-12 weeks...or is it more like 8 or 9?

Yesterday was my 28 week appointment. The doctor that I saw I thought was just the head guy in the practice, but now that I'm looking at the website, he is the Division Chief of Maternal Fetal Medicine and Vice-Chair of Administrative Affairs. Apparently, he is somebody. I have mixed feelings about him. This is also the same guy who kept me in the hospital on my anniversary and refused to even check my counts.

During the appointment, I was mostly okay with him. The only thing that really stuck out in my mind as a, "Hmm, not sure about him," sign was that he measured my fundal height, poked Baby J, and asked about my next growth scan. Does that mean my measurements are off? Because since we started the dex 3 weeks ago and I've been on it continuously, I've lost 5 pounds. So far with this pregnancy, I'd only gained 11. I realize the baby is going to take what it needs first, but please don't look at my stomach like something is wrong with it, then ask me about a growth scan. It worries me.

We also talked about our delivery plan. He wouldn't discuss the possibility of me going into labor on my own. He said he would probably look at 36-37 weeks in conjunction with trying to get my platelets at a safe level so I could deliver. We still have to talk with anesthesiology, but the doctor said from OB's end, they would want to put an epidural line in, just in case a Cesarean is needed. I didn't realize that it works just like an IV, where it is a catheter and they don't have to administer the meds unless I want them. He seemed to think it would be a long labor, and I thought, "Well duh, if the baby's not ready to come at that time, it's going to take longer." I don't want him delivering my baby though. There are several other doctors in the practice I've seen and would be 100% fine with delivering me. Hopefully, if they schedule me over the holidays, one of them will be the doctor who drew the short stick for duty that week.

He wants me to monitor my blood pressure at home, because it was high in clinic. He said he could tell I was nervous, and I know it's a combination of things: 1)I hate having my blood pressure taken. From all those years of IVIG and continuous vital monitoring, I have had more bruises and petechaie from blood pressure cuffs than I care to count. 2)I get nervous in their office because I'm excited just to be there and be pregnant. 3)Does he remember that I'm the one who had a major meltdown? 4)I'm on steroids. Everything goes nuts when you're on steroids.

Also, I called and my blood sugar was slightly elevated. Now we have to schedule a 3 hour test. I'm trying to call somewhere down here to have it done, so I don't have to go back to Duke just for a test. The frustrating thing is that I'm sure it's from the Dex. It's a trade off, platelets vs. GD risk...Thankfully my counts were 85k yesterday, so that's a step in the right direction.