'Orange' You Glad I Didn't Say 'Orange'?

Alright, I guess it's time for a new blog. I've been trying to decide what I should write about but usually when I'm trying to figure that out, something always seems to happen that's worth blogging about. That's definitely the case this week! First of all, I'm happy to say that I'm almost 31 weeks!! And you don't have to be a math whiz to know that I only have about 9 weeks left (well, assuming baby wants to show up on time and I'm really hoping that's the case here).

I had to take the dreaded glucose test a week ago. Most of you probably know what that is, but handful of you may not. Gestational Diabetes is a big concern that develops during pregnancy. Yes, it's a form of diabetes, just like its cousins Type I and Type II Diabetes. If a woman does develop it, she must be monitored very closely to see that her diet, exercise and blood sugar levels are being minded properly on a daily basis. The condition can go away after pregnancy, but it can also stay permanently, so it's definitely a huge concern. Anyway, somewhere between about 28 and 30 weeks, you get asked to fast from midnight till your morning appointment time and then chug half a bottle of this rather nasty beverage that to the eye resembles a colorful soda but to the lips and stomach, it's like drinking straight high fructose corn syrup. And it has to be consumed quickly, which adds to the nasty factor. Once you finish the drink, you have to wait a full hour and have your blood tested to see where you stand on your glucose levels. You can either pass or fail - there's really no in-between. Well, I drank my bottle of orange-flavored yuck and pranced right into the doctor's office, ready to be stuck with the needle. They put a sample of blood on a little plastic applicator and fed it through a machine only to reveal that I had... flunked!?

Naturally, I was not happy at all with these results. My doctor told me that because my glucose levels were considered borderline, there was a good chance I would pass my next test.

Next test?! There's another one of these?!!

And indeed there was - a three hour exam that I had to return for the following week. This time I was asked to wear walking shoes and plan to stay for three hours. If I passed, however, in the first two hours, I would be released. I knew this was not going to be an enjoyable experience so I took the day off from work. I arrived yesterday at 8am on an empty stomach where they promptly stuck my finger just as they did before. Then I was asked to chug not half a bottle of orange slime, but this time an entire bottle! Then I was asked to spend the next hour walking wherever I chose to help the glucose run through my system. It had started raining, so I didn't have too many options. I spent the hour pacing the covered breezeway of the office park and catching up on phone calls. The hour didn't lag too much and when I was finished, I got a finger poke and a big smile from the nurse who said my levels were looking good. Alright....one hour down....could I handle the next one? By this time, I had just about run out of people to call but I knew my mom would answer the phone so I yacked with her for as long as either of us could stand. By then, I noticed that I could smell food everywhere....the Chick-fil-a across the parking lot...the Fresh Market....an Italian restaurant around the corner....I could even see Publix across the street with a 'Fresh Sushi' sign in the window. Wow, was I hungry! My hour finally passed and there I was once again, for a third needle poke. The nurse was overjoyed that my score was a good thirty points below what it needed to be and she sent me quickly on my way, asking that I eat right away and as much as possible.

Where did I go? Well, Publix was looking good to me and I needed groceries so I headed over there. I got a good fill for my fridge and pantry while taking caution to not overload my shopping card (you remember my Wal-Mart episode) and grabbed a couple prepared things to eat for myself.....some really good-looking California Rolls that had just been prepared and a little container of vegeterian soup (it was Good Friday, so no meat for me) from the deli. As I drove home, I started to feel a bit light-headed. I realize that I'd been going for 12 hours straight with not a thing in my stomach except for that orange crud that now felt like it had left a film all along my insides (and for a pregnant woman, 12 hours with no food is like an eternity). Luckily, I was almost home and was pretty sure I could carry my groceries in just two quick trips up the stairs.

If only it was that easy.

I have not had a house key since Christmas. Long story, but I loaned it to a friend so she could store some Santa Clause gifts (actually, two puppies) in our house on Christmas Eve while we were out of town. She just needed a place to hide them before revealing the surprise the next morning. Well, I never got the key back. The garage door is usually unlocked so I just kept forgetting that I may actually need the key at some point. Today was that day. I had all the groceries in my hands only to find the door was locked. Eric left the house after I did and so diligently locked the garage door before leaving. There I stood with all of the groceries.

AUGHHH!!! What was I going to do now?

I then remembered that the neighbor still had the key so I drove two streets over to her house (as I said, I've not seen her since Christmas). I guess my timing couldn't have been more perfect. There, in front of her house, were about five cars lined up along the curb and a gigantic UHaul in the driveway. Today they were moving!! I had absolutely no idea this was going to happen. I knew in the Fall they would probably be relocating but today? Not in the least! I went in for a visit which turned out to be really nice and got the chance to say goodbye before they took off for Tennessee, all while making sure I finally had my house key back. When I got into my driveway, I started to feel sweaty and a bit sick. That orange drink was sitting in my otherwise empty stomach like a brick. The first trip up the stairs with the groceries felt like a mile. I was hot, dizzy, and starting to see spots. I headed down for the second round of groceries and realized at that moment that if I did not eat something immediately, I was going to hit the floor! I left all the groceries on the counter without bothering to put anything away and ripped into my lunch that I'd bought from the store. I probably looked like a homeless person the way I was cramming food in my mouth, barely bothering to chew but I couldn't have cared less! It didn't take very long for my vision to go back to normal and my stomach to finally feel satisfied. I got the groceries put away pretty quickly after that and then put on my pajamas and climbed right into bed where I napped for the next three hours. And when I woke up, I finally felt normal again. Wow, was I glad that was over!

I can tell you one thing though.....it will be a LONG time before I order an Orange Fanta again at a restaraunt!!!