Category Archives: M.Y. Words

Not a Good Move

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I woke up Saturday sad. As I looked at the clock, I knew that I should be at my fitness studio with our wonderful charizYa Fitness family.  I would have much rather been there and truly hated that I couldn’t be. Around 11:00am, Milton’s dad and two of his father’s friends came up to visit.  His father has always been very supportive and it was great to have them visit.  Toward the end of their visit, the nurses came in and said they were going to move to another room.  My current room was actually very nice.  It’s the room used when someone delivers so it was very spacious with nice amenities.  I thought the move would be a good thing since I’d been sleeping the past three nights on the delivery bed.  Milton packed all of our things and I was pushed in a wheelchair down the hall.  We passed all of these other nice rooms and then entered a new hallway.  Right before we entered, the nurse said, its a small room.  THAT WAS AN UNDERSTATEMENT.

She wheeled me into the smallest liveable space I have ever seen.  As I sat in the bed, if I stretched out both arms, I could reach both walls.  The window opened up to brick wall.  Milton’s family didn’t even want to walk into the room (probably because they couldn’t fit).  I felt as if they were locking me in a closet.  I started to cry.  I told Milton I couldn’t stay there.  I rolled over, pulled the cover over my head, closed my eyes and cried some more. Milton went and got the nurse and asked if I could be moved to another room. They walked around with him to look for a different room. Fortunately I was moved to a slightly larger room with a much better view.  As soon as I saw it, I felt more at ease.

Bed Rest Diaries

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Once I was settled into my room, I started dealing with the reality that my regular life as I know it has changed.  My Type A personality came on and I had to get in major planning mode.  I called my friend and great Zumba instructor, Jessica, and she helped me get everything in place for the fitness studio.  I made a list of things for Milton to bring from the house.  I tried to explain in detail where each item is since I couldn’t be there to point it out.  I called all of my family and friends to let them know what had happened.  Everyone said to be strong.

Wednesday night and Thursday morning I was put on a clear liquid diet.  For those that don’t know what that consist of – chicken broth, apple juice, jello and italian ice. The first time I ate it, I actually looked forward to it since I hadn’t eaten in 10 hours.  I was still on strict bed rest and had to use a bedpan when I needed to urinate. Thursday was difficult because for the first time I was having to be dependent on everyone else. The bed was my island and all the action happened around me.

Thursday at lunchtime I had graduated to regular food.  For the meals here, you given a menu of foods and you can call down and decide what time you want to eat.  For my first meal i chose pizza (surprise) and chocolate cake.  It was good for the simple fact that I hadn’t eaten real food in 24 hours.

I had originally been on magnesium, but they stopped giving me that. The round the clock baby and contractions monitor was taken off and now they only monitor me twice a day. Freedom was mine – as long as I could do it from my bed.

The most difficult thing about Thursday and Friday was my concern for Milton. I experienced a major setback, but Milton experienced an even larger one with more emotion. Here both his wife and unborn child are rushed to a hospital, Milton is driving back and forth to the house to get all necessary items, when all he wants to do is be by my side.  Everything I’ve always done to maintain the household now falls on him.  He turned into the ultimate provider.  His job could tell how overwhelmed he was that they made him take Friday off – which was good for the both of us!

 

Swept Off My Feet, Just Like That

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I woke up excited Wednesday morning because I had a pregnancy massage planned.  11:00am to be exact. Happy, happy, joy, joy!  I was 27 weeks pregnant and my body really needed it. I called my doctor’s office to see when I could come and have my cervix measured.  They didn’t know a time at first, but soon called back and said to come in at 11:00.  Yuck!  I picked up the phone and canceled the massage.  I walked in the office as normal and went into the ultrasound room. They did a transvaginal ultrasound.  As soon as they started, the lady said, “We need to get a doctor.”  Of course I became worried.  My doctor was not in the office but Dr. Link entered.  They were unable to recreate what they saw but they did save a photo of it. I was told to get dressed and the doctor would talk with me in his office.  Not good.  He said my cervix was funneling and that I needed to go home and rest. He said he’d follow up with my regular doctor and to come back in a week for another measurement.

I got dressed and went to my fitness studio to drop something off. As I was headed back down to the car, my phone rang and it was my doctor, Dr. Kuntz.  She asked if I could stop by the office.  Sure, I replied.  I’m thinking I’ll go in and come right back out and continue my errands. I walk back into Baptist East Hospital and got back on the contractions monitor.  They were still better than the day before.  I was given another transvaginal ultrasound. Although they saw some funneling, my cervix measured fine.  I was getting ready to be let go and then my doctor asked if she could go on and do a regular ultrasound so we could check the baby.

This excites me because I get to see Baby Turner again.  This time the mood changed.  They saw what they call “dynamic cervix funneling” and it was something they could only see on the abdominal ultrasound.  I knew something wasn’t right but didn’t exactly know what was going on. Long story short: my doctor called the Advanced Fetal Medical doctor, he said I need to go to the hospital with a Level III NICU, I was moved via ambulance (during a hail storm) to University Hospital and immediately placed into a room.

I tried to be cool, calm and collective until that moment.  I hated having to call Milton to tell him the news and just wanted Baby Turner to be okay. Of course he was very nervous and left work to meet me at the hospital. An IV was placed into my arm and monitors were placed on me to monitor my contractions and Baby Turner’s heart rate.  My newly appointed doctor, Dr. Weeks came in and did another abdominal ultrasound. Milton was there by this time and we were both able to see the funneling. Here’s the best way to describe it. My cervix measures fine in it’s normal state.  However, whenever I have a contraction this big funnel appears (which is my water sack) and it gets very, very, very close to my cervix – which means there’s a great chance my water could break.  This made Dr. Weeks very nervous, especially being only at 27 weeks.  So, I was told that I would be on bedrest – in the hospital – until I’m at least 32 weeks along.

This broke my heart.  I had so many plans for the month of April and now each and every one of them needed to be canceled. I thought about my Zumba studio and the fact that I wouldn’t be able to see that beautiful group of ladies for awhile.  It was overwhelming because I had no time to prepare my life for the drastic change.  Fear, stress, worry (and hunger)  all took over my emotions.  I tried to remain calm, though, because I knew it was all being done for a cute baby boy that needs to “cook” just a little longer before he can join us!

What a Meal!

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Milton and I love to have date nights!  We also love to eat so when we can combine date night with food it’s a win-win situation.  On Saturday, March 24 we went to eat at Smokey Bones.  We had received a $10 gift certificate and decided to go check it out.  The food was actually very good and we both enjoyed the smokey chicken wings.  I saw some of my friends, Tanya and Kellie, there and we had a nice chat.

As we got up to leave the restaurant, I had some lower abdominal cramping.  It was uncomfortable to walk.  Once we got home, I went upstairs to lay down but there was too much pressure to sit up straight.  I don’t remember the rest of the night,  I just know I leaned back and was knocked out.  Milton says I was in a lot of pain.

The next morning I was fine.  I called my friend that is an OB-GYN and told her what happened.  She suggested to follow up with my doctor if I continue to feel pressure.  The rest of the day Sunday was fine.  I went and met with the Derby City Naturals, taught a couple of Zumba songs, went to a Challenge Party and relaxed more with Milton.  Monday was fine too.  The day went as planned including teaching Zumba later that night.

Tuesday ran it’s course… until I started doing Zumba.  During the class, I kept feeling pressure again in my lower abdomen.  It wasn’t to the same extent as Saturday, but I definitely felt pressure.  I assumed it was baby growing and moving while I was dancing.  I also, though, had diarrhea which was uncommon. I came home around 8:00pm, Milton had cooked dinner, we ate, we watched my show “Dance Moms” and I still felt some discomfort.  We decided to call the on-call doctor just to be safe.

I told her my symptoms and she suggested I go on and come into Baptist East Labor and Delivery just to be safe.  This was close to 10:30pm.  Once I came in, they attached me to a contractions monitor.  It showed that I was having contractions every 2-3 minutes. YIKES!!  The odd thing, though, was that I couldn’t feel myself having them.  I was given a shot of terbutaline to stop the contractions.  I hated this medicine because it made me feel real jittery.  After about an hour, they checked the monitors and the contractions had lessened. A nurse checked my cervix and didn’t think I had dialated.  I was sent home around 12:30am and told to call my regular doctor in the morning for a follow up appointment and relax from Zumba until they could check me out.

I would have never guessed what all would have happened next!

Being There for Yourself

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30Date

 Being There For Yourself

I have a couple of friends that are the most amazing people.  Whenever you need them, they will drop any and everything they are doing to be there for you.  And even better, they expect nothing in return.  They demonstrate what a true family member or friend should do and find pride in being unsung heros who often save the day.

However, as much as I admire these people, I also fear for them. These people spend all of their time caring and supporting their spouses, children, parents and friends.  All of their money goes to these people, often times without receiving a simple thank you. But what ends up happening is that when these people need personal help in return – nobody is there.  Even worse, often these people don’t ask for help because they feel like they’ll be a burden on everyone else.

If you’re one of these people – please, please, please understand that you need to come first in your life.  The stress of the world and the pressure you feel bearing down on your shoulders does not get any relief if you don’t take care of yourself.

Just as you feel thankful and needed when others ask you for help, know that others around you would be more than eager to help you in your time of need.  You don’t expect others to do it alone, so why do you feel it’s acceptable for you to do it alone?

If the giver always stays the giver, at some point your basket will be empty.  Instead of waiting until you hit rock bottom and force yourself to become the receiver, why not start both giving and receiving now so that you’ll always have a basket that is full and ready to serve?!

Let the Numbers Rise

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    14 weeks
 Let the Numbers Rise

I love fitness, I love helping people reach their goals.  I love trying to reach my goals.  But, right now in my life, although fitness/losing weight is in the forefront for everyone else – losing weight has quickly gone to the bottom of my list.

As of right now, I am almost 16 weeks pregnant.  If you ask my husband, he will smile wide and say that all of my weight is in my booty and that he loves every inch of it!  Although I don’t notice growth there, I am happy to see that my itty-bitty chest is now just itty.  The cleavage I never had it starting to peak out and make a special appearance.  B cup and (maybe) C cup here we come!

Although the doctor said it wouldn’t appear until about 20 weeks, the starter belly has started to draw attention.  And with the starter belly, has come extra pounds on the scale.  During the first trimester, I didn’t gain too much weight.  I ate about the same and worked out about the same.  But, over the past two weeks all of that changed.

For the first time in my 35 years of existence, I stood on top of the scale and viewed a number higher than I had ever seen before.  I was at a new all-time weight high. I screamed and whined, “Milton, I now weight127 pounds!” Without an once of worry or care he said, “Guess what? You’re pregnant and that number is going to grow even more!”

So my pity party lasted all of ten seconds.  I know that I am going to gain weight, a whole lot more of it, but this was just the first major baby step toward getting there. Don’t worry, I am not going to diet and I am not going to cry every time the scale number increases. It’s amazing to watch the transformation your body goes through all while knowing there is a little he/she Turner inside.  Each day I have these experiences, I find myself in more admiration for all of the mothers in the world.  Regardless if you’re a single mother, mother of eight or just one – you’ve made a tremendous difference in someone’s life just for the simple fact that you’re a mom!