just one more thing and then I'll rest....

Yesterday was quite possibly our last trip to Alpine for a while. Since we will be going to Odessa once a week from now on there will be little reason to go to Alpine too.

I had my weekly lab work done, and my protein was high again, 340 to be exact. What does that mean for me? I do not know yet. I only know my numbers because I have taken to picking up my results straight from the lab when they are done rather than waiting around for them to be faxed to the doctors office, looked at by the doctor and then relayed back to me. Let me also briefly mention how much of a HUGE pain in the ass this whole process is. For whatever reason, the fax machines of my OB and the Alpine lab don't really communicate. I don't know which end is the problem, all I know is that to ensure that the results actually GET to the doctor requires me calling each party at least twice, "did you get it?" "no" "can you resend it?" "ok" "did you get it this time?" "nope, nothing" "can you resend it again". And given the two hour period of sketchy and/or no cell coverage between home and Alpine, I always end up scrambling to make sure it was sent around 4:30 which is when I almost always end up getting home from trip into town. So I never actually know my results until the next day, and I always want to know NOW, so that's why I signed the release and just pick em up myself. But still, I am not in fact a doctor, so even though everything might look ok to me, they should be interpreted by someone who is qualified to do so. Yesterday after two failed fax attempts, I just faxed the doctor the results myself. Apparently I missed my calling as a medical receptionist. I mean, if there WAS an issue with the results, and I wasn't doing all this myself, the lab results would just be sitting there unsent, unseen by a doctor, and my body could be getting worse when I should be getting taken care of. So I have taken it upon myself to make sure everything gets looked at when it should. The doctor's office doesn't take it upon themselves to track down my lab work, so I have to. But hopefully once I start using the Odessa lab, this will not be an issue anymore.

But anyways, in reference to the title of this post, I have decided that I am going to pack up a little "home away from home" kit. Some clothes, toiletries, towels, sheets, utensils, etc. In the event that we get the "you need to be in Odessa" talk from my doctor, which we both feel is looming and inevitable. Iffy and I both picked up on a change in his outlook and attitude last time we saw him. In the beginning he just kept saying over and over, "you'll be fine, IF you get it again it will be later and less severe. We'll start seeing you weekly at 34 weeks." But now the weekly visits have been bumped to now, he thought my face looked puffy last time, I had protein in my urine. I just feel like the move up to Odessa is coming.

And when and if it does, I have been looking around for short term leases. The shortest I can find is a three month lease. There are of course corporate apartments which lease month to month, but those are at least 1500 a month, plus more for the dogs. The three month lease possibilities I have found are about 550 a month, much better. Plus then we can have a place to stay when we go up there on a weekly basis instead of driving 500 miles round trip in a day, which is what we normally do because we are insane. We absolutely CANNOT live in the RV this time with Sara and dogs, and whoever (grandma) will be here to watch Sara when the time comes. Not a possibility as far as I am concerned.

I haven't mentioned this yet in this venue, I guess because I didn't want to jinx it, but there is also a looming possibility of a move in the future. Many of you already know that. But it is taking F-O-R-E-V-E-R for them to hire. We were told today at the latest, but I'm not holding my breath. And though a move would put us SO very much closer to civilization and hospitals and airports, I feel that at this late point in the pregnancy with too much up in the air, I don't even want to move until after Caroline is born. I know my doctors here, I trust them, if (God forbid) we had another preemie, I really really liked our medical experience with the NICU here. I'd rather stick with what I know then wander off into the unknown. I'm just sick of living in limbo and I just need to know either way so I can make a plan. Also, I should be (somewhat at least) on bed rest, not moving at this point in my life.

The worst thing about a subsequent pregnancy after preeclampsia , if you haven't already figured it out, is the eternal waiting for it to happen again. Even if it doesn't, you don't know that until it is all over and you have spent 40 weeks holding your breath waiting for it to happen again.

Here's some cutenss...

Gnawing on a rib bone. Hey look, Iffy's wearing a gray shirt. Will wonders never cease!