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Showing posts with label thyroid. Show all posts
Showing posts with label thyroid. Show all posts

Monday, February 8, 2016

First Trimester


The Monday before Thanksgiving was when I decided to finally take a pregnancy test. All month Ryan kept saying he had a good feeling that this was our month and I finally started to agree with him. What tipped me over the edge was that I was lying in bed that morning, watching a youtube video of Pentatonix singing a Star Wars tribute at the American Music Awards when something unusual happened.... when the orchestra joined them I started crying! Even though my period wasn't due for another two days I decided to test and sure enough....


Positive! Once again I went nuts, jumping up and down and yelling and scaring the dog. Ryan was at work so I texted him asking if I could bring him lunch. I was bursting to tell him! He agreed so I grabbed some Panera and drove to meet him at work. It was freezing out so I was sitting in the car waiting for him (like last time, ironically) and he was waving at me to come in to the office. I told him no and to come and sit in the car for a second and my smart alec husband goes, "Why, are you pregnant?"

Yes! I didn't plan on videoing it or anything like last time but it was funny and very typical of us (see our engagement for an example) regardless. He was so excited and there were tears on both ends. We called both our parents that day, but kept it pretty quiet from everyone else for a bit. I went to the doctor the next day to do their test and I overhydrated! Imagine my surprise when the hospital calls and says my test was negative! So I went back the next day and we got our positive. Whew. Over Thanksgiving we told Ryan's grandmother and sister, but kept it quiet from everyone else for the most part. Over the next few weeks we let our very close friends know but after our previous loss we didn't want to get too excited too soon.

I didn't even start progress pictures until week 8 because I didn't want to jinx anything! Week 5-6 was brutal regardless and I ended up in the ER unable to keep even water down, but luckily I started vitamin b6 and have been ok for the most part since. Thank you pregnancy pops and drops too!




We told my (extended) family about my pregnancy a little earlier than we would have planned, but being we were in New Jersey for Christmas and able to tell them in person was too big an opportunity to pass up. To tell my 93 year old Poppy and 90 year old Babci in person they were going to be great grandparents again was wonderful. Poppy had tears in his eyes and it was so special for Ryan and I to do... so we told them early!




I feel like in the early pictures I look so so exhausted! I was sleeping 9 to 11 hours a night and still tired. Combination first trimester and thyroid for sure.




Week 10 was when I had my first official appointment with a midwife. At around week 8 I met with a nurse but it was just the preliminary sort of appointment. This time we got to actually see our Bean (the nickname has stuck for now!) and hear the heartbeat. I cried the entire time and Ryan had the goofiest smile... it was amazing. We had quite the surprise with the thyroid diagnosis at this appointment but we got the ball rolling on that treatment within 24 hours. I am so thankful for my midwife for that.




Bean was moving around like crazy. In the above one you can see Bean is kind of waving at us, but we also saw so much movement and flipping around. Plus we saw the thumping and pumping of the heart.










And here was the transition to maternity clothes. I can still fit in my pre pregnancy clothes but buttons and zippers are not comfy when you're bloated! The below outfit is a pregnancy top and pregnancy leggings and I loved it.



Dup usually loves to be close and rest her head on us, but I couldn't resist this picture. I was working on my lines for a show I am in and she snuggled right in. Sometimes I think she knows I am pregnant, other times she practically knocks me down and I roll my eyes and forget it!




Weekly Pregnancy Survey:

What Fruit are you? I believe this week my Ovia app said I was a beet but the graphics app I use says lemon.
Due date: August 5, 2016 
How far along: 14 weeks 3 days
Next appointment:  March 7th
Gender:  Unknown so far!
Total weight gain/loss: About 7-8 pounds... officially the heaviest I have ever been in my life and we got a ways to go! 
Exercise: Um... I have to walk really far from my car to the new library branch I transferred to? When the weather is nice we take the Dup for walks but it has been cold and rainy here lately.
Stretch marks: I always had them, but no real noticeable new ones yet.
Swelling: My fingers look a little swollen around my rings but nothing major
Maternity clothes: Maternity jeans are my new favorite thing! I have a few shirts and a pair of leggings too
Belly button: Normal  
Sleep: Starting to get really uncomfortable. I wake up at least once a night to pee but my back has been bothering me lately so I do lots of tossing and turning, even with my big body pillow
Food cravings:  Mango has been the big one! I love fruit... watermelon, starfruit, berries. All good! I also love French fries but try to not have them often. Pancakes from Cracker Barrel have won my soul over too.
Symptoms:  It is hard to tell sometimes if it is my thyroid or pregnancy sometimes! I get super hungry every now and then and have some major fatigue still. Skin has been breaking out and my chest has grown like crazy. I occasionally get some cramping but nothing bad or worrisome.
Movement:  I thought I felt a flutter once but it could have been gas :P
Labor signs: None yet thankfully!
What I miss:  Not too much, but I did want eggs benedict the other day and research said that was a no due to the runny eggs. Bummer.
What I'm loving:  That I am starting to have a slightly noticeable bump that isn't just bloating. Soon I will actually look pregnant and not just chubby!
What I'm looking forward to:  The bump short term, and feeling Bean move... and long term meeting Bean!
Best moment this week:  Lounging in sweat pants all day to watch the Super Bowl. I was a comfy and happy pregnant lady!
News:  Anatomy scan scheduled for March 7th. Officially classified as a 'high risk pregnancy' due to my thyroid.
Milestones: 2nd Trimester!
Words of wisdom: None yet really.


So we are a third of the way there! I will try and not bore you all with too much pregnancy stuff, but I am pretty excited and do want to document this for our families. Thank you so much for all the well wishes (and good thoughts and prayers)!



Wednesday, January 27, 2016

Possible Diagnosis



I blog a bunch in the beginning of the new year and it takes me nearly a month to get it together again to add another entry! In my defense, it has been pretty hectic around here. I cannot go into too much detail on some things yet, but I can in other areas at least.


If you've been reading my blog for awhile, you know I have been having bad stomach issues since October of 2014. I had a sensitive stomach growing up, but it went way down hill then. I had my gall bladder removed, multiple tests at multiple doctors (primary ones, two gastroenterologists, and a rheumatologist) and still no answers. Medications helped some, but I was still having awful stomach attacks every four to six weeks with no explanation.


Well, we may finally have one.


My rheumatologist gave me some blood work results in November that he said he wasn't too concerned about but I should show to another doctor I was seeing just in case. Well, in December that doctor looked at it and went, "Um, no. Not normal. Definitely a problem." The possible verdict?


Subclinical Hypothyroidism.


My TSH (thyroid hormones) were at a 10.67 when the normal range is around 2-3. My thyroid antibodies were also super, super high. The norm is between 4 and 32.... mine were at 464. I was started on 100mcg of Synthroid within 24 hours and referred to an endocrinologist that day. My first appointment with the endocrinologist will be this Friday, so I am hoping we finally can fix this thing once and for all. I will most likely be on Synthroid the rest of my life, but hopefully we can lower the levels once my blood work balances out again.


The one doctor thinks that's why my stomach was so messed up, apparently metabolism and hormones and all sorts of other things can get screwy. It also adds to the tiredness, cold, and many other things. I did have to step away from Google, but fingers crossed we finally get somewhere with this.


The other goodish news is that I am transferring in my job. I currently work at the reference desk at the Main Library (which I do like don't get me wrong) but I will be moving over to the Research Library within the next month or so. The big perk to this will be a much more steady schedule and.... they're closed weekends! Hallelujah! As of right now I am working half and half (including some weekends), but once they hire another person I will be at the branch library permanently. It is also much quieter, a different sort of patron, and a definite change of pace I am looking forward too.


Hopefully I will be able to update with more shortly. Until then, thanks (as always) for sticking with me.