The Good, The Bad and the Ugly

It has been an exciting week in the world of Baby Azer.  

THE GOOD

We went for a check up and Baby Azer is just having a ball in there, heart beat all strong and such.  Mommy is not faring so well.  We had a different doctor this visit (Dr. McKander--LOVE HER!!) and she lectured me about my asthma and refused to let me come back until I went to see a pulmonologist, as in that day, no exceptions.  Clearly I agreed because I know my asthma has been worse but I just have written it off until now.  Dr. McKander was afraid that I may have pneumonia (I have been coughing like I smoke a pack a day for 20 years) and that the oxygen flow was impeded.  (You just know that the guys I work with love a pregnant lady.  I am always having to go to appointments at inconvenient times to them and I think it totally annoys them, which they try to hide.)  March 27th is the day of reckoning....we find out if Baby Azer is a girl or a boy!

THE BAD

The pulmonologist (Dr. Gross, very nice lady who fit me in and kept reminding me that she was doing me a favor seeing me at 4pm on a Friday, and I thought, jeez I wish my day ended at 4pm on Fridays, usually it is just starting with some client emergency.  "Yes, I am grateful."  I repeated this about 10 times.)  then proceeds to have me in tears about how I am already a bad and irresponsible Mommy (her exact words were that I was behaving "carelessly and irresponsibly with respect to my asthma" I was just floored).  I was crying and I felt so bad, it just made it worse.  Turns out I have a fairly severe case of bronchitis (whew, not pneumonia) and my asthma is out of control (as in, totally out of control).  I got a full one hour lecture about how I am being selfish and hurting the baby, making it pre-disposed for all of these issues, hurting myself, etc, etc.  It was certainly a wake up call.  I am now going to be on a host of medications to get everything back in order so we have a successful incubation and delivery.  (To be honest, I was pretty scared and did not know exactly how bad it was, I mean it always feels like I breathe through coffee stirrers but I am completely aware of it now.)  I have to promise to come visit her every 2 weeks until I improve significantly (they will really love this at work).  

THE UGLY

So as a result of my poor lung function, I can no longer be around anyone who smokes (its a zero tolerance rule, no homes, no people, no restaurants, you get the idea), no pets (period, not in a house that has them, etc), and we have to have our house deep cleaned for dust, etc.  None of this is really news to me, I have always known it but made exceptions for the people I love, and now that I am incubating Baby Azer, I have to put that first.  I am so sorry if I decline your invitation or suggest an alternative meeting spot, please understand that it is not you its my asthma.  Adrian is pretty bummed that his cigar smoking has to go on hiatus but I think he will trade that for a good nights sleep where I don't wake him up coughing or choking.  (On that note, he is being a much better caretaker than my previous post and says that while he refutes the notion that he must be a butler to me, he is being a good husband....okay, I agree, you are a good husband and caretaker/sick nurse.  But ALWAYS Valet honey, always.)

Everyone pray that my asthma improves and that Baby Azer does not suffer from my asthma irresponsibility.  Also pray that everyone I love gives up smoking permanently (yes, this is not just a rule during pregnancy, it will be a rule with a baby as well) and that our friends with pets understand.