Halfway through my Pregnancy
Last weekend, I had horrible pains in both of my legs and was sent to Urgent Care (The pain and swelling was so bad I couldn't put weight on my legs). The nurse at Urgent Care said that my back injury is causing the normal pregnancy swelling in my legs to be worse. Basically, because my spine is fused, my weight is being distributed differently than other pregnant women, and this is causing horrible pain and swelling. It has also increased my risk for blood clots (this can be fatal for both myself and my baby). Because of all of this, my doctor has put me on restricted activity for the rest of the pregnancy. I had to quit my job, per doctor's orders. I wanted to do FMLA, but I hadn't been there long enough to qualify. It was devastating to give up working, but, I needed to for my safety and the safety of my baby. I will be getting back into web writing and I will be doing other things to help bring money in. I'm a good money saver, so it's not like I'm destitute. I save for hard times.
I am blessed to have friends in the web writing field who have encouraged me both professionally and personally, one of whom knows what it's like to go through high risk pregnancies. It's been a scary time, but knowing someone who has been there has helped me stay sane and focused.
On a more positive note, I recently celebrated my 35th birthday, and I used most of my gift cards to buy stuff for my son. It actually cheered me up some, knowing that my kid will have what he needs. I did buy some stuff for myself, I had to promise to do that, LOL!
As the New Year draws near, I been reflecting on this insane year. There hasn't been a year in all my life, where I have been through so much in just 365 days. 2017 is definitely that year I will look back on and say: "I survived all of that hell, and I'm a better person for it."
In 19 weeks, and 6 days, I am due to give birth to my son. He may come before or after that, but knowing that the journey is 50% done makes me excited for the rest of the journey. It's going to be challenging, especially for a high-risker such as myself. However, seeing that baby in my arms in May 2018 will be worth all of the swelling and all of the pain I am in right now.
