Gestational Diabetes is a Pain in the Butt

Before I curse the fates and their need to pile more crap on us, I'll remind everyone that the RESOLVE Father's Day Twitterview (starring yours truly!) is only a week and a half away.  Again, the details in case you need them!

The Twitterview will take place Friday, June 17th @ 2pm Eastern time.

You can follow the hash-tag #tvFD (representing Twitterview for Father’s Day) at this link: http://twitter.com/#!/search/%23tvFD.  Also, RESOLVE will post the full transcript on MyDestinationFamily.org later that day when the Twitterview is over.  Also, if you go to the RESOLVE.org page you can watch the dialogue between me and RESOLVE that way, as RESOLVE will re-tweet the discussion.

 

*          *          *

Soon after the cerclage was done and JK's cervix was safely closed, Dr. B had JK undergo a glucose tolerance test.  She drank her oversweet orange drink and waited... and failed.

Next because the first test can show false positives, she underwent the incredibly sucky three hour glucose test, where they draw blood each hour.  JK's levels were good at the start and finish, but in between her body was getting rid of the excess sugars too slowly.  Her first and second hour levels were above normal.

For those who are unfamiliar with this particular pregnancy pain-in-the-butt, gestational diabetes tends to happen to otherwise healthy women, because pregnancy messes with your insulin.  This is even more true with multiple pregnancies.

Already high risk, Dr. B did not want to play with fate.  She sent us to the endocrinologist Dr. P., or if you like, Dr. Old School.  I call him that because Dr. Old School is in his 60's, draws his own blood, takes his own pulse and blood pressure, and is generally a DIY (do it yourself) guy.

I could also call him Dr. Lullaby, because when he gave JK the long-winded explanation of her numbers and their meaning and her options... I fell asleep.  Sleep machines should record this guy's voice!  Absolutely hypnotic.

With her high levels proven, Dr. Old School determined first that we should try to manage the gestational diabetes with diet, so off JK and I went to Holly the nutritionist.  She gave JK the road map.  It was up to us to follow.

You would be surprised at how difficult it is to get 270 grams of protein (recommended for twin pregnancies in the final trimester) each day.

 

I didn't want to rub her face in all of the foods she was missing, so food around our home changed quite a bit.  Bread was pretty much out.  Cookies, cakes, absolutely verboten.  Even fruit was to be taken in moderation.  And JK's morning oatmeal?  Very healthy, right?  High in fiber?

1/3 of the total daily allowable carb intake.

And so began a several week odyssey of visiting Dr. Old School once each week to see if JK's glucose levels had normalized, and watching her narrowly miss each time.  This was part of the pregnancy that probably was least scary and most annoying.

And yet, we did take it seriously.  As usual, JK was a model patient.  Finally, on the fifth try, she passed.  Dr. Old School recommended a final check after one month and then gave her a pass.

All I can say Wannabe Dads, is that gestational diabetes is a big pain-in-the-butt.