One of My Prouder Moments...

Well, I knew this pregnancy was different from last one very early on. With Emily, I had a very easy pregnancy. I had about 2 weeks of no appetite and then it was smooth sailing. I could not have asked for an easier, more enjoyable pregnancy.

With this little trouble-maker (ugh, I mean sweet-pea) there has been nothing but unfortunate symptoms. From all-day nausea, loss of appetite, vomiting and migraines, none of it has been easy or fun. I have not slept well from day one and I have aches and pains in my hips already (which I didn't have until 32+ weeks with Em).

But this week took me to a truly low moment.

I've been taking two new medications since my quick trip to the ER for rehydration. The zofran and verapamil seem to working quite well. I haven't puked since then, I feel much better in general and I am thrilled to say that I have not had any migraines since then either. But of course, these new meds are not without side-effects of their own. Normally, I don't have many (or any) side effects with medications, but apparently there is one that I will now have to consider much more carefully. The verapamil (a calcium channel blocker) mentioned that it could cause constipation (along with the more publicized dizzyness and low blood pressure). I didnt' really think too much about it because if you read the label and possible side effects of just about any medication, constipation is listed. So, I sailed through the first week on it, not paying any attention and still taking it pretty easy on the food as I gradually added food back into my life. Then came the second week. I was feeling pretty good and so I ate whatever I felt like (which oddly is generally more healthy than normal anyway.)

Then came this week.

And that's when it hit me (on Sunday night) that it had been a long time since I'd, well..ummm...gone. I wasn't sure how long, but I couldn't remember and from what I could remember it was already at the very least 5 days. Not good. So on Monday morning, I called the doctor and she told me to increase fiber (which I was already doing with shredded wheat and prunes...yes, I was getting desperate), to try colace and milk of magnesia.

And so on Monday evening, I found myself sitting across from Andrew, eating my prunes, taking my colace and milk of magnesia and wondering how I could possibly have gone from 30 to 85 overnight. I specifically remember telling Andrew that I was really not planning on having to do any of this until I was much, much older. We were laughing then.

By very early Tuesday morning, there was no more laughing. There were, however, tears. I comtemplated the fact that I may have an impacted bowel, considered another ER run and called the doctor again. Finally, after many trying hours, there was relief...and a clogged toilet...my first in nearly 9 years of married life.

Yes, that evening, as we worked together to unclog the toilet, we were laughing again, but it was definitely not my proudest moment.