Yet another doc appointment. Doc doesn't think I have pseudoaneurysm like the ones terrifying me in medical articles. Among other reasons, he pointed out those generally dealt with arteries external to the uterus (ones that could have been affected by trauma) instead of internal ones. He said my issue is inside the uterus--outside of the placenta. He thinks it could be congenital like an arteriovenous malformation. (Also rare. I've decided NOT to spend this weekend reading about them... maybe....)
We looked at it again--the blood rushing through it is definitely from me, not baby.
Doc said he did not think it appeared like it was at an immediate risk of rupture (and again suggested it might never rupture and instead be squeezed by baby), but still wants me to keep activity light. I can go back to work (desk job), but no exercise, cleaning, etc. He also referred me to a high risk OB for a second opinion / further consult. Awesome!
I left the appointment about as upbeat as I've been since I started this whole process.
Oh, and baby looks fantastic.
Showing posts with label pseudoaneurysm. Show all posts
Showing posts with label pseudoaneurysm. Show all posts
Thursday, July 7, 2011
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Status Quo - Almost done with a week of bed rest
Back at the doctor today. Nothing has changed. Good news is that baby looks good, heartbeat strong, still growing, etc. Bad news is that blood is still flowing into a contained mass in my uterus and I'm still on bed rest.
The appointment was funny because it was an epic ultrasound procedure. We saw the mass, we saw baby, we looked for source of blood flow, etc. At the end they could not find the mass and the doctor told me it was probably because my uterus contracted because it did not like the ultrasound and the bleed was temporarily cut off. (Not cured, just temporarily slowed.) I joked with a girlfriend that if it does rupture and I start bleeding, I know what to do to stop it--jam a huge dildo up there. (Just kidding, I would not do that, nor do I own a dildo!!!)
I spent a significant part of the weekend reading medical journal articles on pseudo-aneurysms of the uterus. I read about diagnosis (they sound like what I have--pulsating mass connected to a parent artery by a narrow neck, often diagnosed during pregnancy because of increased blood flow), treatment (potentially they close on their own, but usually need to be treated if >2 cm, preferable treatment option is to embolize the pseudoaneurysm), outcome when pregnant (depends on how far along, where it is, etc., but there are very few cases of successful treatment during pregnancy), causes (usually trauma such as c-section or, rarely, ivf egg retrieval), etc. It's an extremely rare condition, but it happens. Not sure if that's what I have (it could be lots of things, I also read about arteriovenous malformations, but it doesn't seem like I have that because I'm not bleeding), but I mentioned what I'd read to the doctor. I was happy when he told me to send him the journal articles.
My next appointment is in two days. The doctor seemed optimistic that it might resolve on its own--especially when the baby gets big and started putting pressure on it. He also did not seem to think we were at an immediate risk of rupture. Of course, he's concerned enough that I'm still resting (although he did suggest I could increase my activity a little bit--maybe cook, go out to dinner).
I also started reading articles about what to do in case of an extended bed rest. I think I might go crazy if that happens. I never realized how much I like my job until I wasn't allowed to do it!
The appointment was funny because it was an epic ultrasound procedure. We saw the mass, we saw baby, we looked for source of blood flow, etc. At the end they could not find the mass and the doctor told me it was probably because my uterus contracted because it did not like the ultrasound and the bleed was temporarily cut off. (Not cured, just temporarily slowed.) I joked with a girlfriend that if it does rupture and I start bleeding, I know what to do to stop it--jam a huge dildo up there. (Just kidding, I would not do that, nor do I own a dildo!!!)
I spent a significant part of the weekend reading medical journal articles on pseudo-aneurysms of the uterus. I read about diagnosis (they sound like what I have--pulsating mass connected to a parent artery by a narrow neck, often diagnosed during pregnancy because of increased blood flow), treatment (potentially they close on their own, but usually need to be treated if >2 cm, preferable treatment option is to embolize the pseudoaneurysm), outcome when pregnant (depends on how far along, where it is, etc., but there are very few cases of successful treatment during pregnancy), causes (usually trauma such as c-section or, rarely, ivf egg retrieval), etc. It's an extremely rare condition, but it happens. Not sure if that's what I have (it could be lots of things, I also read about arteriovenous malformations, but it doesn't seem like I have that because I'm not bleeding), but I mentioned what I'd read to the doctor. I was happy when he told me to send him the journal articles.
My next appointment is in two days. The doctor seemed optimistic that it might resolve on its own--especially when the baby gets big and started putting pressure on it. He also did not seem to think we were at an immediate risk of rupture. Of course, he's concerned enough that I'm still resting (although he did suggest I could increase my activity a little bit--maybe cook, go out to dinner).
I also started reading articles about what to do in case of an extended bed rest. I think I might go crazy if that happens. I never realized how much I like my job until I wasn't allowed to do it!
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