First: we went to our first doctor's appointment when I was 5 weeks gestation. I was a nervous wreck. Everything went as good as could be expected...while we were there. My phone rang a few hours after I left and it was my doctor. He told me he was looking over my labs and that I have a genetic blood clotting disorder, Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase. Abbreviated MTHFR, which looks like mother effer. So at my house, we affectionately call my little problem Mother Trucker Disease. It was an amazing coincidence that I was even tested for it. It is a fairly new diagnosis that has just been being tested for in the last few years.
Here's how I came to be a mother trucker: I was on day 21 of my cycle and I was supposed to have a panel of labs drawn to make sure my hormones were in check and that my progesterone/clomid regimen was doing the job. I got to work an hour early, called to my doctor's office, and asked them to fax my lab orders to me so I could go to the lab and have my blood drawn. They never came. I called again, waited again, and never got my lab orders. Later that night after I had clocked in and was doing the whole nurse thing, my doctor came by to check on some patients. He wrote my lab orders for me then. We both sat there scratching our heads to make sure we checked everything we could think of since I was getting stuck, better make it worth while. Ironically I was taking care of a lady that night who had MTHFR and my doctor suggested, what the heck, lets check you for that while you have a needle in your arm. 2 weeks later....SURPRISE, I'm a mother trucker.
So what does this mean? Well to begin with it means I am incredibly blessed. Most people with MTHFR don't find out they have the disorder until they have suffered multiple miscarriages. It is a miracle that I was able to be diagnosed in my first pregnancy. Secondly, it means my body does not make the MTHFR enzyme, this causes my body not to metabolize folic acid (which is uber important for a gal's fertility and pregnancy health and for a growing lil fetus...google it.) This increases the risk of birth defects thus increasing the risk of miscarriage. Also, my blood clots too much. And in undiagnosed women with MTHFR they can be carrying a healthy baby, a blood clot forms, passes through the placenta, and results in pregnancy loss.
My treatment: not too bad. I have to take 8 pills a day. Which is pretty good, some women end up having to do blood thinning shots their whole pregnancy. My pills include a prenatal vitamin, DHA (for brain and eye development of HHBH), 4 folic acid pills, an aspirin (to thin my blood), and a colace-lovingly known to me as my "poop pill" constipation ain't no joke.
So to all the people who told me stupid stuff like "relax and you'll get pregnant", or "get drunk", or "exercise more" if I hadn't been an uptight person about my lack of menstruation and ovulation I would have never known that I have MTHFR. And this pregnancy most likely wouldn't have had a happy ending. God made me uptight for a reason. He always takes care of this girl, even when I don't deserve such love.
No nausea to complain of, except when I put in my retainer. I have been eating like a horse. So by the time HHBH is here, I will be fat and buck toothed. Yay!
And now here are some updated fat chronicle pictures. Enjoy. And pray for us y'all, still a little scary being a mother trucker.
Peace. Love. Mother Trucker.
