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Tuesday, April 24, 2007

And I thought AMA was bad!

A few posts ago I talked about how my diagnosis of "Advanced Maternal Age" was a bit degrading. Well.
I finally got the lab bill for the amnio in January and out of curiosity, I looked up the ICD-9 codes. Those are the International Classification of Diseases, commonly used by insurance companies. Mine were:
  1. Elderly multigravida (woman pregnant for at least the third time)
  2. Habitual aborter
  3. Antepartum Diabetes mellitus

Boy, that brings to mind an ugly visual, doesn't it? Like a decrepit old woman huddled in a dark, dirty back alley somewhere.


I am sure I will get flamed by lazy googler's - Habitual aborter is "a rather insensitive term for a woman who has repeated miscarriages."
In that line-up - Diabetes is my FAVORITE diagnosis!

In other news:
My persistent non-productive cough has morphed into a painfully major sore throat. On Friday I was negative for strep, but today it is so much worse, I may get re-tested, just because strep can be so dangerous for baby. I got some narcotic decent prescription cough syrup yesterday after trying to work most of the day. I am now committed to rest and lots of fluids until I get better. Maile has been much less active which alarms me.
I am up at 3:00 am due to this condition. Apparently swallowing becomes so painful as the meds wear off, that it wakes me up.
My sugars are fluctuating wildly - not only due to the illness and meds, I suspect, but because the only appealing foods are carbs - of course. I am so thankful I got the humalog pen last endo visit, at least I can bring them back into line quickly.
My HbA1C came back at 5.6 - a slight increase from my 5.5 the last couple of months.

1 comment:

Deby said...

Hi Ottoette!

I left a message yesterday, but didn't have an account so I couldn't publish it.

So, in a nutshell (and I hope it works this time), I understand your concerns about this pregnancy.

Twenty four years ago at my 24 week appointment, my doctor was unable to find a heartbeat. They wanted me to deliver the fetus naturally and sent me home. 3 weeks later nothing had happened so they induced labor. It was a devastating time in my life.

Seven months later I suffered a tubal pregnancy that required surgery and left me with only one functional tube.

Nearly a year later I became pregnant with my oldest son. I was a nervous wreck the whole nine months! But he was born full term, healthy and beautiful! We named him Nathaniel (Gift of God) David (beloved) because he was....both.

Two years later his brother was born, but not without complications. I was home for the first six weeks attached to an IV pole! Adam Daniel was born as his brother; full term, healthy and beautiful!

6 weeks to the day of his birth I was back in an operating room getting my remaining tube tied. I was just sure if I got pregnant again it would be the death of both of us. I have never regretted my decision.

Today my boys are 21 and 19, big stapping young men!

I wish the same for you, that you enjoy both of your children and never regret what might have been.

I love keeping up with you and am so glad you offered the link from your 3fatchicks journal to this blog.