Ultra Cool or Ultra Sound

My OB just called me. He said that he wanted me to come in again for more bloodwork. He wants to check my levels AGAIN and monitor my progression. I told him that that would be fine and asked if he wanted me to come in the usual 3 times a week or if he just wanted me to go in once. He answered with another question, asking when my ultrasound was scheduled. I told him that I did not have one scheduled (nobody said that I needed one yet) but that I did have an appointment set up (it's the second prenatal visit) for Tuesday the 5th. He said that he didn't want to wait until then and that he wanted me to come in this week to get an ultrasound done. Weird. Now I am semiworried and can't stop thinking that something might be wrong. I know I know, I'm totally just being paranoid, but please, this is my first pregnancy (and probably my only) and that allows me to be over worrying about every little thing. Especially considering my past girly issues. Anyhow, my visit is scheduled Thursday and it would be safe to say that I am a little nervous about it. I guess though, that if everything really is okay, then it wil be pretty cool to at least hear the heart beat even if there isn't an actual image to go along with it yet. I'm only eight weeks and that IS early for an ultrasound, but I'm not going to sweat it too much. I've got other things to worry about... like school and work and... whatever else it is that I routinely worry about. Pray for me and my lil baby bean... cm

I just had...

...the worst vacation ever. Let's go over what happened: -Airlines lost my luggage -Dad picked John and I up at the airport and after filing the lost luggage report we were heading up to Peru IN, and we got rearended HARD. The seatbelt cut into my abdomen and I started having cramps. John's neck and back were all f'd up and my dad was just stressed worrying about us. (he was driving and didn't realize that he was hurt until later in the ER). The ambulance had to come and get us and I spent my first night in Indiana in the ER. -Got to Dad's the next day, only to take a nap that afternoon and was BITTEN BY A FUCKING WOLF SPIDER. My whole leg is f'd up the bite is black and blue. -Last day there, I started to not feel well and ended up catching a horrific cold. I had to fly home with it and I'm pretty sure that I blew my ear drum out on the flight because I can't hear a damn thing out of it. -My mom was stuck in traffic behind an accident on the way to pick John and I up at the airport. SHE WAS AN HOUR LATE. -I've now missed two additional days of work because I can barely even get up and walk to the bathroom without feeling like I am going to pass out because I'm so sick. I'm taking tylenol cold meds and I am so afraid for my baby. This is the SECOND time I have gotten really ill while being pregnant. I think I am going to go to the Urgent Care tonight because my ear is hurting like crazy and whatever I have is moving from my head to my chest. I am supposed to be going to school tonight, but I'm pretty sure that I'm not going to make it. I already missed Tuesday's class because I was in Indiana, and even though I did let my teacher know, missing one class is bad enough, and TWO? That's almost unheard of. In all, suckiest week ever. *edit* UPDATE I WENT TO THE DOC'S TONIGHT AND TURNS OUT I HAVE AN AWEFUL EAR INFECTION, THROAT INFECTION, AND SINUS INFECTION. FREAKIN GREAT. THEY PUT ME ON ZITHROMAX, WHICH SHOULD WORK JUST FINE. IT SUCKS THAT NOW I WILL HAVE HAD TO TAKE ANTIBIOTICS TWICE DURING MY PREGGERS AND I'M ONLY 14 WEEKS!!!!

1st 2nd Trimester Appointments

Doc said that I had to start taking a low dose aspirin everyday to prevent a blood clot. I'm kinda scared because you here all this crap about baby + aspirin = NOT GOOD. But obviously, I'm going to go ahead and trust whatever McKernan says, because he's the doc. I did however, go online and do a little bit of research on the web, and I feel better because everything that I've been reading says that a LOW DOSE apspirin regiment during pregnancy is thought to be safe. Yay!

Everything else appears to be normal and the heartbeat was 158bpm. AMAZING. It took everything I had not to cry. I love hearing the heartbeat and it only gets better everytime I hear it. :) He perscribed me some more Ambien so that I can actually sleep during the night and also, some antinausea medicine (that I'm actually going to use for my flight on Friday- supposedly it will make me VERY drowsy and therefore I can't have a panic attack).

McKernan is also sending me over to a High Risk speciality doc to find out if I need to go on a Coumadin or Heprin regiment. I will apparently see this specialist in 2 weeks or so. So, basically, when I get back from Indy. Sweet. Not. I'm pretty sure that once the doc finds out the specifics on my situation and that I was 18 when the PE ocurred and that I was on birth control, he'll say that I'll be fine. I'm praying.

Well that's about it. My next appointment is on Halloween and then two weeks after that we can find out the SEX!!! Woot! John still thinks it's a boy, but McKernan and I think it's a girl. I hope it's a girl. My little baby girl. How wonderful that sounds.

Anyhow, here's a brief little bit of info I found on low dose aspirin:

In certain situations, your caregiver may advise you to start taking a small dose of aspirin each day, usually similar to the amount in one baby aspirin. Most experts believe low-dose aspirin therapy is safe during pregnancy.

For example, some experts recommend that pregnant women with a condition called antiphospholipid syndrome take a low dose of aspirin in addition to a drug called heparin. Antiphospholipid syndrome is diagnosed in women who have certain antibodies in their blood and who also have a history of blood clots or some types of pregnancy problems.

Some research shows that certain women at high risk for preeclampsia (including women with chronic hypertension, severe diabetes, or kidney disease, or who had severe preeclampsia in a prior pregnancy) may benefit from low-dose aspirin therapy, although not everyone agrees on who is a good candidate for this treatment, when it should begin, and what the optimal dose is.

So unless your healthcare provider prescribes it, you should avoid taking aspirin altogether, as well as other NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs), such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin), naproxen sodium (Aleve), and ketoprofen (Orudis), which can have similar effects.