Health update. And the TARDIS!

So! Another week has come and gone. I am *somewhat* feeling better and getting more energy. I have been able to go run errands a few times this week  (although I still get really tired and sometimes nauseous afterwards). A couple mornings ago, Mark said to me, "It's so nice to have you back from the dead! You don't know how hard this first trimester has been on me!"

.................oh really.

But anyway, I have some new developments to add. On Halloween morning, I went to see a cardiologist in town to try and sort out why my heart seems to race for no reason. We pretty much are agreed that I have tachycardia and hypotension (low blood pressure), but until he knows exactly why, we can't go forward with any treatment. I do have a family history--most everyone in my immediate family has heart racing issues and my sister Meg had to have surgery this year to fix hers.

 

So I'm back on a heart monitor for 30 days (hopefully less). Although I wore one for 3 weeks while I was pregnant with Luke, the monitor wasn't as good and would only record events if I pressed a button, and none of the actual readings are on file anymore. And furthermore, the cardiologist from St. George who reviewed the data and had me do an EKG in his office back then was described as being a "jerk" by BOTH the nurse practicioner and my new doctor (and by me, and by my OB--he totally was a jerk). He said he doesn't want that guy touching my case with a 50 foot pole.

Anyhoo, this new monitor records everything 24/7, with actual people keeping an eye on the readings up in northern Utah somewhere. It is more of a hassle because I have to sleep with it on, and make sure to change the batteries twice a day, and keep the phone transmitter thing charged, and it has to always be within 10 feet at me or it freaks out. And the electrodes hurt like a mother when you have to peel them off and change them every day. Oh, and for the first 4 days, one of the wires wasn't even working properly, so I had to go get a new monitor once the clinic finally reopened on Monday. I'm going to be peeved if all that data goes to waste from those first few days!

But unless I have an actual arrhythmia (which I don't think I do, my heart beats regularly, just fast), there won't be anything they can do about it. The doctor said that sometimes an otherwise healthy heart will accelerate "inappropriately". You would expect your heart to get over 100 beats per minute if you were exercising, but not to get to 100-140 just by eating breakfast, or taking a shower, or sorting laundry, or just plain sitting around, like it does to me.

I also have the problem of low blood pressure, which I've always had. Not really sure why either, but he said it could be because I don't have enough sodium in my blood. Which might be treatable, but since I'm pregnant he doesn't want to try to raise my blood pressure because then it might lead to preeclampsia and all that garbage. So in the meantime, eat more salt? I guess it's worth a try.

Loving the uncertainty!

Next Friday I have to go do a stress echocardiogram while I run on a treadmill, which sounds like a death knell to me. I've never been able to run worth a darn--cue flashbacks to middle and high school PE--turns out it's because I have a heart problem! Hello...

Also (sorry this is really longwinded) on Halloween morning I had to go get 7 vials of my blood drawn, which I'd totally been dreading because I usually black out or dry heave when that's done. But I laid down and it actually went pretty well! Of course, it being Halloween, I still had like 8 more hours of stuff I had to do, and it was a very tiring, long day. I was a blob for the rest of the weekend.

My blood work (routine pregnancy screenings) all came back normal, good news. My urine culture came back and said I have a UTI. Bad news! I haven't had any symptoms other than some cloudiness, which has been going on for weeks and weeks. Sheesh! So now I'm on antibiotics.

Then I went to the dentist yesterday. I'm so excited to be getting all these medical bills in the mail.

My friend Anya, who is way too nice to me, surprised me with this in the mail yesterday:

ISN'T IT BRILLIANT!!?!??

She said she was going to wait till Christmas, but since I've been feeling so lousy as of late, she finished it early because thought it should be keeping me company "as you lay half-dead on the couch" (which I still spend a lot of time doing). THANK YOU ANYA! Ahh, so nice to have caring friends! She's had heart issues and has been through pregnancy twice as many times as me, so she KNOWS, man. I converted her to Doctor Who, so it's kind of our thing now. In fact, before I even opened the package, I thought, "I hope it's a TARDIS blanket!" :) She crocheted me this mini TARDIS and 10th Doctor for my birthday, so I'm like forever in her debt now.

I'll post more if I find anything out from all this testing!

P.S. We are in the process of refinancing, and got a horrifying call this afternoon saying our house appraisal is going to be happening MONDAY MORNING. I haven't had a clean house in two months, y'all. Wish me luck this weekend.