24 hour urine results (how is that for a sexy title?)

Results were great!  I lost the numbers, but total protein was 100 something mg.  They want it below 300, over 1000 is severe.  I think.  Major language barrier with this nurse, I will ask the dr for details in a week and a half at my next appt.  Two blood tests were done too, both had to do with creatinine, both were good.  One perfect, one just out of range. My blood pressures are remaining great at home too, so hopefully this continues......................

Bump pic

Taken by my husband with my crappy old iPhone (and I just bought a new iPhone like 6 hours later!).  I feel it doesn't adequately show the bump, as I am wearing black, so will have to take another soon.

27+4 update

Dr appt today, babies look great - 1.2kg and 1.4kg (roughly almost 3lbs and over 3lbs!).  This means I have more baby in me than I ever have before as P weighed 5lbs 12oz!  OMG!

Cervix long and closed, great.

No urine infection for once in my life.

Unfortunately the good news ended there, blood pressure starting to creep up - 130/92 last week at the GP, 130/89 today.  My urine last week showed 2+ protein, today had a trace.  So I just started a 24 hour urine collection to get a baseline of what my protein levels look like.  I also was instructed to buy a blood pressure cuff and test it twice a day.  Last pregnancy my bp was first elevated at my 30 week appt, but of course then I hadn't been seen since 26 weeks so who knows what my bp was at 27, 28 weeks.

Luckily my dr seems very on top of things, and said once twins weigh 1.5 kg (which we are so close to!) they usually do very well.

I only gained 1 pound in 2 weeks, clearly from the parasite.  My appetite is back in full force so I am sure more is on the horizon.  Total I am up 34 lbs which is right on target for what is recommended.

I should include a bump picture just to scare you all but lucky you, they are all still on my phone.  Maybe this weekend to celebrate 28 weeks which is such a huge milestone.

Thanks

Seriously guys, thanks for the support.

I am feeling just weird.  Yesterday I felt pretty good all morning, then was horribly nauseated all afternoon/evening.  I took half a unisom for sleep/nausea, and it had the desired effect of knocking me out but my abdominal pain/nausea continued.  I kept dreaming about my stomach hurting, then I would wake up in pain.  This happened about 10 times overnight.  I spent all morning feeling feverish, achy and sick, but didn't have a fever.  Right now with tylenol and zofran in my system I feel about 50% better.  Ugh.  It is so disheartening to google this parasite (and google obsessively I have) and read that symptoms can come and go for 6 weeks.  It's been one week and I am DONE.

I was glad to dig up one scholarly article from a few years ago that stated something along the lines of, "There has never been a case of cryptosporidium crossing the placental barrier".  My biggest fear was some sort of infection causing preterm delivery or stillbirth, and it seems that isn't a real risk with this.  Dehydration/malnutrition are the main risks to a pregnancy, and I am making sure to keep hydrated and am eating.

I made an appt with my GP for tomorrow morning.  My fetal medicine guy wanted me to see a GI specialist but I cancelled the appt.  I am a nurse, I know there is no cure for this, I already have anti-emetics,  I just don't know what they would bring to the table.  I am however wanting some repeat bloodwork to make sure my liver/gallbladder are behaving and that I am as hydrated as I hope I am.

Cryptosporidium parasitic diarrhea? Yes please! Also this post brought to you by TMI

So my "la la la, I can't believe how easy and fast this pregnancy has been going, who knew twins would be easier to carry than 1, I am perfect and clearly these fetuses are too" motto has changed to "I am so over this is it 38 weeks yet?"

Early last week I began having back pain.  Very similar to when I had two bulging disks back in 2010.  The pain is in my lower spine, radiating down my legs at times.  Clearly this is from the added weight to my front.  It is extremely annoying, only certain positions help, and at times walking is difficult.  I am using Biofreeze, tylenol, and have emergency anti-steroidals prescribed by my fetal-med specialist but I have only taken one dose as they are category D.  

So Monday and Tuesday were spent dealing with this new development, but NBD.  It is so hot I am not up for much anyway.  P goes to summer school 3 mornings a week, there has been a bit more iPad youtube video watching than good for her, but oh well.  She also spends hours playing dolls, using her imagination and coloring so I am not going to stress about added screen time.  

Tuesday I started having diarrhea.  Approximately 4 times that day. Immediately I knew something was up.  I began super hydrating myself, and got some Zofran from the pharmacy to deal with the accompanying nausea (love that it's over the counter here).  I had my gestational diabetes test that day, and it made me feel AWFUL.  I almost passed out in the waiting room.  The good news is I passed.

Wednesday I had only a few episodes.  I had an appt with my dr that day, he believed it was viral, or perhaps I was having some gallbladder issues.  My appt went well, cervix long and closed, bp low, babies weighing over 2 lbs.  He told me to keep doing what I was doing and see a GI specialist if my symptoms got worse.

Wednesday night I had pain like you wouldn't believe.  I was half afraid they were contractions, but since my cervix looked so good that day on u/s I decided they weren't.  I had diarrhea 3 times overnight from 9pm - 3am which is insane, who poops overnight besides babies?  At 4 am I decided to go to the ER.  Once there I began going like every 15 mins, and not a normal color or odor either (I will not go into more detail, you're welcome).  They took blood, urine and stool samples, started an IV of saline, gave me zofran IV, and had midwives come down from OB to monitor babies and contractions.  Luckily no contractions were picked up, heart rates were good.  Then the OB resident on call came down and did an u/s (my second in 16 hours lol) and all looked good.  She pointed out that they had their heads together like they were telling secrets.  

After 3 hours the ER doc came in and said I tested positive for cryptosporidium.  Basically it is a water-borne parasite.  Symptoms usually last 1-2 weeks but can last 4-6 weeks, oh fun!  Side effects are dehydration and weight loss.  Super fun for someone pregnant with twins!  No cure, no treatment besides nausea meds and hydration.  

Thursday and Friday were two of the sickest days of my life.  I was going like 20-24 times a day, just liquid, and my 3 hemorrhoids reached gigantic states.  Every bm was, in my own words, "like getting ass raped with a dagger".  

Saturday and Sunday I felt bad about half the time, only went maybe 5 times each day.  Sunday I actually seemed to have some constipation which I do not for the life of me understand.  Now it's Monday morning, and so far I feel pretty good.  Woke up with heartburn and back pain, but no colon pain.  26+2.