Not my week... more spotting plus H1N1 v/s Sinus Infection

I'll start with the first part. I woke up at 1:00 a.m. Monday with bright pink spotting. I didn't burst into tears this time, I stayed calm and simply reminded myself that I was not cramping and that this should lighten up. I went back to bed calm as a cucumber, saying a few prayers that everything is okay with my little lemon. 4:00 a.m. the spotting turned brown. Bingo. It also lightened up in flow quite a bit. Since then, I've spotted brown every day. No cramping. Looks like I'm going to be one of those few women who have a "mini" period every 4-5 weeks during the entire pregnancy. Not too excited about that, but hey... I'll take it as long as baby is doing okay.

I went to the family doctor today because this "cold" has gotten out of control. After 10 days on Tylenol Cold and another 4 on Zyrtec, my body has decided to go into sickness overdrive. I woke up on Tuesday morning with a sore throat. I thought it was just allergies so I still went to work. By noon I was miserable... the left side of my head hates me. The nostril is runny, the neck is swollen, the ear hurts, the tonsil feels like it's about to explode, and the sinuses above and below the eye are swollen. I came home from work early and made a doctor's appt for this morning.

My first fear was H1N1, but I haven't had a fever. I went to the doctor with the notion that it has to be a sinus infection. He decided it would be a good idea to check for H1N1... I already knew what he was going to tell me... negative. But then he sits down and starts talking to me... "Half the time this test comes out negative when it's really positive." Okay, so what's your point? I don't have a fever. "It doesn't matter with H1N1, that's the thing about this virus." Oh goody, I'm so excited to know that I could have H1N1! He proceeds to turn me into a human science experiment, and basically tucks tail and runs because I'm pregnant. He tells me to start taking Tamiflu and if I rapidly feel better, we know it was H1N1... if not, then it's a sinus infection and the antibiotic will clear it up. But he wanted me to consult with my OB first.

Okay, thanks for taking my $20 co-pay and telling me to check with my OB on what to do. Really? Why did I even bother. So I checked with my OBs office... she told me to go ahead and take both at the same time. With me being pregnant, we can't take any chances. So here I am, pumping my body full of more medicines with no idea if I have H1N1 or a sinus infection. So this puts me at a cross road... do I bother getting the H1N1 vaccine? I've had the seasonal flu vaccine... but if this really is H1N1, why get the vaccine? I'm really quite upset that I don't have a real answer as to what the heck is wrong with me. I'm spotting, I'm sick with something either viral or bacterial, and I'm 14 weeks pregnant, terrified that something is going to happen to this baby with all this crap that has been going on the last two weeks.

I hope and pray that my immune system gets its butt in gear after this and stays healthy. I worry about giving the baby too much medicine... I worry about my sickness putting a damper in the baby's health... I don't know what to do or think at this point.

I thought the 2nd trimester was supposed to be the "honeymoon period" of pregnancy....

Ginger

Apparently ginger is a natural remedy to "the sickes." I beg to differ. I paid $6 for a box of anti-nausea ginger gum and I thought I was being poisoned within the first 15 seconds of chewing the gum. I don't even know if I made it that long. Even a co-worker tried the gum and let out a very loud scream. I'm not thrilled that I paid $6 for a pack of gum... I wonder if Rite Aid would take it back?

On another note, Ginger Ale is my new best friend. Yesterday between 5-9 p.m. I drank an entire liter of Ginger Ale by myself. I would fill a cup of ice to the rim, fill in some ale, drink it all down then eat all the ice and start over again. It was wonderful, refreshing, and healing. I'm in that sickie phase where I'm not throwing up at all, not really craving anything, just nauseated. Monday was the worst day to date, and since then it has been tolerable. Jolly Ranchers are also very nice to keep around. As long as I have a piece of candy or some ale in my mouth, I'm a happy little bee!

Dear God, thank you for the sickies. I'd rather be sick and with child than sick and without.

Introduction to "The Sickies"

I don't exactly have morning sickness yet, but I assume it is coming. I've had a few run-ins with "the sickies" but not full-blown vomiting as of yet. For example, yesterday I happily shoved a 1/2 lb. cheese burger from Cheeseburger Charley's down my throat for lunch. When I was full and miserable, longing for a nap, one of my bosses comes and sits next to me with some baked ziti.Gross. The smell made me want to throw up right there at the table. I had to very quickly excuse myself and go into my office, where I was sure I was going to lose it. I breathed my way through it, convincing myself that it's all a mental thing, and I was able to go about my day without throwing up. Woohoo!

The smell of dog food makes me nauseous, so I'm totally done helping out with that chore at home. Last night (this morning, rather... it was 2:00 a.m.), I did something so gross it makes me sick to my stomach to even think about typing it... but I'm going to because I'll laugh about it later. Well, I threw up in my mouth and... SWALLOWED IT. Eeeeewwwwwww.... I totally don't know WHY it happened!! It just happened so fast, and it wasn't like, a little bit of gross spit... it was nasty, raunchy, warm vomit. GROSS!!!!!! Why did it go back down?! I was mortified and ran to the bathroom hoping I would have to throw up again so I could get that junk OUT of my system. Alas, it didn't happen... so after drinking a bottle of water and peeing, I went back to bed.

Today, I feel like the cravings have officially ended. For now anyway. Nothing sounded good for lunch... I ate some left-over mashed potatoes, which were quite tasty, but just didn't cut it. I wanted something else but had no idea what it was. I settled for some Pepsi. Today I can honestly say all I've had to eat is 1/2 a peanut butter sandwich for breakfast and mashed potatoes for lunch. That's quite a healthy day, eh? I have no idea what I'm going to make for dinner. Earlier this week I had a major craving for a 3-Way from Skyline Chili... which is in Cincinnati... and since that is a 5-hour drive from me, I settled for Mexican Spaghetti from Demos', which deserves an award because it's just that good. I knew Skyline sold cans of chili at Kroger, but I was recently informed that they also sell bags... yes, bags of it in the frozen section. Jackpot! Maybe when I feel like eating food again, I'll try to make some.

This is the part of pregnancy I wasn't looking forward to, but felt like some kind of freak of nature because I wasn't getting it. All this nausea and vomiting all my pregnant/mommy friends warned me about seemed like a myth... everyone said to me, "Oh, just wait until you hit your 6th week." I was beginning to worry that something is wrong with Sweet Pea since I was always told "Morning sickness means your baby is healthy!" I know that's not really true... I think miserable pregnant women just tell themselves that so they feel better about their miserable situation.

So the sickies have started to somewhat interrupt my life, and I feel a little bit better knowing it's most likely a good sign, but I don't really look forward to what's to come. All I can do is remind myself that it's for a GREAT cause I've prayed for... and that pregnancy doesn't last forever... there is a little bundle of joy at the end of the tunnel. :)