Thursday, October 15, 2009

A Rough Several Weeks


Hello Friends!

I know that many of you have been wondering how I've been doing. As you have probably figured (due to my lack of blogging lately), I haven't been doing very well. We've had a rough 6 weeks or so here.

At first I was having constant headaches and migraines. These lasted for about three weeks. I always had a headache, and it sometimes developed into a migraine. Because I'm pregnant, the only pain medicine I could take was Tylenol, which does very little for headaches and migraines. Eventually, with the help of my POTS doctor, I discovered that a large dose of a magnesium supplement helps me. It hasn't completely gotten rid of the headaches, but it has helped to prevent the headaches from turning into migraines. I'm very glad to have relief from the migraines and constant headaches.

As soon as the migraines were under control we made a trip to Georgia for a weekend. It was wonderful to see friends and family while we were there. The ladies from my church also gave me a baby shower while we were down there! It was so fun, and I appreciated all of the help in getting things ready for Adelaide's arrival. If I have energy later, I'll share some pictures from the shower. The trip to Georgia was great, but it was also exhausting. I never quite recovered from it before more debilitating symptoms flared up.

Brain fog flared up badly a couple of weeks ago. The bad kind. The kind where my body is so absolutely worn out that my brain just starts to shut down on me. The fatigue became extreme and I had great difficulty simply answering yes or no questions. If I was alone, I would forget to eat and drink. It just never crossed my mind that I needed to do that. Thankfully, Will's professors were understanding when he needed to skip class and stay home to take care of me.

We made it through the bad days of brain fog. By spending a LOT of time sleeping and resting, and by taking Cerefolin (a specially formulated prescription vitamin made for Alzheimers patients), I was able to pull out of the bad brain fog. A few days later I stopped the Cerefolin, but the severe brain fog came right back. Usually I can just take Cerefolin for a few days and then stop it and be "normal" again. That didn't happen this time, so I went back on the Cerefolin. I'm currently taking Cerefolin daily, and will probably continue to do so for at least the next five months. It's completely safe to take long term for me and for the baby; it's just expensive, which is why in the past I have only taken it for a few days at a time.

Even with the Cerefolin I'm still having more difficulty than normal with brain fog on some days. It is hard to carry on a conversation. It is usually too hard to write emails, blog posts, and thank you notes. It is sometimes hard to follow tv shows and movies. I need to take more breaks from mental tasks, and I have to rest even more than normal, but I'm making it. The Cerefolin definitely helps, and I'm so thankful to have this med that is helpful and safe during pregnancy.

That is the basic update. Life is hard, and it only seems to get harder, but God is gracious and always sees us through these tough times. Will has been a huge help to me, as always. He is such a wonderful husband and friend. William remains my little buddy. Even when I'm sick in bed, he loves to be with me.

Now that I finally have you all caught up on the boring stuff, hopefully I'll have some good days where I can share about some fun stuff! Like my baby shower, Adelaide, pregnancy, Cubbies, and William's octopus costume if I ever get it made.

Thank you so much to everyone who reads my blog and keeps checking in on me even when I'm so quiet for so long. I'm still here. Just been a little foggy lately. :)

10 comments:

  1. Rachel:
    I've been checking every day for a blog update. Thank you for 'keeping it real' and updating us on what's really going on. I'm so sorry this pregnancy has been so incredibly difficult for you. I definitely knew things were rough by how quiet you had been on FB, blogging, etc. Know I'm thinking about you lots. HUGS. Emily

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  2. Well you've been greatly missed in the bloggy world! I'm sorry you're having such a difficult time! I hope this medication continues to work wonders for you and that you are able to enjoy the rest of your pregnancy!!

    ((Hugs!))

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  3. Hi there! Great to see an update from you!! I'm terribly sorry to hear that you're having a difficult time of things these days. Pregnancy is tough on anyone (as I remember lol) and I can only imagine that it must be a million times harder on you as you have so much else to deal with in your life.

    What is Adelaide's due date? If you're up for blogging pregnancy stuff, I'd love to hear about how your pregnancy is going and what's new with all things baby!!! Does your ongoing medical issue have any bearing on your labour and delivery plans? I'm very curious (if you're interested in sharing) in how your illness changes pregnancy for you.

    Hope your good days become more frequent so we can read more from you soon!!

    All the best,
    Jessica

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  4. Hey Rachel!
    So great to have a blog update on you! I'm so sorry it's been rough. Sounds like you are hanging in there...God's grace is certainly sufficient!
    I deal with migraines (YUCK) and I've recently started taking a magnesium supplement and the frequency of migraines have become less. I can't imagine dealing with those on top of everything else!
    Blessings to you Rachel!

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  5. Oh, I'm so sorry to read about your headaches and migraines. I've been suffering from both for many years but the migraines actually go worst 4 years ago.
    Frova seems to help me the most, along with keeping the stress level down.
    I also love reading your blog.

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  6. Visiting you from the Sits Saturday Sharefest. Isn't it amazing how God sustains us even during the hard times? He is good. :) Oh and Adelaide is such a cute name!!

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  7. Happy Saturday SITS-fest!

    What a blessing to have the baby shower thrown by the ladies at church...I'm sure that meant a lot to you.

    Love the name you've choosen for your baby!

    God bless!!

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  8. Hope you are feeling better soon---you on one brave lady! Just visiting over from SITS....hoping your week gets better!

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  9. Hi, it is so great to find your blog! I am a disabled mom and wife, but never look at myself as disabled. I am a new follower of your blog and look forward to getting to know you. :)

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  10. I'm sorry to hear about all of the difficulties that you have been going through. I have had migraine issues in the past, so that part I can really sympathize with.

    Congratulations on your baby and what sounds like a great shower!

    happy SITS Saturday!

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