Can you guess where I am then?
Lots has happened since my last post as you can probably tell from the
picture. I had a couple of half written posts and each time I went back to them
they were now out of date as things had moved on so much. This could become quite an essay but I will try and summarise and come back to the details another time.
I’ll tell you the outcome first and then work backwards so as not to leave you all in suspense! At the moment the baby plan is to induce me next Friday 25th
May (I never expected a May baby!)
when I will be 35 weeks pregnant. The reason being is that as well as the
concerns over the baby’s growth they are also worried that a drop in my insulin
requirements recently could indicate that my placenta might be starting to
fail. So best to get him out but it’s all about timings, not too early and not
too late – a bit like a nice joint of roast beef.
I came to the hospital on Tuesday for my regular appointment with the
obstetrics team and also for another growth scan. The scan results weren’t too
alarming, when I looked at the graph relating to his tummy size of course it
had increased but it hadn’t gone steeply vertical it had progressed along on an
upward curve. Estimated fetal weight was 6lb 9oz, I had in my head between
6-7lbs, so just under 2lbs weight gain since the last scan nearly four weeks
ago.
In my obstetrics appointment I explained that over the last five days I had
reduced my basal doses by 40% across the board as my BGs just seemed to be
dropping and I was having to eat quite a few extra sweets and snacks without
insulin to maintain normal levels. I hadn’t thought in depth about this to be
honest, I had thought it was a little early for my requirements to be leveling
off and had a fleeting thought as to whether I could actually be further along
in my pregnancy than I thought. They said I wouldn't be that far ahead, a few days maybe but not a few weeks. There were a few discussions about my blood
sugars etc and then the words I knew may come before I even reached 36 weeks
‘we’re going to admit you’. I savoured my last hour and went and got a coffee
and made some calls before heading up to the maternity ward. Even though I know my
hospital quite well I had never ventured up to here before and it felt very
much like when you arrive at a hotel and need to work out where everything is. What was ironic was that we were booked to do our maternity ward tour later that day, I didn't need one now I was going to experience it for real! Within a few hours I had been passed from pillar to post and finally settled in the third bed they put me in and it was there I stayed until this morning.
On Tuesday afternoon I was given my first dose of steroids via
injection in order to speed up the baby’s lung development. I was also put onto
a sliding scale of insulin (I think I will probably do a whole post or should I say vent on
sliding scales later!) and taken off my pump, my BGs were then monitored every
hour and the sliding scale adjusted accordingly. Nothing else really happened
on Tuesday in terms of finalising the plan for birth etc. but on Wednesday
morning I was the hot topic (well that’s what I like to think) in the morning
meeting between the doctors, paediatricians and who knows who else. The report came back to me
that they wanted to hold off another week if possible and induce when I reached
35 weeks. In the meantime I was to stay in hospital to be observed and for the
baby to be monitored three times a day to check he was okay. When I pushed them
to ask if it really was necessary for me to stay in between now and the birth
they said that it was a recommendation and that they wouldn’t keep me here
unwillingly but if anything happened whilst I was away from the hospital they
wouldn’t take responsibility. It was just like the Australia saga all over again…
Being type 1 there is a chance of still birth and they threw it at me
that if anything happened when I was here I could be in theatre within minutes,
at home the outcome could be much worse so what was one week in hospital
putting it all in perspective? That doesn’t make it easy though for some reason
I long to go home even though I am only a couple of miles down the road!
There’s loads more to tell and lots of updates for those interested in
all the diabetes details but I’ll leave it there for now and let you digest. Blogging from
hospital isn’t impossible but with no wi-fi I will now venture off to find
myself a little wi-fi spot so I can post this online. One week from today it
should all be happening and unless anything changes I will keep you well posted
in the meantime.
P.S. This photo is already out of date they have moved me again since I took this, now on bed no. 5!
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