Update On My Sister

[MomtoGiuliana]

My sister, ErikaPT (forum name) who also has POTS (although so far not as extreme as mine has been) is 7 wks pregnant. Some of you may remember she lost her baby at 34 weeks due to placental abruption last January.

She had developed gestational diabetes, and then high blood pressure.

Unfortunately her blood sugar levels never stablilized after pregnancy. Her bg is already running high and she is on insulin. She has an endocrinologist and high risk OB/gyn providing care. She's feeling well and working full-time.

I just wanted to update everyone who might like to know and think good thoughts/send prayers.

[potsgirl]

My best wishes for your sister, and I'll keep her in my prayers, along with everyone else on the Forum. I also had gestational diabetes during my pregnancy, and would up with an 11 1/2 pound baby!

Give your sister a hug from me.

Cheers,

Jana

[erik]

Will be praying that she keeps going well despite the challenges... I wish you both the best.

[MightyMouse]

good thoughts coming her way...

[firewatcher]

Adding her to the prayer chain!

[Sophia3]

good thoughts and prayers her way

[MomtoGiuliana]

Thanks everyone.

[Mrs. Burschman]

Healing thoughts headed her way!

[Rachel]

Thanks for sharing the news. I hope that things go well for Erika this time.

Rachel

[juliegee]

Will do. Erika will stay in my prayers until we hear more news.

[MomtoGiuliana]

Thanks all. Just thought I'd update that she is doing fine and feeling well, other than minor nausea. Working, exercising and free of any POTS problems. However, she has to keep increasing her insulin dosage. She'll see the high risk ob/gyn next month.

[Rachel]

I'm glad to hear that things are still going well for her. Thanks for passing along the update.

[Guest tearose]

So glad to hear she is doing so well. It it truly amazing that she can manage the diabetes and pregnancy and work!

I will keep her in my prayers.

[MomtoGiuliana]

It is amazing to me too. And her job is physically demanding (she's a physical therapist).

She says the diabetes is not causing any symptoms--she does have to test and eat at regular intervals.

[MomtoGiuliana]

She found out today that she is expecting a boy. She is at 18 wks. now.

[Rachel]

Yay! Congratulations, Erika.

Rachel

[tinkerbella]

May your sister know that she has my prayers also. May every day be filled with baby boy blessings and good health for all!

Lets have a big round of xxxxxx's~

and keep us posted when that little boy arrives and lets all send positive energy her way!

love,

bellamia~

[potsgirl]

I'll be sending positive energy her way, and including her in my prayers. Best of luck!

[lieze]

I think she is so brave to take all of this on and be working full time too, talk about coping.

I've had five pregnancies without POTS to deal with and they were challenging enough.

Please remember to tell her what a trooper she is, will this be her first child?

[MomtoGiuliana]

Thanks everyone for your kindness and support! I will let her know--maybe she will come back to DINET one of these days. Although POTS has not been a significant problem for her.

This will be her 2nd child; she lost her first. One thing I have learned now that I have 2 friends and one sister who have lost children to stillbirth (or very shortly after birth) is that that child is always your child. Owen (the baby she lost) was stillborn Jan 25, 09. (It doesn't feel like it's been a year.)

She is doing well, though this is a very hard time to get through emotionally.

[lieze]

Thanks everyone for your kindness and support! I will let her know--maybe she will come back to DINET one of these days. Although POTS has not been a significant problem for her.

This will be her 2nd child; she lost her first. One thing I have learned now that I have 2 friends and one sister who have lost children to stillbirth (or very shortly after birth) is that that child is always your child. Owen (the baby she lost) was stillborn Jan 25, 09. (It doesn't feel like it's been a year.)

She is doing well, though this is a very hard time to get through emotionally.

I lost my third pregnancy but it was very early on.

What I found with my fourth was I was a nervous wreck!

Whenever I felt bad I thought oh no, here we go again because the day I miscarried I started to feel sick went into the bathroom and realized what was happening.

My fourth pregnancy was a girl, my only girl and so it increased my fear even more that something would happen. I started cramping at about four or five months with contractions that would come everyday. I called the ambulance the first time it happened because they were increasing and felt real and scared me. By the time I got to the hospital they had pretty much slowed down but there was a nurse in the squad who felt by pregnant belly and told me that I was indeed having contractions she could feel them with her hand.

This pregnancy was a tough one too because I started having a lot of PAC's that scared me but obviously it was nothing compared to what I experienced this past summer with the POTS.

I did get through that pregnancy okay but I was so anxious because I had lost the previous, so I understand how that factors in.

I did have contractions every day from that first point on until a week before I delivered and then everything got very quiet.

I ended up having her 10 days late after not knowing if I would carry her full term.

The doctor said they don't know what makes some women have contractions like that, that there seems to be nothing they can do about it and could have a subconscious source.

She didn't like the stress tests either that band around my belly would set her off or me off one or the other everytime.

I just hope things go very well for your sister.

One day at a time and it is so nice to know the gender so you can start getting to know that precious baby before it is even born.

Come to think of it one of my friend's at work had these type of contractions her last pregnancy-she had an incompetent cervix and they gave her pills to take whenever they started. She said the pills gave her an awful headache but she took them anyway.

Any way I wish the best for your sister and this little precious gift from heaven.

Please keep us posted as to how she is doing.

[MomtoGiuliana]

I read an article about stillbirth in Newsweek sometime in the past year that indicated how much we do not know still about pregnancy--why certain things happen, how to prevent them, etc. Seems like we should know more at this point in history...

I'm glad you got through all the challenges ok. I can relate to the anxiety.

My sister's problem was not early labor. She had placental abruption which is very rare, but is more likely to happen with high bp. She had been put on bedrest that day for her high bp. I am guessing that if her bp rises this time she will be hospitalized. I am hoping so.

[lieze]

I really do hope it goes well for her this time.

Tell her to make sure she takes some time out for her.

As caregivers we're always taking care of everyone else.

I wish her the best!

[MomtoGiuliana]

My sister is at 26 weeks now. her bp is up and she is on methyldopa. She's feeling well and is not being restricted in activity.

I am a little concerned considering her history and that she has POTS. I wonder if doctors check standing as well as sitting bp in pregnant patients with POTS. This was not done for me b/c I was undiagnosed until post partum. I just think that orthostatic stress is something that drs ought to consider with a pregnant POTS patient. I know some of us have lower bp with standing.

Mine is all over the place, sometimes elevated, sometimes lower, with standing.

I wish there were answers about the best treatment when POTS is part of the picture!

[MomtoGiuliana]

Just thought I'd update that she is at 33 weeks now and things are going ok. BP a little elevated and needs insulin 4X daily. 33 weeks is when she lost Owen, so it's going to be a hard week emotionally.