Doctor visit 2- and the test...

y Somehow Mark got super lucky this week and last, and went for pretty much all of 7 days off- I told him not to get excited, he will pay for his luckiness at some point (Our household goods came Thursday, so he was off for that, Friday we had our appointment, but it was also a 4 day weekend, He went and picked up some new soldiers Sunday night- I think it was Sunday, Tuesday he had to take someone to the airport almost 2 hours away, so they gave him the rest of the day off, and then yesterday he had the morning off because we had our 2nd appointment...and he came home early, since nothing was going on!)  Makes ya love those days but then hate the ones that are coming up...because it won't be long until he is stuck at work crazy hours.

Anyway- my appointment.  We got there about 7:15...parking was not free yesterday, just FYI.  It was like .50 euro an hour up to 4 hours I believe.  Since we knew where we were going, it was no big deal to get there- except we got on an elevator that was going up first, so we went up to 2 different floors before going down.  This really wasn't a big deal, since these elevators are like the world's fastest, and takes it all of 10 seconds to do anything- like fast enough to make your stomach kinda flip...

We got downstairs before 7:30, said hello to Lisa (the nurse) and then peed in the ever so high-tech cup she gave me...(remember, clear dixie cup...).  Then it was off to take blood pressure, weight, and answer the questions that are asked at every appointment- do you have water on your hands and feet (are your hands or feet swollen), do you have any varicose veins, and does your baby move lots every day- no, no, and yes (as he kicks just as she is asking all these questions...)  Then back to the waiting room for a minute or so, while she goes and gets "the drink".  She comes back with a glass and a box...(I am slightly worried as the box looked huge, and I am afraid the box is filled with "drink", but it was just holding a bottle...not too awful).  I go back again for my first blood draw (which I was slightly afraid of- since I saw the size of the needle they needed for drawing blood last time)...and in the states they draw it the same way.  Not so much...she had a finger-pricker (that is a technical term folks...).  She sprayed my finger with alcohol (you feel a little bit of cold now she said) and then wiped it, poked it, and drew blood up into a tiny little straw- which she put into a tiny container (like we used in advanced bio when we were doing microbiology) and then handed me the glass and a brown glass bottle, which she informed me I had 10 minutes to drink...and then told me I would have blood taken again in and hour and then after 2 (so this test was only a 2 hour glucose test instead of 3).

Now, about this "drink".  In the states they give you something right out of the fridge...I have taken 2 glucose tests in the past- a 1 hour with no fasting, and a 3 hour with fasting...which is a form of cruel punishment for a pregnant lady, just saying.  The drinks I have had in the past have been kind of thick tasting (not actually thick, but kind of?) and VERY sweet- like sweet enough to burn as is goes down...where it sits heavy and burns there too.  I have had orange (like flat orange soda) and fruit punch (like super sweet Hawaiian punch)- neither tastes "terrible" though they aren't great either.  This "drink" was completely different.  The fact that it came in a glass bottle, and was cool room temp was the first difference- I think this was a hats off to the frugal German way...the bottle will obviously be recycled (as we recycle everything here) and the glass will be washed and reused- I am not 100% sure why plastic doesn't seem to be used as much for stuff like that here (that I have seen), but I am sure it is an environmental thing?  Or maybe it is cheaper or easier to recycle glass?  Anyway, this juice was kind of purple...so I was thinking grape- it was kind of light purple/mauve/ clear.  Wrong.  Then, I did the #1 thing every person in the world knows not to do when dealing with medicine (or anything you don't want to put in your mouth!)...I smelled it.  It wasn't grape, but I am not entirely sure what it was...maybe kind of cranberry or something...either way, I knew the best way to get rid of it was not to wimp around and nurse it for 10 minutes, but to just kick it back as fast as I could.  As it turns out, it was not grape, or cranberry...I believe it may have been prune?  lol.  It wasn't near as sweet as the stuff in the states...but it was still sweet...but like watered down sweet.  And it did something to me to make me not want to swallow it...but I did...each glass (the bottle was like 8oz? and it filled the glass 2 times) taking about 3 drinks to kill it.  I took the glass and bottle back to Lisa (who was impressed with the speed in which I drank it...) and went back to the waiting room for a mere second before she took us back to the "egg yolk" room for a NST on the baby.

So, back to the bed I was in last week- with monitors on my stomach to measure Roy's heartbeat and any contractions I am having.  We were hooked up to this for an hour this time...which was fine...since I was going to be there all morning anyway.  For the first 15 or 20 minutes, Roy had hiccups, so you could hear that through the whole beginning of the test- beat beat hiccup beat beat hiccup- and then a few random taps on the monitors...I don't know if he doesn't like them or is just checking them out, but he always makes sure to kick at them when they are on.  After that, I read for a bit- and then took a bit of a nap...until Lisa came back and unstrapped me and took me to poke my finger again. 

By this time, there was another couple in the waiting room.  We sat down for about 15 or 20 minutes until the doctor came in and then called us back.  She did another ultrasound (no pics this time) and then we "talked" about the ultrasound, and the possibility that I am really 2 weeks ahead.  Now, according to the doctor, the earliest I could have had a positive pregnancy test was August 24 (mine was the 23...), but it was an EPT, and those things pick up next to nothing, so I don't know about that.  Being 2 weeks ahead does go along with other things though- like at 23 weeks, he was measuring 2 weeks ahead (she said for the most part, at 20 weeks, most babies are the same size) and about that time my fundal height was 2 weeks ahead...and I felt him about 2 or 3 weeks earlier than any book or anything I have read said I should have been able to feel him.  He has gained about half a pound since Friday (which she said was normal), and that puts him at just at or under 7 pounds.  She told me that she couldn't find the ultrasound results from what I had been given in the states, so I looked through my records and found them- which is when she told me that she thought I was 2 weeks ahead- and then asked if I had had any others, early on.  I told her I had, showed her the results from the emergency room visit I had had at almost 7 weeks, and she was not pleased with the fact there was really no information on it, nor were there any pictures.  The only thing that that report had said was that there was a "yolk sac with a fetal pole measuring 6w6d)...it gave no measurements of the baby or anything.  At this point she is just shaking her head and saying "I do not know...I think you are pregnant 2 weeks more than you think" and tells me that she will not let me get over 10 pounds, as it is dangerous for me and for the baby...and that if he gets too big, she will talk to me about taking him either by inducing or c-section.  She basically told me that I can throw out the idea that we are making it to May 5, and that he will be here some time in April.  Then she tells me that me that my test results will be in by the afternoon and she will call only if something is wrong...

By the end of this, I have maybe 5 minutes before I have to have my finger pricked again, so we go back to the waiting room.  Lisa calls me back one more time and does the final prick, and then we are off.  It is now apparent that we have to kind of get on the ball and get Roy's room in some sort of order for him...as it doesn't sound like we have a ton of time left to slack around. 

It is only 9:30 now, so we have some time before we can get lunch- so we walked around the PX for a bit and then went to my first ever German McDonalds (great choice after being tested for diabetes...I know...but it was that or the PX...which is subway, taco bell, or pizza hut...and why not try it before I am told I can't have it anymore...lol)  So we go to the drive thru, which Mark has been told speaks English- correct.  The problem is, they don't have menus like we have in the states...like there are no numbers.  Also, this McDonalds had "Italian" sandwiches on the menu- I guess something they are trying out.  Anyway, you tell them what sandwich you want and they say "with fries and a coke?" and since Mark and I didn't have time to look and see what else to drink there was, we were given coke...lol.  Then they ask if you want ketchup and mayo....ok.  We didn't get mayo, but were given each 1 packet of ketchup (which was the size of 2 back home).  We go back home, and eat.  It wasn't exactly the same as in the States- but not too different either.  The coke is a little better (I think), and the ketchup was great (or maybe that is because I am pregnant...lol). 

After lunch, Mark had to go to work, so I took a nap (I slept maybe a total of 2 and a half hours the night before?)  I woke up to my US cell ringing- I am guessing a telemarketer...because it was restricted and I didn't answer...and they didn't leave a message.  I read some stuff on fb that I thought might be important to Mark (they found a powder "substance" in our mail room last week and have ruled out anthrax, but are still trying to figure out what it is...anyway mail is not available for pick-up until Thursday...today)- Mark was going to check the mail....and I was trying to save him a trip, since there wouldn't be any.  He said he was coming home early (as there wasn't anything to do). 

After Mark got home, around 4, we started working in Roy's room.  I put the rest of his clothes away, and then Mark put together his crib.  During this time, 4pm, 5pm and nearly 6pm slide by...so I am thinking maybe I am in the clear....apparently I shouldn't think lol.  The doctor called at almost 6 to tell us that I am "boarderline" Gestational Diabetic.  She said she would call again today to tell us if we need to come in today or tomorrow (Friday) to see the dieticians...we have to see her first, and then go and see them.  So, we will see how that goes.

Roy's crib is set up- it has bedding on it, and his blanket that matches is in the dryer and will be put in there today.  By the end of this weekend, his room will hopefully be done (and hopfully that means the apartment will be compeletly unpacked...or mostly....)  I will post pictures off all of that later.