Introducing Dr H

In the end, I decided to go with the recommendation of my kidney specialist. As it turned out, this got me in over a month earlier, so I was feeling pretty good about that decision!

Tim and I both went in to meet Dr H together. She had more SCI knowledge than I expected, which I felt was a good start. She spoke to me about the basics, such as the fact my body's going to get bigger and change shape, transfers will become more difficult and I may find I need help from a physio or OT.

One of the things she thinks will be an issue is firstly, if I will realise when I've gone into labour and secondly managing the pain to I don't get autonomic dysreflexia. So far most of my reading (the little I've been able to find) has suggested that I would be induced about two weeks before the baby is due. She is suggesting that they may simply admit me to hospital for the last few weeks, so they can monitor me. From my work in a previous life (thoroughbred stud) I know that inducing is something usually avoided, as the body hasn't gone through all the usual preparations if you induce, but that doesn't mean it's not a possibility still. She confirmed that, all going well, a vaginal birth is definitely possible, though I may need forceps or vacuum to assist. Well Mum needed forceps for me and there was nothing wrong with her ability to push, so if I need help I don't think that's unreasonable!  

Dr H also wants me to see an anaesthetist before I get pregnant, so we know what's going on and what to expect. (And probably so the anaesthetist can work out what they are doing)! While I can't feel the pain in the way I would have if I didn't have my SCI, it's still going to be painful to my body. For those of you who don't know what autonomic dysreflexia is, it's basically just my bodys reaction to pain or discomfort. I can feel it's hurting, so my body tells me in other ways. There are several different symptoms of dysreflexia, but the particularly dangerous one is the increasing blood pressure, hence the need for pain relief for an area I can't feel!

Another thing we discussed was my medications. I'm currently on Ditropan, which is fine, but Baclofen is a B3 drug and studies in rats have shown foetal abnormalities. She's going to get onto a group in Melbourne who specialise is pregnancy friendly drugs and see if we can find an alternative. In the meantime, I'm cutting my tablets back by half, to reduce the risk and see how my body copes on the lesser dose.

She's not worried about my kidney disease causing any trouble, since my kidneys are still functioning normally. If they weren't, I would be at increased risk of preeclampsia. She also sent me off for a blood test to test for rubella, measles etc. THis is a test they usually do when you first become pregnant, but this way if I need any vaccines, they can be updated before I get pregnant. 

Dr H spoke primarily to me throughout (I know, the OB should always be speaking to the woman, but that doesn't always happen when you're in a chair), but she did make sure she checked in with Tim and asked if he had any questions. I have a good feeling about her. 

I eventually got through to the Austin Hospital spinal outpatients clinic a few weeks ago. I have made contact with the lady in charge and she is more than happy to help me out. She also had me pass her number onto Dr H, so she can help her, or point her to those who can. I'm feeling a lot more comfortable about the whole situation now. As Dr H said, and complication or difficulties I experience are going to be SCI related (or complicated by my SCI) so I'm happy to know there are some experts only a phone call away!

Cutting out sugar doesn't seem to have made a difference really to my post pranial hypotension, but I have been able to manage it for the most part by eating small and often. Just getting in practice for when I am pregnant I guess. While I've not been drinking lately, I can't say I've been doing well at quitting soft cheese.

While I know this is still very early days, I have found myself being a little, how should I put this... obsessive. Logically, I know this will take time, but that doesn't chance the way I feel about it. I have readjusted my expectations, having spoken to different family members and friends. While it might only take me a month to get my pill out of my system, it could still take months for my cycle to settle down and for all the stars to line up. Even knowing this, I've found myself contently trying to calculate when I'll be ovulating. I've even done ovulation testing, not that that showed me anything. I have read some women won't ovulate every month, although with only one months data to go on, I could just be tested at entirely the wrong time!

I think that's probably me caught up for now!

Early September

Oh the frustrations! I have finally heard back from Dr D with an appointment time, at the same time as my specialist has got back with a referral to Dr H. Both these doctors work at the same clinic and I've tried to speak to the receptionist again in regards to spinal experience, but she just gave me the  same answer about them having the same qualifications. I don't know if I should be more forceful and insist I see Dr H, as she was the specialist recommendation, or just go with Dr D. The receptionist told me they both work the same area and neither has a specialty, but I refuse to believe they have never worked anywhere else or without the other, so they must have different experience! Anyway, I'm booked in for late November, which is a little bit better than December I suppose.

I've put out some feelers, trying to find an obstetrician in Melbourne with SCI experience. I've been put onto the Dr at the Austin Hospital, where I was taken when I had my accident, who coordinates the medical teams of paraplegics wanting to have children in Victoria. So hopefully, he will be able to help me out! I've also been put in touch with a couple of ladies in Victoria who have recently had children.

I will no doubt be putting together some kind of summary/FAQ page after all this. I already know that 'Find on obstertrician with SCI experience ASAP' will be on it!  

I finally got in to see the dietician recommended by my specialist last weekend. I have been having trouble with my blood pressure dropping after I eat (post prandial hypotension) the last few months, so I wanted to try and see if I could narrow down a particular food group that was causing it. She has recommended I try cutting right back on my sugars for a few weeks to see how it effects me. So far I've been going ok at avoiding them and I haven't had any major episodes yet. I've also been back eating eggs which I thought were making me crash, but if I was drinking orange juice or milo with it, I might have been blaming the eggs for the sugar problem. We will see!

I am no longer on my birth control tablets, so I guess that makes us officially 'trying' for a baby. It will be interesting to see how long this takes. I know for a woman my age, the average is around six months, but my mother never had any trouble getting pregnant with her four kids and her mother spent NINE YEARS pregnant with her 12 kids! So I've apparently got good genes for this.

I'm not a huge drinker, so I'm not having any trouble with avoiding alcohol. I can't stand coffee, so no problem there. The cheese though... I am such a huge fan of soft cheese! I know I probably shouldn't be eating it when there's a chance I'm pregnant, but at the same time, it's entirely possible I'm not! Ah the temptation! At least one of my other very good and cheese addict friends is also having to avoid it at the moment, so we can share each other’s pain!

Medical Professionals

I have been doing a bit of reading over the past few weeks, trawling through all the 'what to do before you get pregnant' lists out there. I think much like any pregnancy advice (or any advice on anything really) you have to take what you need, what works for you, use some common sense and leave the rest.

One of the things I decided to follow up on was the suggested dentist visit. I hadn't been for a couple of years anyway, so I figured I didn't have anything to lose. Well. I booked in a check up last week, was told I needed my wisdom teeth out and to please go get an x-ray taken. I left the appointment feeling like I had no choice, but after speaking to several other people I came to the decision that I would leave it until they gave me trouble. I did however keep my follow up appointment to look at the x-rays. Before this appointment, I was sent off for a second x-ray, as my roots were close to the nerves. At my appointment, I saw a different dentist, the one who does the actual removal. He had me in tears within five minutes. I see enough online, know enough people that you are going to come across people who will shame you for the choices you make for your baby. I had actually expected I might be pregnant before this started! This guy basically told me if I didn't get my wisdom teeth out before I get pregnant, that when my teeth do give me trouble, that the effects of general anaesthetic will seriously harm my baby. He couldn't however give my a good reason for needing them out. I've not had any trouble with them so far. So after speaking to several other people working in dentistry, I am again comfortable to go with my decision of leaving it until they bother me. It might take 3 years, or 30, or I might never have a problem. The only problem they have caused is to majorly stress me out, and that was not really the fault of my teeth, rather an abrupt man who thinks he can walk over others.

On the obstetrician front, I think I have found the most appropriate doctor in the Launceston area, Dr D. Unfortunately, she is very busy and only in her clinic one day a week. My GP sent through a referral as I asked, but speaking with her office, she won't see the referral for another week and even then, doesn't have a free appointment until December! Not to mention the fact that I can't find out if she has actually had any patients with SCI either. The receptionist told me that the other doctors in the clinic have the same qualifications, which is all well and good, but quite frankly I'm more interested in their experience. I have emailed my spinal consultant from rehab and asked him if he can find out anything about an OB who might actually know something about SCI. My other thought at this stage is to see if I can find someone in Melbourne. It means I have to fly interstate, but realistically, whoever I end up with here is probably going to need someone to consult with anyway! So if I can get in to see someone in Melbourne in the next couple of weeks, then have them involved as a consultant, that's probably not a bad way to go.
I just think if it takes me 4 months to get in to see someone with my private health cover, what the heck would I be up against in the public system?

So the search continues! 

In the beggining

Firstly, to my family and friends, no, I'm not pregnant. Yet. Yes, I will tell you before I blog about it!

I have found since my accident that there is very little literature to be found online about paraplegic women and their experiences with pregnancy. I know there are a lot less women in chairs than men, but I also know that it does still happen. So, since I have no shame, I will write about it myself. Be warned, there will be no holding back here.

A bit of back ground on me; I'm a T4-5 complete paraplegic, having fallen off a horse in 2008. I have had a pretty smooth run so far. I self catherterise, but haven't really had much trouble with UTI's. I have an reactive bladder that is usually managed without trouble with medication. I find when I get overly tired the meds don't work. I have just found out I have inherited poly cystic kidneys from my Mum (thanks Mum), but having seen a kidney specialist, he's not too concerned about it at the moment. I have low blood pressure, so kidney trouble is unlikely while it stays that way.

At the moment I'm in the 'getting ready' stage. I'm talking to my  GP, trying to find an obstetrician who has had patients with paraplegia before. I'm doing the pregnancy multi vitamins. I don't really drink, so I don't care about giving up alcohol. Coffee, yuck, no problem, but I think I'm subconsciously trying to eat enough cheese for the next nine months before I get pregnant. 

So I will keep you posted as things develop.

Feel free to ask questions as we go along.