Our Daughters Have Wings

Please support us! FAAN Walk for Food Allergy 2009, Metro Detroit

On Saturday, Nick, Nicholas, Christopher, my sister, and I will be walking in the Metro Detroit Walk for Food Allergy at Kensington Metro Park.

Please, if you can, visit our Team K page and make a contribution, big or small.  Anything you can share will help.

I'll post pics soon of our special shirts that I designed (with my sister's help) for the walk - they're very cute!

Team K Page - FAAN Walk for Food Allergy 2009

Induction Scheduled!

So I heard back from Barb, the Nurse Practitioner at the MFM clinic and...if BBK#2 does NOT make his appearance before Sunday, then I will be induced!

This is SUCH a relief to me.  I really can't explain - like a HUGE weight has been lifted off my shoulders.

IF I don't go into labor before then, I will be induced on Sunday evening, March 29, which will be 40w!  So he'll be here on the 29th, or 30th, at the very latest!

Something new for me...helping me to heal...

Well, my first appt with the Perinatal Mood Disorders Team (PMDT) was today.  I think it went VERY well.  First I had to fill out some survey questions that they use for tracking your progress, and then I spent over 2.5 hours with the psychiatrist. 

Honestly, I was shocked that he spent that much time with me.  And thrilled, at the same time!  The first impression I had of psychiatrists was NOT a good one, considering I saw one after I had Nicholas, and in 15min she diagnosed me with PPD (Post-Partum Depression).

This time...he took time to let me tell him why I thought I needed to see the team in the first place, then we spent the next hour or so, going over things in chronological order - before and after I lost my girls.  He asked me both very SPECIFIC and very GENERAL questions.

After we talked, he then called in a senior member of the team and gave him a recap; then, the 2nd doctor asked me a few more questions.

My 'official' diagnosis?  Contrary to what people might think...I'm NOT clinically depressed.  I do NOT have post-partum depression.  I don't have Generalized Anxiety Disorder.  And I don't have a personality disorder (thank goodness - that's a more SERIOUS diagnosis).

I have PTSD - Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.  Brought on by the loss of our girls.  So I have an 'official' diagnosis from a Psychiatrist.  My counselor/therapist already said that he thought I 'presented' with more PTSD issues than anything else.

The Psychiatrist will be talking to the team to see if some of their therapists that are specialized in PTSD will be able to take me on as a patient.  There's some specialized therapy that works well for PTSD - more so than 'generalized' therapy.

I'm VERY thankful that we have this resource available through UM, though I *do* wish that I had a) known about it earlier on in my pregnancy and b) that it would have been available to me when I was pg with Nicholas (it wasn't around yet)

I go back to see the Psychiatrist in two weeks - coincidentally, the day AFTER my cerclage removal, so we'll see if I'm still pg then!