Severe Itching, A Muddy Fall, and Ruined Gauchos

My day yesterday was probably one of the worst ones I've had since being pregnant. Let me give you a little recap...I can now look back and laugh-but I still get upset thinking about it. haha.

For the past month or so I have had SEVERE itching all over my body. At first it was localized and I would rub some Aveeno lotion on me to make myself feel better. Now it is so bad that lotion won't help, Claritin and Benadryl won't help (which the doctor told me to try), and the itching is not only on the outside of my body, but it's also this burning/itching sensation inside of me. So, I went for my 35 wk checkup and told him all about it. Before I get into that, let me say that I got really excited b/c the doc said she is doing wonderful, he felt her "noggin" as he called it, and he said she has dropped some and is just hanging out and waiting. That really pumped me up!! :)

Now, getting back to the itching. The doctor said it could just be that I have really bad pregnancy itching (which some women have) or I could have this condition called: Cholestasis of Pregnancy. I don't process information well, so I am about to copy and paste what this is:
"Some women experience a very severe itching in late pregnancy. The most common cause of this is cholestasis, a common liver disease that only happens in pregnancy. Cholestasis of pregnancy is a condition in which the normal flow of bile in the gallbladder is affected by the high amounts of pregnancy hormones. Pregnancy hormones affect gallbladder function, resulting in slowing or stopping the flow of bile. The gallbladder holds bile that is produced in the liver, which is necessary in the breakdown of fats in digestion. When the bile flow is stopped or slowed down, this causes a build up of bile acids in the liver which can spill into the bloodstream. A developing baby relies on the mother’s liver to remove bile acids from the blood; therefore, the elevated levels of maternal bile cause stress on the baby’s liver. Women with cholestasis should be monitored closely and serious consideration should be given to inducing labor once the baby’s lungs have reached maturity. "

So, all of that being said, it's not good for the baby if a woman has this. My doctor told me that if I do have this condition then it would change the way these last few weeks go (meaning I would probably go in twice a week to check the baby instead of once, and he would probably want to take the baby early). He then sent me to the hospital lab (where I sat forever) to get blood work which would determine if I had this or not. Needless to say, this did not make me very happy (I hate blood work and the thought of something being "wrong" really upset me). I am still waiting on the results and they said it would take a few days so I will keep you posted. I know everything will be okay, but I would prefer things to just be normal. If I don't have this condition (my preference of course), then I'll just have to deal with this horrible itching until she comes. I'm telling you, I cannot describe this itching and how horrible it is! I can't do anything without it affecting me (work, sleep, etc.). So please pray for this whole situation and also that this itching will stop regardless.

Okay, moving on. After all the blood work I went back to work and it really wasn't a bad work day...I just couldn't stop thinking about the possibility of all of this and I of course googled it (which is never good...you hear all the horror stories). So, I've banned myself from further research. haha. I left work and rushed home to let our dogs out so that I would be able to make the baby shower that Matt's work was throwing for us. When I got home, arms full, I decided to walk on our sidewalk to our front porch to get something off the porch... I slipped and fell in this HUGE mud pool on our walkway. I busted my left knee, ripped a hole in my FAVORITE black gaucho pants, got mud from head to toe (including my purse and items inside of my purse). Thankfully, the baby wasn't hurt, but I'm so sore today (my knee). I managed to get up and walk into the house but I was dripping mud so badly that I had to completely strip down. I didn't even know where to start cleaning up. I decided to start with my knee b/c it was gushing blood.

I'm so thankful because in the midst of my crisis and cleanup, my mom called my cell phone and the timing could not have been more perfect. I cried (and I mean wailed) on the phone to her b/c I was so emotionally drained, stressed, etc. and she immediately drove over (she is the best mom and friend ever)!!! Mom cleaned me up, washed my clothes and purse, hugged me and let me cry to her forever, took care of the pups, etc. I finally got it together and changed clothes and made it to the shower (15 minutes late...and I HATE being late). We had an amazing shower and are so blessed, so the night ended good. However, when we got home I just cried to Matt again b/c my emotions were all over the place. And worst of all, my gauchos that I wear practically every day (they aren't even maternity...just big and comfortable) are completely ruined and ripped. I've called around everywhere and no store has gauchos right now. I'm so bummed! Don't mess with a woman's wardrobe (especially a pregnant woman's). So, if anyone knows a place that is selling gauchos right now PLEASE tell me. I will buy 10 pair! :)

I am sorry to vent, but this blog is very helpful in that area haha. Thankfully, today has been a lot better. I am limping a tad, my knee hurts real bad and I'm still sad about my pants, but I am overall a happy camper. I am at peace with whatever the blood results show and I am trying to patiently wait and just trust in the Lord. Regardless if she comes early or not, she will be here very soon and I cannot wait to meet this precious child!

And by the way: everyone needs a mother like my mom. She is a lifesaver. And everyone needs a husband like mine b/c he is precious (he voluntarily rubbed my back last night, pampered me, let me cry, and most importantly just listened and understood me in the midst of my cry fests). Thank you Jesus for these precious people in my life!