Bump in the Road

I got up to a very strange voicemail today: it was nurse Laurie from the doctors' office. She said something about how my blood work results came in and she was "really confused" about something and that I need to call her back right away. So I did.

She informed me that my progesterone is low and needs to be supplemented. I tried not to go into panic mode as the questions flooded my mind. Low progesterone is not good, but if it were a problem, I'd already know about it, right? I'd have spotting and cramping and I'd know that I were losing the pregnancy, right? The reason Laurie was confused was because according to my chart I was already 11 weeks along and I had only just now had my progesterone tested, even though I had had a miscarriage and should have come in for a progesterone check within a week after my missed period. OH, NOW YOU TELL ME. Bugger. Okay, does it help that I'm actually not quite nine weeks along? Hmmm. It was hard to ask her many questions, as she seemed to be semi-frantically trying to figure out my situation. I would only be on progesterone for two more weeks! Well, at least until my next appointment. Yes, I could come in for a sample right away and fill my prescription right away and that will help.

At this point, I had to cut in with questions. I was still stuck on, "It's low?" It just would not compute in my layperson's brain. How could it be low? So I asked what's normal. She told me normal is around 20, and mine was 8.72. YIKES. That just didn't sound good. But I keep telling myself that if it were a big problem, I would already know about it. And as soon as we see that heartbeat on Monday, we'll be in the clear, right? RIGHT??

Laurie urged me to come in immediately for a sample to use right away and for my prescription to fill, again, right away. I still hadn't showered. Erich was home for a snow day. While I showered and struggled to remain clear headed, Erich googled progesterone levels during pregnancy. When I came downstairs again, he showed me a chart that said normal for the first trimester was 9-42. Quite the range, and I was just below the low end. And progesterone levels can fluctuate. I'm probably fine...probably, hopefully.

I fishtailed through four inches of slush to the doctors' office. I picked up my sample and prescription and asked to talked to a doctor or nurse about this. She managed to pull Laurie away from the phone and I asked her some more questions. I can't even remember what all I asked, but I wanted to know how much I should worry. "Not at all," she assured me. Well, her words assured me, but her face and manner were so serious! I asked what kind of signs I would have that something was already going wrong. She answered, "Cramping and spotting." I remembered some crampy feelings I had had the other night. They weren't painful, but they gave me pause. "Some cramping can be normal," she said. Gee, thanks. She told me again to use the sample right away and fill the prescription TODAY. Yes, ma'am. And if I get pregnant again, come in right away for a blood test. Thanks for all the hope you're showing in THIS pregnancy.

I filled my prescription. I'm now on Crinone vaginal cream inserts. We'll see how this goes.