Friday, August 10, 2007

Things that end in -emia

Hi all,

I would have posted more in the last week, but honestly, I've been too damn tired. Ever since I got back to Korea, my energy has been ebbing dramatically from day to day until as of Monday, I could barely crawl out of bed. I was just starting to think "this is not normal" when an email from my doctor arrived, informing me that I got an F- on my last hemoglobin test, and tanked the glucose tolerance test too. No, I don't have gestational diabetes, it seem to be rather the opposite. My blood sugar wasn't too high, but rather too low. After extensive consultation with Dr. Google, I came to the conclusion that this probably just means that I need to eat more often, and avoid sugary foods. My doctor, though, had different ideas, and made me repeat the glucose tolerance test. Have I mentioned that the syrup that they made me drink is unspeakably vile? Well, if not, it is, and it didn't get any better the second time. Luckily, I managed to register as alive the second time through, so I managed to skate with a heavy-duty iron supplement (for the anemia), and advice to eat more often (for the hypoglycemia). After only two days of iron, I'm already feeling better, so hopefully I'll be back to something approximating normal soon (well, whatever version of normal has a belly the size of Texas, anyway).

In other news, my belly button is KILLING me. Seriously. I had never imagined that a belly button could be so painful before, but mine is incredibly sore. Is this a normal part of the process whereby an "innie" becomes an "outie"?

5 comments:

Sarah said...

yikes, that sounds awful! i worry about both of those -emias since i've dealth with them both in non-pregnant times, but at least that means i'm kindda used to managing them. i'm dreading the glucose test though, sounds disgusting. hope you're feeling better with the extra iron.

Lut C. said...

I hope the medication helps the anemia.
I want to eat all the time, and if I don't I get cravings for 'FOOD - NOW!'.

I didn't know a bellybutton could hurt either.

Ladybug Ann said...

I can't remember the belly button being really sore. Ask your doc next time you see her. It could also be the lap surgery scar pulling.

Hopeful Mother said...

My bellybutton has been stretching and hurting a lot too - and now I keep getting one of the twins' feet pushing it further and further out!

I'm taking supplemental iron too - and let me tell you that eating extra fiber in the form of fruits (oranges & apples) has really helped combat the extra pleasant "effects" of iron supplementation...

Twisted Ovaries said...

My navel hurts like heck, too. I think it must be the stretching. I