Surgeries , international moves and stress!

So I've been quiet lately so this post is SO overdue. To start - I had my cerclage put in a few weeks ago. It was a shirodkar suture and it went fine. I wasn't so scared for the surgery - not as much as I'm scared of my cervix turning incompetent out here. I can't remember if I posted about this but - I've learned some very hard lessons about living out here. After my last pregnancy I've come to understand that the trick with dealing with incompetent cervix is constant monitoring, vigilance and medical intervention as soon as possible. That's fine and dandy - but out here doctor's still want to follow the same protocol they do with low risk patients - until something bad happens.

So what's wrong you ask? When I lost my first pregnancy - I walked into a routine monthly appointment and my cervix was 4 cm dilated - membranes bulging. Pretty much too late to save my pregnancy . For the second pregnancy we did a cerclage and had biweekly ultrasounds. Well needless to say - at about the same time - my cervix shortened down to the stitch as tried to funnel. So we intervened and 15 weeks of injections , bedrest and a bout of preterm labor later - we delivered a healthy baby girl! So of course when I explained this to numerous doctors here - I was baffled that they felt all I needed was the stitch and they could treat me normally. Oh did I mention my chronic UTis and gestational diabetes and that I'm over 35 now too? This is not a recipe for a normal pregnancy! 

So am I just paranoid? Well before my suture - my cervix was 6.6 cm. I basically demanded another appointment several weeks later - and now my cervix is 4.5 cm. So that's 2 cm loss or 30 percent in 2.5 weeks or so. So fine ..... I'm still within a wonderfully healthy range - but my cervix has shortened some. In fact quite a bit - but I'm the only person who thinks this is at least slightly concerning as I approach the 20 week mark - where my cervix goes nuts. Maybe it is just warming up? Maybe we should check it again in maybe 2 weeks to see if it is still changing? Not what my doctor thinks! So if I followed my doctor's lead - my next appt would be at 20 weeks and we'd walk in and pray the stitch held. If not then eeeek! 

All of this weighed in on our decision to return to the States. I've spent too much time nagging doctors out here about tests and labwork I want done. Too many times I've had to ask over and over for what my actual labs / numbers / results  were. I also had to nag for supplemental progesterone in the first trimester. I want to have some proactive care for my perilous pregnancy. Is that so much to ask for?

So here we are - organizing an international move in the space of 4 weeks. When you have a kid and pets it takes on a whole new dimension. Fortunately most stuff could be done remotely and we have knocked almost all of it out. My husband and I are exhausted - We look haggard - we've actually gained more white hairs over this! My toddler is clearly bewildered at the abandonment of her lovely routine - and is clingy and now refuses to sleep on her own. Not that I blame her! When some men take all your toys , put them in boxes, everything you've known is hauled off and you're now hanging out at the grandparents house all the time - you get suspicious that something is amiss. 

On a side note I think she's beginning to understand there's a baby coming. She actualy asked me to use the Doppler . She smiled when she heard her baby brothers heartbeat and said baby. It's a lot to hope a 2.5 year old understands but I'll take  what I can get. 

So I hope this does justice and gives a decent update as to where things are . I still need to write my surgery story .... But that will have to wait for another night of insomnia.