Pharmacy Problems

I need to vent. I normally try to be positive and upbeat, but I just need to vent a little bit tonight. So...after dealing with the Walmart pharmacy in Shelby for a while now, I have decided that I am tired of them....VERY tired of them. Customer service and communication is seriously lacking and I am very frustrated by this. The straw that broke the camel's back came when Kevin went to get my Procardia filled the other day. He dropped it off, they told him it would be ready in 30-45 minutes and he spent some time in the store shopping. When he came back to get it...guess what?? They were out of stock(no one bothered to tell him this when he dropped it off)...so he basically spent about an hour of his life in Walmart waiting for something that was never even there in the first place. This is not the first time this has happened. Same thing happened with my prenatal vitamins. I am apparently on a very specialized, low-demand prenatal vitamin that no one keeps in stock. I have learned that I have to call it in and wait at least a day or two for it to be filled. This is not a problem as long as I know this up front and can plan for it. The first time I ever had it filled though, I went through the exact same thing that Kevin did with my procardia. It is super frustrating to have to stand in the LONG pharmacy line only to realize when you get up there that the prescription you expect to be picking up has not been filled. Again, it is not difficult for the person who takes your prescription and gets your information to do a quick look in inventory to make sure that when they promise you 30-45 minutes, it will indeed be possible. So...after dealing with this multiple times, I had finally had enough. I switched to Walgreens. Kev took my prescription for procardia to walgreens that same day and had it filled in less than a half hour. I then got brave and decided to switch my prenatal vitamin over there as well to get it filled one last time before Lillian arrives. I called and spoke with the friendly guy that answered the phone and he assured me that it would be ready after 1:00 today. Well, Kevin stopped by on his way home from work tonight, and guess what....the warehouse was out of stock...probably won't be filled until Monday. AGGHHHH!!! I was a little bit frustrated with this. I really need this prescription filled by today which is why I called and asked all the right questions about when it would be done and such. But, I will say that Walgreens did locate the medicine at another store and they are filling it as we speak - this is better than the Walmart ever has done for us, but it is still frustrating. So...Kevin does have to be inconvenienced by an unexpected trip to Gastonia, but at least they got my prescription filled. This is probably petty, especially considering all that is going on in the world with Haiti and such, but I just needed to complain a little bit about poor customer service tonight. There, I feel better now. I'll go back to being a ray of sunshine. :)

Update on Lillian

Well, I went to the doctor today hoping to only be on procardia and bedrest for one more week, but instead got two more weeks. It's all good. I know God has a plan and a purpose for this...if nothing else to slow me down in preparation for the arrival of our precious little one. I am not going to question why this is happening...I am simply going to accept it and make the best use of my time on the couch and in the bed. One of my goals this week is to pick the wedding pictures for our wedding album - yes, I realize that we got married almost 3 years ago, but it's been a busy three years with nursing school and starting a new job and all. I am also going to write some thank you notes and watch lots and lots and lots of tv, movies, etc. While I am doing this, I am most especially working on growing a healthy, full-term little girl. That is the main goal.

So back to the doctor's visit. While we were there, the doctor checked me to make sure nothing has progressed any further, and I am thankful to report that there has been NO CHANGE since my hospitalization last week...it was the same doctor who discharged me on the 4th so I trust that there has truly been no change! The procardia and bedrest are doing their job. Over the past week I have had a few episodes of approximately 3 contractions in an hour, but as long as I don't get to 4, I don't have to call them and report it. I have noticed that the contractions come when it is getting close to time to take my medication, but that is neither here nor there...the main thing is I am not having consistent, regular contractions that are causing changes because if that happens, they will not do anything to prevent it at this point, and I really want to keep her in a little bit longer.

The doctor did my tummy check and the heart rate was good and strong on the doppler (150's). He measured my tummy and then the fun began. She, of course, has now decided to measure small again. This happened before (in November) and the ultrasound proved that she was fine and in the 50th percentile for growth...just laying low. Well, they went ahead and did an ultrasound while we were there, and Lillian is in the 17th percentile for her weight/growth. This is a bit concerning because at the 10th percentile, that is when they diagnose you with intrauterine growth restriction(which in layman's terms means the baby is small). If she doesn't start growing like she should, and we get to this diagnosis, then they may go ahead and deliver because it can be better for the baby to go ahead and be on the outside at that point. So...what we learned from the ultrasound is that Lillian is small...but she still looks good (and she is still a girl - yes, I had her check again just to be sure since the nursery has been painted in various shades of lilac and lavender to match her bedding). She was moving good, stretching, and her heart was beating strong. Other reassuring factors were that her placenta still looked good, the amniotic fluid levels looked good, and the bloodflow to the cord looked good. So...there is nothing wrong structurally that would be causing her to have growth problems. They have scheduled me for a non-stress test this Thursday morning so we will be able to see Lillian's activity level and her heart rate associated with it. If her heart beats faster when she moves (lasting at least 15 seconds) at least two times during a 20 minute period, then everything will be considered normal. If this doesn't happen, then the test will be considered abnormal, and they may do some further testing. After this test on Thursday, I will be going back to the doctor for the next two Tuesday mornings for both an ultrasound and another non-stress test to monitor Lillian's growth, activity, and ability to thrive.

So that is it in a nutshell. We now have some other things to be concerned about besides preterm labor, but I am trusting God that Lillian is just going to be a petite little girl like I was when I was born. Please continue to remember all of us in your prayers as we face the uncertainties that lie ahead. God is good and I know that He is going to take care of us every step of the way. He has provided for us so far and I know that He will continue to do so. I talk a good talk, but please also pray specifically for me that I won't worry - I am such a worrier - it is one of the hardest areas I have to work through in my life. I am definitely more prone to worrying while I am on the couch or in the bed and not being able to keep myself busy doing other stuff...please pray that worry does not consume me and that I can be a strong woman of faith!

Thank you all for everything that you have done so far and continue to do for us.

Here are some pictures from the ultrasound....


Lillian's ear


Lillian was pouting in this one and her fingers are on her forehead


The white stuff is hair on her head.


Lillian's face


She may be small, but she has really big feet


Her second toe is half an inch long

It's not time yet, Lillian!

So...I can't focus for long periods of time so a blog of all that has occurred is going to be challenging. I am cutting and pasting an email from Kevin so that you can be kept informed of the most recent events. I will add the latest report from the doctor to the bottom.

"We came to the hospital Wednesday night because Ashley was having some minor but regular contractions. They gave her some medication (terbutaline) that stopped them and released us. She did fine Wednesday night through Thursday afternoon, until she got up to start getting ready for work. Then the contractions started back; this time there were a little more intense and regular. They told her to come in again and let the doctor take a look.

After about an hour of observation the doctor admitted her and said he wanted to watch her at least overnight. They gave her another shot of terbutaline but the contractions did not stop like for as long as they did before. After about another hour or so he decided to go ahead and give her magnesium and steroids to stop the contractions. Since she was at 33 weeks he didn't want them to go on any longer than they had to. He said he would want to watch her until at least Saturday.

This morning he came in and said everything is looking good. No major changes. He said he would most likely keep her until Sunday, and possible even until Monday morning. He also said if everything stays smooth while she's here, and he releases her Sun/Mon, and the contraction start back after that, she'll be at 34 weeks by then and they will not do anything to stop the contractions or delivery.

oh ... btw ... HAPPY NEW YEAR (from the very uncomfortable couch in room 3345) "

The latest report from the doctor is that I am still dilated between 1 and 2 cm but nothing has changed...this is what I have been since Thursday evening. I am on 2 grams of magnesium sulfate per hour via my iv and it makes me feel like crap. I have been super dizzy, but this morning, that appears to be waning. They gave me 2 shots of betamethasone 24 hours apart to help mature Lillian's lungs in the event delivery occurs soon. They are keeping me on the mag until at least 9:30 this evening to make sure that I get the full benefits of the steroid shots. They need at least 48 hours in my system to be effective in aiding in fetal lung maturity. Once they stop the mag tonight, it sounds like they are going to keep me here tomorrow to monitor me for contractions and then hopefully send me home on Monday. I do not get the impression that if the contractions return and things start happening, that they will delay Lillian's delivery at that point. I also got the impression that if anything like that were to occur it would most likely be a delivery by c-section. I am just praying that she will stay in and bake a little bit longer. If not, I do know that God is in control and that all happens for a reason. We will get through this and our happy little family will be better and our testimony will be stronger because of it.

Also, on a different note...while writing this blog, Kevin just called me from the road (he is on his way to West Virginia to pick up Sammy from his Christmas visit to Pennsylvania) and let me know that our step-grandmother passed away this morning. Please remember my mother-in-law and father-in-law, Brenda and Gary Atchley, and our whole family as arrangements are made and as we face this difficult time. Alma had been sick with congestive heart failure and some blood clots in her lungs, but she seemed to be on the mend. Kevin said she started having trouble breathing in the middle of the night and she passed away early this morning. She's not suffering any more, which helps ease the pain some, but it is still a difficult road to face.

Correction

Ever since we decided to name our our baby after Kevin's grandmother's I have been spelling Statia wrong. For some reason, I keep wanting to spell it "Stasia" instead of "Statia." I guess I am thinking Anastasia when I spell it. So, I must apologize to my readers as well as my unborn daughter for misspelling her name. I hope that this doesn't make me a bad mother. The other dilemma we are facing with her name is how to spell Lily. We plan to give her a nickname like Sammy has. Kevin likes Lilli (just drop the -an), I prefer Lily, and if I were going with Kevin's logic, I would either spell it Lilly or Lillie not Lilli...so we are having a bit of a discussion on how we should handle that. At this rate, we may just drop the nickname altogether and just call her Lillian. We shall see.

It's A Girl!!!

Wow....what a day! We had our detailed ultrasound today and we are pleased to report that we are going to be the proud parents of Lillian Ella-Stasia Atchley!! I have suspected that she was a girl the whole time, but I also thought that Sammy was a girl up until I was proven wrong at his ultrasound so I wanted to have definitive proof before getting my hopes up too much. I will say that everything I did prior to the ultrasound supported my gut feeling of girl....I will name a few...

1) Old Wives Tales - there are a bazillion out there on the internet and most of the ones that leaned toward girl held true for me and this pregnancy such as...heart rate greater than 140, sweet cravings, husband's weight gain (don't tell Kevin that I told you he was gaining a few pounds along with me), round and full face on me, pregnancy acne, etc.

2) Chinese Birth Chart - This is a chart that allegedly determines the sex of your baby based on the mother's age at conception and the month of conception. In my case, this also said girl.
http://parenting.ivillage.com/ttc/ttcsigns/0,,j736,00.html

3)The Needle/Necklace tests - You're supposed to dangle a needle from a piece of thread over your palm. If it goes back and forth, it's a boy and if it goes in a circle it's a girl. This test is also supposed to show you the kids you had before the one you're carrying now. So I did it and it went back and forth, stopped, and then went in a circle. So, according to the test, I had a boy first and then a girl. The necklace test is similar. You dangle a necklace over your belly and if it goes in a circle, it's a boy and if it goes back and forth it's a girl. Sure enough, mine went back and forth which meant girl.

4)Intelligender - This is a test you can take at home that allegedly with something like 90% accuracy predicts the gender of your baby after 10 weeks. You pee in a cup and then put it in a test kit. It changes color in 10 minutes - green if it's a boy and stays the same or turns orange if it's a girl. Mine indicated girl. I know it was silly of me to pay money for something that wasn't guaranteed, but it was still fun. :)
www.intelligender.com

So back to today. The ultrasound technician found out her gender first thing for us...Lillian was very cooperative as you will be able to tell from the pictures. She wiggled around the whole time for us. The sweetest moments were looking at her profile with her mouth open and watching her curled up in a ball with her hands on her knees. The ultrasound technician told us that she has really long arms, legs, fingers and feet. We also looked at her brain, spine, heart, kidneys, bladder, and stomach and everything appears to be developing just like it should be. There were no red flags so thank God for a healthy report on our little one! Kevin, Sammy, and I are super excited about our little girl. We cannot wait for her arrival in February. Here are some pictures in the meantime...

Profile shot with mouth closed


Profile shot with mouth open


Leg


Leg again


Girl Parts


Foot


Fingers and Legs


Face


Arm on Knee


Arm on Knee again

Preggo Pics

Here are some preggo pics of me. The first ones are from week 7....



The next ones are from week 18 (Sammy was the photographer - I think he did a good job)




I am starting to get a baby bump. Although, I mostly feel like I have put the weight on in my face, butt and thighs. That's where I tell most of the difference. :)

Sick/Update

I have had the crud this week, and I am hoping that I am over the worst part of it. I started out with laryngitis which then traveled to my sinuses and into my upper chest. Fortunately, I developed this in my second trimester instead of the first which made my medication choices a little bit better....SUDAFED!!! Sudafed normally clears this junk up for me (or at least lets me tolerate things while the sickness runs its course). I had something similar when I was pregnant with Sammy except that I was in my first trimester, miserable, and ended up losing several pounds because I had this on top of morning sickness (or as I used to affectionately call it...all day sickness).

Other than being sick this week, the pregnancy is going well. We are 18 weeks along and we find out what we are having in one week(assuming peanut cooperates)! I cannot believe that this pregnancy is almost halfway done. I still don't look overly pregnant...if you didn't know, you would probably just think I had put on a few pounds (6 to be exact). My butt and thighs appear to be blossoming and I have a small baby bump. I need to take some pictures and post them, but Kevin is not home to do that for me at the moment so that will have to come a little bit later. I have started wearing some maternity clothes, mainly for comfort. I am at that awkward stage where my normal clothes just don't quite fit right anymore, but the maternity clothes look a little silly. I am still having cravings that seem to change by the week...the one and only craving that has remained consistent throughout pregnancy has been ice cream! In addition to ice cream, I have also had cravings for Hardees' gravy biscuits, McDonald's fries, juice (apple and cranberry grape) and ketchup. I think that I have been able to feel the baby move a few times...it's just a little fluttering still. I am looking forward to the movement being more pronounced so that Kevin and Sammy can share in it with me. My doctor's appointments have been going well. The heartbeat has been ranging from the 150's to the 160's and all of my labwork has turned out good (my hemoglobin is a little bit low, but that is normal for me...if it is still low at 28 weeks, I will probably have to take some iron supplements).

On a slightly different note, Sammy is doing well in second grade. He has not gotten written up in his behavior folder all year long (we are almost halfway through the first nine weeks). All I can say is PRAISE THE LORD!!! I think that he has matured some and I also think that the way his teacher handles discipline gives him enough incentives throughout the week to do the right thing. I just hope and pray that this trend continues. He really likes his teacher too. He also starts soccer tonight assuming the weather holds out.

Kevin is still wonderful as usual. He has been really busy getting our new computer desk situated so that we can get Sammy moved into our old computer room. Hopefully, when things settle down, he'll be able to edit the videos of us telling our parents so I can get them posted on here. I still have the blog written and ready, just need the video.

I will try to get some baby bump pictures on here in the next couple of days while I am off work. Sorry it's been a while since I posted. I really need to get back into the swing of things.