Your Own Best Advocate

We had the busiest day ever.  I don't care to recap it, except to tell you that I got my van back.  Kinda.  They did NOT replace the hood (like the insurance paid for) or even repaint it! (like the insurance paid for.  A full $4800+).  Cough, cough.  I complained, and they are going to repaint it one day next week.  I'd already turned in my rental car, and we had baseball and boy scouts to skidaddle to!

..and I saw my obgyn today, and I'm still pregnant (it's a tiny bean with a blip-blipping heart!). : ) We did see a heartbeat (yes, I'm thankful!), and it was about four days behind where it should be, so they moved my due date, and he said maybe I ovulated late.  (since I certainly wasn't watching!)

The other thing.  I asked him to check my progesterone again even though it was fine last time.  I do a lot (too much..) internet-intelligence-building (heehee), and I know that progesterone should increase slowly through your pregnancy, topping out at least at 40-180 (see here, here, and here).  My doctor reassured me that I was over 20, and not to worry.  I pressed.  He said if it'd make me feel better, he'd draw up the lab request..and I did insist.  I even wondered on the way to the lab (for a voluntary blood draw) if I was CrAzY.

Now, I know I'm totally sane.  My progesterone has dropped to 17.6.  They called this afternoon and put me on prometrium (synthetic progesterone).  I feel better, I just hope it's enough and soon enough.  I'm just thankful for my experience, and that I pushed as my own advocate.  I've slowly learned that no one can/will speak up for you like you can.  No one else has the investment, motivation, or possibility of loss.  (same goes for your child's best advocate: no one is as invested as you in them.)

And..he said he'd see me every week till I could feel the baby move. (Can you see me smiling?)  He'll do ultrasounds every week until we can get the heartbeat on Doppler, then keep it up till movement, and we'll do testing around 12 weeks to check on everything.  I am also requesting progesterone testing again next week (not surprised?) and hematocrit and hemoglobin too.  Can't be too careful.  And now?  I have to advocate for my child too.

Is there anything else to test?  I've already done anti-phospholipid syndrome and NK (natural killer) cell levels.  Hmm..more research is calling my name. ; )  What did we ever do before Google?  Encyclopedias were so out-of-date by the time they were printed.  (and remember those little CD's of Encyclopedia Britannica that came with your PC back in the 1990's?  haha!  that's even funny now.)

I'm off to medicate and gestate.  Thank you for your prayers...and I might need them a little bit longer. : )  Hugs!