Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Meet My Friend, Zofran

I hate to take medicine when I'm pregnant. I will take an occasional Tylenol if I'm really in need. I take my regular medicines because my doctor has assured me that they are okay. Today, I met with the nurse at my doctor's office for a scheduled appointment and walked away with a prescription for Zofran - an antinausea medication. I am officially in love with Zofran.

My appointment was scheduled to go over the basics - what to eat, what not to eat, what meds are/aren't okay, travel safety, risk factor assessment, etc. I also had some blood drawn. Whew - glad they did that HIV test! (Ha!Ha!) The good news is that being nauseated 24/7 has made me lose a little weight - even though I haven't thrown up. After vacation, I was up a few pounds, but since I've been home and unable to eat anything but peanut butter sandwiches, I was back down to where I started. All is well. The nurse said that I don't have any risk factors for difficult pregnancy. I'll be able to deliver the baby at Mercy Medical Center and Dr. Ford will deliver the baby as long as she is in town...even if she isn't on call. That's great news! I asked her a few of my questions:

Q: I have a 3-year-old who is rough and tumble. What's safe for playing with him? Is it a big deal if he climbs on me, bumps me, etc?

A: The baby is perfectly safe and well-protected by several layers of "stuff." It's not a good idea to wrestle, but normal interaction is fine. I'm not supposed to lift anything over 25 pounds, but as long as I lift with my legs, I should be okay to pick Caleb up. I'm supposed to be really careful about lifting and twisting, because that could hurt my back.

Q: Ummm...I got my hair colored in week 4. Is that a big deal? (She said that the doctor recommends not getting hair color until after week 12.)

A. Not a problem. That's too early for anything to have passed through. (Now I just have to wait until after week 12 to get it retouched. This could be a problem considering how fast my hair grows on these prenatal vitamins!)

Q: I talked to her about the subchorionic bleed that was found in my ultrasound before my vacation. I asked her if this was something to be concerned about.

A: Probably not. Most women have those. Dr. Ford will look at it next Tuesday when I see her for another ultrasound and determine if it's a problem.

Q: WHAT CAN I DO ABOUT THIS HORRIBLE NAUSEA????

A: At first, she suggested that I take vitamin B-6 three times a day. When I told her that I already take a vitamin B supercomplex, she suggested that I think about taking Zofran. Dr. Ford approved it. I took my first one tonight and was able to eat my entire dinner of salmon, couscous and green beans. It was delicious and I don't feel sick at all. I LOVE ZOFRAN. Have I mentioned that already?

Oh...and I got a whole bunch of free stuff today. It's mostly magazines and samples, but I do love some free stuff!

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