Here's the lowdown:
After a bit of a mishap with a rusty screwdriver, I had called my doctor on call over the weekend to see if it was safe to get a Tetanus shot/booster during pregnancy.
Not only did she give me the go-ahead, she noted that since I'm in my third trimester now, and the CDC had just changed their recommendations for vaccinations, I am due for the whooping cough vaccine too. (It used to be given after the baby was born but the concern is so high, women in their 3rd T are supposed to get it. If you have kids, are around kids, or ever want to go near my baby, PLEASE go get it!) My doc told me to take care of it at the next appointment, which was this morning. What I didn't know was that the whooping cough vaccine is in the same shot as the tetanus booster--so, two for the price of one poke! Otherwise, uneventful visit; Niblet's measuring on track, and we scheduled another visit with an ultrasound so we can see how we're doing on the "too much amniotic fluid" issue.
On to The Center! I must say this was the best.visit.ever. After noting that I'd barely gained any weight since my visit a month ago, and looking over my levels, the clinician gave me the go-ahead to do all of the following: (1) Add more carbs to my diet; (2) Snack when I'm hungry, even if it's not the right time, so long as it's protein or a veggie and not a carb; and (this is the best, as far as I'm concerned,) (3) Test every OTHER day. That means no more daily pokings for this Voodoo Doll! Only every-other-day!
She also said that I will absolutely not have diabetes after I give birth. She said she'd bet me $100 that I don't. I probably should have shook on it, since I have crappy luck, but I'd rather just let her gloat if she's right. Will I have it later in life? No way to know, not at this point, but if I don't let myself fall apart, eat sensibly and incorporate exercise into my routine, I don't think I will have any greater risk than most women.
The flip side? For future babies, I am almost guaranteed another trip to The Center. And worse? I may need insulin. Apparently, the pancreas gets taxed the first time to the extent that women who have GD the first time but get by without insulin are more prone to need it the second time. But that's years away. Can't worry about hypothetical future babies when I'm still cooking number #1.
Finally, on to the last visit of the day: the hematologist! Who found... (wait for it...)
NOTHING!
Yeah, I'm not shocked either. My current count is still with an elevated white count and a low red count. (Just the opposite of how I'd stock a wine cellar, actually.) On the bright side, I made a face and whined when the lady came to take my blood through the "jab the finger and rub it furiously" process and she offered to take it out of my arm. Heck yeah. That doesn't hurt, so that's what she did.
Anyway, all the hematologist came back with was that all the tests he ran last time--checking for things like a chronic leukemia or other myoproliferative disorders--all came back negative. His opinion? It's probably stress related, that my body is taxed by being pregnant. Ok, that's no shocker. He said we should just continue to monitor everything every few weeks. He thinks it will probably stay level through the rest of my pregnancy, and if so, it's all good, and he thinks that a a few months after I deliver, my levels will return to normal. The only other thing he said is for me to take my iron supplements twice a day instead of once a day, because my iron levels just aren't increasing. So more heavy metal for this poppet.
All in all, a good day. A shot and a draw later, and my left arm isn't exactly happy, but I'm looking forward to tomorrow: a day when I won't poke myself at all.
At least on purpose.
(See above re: screwdriver incident. Yeah that didn't even happen at a testing time so that gash and blood totally went to waste.)
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