A Tribute To Aunt Kat

Mary Kathleen Weishaar: 10/5/1932-8/20/2007...my beloved "Aunt Kat" died last Monday. She was actually my great-Aunt, my Grandmother's sister, who had moved so far from home over 40 years before and we ended up living in the same place. Although she suffered from the complications and pain from rheumatoid arthritis, she was a wonderful example of how to age with dignity and grace. She so rarely complained, that occasionally, I would force her by telling her that she had to for at least 1 minute...she never could complain for the entire minute. Except for the very end, her mind was sharp and she was kind and tolerate to those around her with dementia. Once we were discussing how some people suffer only in the mind and some, like her, suffer only physically. She had a profound response, "It's best if your body and mind wear out at the same time."
She loved the Seattle Mariners and she transferred that love over to me. We were known to talk on the phone through half the game, sharing commentary and opinions about the players, managers, and opposite team. She loved it when they beat the Yankees, especially if there was a "fight" during the game. Now I feel an emptiness during the games because I can't call to ask her opinion about the manager getting thrown out or why we get to the edge of winning and then lose 3 games to the Angels.

She was my little piece of North Carolina in this place over 3000 miles away. When you grow up in a place, even separated by 30 years, there is a comfort in "knowing" it and the history of all of the extended family without explanation. For years, she would prepare "home cooking" like fried chicken and okra for me and she was excited when I found a vendor at Pike Market that sold fried chicken livers--her favorite. Her speciality for years was making dish cloths out of a certain type of blanket that she would find at second hand stores and giving them away. She loved helping those she loved and found joy in their smile. She was a giver, in the true sense of the word.

Now, she's physically gone but I'm a better person to have known and loved her and I am so lucky to have been loved by her. Rest in peace, Aunt Kat.....

23 weeks Today!

Yesterday was the scheduled US and appointment with Dr. Tracy. Like last time, it was great to see Jack and they checked, he's still a boy! Interval growth was normal and estimated weight was 641 grams (1 lb, 6 oz)! He turns/moves alot and likes his hands by his face. He rests his right arm/hand on his forehead, like he's irritated at all the commotion. Mr. Tarheel went with me to the appt for the first time...I introduced him as my better half (isn't that the truth!). He recognized Dr. Tracy's skill/compassion and was impressed that she asked him for questions and answered them. He asked her to tell me not to research my condition on the internet anymore...she put her hand on my arm and said, "Stop!". He's really concerned about my persistent, moderately severe left foot/calf swelling (the right one is normal), so I'm going to get a doppler study next week to check the circulation. I don't think I have a blood clot b/c it's not red or painful and has been swollen since 11 weeks. Maybe I have a case of "bad vein valves"...that is so low on my list of concerns right now, but it's good he's watching out for me!

After just walking in to the office my BP was 150/82, meaning that's a little too much activity. My morning labetalol was doubled to 100mg twice a day and I was hoping for a normal BP. She reviewed all my BP readings and said the higher dose will help lower them. They range from 126-150's/70-84. Now I'll take my BP twice a day after rest and twice a day after activity...& call her if they reach 160/100. I asked about threshold for more aggressive (IV) treatment...she said at 160-180/110, you have to go into the hospital. Does anyone want to help me design my own home flowsheet for my BP?

Thinking back over the discussion, she presented a good combination of realism and optimism. She said we don't need to give you the betamethasone "yet"...Mr. Tarheel said, "What's that for?" and she said to accelerate the lung development. She went on to say that many times pre-eclampsia develops rapidly and you need it yesterday in these cases...meaning sometimes, you can't wait 48 hours to deliver after presentation. I asked her what chance she thought I had to develop pre-eclampisa...she said, "50%, but probably after 35 weeks"....I like this educated guess! She mentioned again that complete bedrest may be in my future.

So now the plan is to come back on 9/6, repeat PIH labs, do the glucola (checking for gestational diabetes) and check for some auto-immune issues that could be the needle in the haystack causing all this. So, I'm sitting around here on the farm, watching Mr. Tarheel do all the work except my job of growing Jack!

YIPPEE...UNC Basketball Schedule is Out!

Yes, all you Tarheel fans, or friends/family of the #1 Tarheel fan...aka...me. Today was the day & they made me wait a full 10 days later than last year (what's up with that Roy?).....the schedule is OUT! There are 2 games west of the Mississippi, but in late November, Tarheel88 will not be more than a lights and sirens drive from Swedish Medical Center at 36 weeks pregnant...poor Jack will be wondering what in the world is happening outside of his nice womb to make his Mom yell so loud! He'll be so happy to know he was born before the conference games begin...b/c that is on Jan 6 and he must head out before then! Yes, Tarheel88 is a crazy, screaming, lunatic during the games...what do you expect from the #1 fan!

I see my UNC beat Duke night will be on Feb 6...so watch out....the Cameron crazies will be doing what they were doing last year during the NCAA tournament...watching UNC win on TV! Coach K might better line up his next career with American Express....

So I'm off to memorize the schedule....with a smile on my face:)
Check out the website for the schedule:
http://tarheelblue.cstv.com/sports/m-baskbl/unc-m-baskbl-body.html

The Ups/Downs of Blood Pressure

After a few days on the Labetalol, I'm an expert on the drug. First of all, I can spell it correctly now and I know intimately the ebbs/flows of it's effects and side effects. The half life is 6-8 hours...I'm thinking the shorter time due to my increased volume of distribution (don't let your mind wonder...the increased blood volume of all pregnant women!). After about an hour of taking it, I feel wonderful for about 5-6 hours, except the side effect of drowsiness. This is an extreme drowsiness like working night shift and to stay awake, you have to force your eyes to stay open. Of course, I'm sitting around all the time, so I just take a nap. I fall asleep within seconds....no more insomnia! I take it about every 12 hours, so my feeling good time at night is while I'm sleeping. There is a relatively unknown side effect of beta blockers that I'm having...decreased anxiety! Wow, a side effect that I like, that is actually helping me! My BP is related to activity...when I'm active, it's too high...so I sit around most of the time. Reading, watching the Mariner's win, looking for the end of the internet, and of course, talking (on the phone) are my favorite activities this week.

Time keeps ticking, ticking, ticking..into the future.....

Counting Time: 22 weeks

There are so many different ways to count time...we celebrate years on our birthdays, months until the next season or vacation, days until Friday, hours until the alarm goes off, minutes during sports events, and seconds during pain. Today, I'm 22 weeks and I'm counting the weeks until Jack has the possibility of being a healthy baby. Of course, I still pray for a healthy term baby, but my compromise would be just a healthy pre-term baby. Yesterday was another doc visit, this time with Dr. Tracy. As always, she was the picture of reassurance and calmness. She reviewed my BP readings--about 4 a day anywhere from 130-164/70-86 and said, yes, you have gestational hypertension, let's start you on labetolol. I like ACTION! This will lower my BP and so far has made me very drowsy. That's OK, I have plenty of time for naps.

She wants to be conservative and have me not work until this is resolved. She reiterated that my chances for pre-eclampsia are higher now but with the next breath said, "but you don't have it now. We are at the beginning of our treatment ability for this, so just go home and rest. " I told her that I had done some research of my own and she said for me to remember that I don't have the context to put it in, so don't get my tail feathers ruffled. Next visit will be in 1 week on 8/24 and we'll have an ultrasound to check Jack's growth before the visit since high BP can decrease growth in the baby.

Mr. Tarheel is just learning about all this and is processing it pretty fast. Tucker likes to have me around all the time. I went on the library website and requested lots of books and movies from Netflix. I'm going to pick up some yarn and start on a baby blanket for Jack. That's a great activity during the Mariner's games. Luckily for me, they are playing 44 out of the next 45 days. I'll try to read the recommended Bleak House by Charles Dickens. I'm sure I'll not have time for any Dickens in the next few years!

My First "Abby-Normal"--Gestational Hypertension

Here is Mr. Tarheel & my niece Grace...my sister April came for a visit with 11 month old Grace. What a wonderful visit! This was just after 5am at the airport...thus the tired faces!

I had a regular prenatal visit with Dr. Tracy and my BP was up a little...138/84, up from 110/60. She wanted me to keep taking it myself and let her know if it ever got to 140/90 and come back in 2 weeks instead of 4. So on Monday, I was at work and not feeling very good. It's a feeling of not being quite right, tired, slight headache. I took my BP myself and it was about 144/90, so I called the office. I drank about 40 oz of water in 3 hours b/c I felt a little dehydrated. When I went over to the appt with Dr. Pray, it was 166/90. It came down a little with more rest. She said your long shifts are over and you must rest until this resolves. I had PIH labs done stat and they were normal. I'm going back to see Dr. Tracy on Friday & do a 24 hour urine collection for protein (don't ask!). So since I didn't have hypertension before pregnancy, my diagnosis is gestational hypertension.

So with lots of rest--2 or 3 naps a day and sleeping 8-9 hours at night, my BP is between 130-150/74-84...so rest is helping. It's frustrating for a control gal like me to not have any control over my own body..but sometimes I am just lying on the couch and my pulse is bounding enough for me to count my heart rate in my head. Weird..huh. Of course, sometimes I can let myself go down the dark road of worry, but I would say that overall, I'm positive & upbeat b/c it's not getting worse right now. My risk of pre-eclampsia is higher now, up to 25%, but I keep telling myself that there's a 75% chance of it not occurring. Jack is moving more and sometimes there are lumps or body parts that I can feel on the outside--interesting! I talk to him and tell him to hold on, grow big & fast, and if needed, I'll hang upside down for him to stay in there as long as possible!

Side note...the 2007-2008 UNC Basketball roster is out....usually, there is a time when I am learning everyone's statistics, position, hometown, etc but alas, we only have 1 new player. He is Will Graves, a red-shirt freshman and now the heaviest player on our team...he must be built like a brick wall...6-6 and 245 lbs! They update this roster and it's even been known for a player to lose an inch of height (how is that?) but I'll bet by Jan/Feb, Mr. Graves will slim down a little after he does all the running that Roy demands! I'm still waiting (impatiently) for the schedule to be released...it should be anytime.

The Apple Has a Stem

August 1st came & went and we had our anatomy screen of the baby. Beginning several days before, I started feeling more and more both excited and nervous. I knew if an anomaly was identified, I would have a new set of concerns...but I keep telling myself that it is a 98% chance for everything being healthy. I prayed alot and was unusually calm (some denial mixed in too). I told Karen, our ultrasound technician, that I took care of sick babies....she responded with "I know your type" and then smiled. She was great to tell us what she was looking for and then a "normal" afterwards. The baby was moving around alot and kicking, with hands by the mouth...it was great to see. Mr. Tarheel smiled really big. All measurements/growth/everything was reported as "normal". I'll see the written report when I go see Tracy on Wednesday. As she was scanning down the abdomen, Karen asked, "would you like to know the gender?". We said yes, together. The image was perfectly clear...a boy! We're so happy & can start calling him by his name....Jack Christopher!