". Why? I didn't approach Mandy to plan my baby shower. Mandy approached me. Which I'm grateful for because obviously we didn't plan enough ahead or else we'd have the shower at Mount Carmel. Anyway, I tried to explain the situation with Mandy just wanting to gather ideas and to book the place since we've already run into a road block with my first choice. The rest of the details can be planned whenever and by whomever. Does this really have to be a big deal??? Jason's aunt said that I should've approached them if I wanted to start planning the shower. Firstly, I'm not going to call one of Jason's aunts and say, "when are you going to plan my shower?". Secondly, it shouldn't be my responsibility to plan my shower. THEY should approach ME. Right? I will be more than happy to tell them what I want and have them plan it. Plus, it's a little more complicated b/c I am having only one shower. That includes my family, too. So instead of planning for 50 or 60 people, they're going to have to plan for about 80 to 90 people. She said that they weren't thinking about plans for the shower until sometime in July and have the shower in October. Um, no. Reminder: I'm due November 8. I don't want a shower 3 weeks before my due date. What if the baby is early? I want my shower in September. Am I being too crazy? Again, why does this have to be a big deal? Maybe if they would've talked to me about it instead of assuming the shower would be in October, then we wouldn't be having this discussion. I'm not mad though.
To make matters worse, Jason's mom is in Charleston until July 3rd so I can't talk to her about it. She'll be the peace maker :)
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