PERI appt, Should I be concerned?

[jjbeck]

I went to my peri appt yesterday. Both my husband and I left feeling confused. We had many questions to ask mainly regarding my bps.
As I mentioned, I fluctuate alot. Over the past week though I had a couple of higher than usual readings. One was 166/106 and the other 150/121.
Usually I get a daily high or 140 to 150 / 90 to 105. Then I can get a low of 120 to 139/ 79 to 89. It goes up and down through out the day.

Now yesterday I gave them the my Bp readings for the past week as they requested I do. The nurse ( a new one) looked at my readings and said oh they look pretty good. I was confused by this as it still goes up everyday. When I pointed out the two worst readings, she just said huh, I wonder why. When I told her sometimes it gets elevated with anxiety, she told me not to take my bp anymore! I explained to her that last weeks nurse and doc asked me to tkae them and keep a log, as did the cardiologist.

Then she went on to tell me I had trace amounts of protein in my in blood and elevated AST and would have to repeat a liver funtion to see if it had gone up even more.
Now I had assumed this is from last weeks blood test, but when she asked me to do another 24 hour urine and I explianed I just did one last week, she informed me they never got the results from the blood work or urine test from last week. The results she was reading was from amonth ago. This was the first I had ever heard about it! Not only that, but last week the peri only ordered a kidney funtion test and nothing to do with the liver.

When the peri walked in...it was a different doc. Appearnetly no one gets assigned to one doc. They all take turns. Is this normal? It sure made things complicated. Everyone seemed confused. Including me. They had trouble tracking down last weeks results, but eventually fond them. The new peri seemed frusterated no one repeated the liver funtion test since the last was elevated. ( if this ast is still elevated and something is up with my liver...I will be some angry...as much as I have complaining of this upper right pain!)
Anyway,he was more concerned about that and said if it is still elevated he would send me to a liver doctor but explained it could have been elevaded from excessive vomiting from the hyperemesis.
He was very surprised by my wt gain...40 lbs in first tri.
I am on the lowest possible dose of steroids and wt is still going up.
He also said I have some mild edema in my legs. I dont understand this. I am well aware of steroid side effects, but it makes sense to me that when you decrease a med, your side effects would decrease as well. None have, some are even getting worse. The edema is new. So are these complaints really from the steroids?
After going through all of this and being there for hours, the BP was never even brought up. They did not mention it, both DH and I were both confused and feeling rushed as I had to get my echo done.

Sorry for ranting so much. I am just feeling very uncertain.

[akemt]

jj,

I'm so sorry this wasn't a good experience for you! How awful! You go to the peri expecting to get some answers and all you get is MORE confused!

My suggestion is to bring it up with the doctors...tell them that you feel your care is not best served with the multiple doctors. Being straight forward about what happened, yet keeping from attacking them would be the best route as far as that is concerned. Don't know if it will do any good. Maybe it is possible to ask for a specific doctor but they don't like to announce that. I know that at my OB clinic many people just went to whomever was available, but when I started having problems they had no qualms with me going to the same doctor. In fact, the other doctors perfered that (less stress for them, I guess). lol If you are not satisfied with your care, and you are correct in that, and they will not raise their level of care, then find someone else. A good OB who is watchful and proactive can in some cases be of more value to you as a patient and mother than a peri. Hopefully this isn't often the case.

And those BP's are concerning. If I had had a 160/120 I'd have either been medicated or delivered...and either way I'd have been mediflighted out to Seattle. Swelling is definately a symptom of PE, and while I am no doctor, it does sound logical to me that if you are decreasing your meds, your symptoms should not be INCREASING if they are the cause. Definately call to get your test results since this is an issue of concern. I have no idea what an elevated AST means, but it cannot be great! lol

How far along are you now? (you can put it in your signature under profile if you don't want to type it over and over again) I sure hope things work out well for you...please be vigilant about your level of care.

Catherine (22)
DH Britton (27)
Emma Margaret (03/02/03) 37 weeks from PIH & oligo

[jjbeck]

I think AST is a liver enzyme.
I will be 15wks on Monday.

[akemt]

So early jj! How scary this must be for you! Is this your first pregnancy? You've probably said in another post but my brain has died since my first pg. lol [:D] I saw you were in chat...I love it! So cute and easy to use. Maybe we'll run into eachother some time?

Best of luck...and some prayers too!

Catherine (22)
DH Britton (27)
Emma Margaret (03/02/03) 37 weeks from PIH & oligo

[jjbeck]

This is my 2nd HG pg, we lost the last one.
:(