March Sadness

Let me tell you, I have high hopes for April because March SUCKED. 

Disclaimer - this post is going to be LONG and this post is going to be full of lots of girly TMI so, boys, skip down to the bottom. You've been warned. For reals. 

First - it rained THE ENTIRE MONTH. Like, every day. Poured. We were worried the sun had been stolen and that we would never be happy again. 

And the TMI starts now.....

I have had super screwy periods since being on the blood thinners and they come often, like more than one a month. My uterus hates me with a passion and it lets me know as often as it can. And this month started with the worst period I have ever had in my life. The. Worst. (see boys, I warned you!) It lasted two full weeks of nothing but the heaviest bleeding possible. I had to change clothes a few times a day for two full weeks - it was bad. And also completely embarrassing and MORTIFYING. I didn't want to leave the house. I cried a lot out of frustration. I looked in to black-market hysterectomies. 

I also had a ton of annual doctor appointments to tend to so not leaving the house wasn't an option. While at the Ophthalmologist, my graceful self hits the handle of a chair and leaves a MASSIVE bruise on my thigh. Go me. This was my testing day - I have to go in for testing twice a year for Glaucoma and to make sure my autoimmune meds aren't messing up my eyes. After the test, the technician says the doctor should be calling. I tell her I have an exam with her in a few weeks but she says "she'll probably be calling you anyway." Enter Freak Mode. Turns out I didn't need to worry, all the tests came back normal. So the fretting for two weeks was for nothing. Thanks. 

We had a wedding in the Austin area to attend mid month. I still wasn't sure if I should go - see TMI paragraph above and also two legs covered in bruises - but we went. Girly issues slowed down FINALLY and we had a nice time! I did have some lower back pain after our first night. I blamed this on a bad hotel bed and needing an hour with my masseuse bff Lzata. However, Monday morning at around 2am, I woke up in such pain in my left lower abdomen, I couldn't sit still. Nothing helped. No position alleviated the hurt. I finally woke Daniel up and told him I was going to the ER to rule out a kidney stone. For the record, I have NEVER had a kidney stone and as far as I know, there isn't any family history of it either. So in-spite of his concerns, I drove myself to the neighborhood ER. "What if it's just gas!? I don't want you to wake the baby for gas!" I get to the ER, they put me in the room, give me some meds and do a CT. The ER doc says ovarian cyst - I say kidney stone. Turns out we're both right. Again, go me. I do tell them I am on blood thinners and they take my INR. My therapeutic magic number is 2.0. My ER INR is 7.9. Oops. 

So my ER doctor calls my Hematologist and I get to ride in an ambulance to the hospital. None of this is on my bucket list. At least the paramedic thought I was a treat. He asked why I was going to the hospital for a kidney stone and I told him my INR was a little high. He flipped my chart and took the Lord's name in vain, "a little high!?" Yep - that's how I roll.

I'm admitted with a Coumadin overdose. Seriously. 

They run some tests, I have to pee into a strainer, and I get a good dose of Vitamin K to counteract the blood thinners.  Nobody knows why my INR is so high, however, it does explain the horrible period and the horrible bruising. And after a chat with my hematologist, I discover that my prescription was wrong. I usually take two 5mg pills daily only the last time I picked up my pills, they gave me 10mg but I didn't notice. I was taking twice the amount I needed. Yes, that would do it. (My doctor has since called to apologize for this mix up and assures me it's not my fault and she isn't going to fire me as a patient. Bless her.)

I am also treated to both an external and internal pelvic ultrasound. This after the pelvic exam I had in the ER. Fun times! The ultrasound shows I have passed one kidney stone but I have another one waiting in my kidney. Yay! It also shows the cyst isn't anything to worry about. I come home with meds and instructions and an invitation to meet with my new Urologist in about six months. I collect 'ologists' - it's like, my thing. 

I come home late Tuesday night. Monday was Travis's 21st birthday. We had big plans. We were going to go out to the Rodeo and he was going to buy me a drink. This after I turned in my research paper I had ready a week and a half early but would now be late. Why do I even make plans!? Wednesday, I take Alice - who is on Spring Break - up to the school so I can turn in my paper. Thursday, we head to Nana's, however, halfway there I start to feel bad.The pain gets so bad, Travis has to drive me to CVS to pick up my meds and then home while Nana watches Alice.

I am thankful for my first kidney stone - it brought me to the ER before I unknowingly bled out from a blood thinner overdose. However, the second kidney stone seems a little unnecessary if I'm being honest. Uncalled for, if you will. One got my attention - two was just rude. 

Now I get to see my Hematologist weekly until my numbers are back to normal. With my INR being so low, I get extra worried about blood clots. My leg hurts and I panic. Blood clots terrify me. I had my yearly well-woman scheduled for last week (third pelvic exam this month - I should get an award or more wine) and I had to go over all the stuff that happened the week before. I had a complete meltdown in the office. I don't know why this happens. Maybe it's all the pregnant women projecting their hormones on to me. Regardless, I cry almost every time I'm there. Every. Time. One day, they might medicate me. She tells me my leg looks a little poofy and I sob the entire way home.

It's a clot. I just know it.

I call my hematology office and let the nurse know I'm freaking out. She tells the doctor, I get to visit with her again. She ordered an ultrasound and we spent ALL DAY at the hospital waiting for it. It came back clean. Thankfully. 

We closed out this glorious month with this weekend where Alice all of a sudden out of nowhere spikes a 102.9 fever while we're visiting Papa and Mawmaw. She got to skip school yesterday just to be on the safe side. 

We did have some nice times. My Beloved and I had spring break together so we got to have some day dates! And the road trip with the family was fun. 

But I'm real happy to see it over. I ended the month the way I started, with cramps. See, the uterus, it hates me. I'm hoping April is better; hopefully without the showers though. March rained enough! 

Fingers crossed we're looking towards the light.

Until next time......