I'm frustrated. I was told to take the one-hour test at 28w3d into my pregnancy. Most people take it earlier than that from what I understand. I found out at 29weeks that I failed the one hour so spectacularly I don't need the three hour test to confirm my gestationally diabetic status. The nurse told me Friday that someone will call Monday or Tuesday to set me up for a class and get me the supplies I need to monitor myself. Okay, but what am I supposed to do in the meantime? I am reading blogs, your comments, researching on different sites to figure out how to eat but I don't enjoy doing this "on my own". I want the class and the meter NOW so I can know what to do.
Since the diagnosis I've made changes. No more cereal with a glass of OJ for breakfast. Now I eat egg with whole grain toast. I got low calorie OJ and I dilute it by drinking 3/4 water 1/4 juice. I'm eating vegetable soups for lunch and salads with protein for dinner. For snacks I eat apples or grapefruit or a glass of milk and I always combine it with some sort of protein like cheese or nuts. I also am going to do light walking after dinner which I read can help. I'm also trying to eat a snack before bedtime.
But how do I know any of this is working? Thanks to PCOS I have Insulin Resistance and so I don't know if diet alone is going to do anything? I might need insulin shots as we speak and I don't know. I am scared that my baby is growing too big, that he might be in the NICU, that there may be complications I can't foresee.
The reason I'm stressing out more than usual is that my insurance is ending Friday. My new insurance is with Tri-care which is a little complicated. I have an appointment March 4 to get into the system and then I have another appointment March 8 with a primary care manager to refer me to see the doctors I'm already seeing. It's a weird system but its what I have to work with. Essentially if I don't get my class and meters this week I may not get them until mid-March around week 32.
I've explained this to my doctor's office and they say they get it and will make sure I get in this week. The nurse gave me the number of the coordinator who should be calling me and told me to ring her up if I don't hear from her by Wednsday. Wednesday? That seems so far away. I have no reason to disbelieve them when they say they'll get me in this week, they're always efficient, but the stress of feeling like its very late in the game to start addressing GD, and wondering if the diet I'm doing is right, and worrying about my upcoming insurance gap is all giving me a major headache.
If you made it this far into the vent, thanks for listening. Just feeling a bit like my hands are tied behind my back. Am I making too much of the GD diagnosis? If I am, please tell me. I really am okay with watching what I eat- I've done South Beach in the past and I'm used to it. I'm just scared of what can happen if my best efforts aren't working as time continues to tick.
Gah - I hate it when I have to rely on other people - I get my shit done stat!
ReplyDeleteI would call tomorrow if I were you.
I do not think you are overreacting at all - you are already being a fabulous mother and just want the best for your baby. I do not believe that things are critical - you have plenty of time to manage it - lots of people do not take the test until 28 weeks.
Thanks Lisa (hugs) I appreciate your words of comfort. I have been trying to leave a message on your blog for a while now but for some reason wordpress is deleting it each time I try. I hope your contractions are better now? I'm thinking of you.
ReplyDeleteIt's important to take it seriously. It isn't something to mess around with. And I would be in the same place you are right now. The insurance thing makes it all one big cluster f* and adds gobs of stress to something that is already quite stressful. I agree with meinsideout, call tomorrow. So what if they think you are annoying. They should have called right away!
ReplyDeletesometimes i envy the women of past generations...or at least parts of their lives...i envy the lack of medical and scientific interventions that stress us out...many times all for naught. but don't get me wrong, i know that the medical advances may very well save my life, my baby's life or the life of someone i love and have in fact made the dreams of many infertile men and women come true. i get this. i really do. but when it comes to pregnancy screens, they cause an awful lot of potentially unnecessary stress and anxiety. the thing is, the new way of eating you described is how all of us should be eating, pregnant or not...and the changes you've made sound great (if not incredibly difficult to stick to!). meters and dopplers and u/s and pokes and prods and procedures all have their place, but as i was told a few weeks ago---parenting is 90% learning to manage our anxiety; the other 10% goes to all the things we typically think of as parenting. this so resonates with me...because the fears of loss and abandonment will not end with the birth of our babies...so then what do we do? must somehow learn to manage our fears...ugh.
ReplyDeletei hope you hear from your docs soon and that you get into the class before your insurance ends...that's another pain in the butt to deal with---insurance companies!
I got no call today so I will call tomorrow- so annoying! Thanks for the reassurance that this is fine to do!
ReplyDeleteLilly, you are right, in some ways these extra diagnosis etc do make us more frightened and perhaps that is the flipside of being overly monitored. I was telling myself this since i know some of my aunts have given birth to 10 pound babies and surely that's a result of undiagnosed GD since this wasn't checked for with all patients back when she was having her kids. On the other hand, my grandmother has had a looot of stillbirths and miscarriages, and I wonder if she had GD that caused the stillbirths. I know that in her day, and living in a third world country, she may have had other issues causing complciations but I wonder about whether or not if she had a lot of monitors, good insurance, plenty of ultrasounds, if she wouldn't have had the stillbirths she had. Anyways- you're right though. Just because you have teh child doesn't mean your worries go away. At some point you do have to manage the fear and do the best you can do. Thanks for the reminders!
I am so sorry you're dealing with this - the GD, the medical run-around. But I applaud you for taking it seriously. You are going to be SO healthy with a diet like that - tho i do appreciate that it's not just diet we're talking about here. Still I feel like it's all fun & games (and cookies!) until my gd test. my glucose levels are always flagged when i get them checked, though i've never done a fasting test. Don't get too anxious but do do everything you can - it sounds like you are and I understand how frustrating it is for medical professionals to get in the way of you doing everything in your power to safeguard your health and your baby. Hang in there, you're doing the right thing and that's all you can do.
ReplyDeleteHappy ICLW! And sorry you're going through this stressful time. I'm sure you will get the answers you need soon. Hang in there!
ReplyDeleteI would love to feature your success story on my blog. If you're interested, read yesterday's post and go to the success link! Thanks so much in advance.
I agree - call tomorrow at lunchtime if you haven't heard in the morning. You sound like your diet makes sense, but they need to be sure you get the glucometer while you're not in insurance limbo.
ReplyDeleteSorry you're having to deal with this!
I'm here from ICLW and I'm glad I've found your blog.
ReplyDeleteI got diagnosed with GD at 28 weeks then had to go on met.formin then insulin as I was having to walk for an hour after I ate anything. In the end my baby was big 9lb6oz but he was very very healthy and didn't need to go to the NCU like they told me he would have to.
Feel free to ask me any questions I know how frustrating and scary GD is.
wait! why are they not doing a 3 hour? i know so many people who fail the one hour only to pass the three with flying colors. it could be something as simple as you did not have enough water the day before or ate a complex starch that decided not to break down. i would call back and demand the 3 hour, which is more accurate during pregnancy, crap when not pregnant, but that is a different story. so sorry that you are dealing with this.
ReplyDeleteilcw
I know that you're getting ready to change insurances and all, but I would demand to have the 3hr done. Especially since you have PCOS. I too failed my 1hr, and was told that most likely it was b/c of this. I passed the 3hr with flying colors and a huge hugh margin of wiggle room. PCOS messes with our systems even more when pregnant even though some Drs will say it doesn't. Hopefully you can talk them into the 3hr. Sorry you're having to deal with this.
ReplyDeleteICLW
Ugh. This sounds like a bureaucratic nightmare. Just what you need right now. I know nothing about GD, just wanted to say it sure sounds like you're doing everything right. Thinking of you and hoping that the coordinator gets moving and gets your stuff to you pronto. Waiting around is just sucky, and I'm a bit horrified they're making you wait so long - simply for your own peace of mind!
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like you are trying to eat the right things. I am not super familiar with gestational diabetes, but I know with DH being diabetic, he is supposed to watch his carb intake and eat more whole grains, protein, and fiber. GL!
ReplyDeleteICLW