Even though I was warned I was amazed at how much paperwork was involved. SO much information to take in at once! I was weighed - very discretely I might add, my height was measured, blood pressure taken (larger cuff needed - don't be embarrassed to ask for once as apparently if you have the small cuff and it is too tight it can give a false result. I then had to pop off and produce a urine sample then finally they took three vials of blood- very painlessly thank god!
I now have my "Blue Book" to look after and produce at all my appointments!
It all went relatively straightforward until I had to mention my medical history. Five years ago I had a Pulmonary Embolism - a blood clot that formed in my leg and travelled to my lungs - resulting in a spell in hospital, 6 months on warfarin and never being able to take the contraceptive pill again. I was aware that pregnancy increases the risk of blood clots but I wasn't expecting it to be a major issue for me. On this basis alone I had been put under hospital care as well to monitor me - not sure what extra tests or appointments I will need at this stage -but I had to mention the long haul flight I am due to take this weekend for business which if I'm honest I am quite nervous about.
I am flying to Hong Kong, then to India and then back to London, with a short flight in between to Eastern China. Ever since my PE I have had to be extra careful when flying - taking aspirin three days before and after, wearing flight socks, drinking lots of fluid, leg exercises and walking around as much as possible. I can never really fall asleep or sit or lay awkwardly. I now insist on business class seats which they weren't overly happy about but the bosses go business and they have no health issues!! Typical!!
But for this trip things are different. After my consultation the midwife checked with one of the doctors about me flying, he wasn't willing to commit to anything and so later today I received a phone call from another doctor who had been in touch with the Haematology department at my local hospital to speak to one of the consultants there! The verdict was that I am now considered a very high risk of blood clots and if I do fly then there is a high risk of developing a clot which could end up giving me a heart attack. I tried to take this all in as at the time I was tucked in a corner at work just about to go into a meeting. I know that she was just making me aware of the risks, but she also scared the living daylights out of me. Before I go I have to go back to my GP and have instructions on some blood thinning injections they will give me to take with me. I'm not sure exactly what I am injecting yet - it wasn't Warfarin or Heparin, it was something I haven't come across before.
I'm still reeling a little as I didn't expect such a big reaction, maybe I was being naive. Part of me is wanting to try and get out of the trip but the other part is thinking that this must be an over-reaction and everyone is being over cautious. I have had to cancel one of these trips before, 5 years ago when I became ill and I remember the upheaval and extra expense I caused and I stupidly worry about causing this hassle again. But I know that my main priority should be my baby's health and my health also - not work. It's a hard habit to break, I have given so much of my life to my job over the past 10 years, so much so that I have put off getting married and having kids! But now it feels like this is the last time my job will take priority over my private life.
Shortly after I get back I will be 12 weeks and I can tell everyone at work, but to cancel the trip now I will have to say why and accept the consequences thereafter!
So that's where I am today, feel like I've vented a little too much - sorry!
Anyway here are my measurements for this week -
Bust - 51 inches (-0.5)
Waist - 48 inches - no change
Hips - 56 inches - no change
Weight - +0.3kg
Symptoms
- queasiness - especially in the morning when cleaning my teeth and when looking at meat
- bad hair still
- some spots
- can now feel a harder area just below my belly button - nothing to see yet though.
And finally the weekly shots - do I look any different yet?
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| 8 weeks side view |
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| 8 weeks plan view |
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