Hospital Tour
Dan and I have been meaning to take the tour of Roosevelt hospital that is offered for a few weeks now. Well, we got the tour early this week,but it wasn't an organized tour, it was because I was in the hospital for 2 days.
I have been itching all over like crazy for the past 1.5 weeks and have only been sleeping 1-2 hours/night. On Monday morning I decided to call my Dr. and let him know about my itching symptom. He told me over the phone it could be a liver problem and to go take some blood tests at the hospital he works at and he was making rounds later that day and would look at the results.
I took the blood tests and there was evidence of liver damage that was occuring.
Basically my Dr. is 99.9% sure that I have a liver problem that occurs during pregnancy called cholestasis. The only real sign that you have it is extreme itching (like I had)
It is caused by my body's inability to process estrogen which causes a bile salt buildup in my blood and it goes away after you deliver. He is waiting to get one test back (will have it on Friday) before he can confirm the diagnosis. I will be monitored very closely and most babies are delivered around 36-37 weeks after all their body parts like the brain and lungs are developed because it isn't good for the baby to be around so much bile.
I had to spend 2 days in the hospital because when I first went in for testing they thought I might have HELLP. (severe preclampsia) Luckily I do not have this. If I had this, they were discussing inducing my labor this week! I was not prepared to have Alexander this week, so I am sooo glad that I don't have this.
Anyway, so it looks like I have cholestasis (will be verified this Friday) I am still insanely itchy and I may deliver a month early (fine with me!)
So that was the grand hospital tour..and I have to say that the hospital is fine and the staff is great!!BUT I hope that I won't be back until I am ready to deliver. :)
I have been itching all over like crazy for the past 1.5 weeks and have only been sleeping 1-2 hours/night. On Monday morning I decided to call my Dr. and let him know about my itching symptom. He told me over the phone it could be a liver problem and to go take some blood tests at the hospital he works at and he was making rounds later that day and would look at the results.
I took the blood tests and there was evidence of liver damage that was occuring.
Basically my Dr. is 99.9% sure that I have a liver problem that occurs during pregnancy called cholestasis. The only real sign that you have it is extreme itching (like I had)
It is caused by my body's inability to process estrogen which causes a bile salt buildup in my blood and it goes away after you deliver. He is waiting to get one test back (will have it on Friday) before he can confirm the diagnosis. I will be monitored very closely and most babies are delivered around 36-37 weeks after all their body parts like the brain and lungs are developed because it isn't good for the baby to be around so much bile.
I had to spend 2 days in the hospital because when I first went in for testing they thought I might have HELLP. (severe preclampsia) Luckily I do not have this. If I had this, they were discussing inducing my labor this week! I was not prepared to have Alexander this week, so I am sooo glad that I don't have this.
Anyway, so it looks like I have cholestasis (will be verified this Friday) I am still insanely itchy and I may deliver a month early (fine with me!)
So that was the grand hospital tour..and I have to say that the hospital is fine and the staff is great!!BUT I hope that I won't be back until I am ready to deliver. :)
3 Comments:
Thanks for the update. We're sorry that you, Dan and Alexander have to go through this! We can't wait for Alexander to arrive, though. :) Take good care of yourself.
-dad and mom (we really DO need to decide on grand-y names soon...)
Having watched Bethany with this "liver itch" we feel so sad for you. It is so good to know it will soon end! We will be praying for you two and Baby Alexander, and can't wait to see you - all three.
We love you.
Sounds eerily familiar. Bad memories.
[Although I'm a bit jealous you get to deliver early. The last month can get kind of uncomfortable... (understatement?)]
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