"New" Health Problems...

WARNING: TODAY'S BLOG ENTRY MIGHT BE TMI (TOO MUCH INFORMATION) FOR SOME. SO IF YOU DO NOT WANT TO KNOW PERSONAL INFORMATION, DISCONTINUE YOUR READING NOW.

Okay, here we go. I am going to make the beginning of the story fairly short. I could go into more detail, but I don't think it is needed. Thursday night I was nauseated, had diarrhea, and was throwing up. Friday morning I was nauseated, had diarrhea, and now had a sharp pain in my right lower abdominal region. Not a good combination. I went into work to have my boss look at me (I work in a doctor's office, remember?). I had talked to her the night before about the diarrhea and nausea, but the vomiting and sharp pain were new. Once she heard about that, she was concerned about my appendix. She did a couple of tests and only one came back positive. Still worried, we decided that I needed an abdominal and pelvic ultrasound to rule out appendicitis and cysts on my ovaries. Now the real story begins.

I was able to get in for the ultrasound that same day. While doing the ultrasound, they were not able to find my appendix or free standing fluids. This was a good sign; at least my appendix had not burst or was not inflamed. They also said my ovaries looked good, no sign of cysts on either one. Now the tough part. While looking at my uterus, they discovered that my cervix was open, normally it is not supposed to be. Also they discovered what is called a "Bicornuate Uterus" or a "Double Horned Uterus". It is easier to show than to explain what it is, so here is a picture:




The top image in the picture is that of a normal uterus. The bottom image is a Bicornuate Uterus or what I have. From what they could tell, mine was a complete bicornuate uterus, meaning my uterus is not one chamber until just above the cervix. This is a birth defect so it is something I was born with and did not do anything to cause it.

Now the problems with both of these discoveries. With an open cervix I have no problem getting pregnant, but staying pregnant. The cervix is there to help keep the fetus in the uterus. So when they talk about a pregnant woman being dilated, it is her cervix they are talking about. It is stretching/opening to allow the baby's head through. Now this can be fixed. They can "sew" it shut once I am pregnant to increase the chances of a full term baby.

The biggest issue is with the bicornuate uterus. Here are the problems that can arise with it:
1. Recurrent pregnancy loss
2. Preterm birth
3. Malpresentation

So in layman's terms the risks are:
1. Higher chance for miscarriage due to the lack of room in the uterus for the baby to grow (miscarriage is more likely to occur in the 2nd trimester)
2. Higher chance for the baby to be born premature, which also decreases the chances of the baby's survival (if born too early)
3. A breech or transverse birth, meaning the baby is not head down in the birthing canal due to the lack of room to move

Now my uterus can be surgically fixed, but most doctors will not recommend this and will not do it (so I have read).

While this may be a very dark cloud over my world right now, there is a silver lining. I have read about many women with this same defect that have had multiple healthy births. Studies show there is about a 60% live birth rate for women with bicornuate uteri.

What's my next step? I am going into an Ob/Gyn to discuss fertility and my Bicornuate Uterus. We will just have to wait and see what my options are. Until next time...

So far...

Okay, so far we are 22 days into 2010. The year started out with me finding my first WHITE hair. I know, I am waaaaay too young, but there it was on the top of my head; gleaming and shimmering, waiting for me to find it. Not the way you want to start out a new year. Especially the year you leave your 20s and become more of an "adult".

Besides my horrific find, we started out with Bill's throat problem being almost completely dissolved. He went in and had his throat stretched again on the 7th. They were hoping to stretch it to 10mm (half the size of a normal person's throat). Once in there, they were able to get it to 12mm (that made the Dr's day)! They were also able to get the scope into his stomach, a feet they were nowhere close to achieving the first time. Let's just say Bill is a new man when it comes to eating.

We also finally got internet at home! So at the suggestion of the Nice One, I will try and update my blog more frequently. I make no promises, but I will try. Until next time...

Long time no Blog...

So I know it has been quite awhile since I last wrote on here. It doesn't help that I don't have the internet at home so I have to try and update this at work. Well a lot has happened since July, lets see if I can get everyone caught up.

Bill has been having some trouble healthwise the last couple of months. If you don't know, he has to chew his food to death just so he can swallow it. He has a history of choking if he doesn't pulverize the food. Well one night he was eating cereal and began to choke on it. WARNING!!!! Graffic content... to dislodge the food he forces himself to throw up. Anyway, after he threw up, he still struggled to drink water. This lasted for a couple of days before he decided he needed to be seen for it. Bill came into the doctor's office and was given various Rxs to see if they would help. They thought he might have a bad case of acid reflux, but after speaking with a specialist, they wanted him to get his throat scoped. So Bill went in, low and behold, they found an almond sliver lodged in his throat. They also found that his throat was the size of a straw. Most people's throats are 2cm (or 20mm) and Bill's was 3-4mm. Pretty much the size of a 2 yr old's throat. So he was given some medication to help "open up" his throat and also had his throat stretched. We go back in to have his throat looked at in a couple of weeks. Fingers-crossed the meds work and his throat has reached 8-10mm (the celebration size).

We also have a new addition to our family. He was born on July 30, 2009 with brown curly hair and blue eyes. His name is Bodee and he is a Chesapeake Bay Retriever (had ya fooled, didn't I?). He and Mick act just like brothers. One minute they are cuddling up to each other and the next they are wrestling around and fighting. Bodee has been a fun addition to our little family. He has quite the personality and just loves to be loved.

Our house is slowly coming together. I haven't done much painting since May so some of our walls are still multi-colored. I have finally hung some things on the walls so they are not quite a bare as they were. Give me another year or so and I might get the hallway done.

Anyway, I think that is enough for now. I will try to be better about updating this more often, but I make no promises. Until next time...