Needless to say this last year has been quite a ride.
I began the year finding out that I did, indeed, have Narcolepsy. I began a medication that made HUGE improvements in my life.
Then in July we found out we were going to have a baby. So 6 months after my life changing diagnosis, I stopped my medication.
For the first two trimesters I have little to no N symptoms. However, this last trimester has brought them all flooding back.
I haven't posted in a while so I'll try to catch everyone up. I am now 30 weeks along. Finally looking and feeling pregnant. Lots of new symptoms (heartburn, leg cramps, back aches, difficulty sleeping). The last symptom was the most surprising to me. For someone who can normally fall asleep on demand, it's weird for me to be tired, exhausted really, but not be able to fall asleep when I lay down for a nap. I know that's what normal people go through, but it's so irritating. I also can't sleep through the night which is making each day a little harder.
I don't feel like I'm huge right now, I still feel like I'm not showing that much, just enough for people to know that I'm pregnant and not just chunky. However, my body is telling me differently and I now have to have my wonderfully understanding husband help me stand up from the couch or any other soft surface. He's great about helping me, even if he does giggle a little while doing it.
We haven't started working on the house yet for the baby and that has me a little stressed. But Brian did graduate from college a few weeks ago so that is a HUGE relief. Now we can hit the house hard and make it wonderful for baby.
So far all of my doctors appointments have pointed toward a healthy baby, and by the amount of movement I feel, a very bouncy baby. I did the glucose test and I don't have diabetes, but I am anemic, so I get to take an iron tablet daily. Nothing terrible.
We had our 3D ultrasound and that was pretty cool, like normal baby boy didn't want to cooperate, but we were able to get a couple face shots and I believe he looks just like his daddy, which makes me super happy! Now we just have to see if he gets his curly brown hair. :)
I think as the new year comes in the only thing I'm really worried about is being a good mom. I think it feels real that I'm pregnant, there's no denying that, but fully grasping that in 2 months we will have a baby that we are responsible for raising and teaching is so hard.
I want nothing more than to be a good mom and part of that is really wanting to breast feed as long as possible. This last trimester though has me seriously wondering if I will be able to. I worry that as soon as he is here, my sleepiness will come flooding back and I won't be able to function as a mom without my medication. I try to keep that in check, thinking that I made it through college without medication, but somehow motherhood seems like it will be more mentally, physically, and emotionally draining than college.
My goal is to do what I can. Try it and if my baby and my husband are suffering more for me not being on medication, then I go back. If I can hold out for at least a few months, I'd be thrilled.
This probably sounds awful, but I really am ready to start my medication again. I only had 6 months of it before this pregnancy, but it's amazing how different it made me feel.
I'm learning to understand my limits and try to take things one at a time. I have an amazing husband that has stuck by me, very patiently, I might add, through this entire process. I also have amazing parents and family who have been nothing but encouraging and supportive, and a small but mighty group of friends who have been there to help and encourage and make me have some fun.
I can't wait for this little boy to meet all these people, there may not be a ton of them in numbers, but I know he will truly be loved.
Symptoms: Heartburn, achy back and hips, leg and foot cramps, extreme tiredness, insomnia (if you can call it that, more like normal people sleep)
Cravings: Chocolate (doesn't help the heartburn part), Lucky Charms, and food in general
