35 weeks and a little heart drama...

So there is that baby bump! Although, I am posting this 2 weeks late and let me say, I am BIGGER than just two weeks ago and in this photo! So...the drama? Well, pretty sure you all will know this pregnancy has been a little more eventful with some minor challenges and concerns. Near the end of week 34, my pulse rate had spiked and despite my efforts to bring it down, it continued to stay above the normal range. I was at my parents house near the end of that week and decided I better call as for 3 days the symptoms were not going away and that is when they said to notify them. So, from Portland I call my Hood River OB's office.

Within an hour they called back and said I needed to see a specialist right away in Portland! Thank the Lord, my dad was not working that day!!!!!!! I quickly got all the info, filled my dad in on what Lacy would need, and we jumped into the car to make my appointment. I see the specialist, he checks me out and listens to me explain what is going on. I am thinking, he was going to tell me that these symptoms are not ideal and they would just keep a close eye on me.

WRONG. I was to walk right over to the hospital for an EKG, heart ultra sound, and the worst part, chest xrays!! I about fell over. I asked him are you SURE I need all this? Are you SURE the xray is safe?????? Since my heart rate was high(with little activity, like standing to put makeup on it was 140-150, who know when I started walking!) they needed to make sure my heart tollerating all of this. Plus, with my coughing, it was needed to check for fluid in my lungs. Crazy.

So, off I go to the hospital, stunned to stay the least for all my tests. Thankfully, each department I hardly even sat down before I was called in for each test. The whole ordeal took about 5 hours, SO glad I did not have to worry about Lacy during it all. Poor Eddy was slammed with work back in Hood River. BUT, there was no need at that point for him to come! I told him unless something went wrong, he stay where he was really needed-that was hard for him.

The results? All the tests came back great. Both the specialist and my OBs were not thrilled however that a cause was not found. Just being pregnant was not a good enough reason for them. But, we did know that my heart was tollerating the circumstances just fine, despite the systems. They did find that my thyroid was SLIGHTLY low.

My options were to be put on heart medication that would slow my heart rate and also thyroid medication. They were a little hesitant with the thyroid meds as it could go either way and by boosting my thyroid it could relax and slow my heart, OR it would just pump up my system and make it beat even faster. Thankfully the docs were in agreement with me and unless myself or the baby were in danger, to just let things be. They would not put me on bed rest if I was super safe and took it easy(ah....that was kind of hard!). I knew if my heart rate reached 160 and did not come down after laying down and drinking water, I was to go to the ER. It never hit that point:)

So, I continued on...and will post another update after the 37 week photo from this weekend. Yup, that's right. We've hit full term! It's gone by so fast!