Another hurdle... hurdled

Well, yet another thing has gone our way! Despite dealing with the bitchy OB and bloodwork confusion, we went ahead with the NT scan as scheduled. I, of course, was just excited to possibly get really good pics of the baby, but my brain simply would not think about the part that involved the genetic issues they were truly looking for as the purpose for this test. Unavoidable as it is, Justin and I sat with the genetic counselor beforehand and listened to her walk through our family histories and come to the estimation that there were no red flags... other than my age. As usual. Cuz I'm sooo old.  *eye roll*

So, off we go to the ultrasound room. This was by far the coolest moment in the pregnancy to date. The baby was moving all around and stretching out its skinny little legs (just like Mom and Dad, lol!) and waving and yawning(?). Too cool for words, but still surreal. She gives us her semi-professional guess at what we're having (though it is admittedly too early to say with certainty at only 12 weeks) and prints out some awesome shots for us to take home and add to our collection:

J says it looks like s/he is saying, "feed me!" Accurate, considering how hungry I've been.

After staring in amazement as the tech took the necessary measurements, it was back to the waiting room to hear the results of the scan plus bloodwork. After what seemed like a painfully long wait (really, probably less than ten minutes), we went back to the genetic counselor's office. Before we could get in the door, she said everything looked great! Whew! Apparently, my labs and the 1.5mm measurement of the nuchal fold (anything over 3mm is cause for concern, it's the fluid at the back of the neck) gave us such slim odds of Downs Syndrome and Trisomy 18 (which is fatal), that they were literally off the chart! I am so grateful for such definitive results so we don't have to make any tough decisions on whether or not to do more invasive testing. Now we will switch to the new OB on March 9th and get the anatomy scan at the end of March. That'll be half way already!!!

As for me, I am feeling pretty darn good. I have my moments where I am still worried that something will go wrong (I got a home doppler cheap from a friend today, but am so scared to use it and not find a heartbeat), but otherwise, I love window shopping / nursery plotting on Pinterest and looking cute in my maternity gear. I am already up 6 pounds! Leggings and dresses are my best friends right now. I refuse to look frumpy just because my waistline is expanding. My lovely office bathroom self portrait:

I'm starting to get more energy and even had trouble napping this weekend *gasp!* But all in all, I am enjoying this crazy trip so far.

A Note to Doctors Everywhere

Dear Doctors of the World,

I am "that" patient. You know the one. The one that you like, but also dread dealing with.

Perceived Positives:

• I am not afraid to make an appointment to get help if I am sick.

• I am open to alternative treatments, but understand that sometimes a Z-pack makes life simpler.

• I trust your judgement and education, but also like to be my own advocate.

• I know a good bit about the kind of care I need and what options are available, so every little thing doesn't have to be explained.

Potential Negatives:

• I may know too much for my own good. I blog, I google, I ask friends and family for advice. This usually leads to me asking a lot of questions which you may or may not have expected / have time for. I still expect you to answer them and not shoo me out the door. I have been the patient waiting in the other room for my turn and I fully understand that my wait time may be caused by someone asking a lot of questions, and I am fine with that. I don't really care if the patient after me gets this or not. 

• I expect YOU to know what I need to know. If something needs to be done, tell me. I cannot read minds and have no medical degree like you do to fall back on.

• Miscommunications happen, but it should be safe to assume affiliated offices know each other are up to. If there is a difference of opinion and it creates a problem for me, then YOU need to fix it. You are my doctor, so again, that's your job.

If any of the "negatives" are a problem for you, then you can watch my ass walk right out the door to the rival clinic.

Today's PSA is brought to you by a crappy obstetrician who just got fired.

Back story: Everything went beautifully at my appointment on Monday, including a quick ultrasound that showed a happy Jellybean wiggling!

Today I took time from work to have my TB test "read". This took all of 5 minutes and involved me showing her that my arm had not ballooned or turned funky colors in the last three days. As I waited, I got a call from the genetics center regarding my NT Scan, which is scheduled for Friday and must be done before I hit 14 weeks. She claimed I have not had all my blood work done. As she listed said tests, I noticed that they were simple ones that had been done ages ago (blood type, etc.) that should already be in the computer system. When I ask why this needs to be done and why I was not told about it or given a lab slip when I was at my first OB appointment TWO DAYS AGO, the doctor says, "you told me you did that already, so that's not MY fault". Wrong, I told her I did the First Trimester screening bloodwork that was ordered as part of the NT Scan. I don't have a clue what these labs are about. When I explain this and the fact that I cannot go to the lab right this second, as was not-so-politely suggested, because I was due at work hours ago, I am met with, "yet you're wasting time here now?" Nice, right?