21.5 weeks

It's A....

Girl!  We have two precious boys, and now a little girl to add to our family.  We are very thankful.

On the pain front, things are going pretty well.  Sometimes I even forget to take Tylenol on a regular basis.  I still take it at least once a day and once at night (along with nighttime Flexeril), but I no longer wake in the nights in pain - and nighttime pain wakings were every single night in the first trimester.  My guess is that everything is loosening up here in the second trimester with all the hormones flowing.  I am back in PT since my appendectomy, but I can tell I lost ground in the strengthening area while I was out.  I have been doing some neural flossing, but not enough.  I would probably get better results if I did it twice a day, but I haven't been.

On Thanksgiving, I did a lot of standing, cooking and cleaning, just on Tylenol, and the pain level was very manageable.  I hope this continues through the third trimester, but I'm not taking any chances.  I'm going to keep up my PT the whole time and also monitor my activity level to make sure I don't overdo it.  Driving, shopping, and sitting for extended periods are still the most painful things I do, so I have to be sure not to compound these activities too much in any 24-hour period.

Surgery

I had an appendectomy last week without knowing that I had appendicitis. It was a gut-wrenching decision because of the risk of miscarriage. Ultimately, after a couple hours discussion and a lot of tears, we decided to trust the judgment of the surgeon, because my symptoms were definitely not demonstrative, and they couldn't do any standard tests because I'm pregnant. The nurses all gathered around and prayed for me and the baby before the surgery, which was very comforting. Well, the post-op labs just came back today, and the tests on my appendix show that I did indeed have acute appendicitis. My surgeon was so funny, she said, "I was so stoked!"

However, now I'm out of PT for two more weeks, since it's so much ab work.  I will try to do some gentle stretches starting tomorrow or this weekend though, so I won't lose all my work completely.

Kicker

I felt the baby move the first time at 14 weeks.  Super exciting!  I feel him/her almost every night now, between 7 and 9 p.m.

In physical therapy, I can definitely tell I'm getting stronger, and my PT is pleased with my progress in that area.  But the pain level has not decreased yet.  I am still only good until about noon every day.  I will be discussing other pain medications with my OB, because she said I'm overdoing the Tylenol.  Tylenol doesn't last and when it wears off, I'm non-functional.  So I will be speaking with her tomorrow when I go in for lab work.

Delivery

So the question I keep getting is: will you be able to have a vaginal delivery after iFuse?  After speaking with my OB today, and then calling my ortho to verify, it looks like the answer is YES.  Of course, there is a 10-20% increased chance of needing a c-section, and my OB will make that call when the time comes.  I am nervous about causing further damage or hurting my hips or left SI, but as things progress I will simply be open with my OB about my concerns.  She seems very understanding and open to dialogue, and of course I am her first case like this.  She doesn't seem to think that my pain level will get too bad either, in the third trimester.  Well, time will tell on that one, ha!  But she did *highly* recommend a support brace "sooner rather than later."  Good call.

Sore

PT is kicking my butt.  Literally -- my butt is very sore.  Soreness, meaning the sore feeling you get after working out, has come.  I think I need to back off just a tad in order to keep up the schedule and also be able to function in my roles as wife, mom, substitute teacher, and volunteer.  And when I say "back off" I just mean in number of reps and such, until my body grows more accustomed to the pace.  I'm also wanting them to get into neural flossing with me - which the PT mentioned at eval time but hasn't done in session yet. 

So far, so good.

PT Evaluation

Went to PT today, finally.  She did lots of tests and was very knowledgeable, and clearly respected that I knew my body.  After several tests, she concluded that my sciatic nerve is being pinched/strangled, and I concur.  It makes sense, since the botox in my piriformis relieved my pain so much.  Just can't have botox right now.  And, I don't want to be on botox the rest of my life anyway!  So, she wants me to stop walking for now, especially since my gait will be changing significantly through the pregnancy, and instead get a recumbent bike.  Will be trying it out in PT first before investing, because she wasn't absolutely sure on that one yet, since I'm the first pregnant, si-fused patient she's had, lol!  And of course she will be giving me stretches and exercises for strengthening.  I feel better after today!