Happy Anniversary. No Dessert

Rob and I celebrated our anniversary this week. Usually, we celebrate by going out to dinner and I splurge and order dessert. Sometimes we even just go out for dessert, since that's my favorite part of the meal, anyway. We had a very nice anniversary, and we did go out to eat. Nathaniel ate a hot dog and applesauce (that's what he wanted, when presented with all the available options at Applebees), Rob ordered steak fajitas, and I ordered some sort of lean chicken dish with rice pilaf and a corn and black bean salsa. No dessert for me. So why does this dessert fiend pass up going out for something decadent? It begins last Thursday.

Last Thursday I had some blood drawn for testing, which is generally done again at this point in the pregnancy. I had blood drawn once earlier in the pregnancy, as well. That first test, although they drew quite a bit of blood, was a pretty simple blood test. You show up, bare your arm, and they draw several cylinders of blood. Straight forward. The routine 28-week blood test wasn't as fun. I was instructed not to eat after dinner, and in the morning, I drank a 10 ounce bottle of something that tasted like McDonald's 'orange drink' made about triple strength. I stopped by the lab an hour later (on my way to work) and had another couple cylinders of blood drawn. My first blood test, done a couple months ago, revealed that my red blood cell count was a bit low. I was encouraged to make sure I took my prenatal vitamin daily. The test last week revealed that I'm now no longer borderline anemic: I have definitely developed anemia. I guess that explains why I've been so tired. They also didn't like my blood glucose levels. Guess what that meant: more blood work.

So, again, no eating after dinner on Friday night. I was due at the lab at 8:00 Saturday morning. (What a fantastic way to spend a Saturday morning.) When I arrived, I waited in the lobby for 45 minutes, then went back to the exam room. They did a blood glucose test (a finger prick), drew a cylinder of blood, and then I had to drink another 10 ounce bottle of orange drink. This one was even more syrupy. I'm not sure I'll be drinking orange flavored anything for a while. At 9:45, I had another cylinder of blood drawn. I waited yet another hour, then had one more cylinder drawn. Finally, at 11:45, I had the final cylinder of blood drawn. Have I mentioned that I hate needles? And can I tell you how boring a lab waiting room is? Since it was Saturday, I had to wait to get my results. I called the doctor's office Monday evening and they informed me that I am not only anemic: I have also developed gestational diabetes.

Drama, drama, drama. So now I'm headed back to the doctor and apparently will be meeting with a dietician to discuss managing my new complication: diabetes. The good news is, it generally goes away after delivery. The bad news is, the baby and I are now at a significantly higher risk for developing diabetes later in life. Modifying my diet and getting more exercise will help, but no guarantees: it could come back, anyway. A friend at work had gestational diabetes, and gave me several helpful hints in the mean time. Basically, my favorite foods are now forbidden. No simple carbs. No pancakes or toaster waffles for breakfast. No potatoes. And no dessert.

I'm looking forward to meeting with the doctor tomorrow to discover whether they are going to try to manage the problem with diet, or if I have to go straight to insulin injections. (I think I mentioned how much I hate needles...) I'm hoping that cleaning up my carbs and fat intake will allow me to avoid that. At least it's only another 11-12 weeks. Maybe I'll go out for dessert after the baby comes...