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"I can't win"
Dec. 31st, 2011 09:54 amBrian's review of our year http://tk7602.livejournal.com/1067699.html#t3397299 made me sappy. I heart my dorky husband.
I miss sharing a bed with him and being easily able to snuggle into him, but the belly is big, and the loveseat is the best for getting the swelling in my legs down and adequately and safely supporting my back (I have yet to have back pain in this pregnancy, which I blame my amazing awareness of proper posture through years of ballet classes for and maybe strong abs from ballet and bellydance in year's past). I think we will both be ecstatic to be through this phase of our life together, special and bond-growing though it has been.
The rash on my body seems to be healing, albeit slowly. The weird thing is, there are times in the day that my skin just hurts. Swelling in my legs is down over the night since my feet are up above my heart, my legs are soft again and not rock hard (the analogy Brian made was, like a sausage when they are grilled and if you poked it, juice would squirt out). This has been the norm for my legs from ankle up to right above my knees over the last couple of weeks, until I made great efforts to sit for hours with my feet above my heart (it really is helping). Anyway, putting them up for a long time moves the fluid down in an interesting but strange way. My ankles are soft, then my calves, then around my knees, and there is this particular spot where there is a divide between soft and swollen body - so strange that I thought I was imagining it and I made Brian come and poke me to confirm I wasn't just seeing and feeling things last weekend. When this happens, I have to pee more (or I sweat, a lot). The human body is fascinating! Anyway, the rash: I put this ointment on and it feels good going on (albeit greasy). A few hours later though, my skin HURTS. My skin, not my legs/muscles. Swelling is down, but moving hurts because my skin around my knees, ankles and sides of my thighs hurts (where the worst of the rash has been, though the ointment is all over my extremities). The skin is hot to the touch in these places too. I'm going to try an experiment today, and try the California Baby Calendula stuff instead of the prescription ointment. I'll shower, rub this stuff in instead, put on some support hose, and maybe that will help with swelling and help the rash? Air is good for the rash, but the support hose may help with the swelling. They've suggested all along that I wear these, but the trick in, you have to put them on first thing in the morning before you even move from bed so that your legs are 'wrapped' before you get up and move around and swelling happens. My problem has been that until now, being in bed hasn't done anything to alleviate the swelling. Being on a loveseat over the last week though with my feet above my heart, I feel somewhat human in the morning (safe for the tender, achy skin). I'm having a hard time determining if my discomfort is due to swelling or rash or both, so I figure I'll do some experimenting. What's the worst that can happen, the rash comes back more hardcore. Been there, done that.
Put your feet up to relive edema, but exercise to relieve edema! Wear loose, light clothing when you're having a hot flash but keep that scary rash covered up with clothing! "I can't win" is my statement du jour, as I laugh (weakly). We've had a great sense of humor through a year's worth of fertility treatments, that I feel really silly for complaining now.
Such a strange, long year. Such a scary, exciting new year.
I miss sharing a bed with him and being easily able to snuggle into him, but the belly is big, and the loveseat is the best for getting the swelling in my legs down and adequately and safely supporting my back (I have yet to have back pain in this pregnancy, which I blame my amazing awareness of proper posture through years of ballet classes for and maybe strong abs from ballet and bellydance in year's past). I think we will both be ecstatic to be through this phase of our life together, special and bond-growing though it has been.
The rash on my body seems to be healing, albeit slowly. The weird thing is, there are times in the day that my skin just hurts. Swelling in my legs is down over the night since my feet are up above my heart, my legs are soft again and not rock hard (the analogy Brian made was, like a sausage when they are grilled and if you poked it, juice would squirt out). This has been the norm for my legs from ankle up to right above my knees over the last couple of weeks, until I made great efforts to sit for hours with my feet above my heart (it really is helping). Anyway, putting them up for a long time moves the fluid down in an interesting but strange way. My ankles are soft, then my calves, then around my knees, and there is this particular spot where there is a divide between soft and swollen body - so strange that I thought I was imagining it and I made Brian come and poke me to confirm I wasn't just seeing and feeling things last weekend. When this happens, I have to pee more (or I sweat, a lot). The human body is fascinating! Anyway, the rash: I put this ointment on and it feels good going on (albeit greasy). A few hours later though, my skin HURTS. My skin, not my legs/muscles. Swelling is down, but moving hurts because my skin around my knees, ankles and sides of my thighs hurts (where the worst of the rash has been, though the ointment is all over my extremities). The skin is hot to the touch in these places too. I'm going to try an experiment today, and try the California Baby Calendula stuff instead of the prescription ointment. I'll shower, rub this stuff in instead, put on some support hose, and maybe that will help with swelling and help the rash? Air is good for the rash, but the support hose may help with the swelling. They've suggested all along that I wear these, but the trick in, you have to put them on first thing in the morning before you even move from bed so that your legs are 'wrapped' before you get up and move around and swelling happens. My problem has been that until now, being in bed hasn't done anything to alleviate the swelling. Being on a loveseat over the last week though with my feet above my heart, I feel somewhat human in the morning (safe for the tender, achy skin). I'm having a hard time determining if my discomfort is due to swelling or rash or both, so I figure I'll do some experimenting. What's the worst that can happen, the rash comes back more hardcore. Been there, done that.
Put your feet up to relive edema, but exercise to relieve edema! Wear loose, light clothing when you're having a hot flash but keep that scary rash covered up with clothing! "I can't win" is my statement du jour, as I laugh (weakly). We've had a great sense of humor through a year's worth of fertility treatments, that I feel really silly for complaining now.
Such a strange, long year. Such a scary, exciting new year.
