Medical information follows, so don't read if you don't want to know!
Well, it wasn't really too threatening, but...
In the last few days, my ankles - and then hands - and then, yesterday, face have been (what I consider) alarmingly swollen. So, I decided to go ahead and see the Dr. even though I have an appointment on Friday. I wanted to be assured that my blood pressure is not high and that there is no protein in my urine (these are symptoms of preeclampsia). My blood pressure is a bit high for me - I'm usually 110-120/70-80. Yesterday, I was 130/90. The Dr. said she wouldn't worry about it until the bottom number is 100 - that would be too high for me. No protein in my urine - yea! But, I've gained much more weight in 2 weeks than is "possible" and she agrees that I am pretty swollen...which for sure indicates fluid retention.
Through some discussion, in which I convinced her that going to work in the morning is much less physically stressful than being home with a 2 year old, we came to compromise. I can still go to work in the AM - unless my blood pressure rises. When I'm home in the afternoon and LJ is napping - I have to lay down the whole time - on my left side (this allows the kidneys to process fluid more efficiently - so they say). I had to promise to call if I get a headache, see flashes of light or get dizzy. If my condition doesn't worsen, she'll go with this "schedule", but if it worsens - she says we have to get a sitter and I have to stop working.
OK, so - this is kind of the worst thing that's happened while pregnant...I'm not sure how serious it really is. Since my blood pressure is ok and I don't have protein in my urine - I'm thinking it is "ok", but I need to take it easy.
Yesterday, this worked fine - LJ napped for 3 hours, but played in his crib before and after sleeping for about another hour...so, this netted me 4 hours of laying on my left side. He's a good sleeper...thank goodness! My swelling did go down. But, with a trip to the library and the pharmacy, I was swelled up again. At the pharmacy, by blood pressure was 112/72 - who knows how accurate that is, but it can't be THAT inaccurate, right?! My pulse was 76...this is high for me - my pulse is usually 50 - 60, but I was having to keep LJ from putting things from the shelf into the trash can, so I imagine this might raise my pulse.
This morning - puffy feet, puffy hands, puffy eyes.
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3 comments:
no fun! hope you feel better soon.
if you need some help with LJ, just let me know, because i am currently unemployed and not too far away, and also an able babysitter!
You need to take it even more easy. Don't trust the Walgreens BP monitor. Delegate those tasks (like the pharmacy and grocery store) to others and make them take LJ! If you are puffy, that's no good. I am not writing this in an alarmist tone, just a doctoral tone.
Chrissy MD
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