My weekly doctor's appointment was made for 3:45 pm Friday afternoon with a quick follow up of a regularly scheduled NST at Anderson at 4:30 pm.
My driver (also known as Chris the husband) drove me to the first appointment and patiently waited with me. Finally at 4:15,I walked to the window to tell them I needed to skip the doctor's visit, skip the NST, or come up with another idea. The staff decided to do the NST in the office while I waited for the midwife to be ready to see me. Finally some where around 5:00 (I lost track of time being annoyed about the lack of ability to run an efficient office), the midwife finally saw me.
When my blood pressure was checked it was something like 130/92. My cutoff for acceptable blood pressure is 140/90. You can obviously see that I was 2 points over the diastolic which is allowable. Despite the fact I had just done an NST, the midwife sent me to the hospital for another (as well as another 24 hour urine test). Needless to say, my anger was above that which should be allowable during pregnancy.
Now I know there are those of you that say 'better safe than sorry', and typically I would agree. I prefer to be conservative. However, I also don't believe in testing someone UNTIL you find something wrong. If the tests you did within the two weeks before were fine (at least 5 different tests), and all of the NST's that had been done (even as of 5 minutes before seeing the midwife) were fine...maybe take a moment to recheck my blood pressure. Maybe take time to notice the pattern of high BP at the office and low BP everywhere else. Maybe listen to the patient.
Now, if you know me at all, you know I don't handle stress well. It makes me angry and depressed, both equally raising my BP. I was so upset with the situation I couldn't get words out of my mouth, my BP was EXTREMELY high (and it wouldn't have been if I they simply let me be on my way), and then of course there was the blessing in disguise...I got to yell at one of the midwives. Yell at her I did! I felt a lot better after that. It got me admitted to the hospital for a lovely overnight stay, and it did get to allow me to prove to the doctor/midwife that I was in fact NOT lying about high BP at the office, low BP everywhere else.
Chris was with me for the evening and morning, and my mom came to sit with me over night. I was only there for observation, and thus far, all tests performed have come back fine. I have yet to finish my 24 hour urine, the final flaming hoop to jump through before my follow up visit with the midwife on Monday or Tuesday. For the record I am on MODIFIED bed rest at 35 weeks. There is no indication that I am having contractions, that I have effaced, or that I am dilated. The baby is good. I am still pissy.
Greatest part of the story, getting to come home and snuggle with my dogs. It's always a welcome reunion coming home to dogs that had to miss an overnight snuggle session with mom!
[post script] - Many of you have commented to Chris with well wishes and suggestions. I appreciate these very much. With that said, please don't be upset if I didn't respond to you personally, or if I allow myself to take all instructional suggestions with as much/little approval as possible. While I am not a doctor, I know my body better than any doctor, I know when my BP is high because I'm stressed vs. when I feel ill. I rest when I can, which is most of the time these days, and I do what I need to do otherwise. If/when I overdo it, I know it and I take a break, I lay down, or I call the doctor/nurses with my concerns. I'm not out there willy-nilly being non-compliant because I want to be a bitch of a patient, I do what I need to do to get by one day at a time. We each have our method of coping, and those are often very different. But, again, I can't thank you enough for taking the time to care and offer suggestions for when I'm ready to listen.
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