Good News: I passed my tests!

Nurse Faith from my doctor's office called yesterday with the good news . . . I passed both my glucose and iron tests by a landslide!

On Thursday, after consuming a bottle of orange-colored sugar liquid that tasted like a sports drink (empty bottle pictured below), I had to scoot to the doctor's office to get my blood drawn exactly ONE HOUR from the time that I took my LAST SIP --- 9:32 a.m.

This test is commonly done during the 26th to 28th week of pregnancy to check if you have gestational diabetes, which is a form of diabetes that starts during pregnancy and typically ends shortly afterward. However, if you have it, then you have to regulate your diet drastically so that you don't end up with a HUGE BABY and/or other complications.

Lucky for me, I don't have it! I credit being in shape and generally eating a healthy diet. So, to celebrate, Papa Bean and I got some gelato & sorbet today! Yum.

For those who like the numbers: Nurse Faith said they like to see people with a score of less than 130. I scored 108. Go me!

What your results mean: If your one-hour plasma glucose level is greater than or equal to 140 milligrams per deciliter of blood (mg/dL) -- some doctors place the cutoff at 130 mg/dL -- gestational diabetes is suspected and further testing is recommended. If your one-hour plasma glucose level is less than 120 mg/dL, you likely do not have gestational diabetes. (Click to read more)

My doctor's office also checked my blood for iron. They like to see patients have a score of over 32. My score was 35.7, meaning that I am getting enough iron and am healthy and doing well! to celebrate, we ate burgers at Stoney's today! Yum.

Further celebration to continue this afternoon with popsicles and cookies as we watch the Gay Pride Parade from the stoop of our condo! That's right, one of the perks of our centrally located downtown condo is that we are actually ON the parade route.

Our downstairs neighbors (who hooked us up with the Old Executive Office bowling) also just sold their condo and bought a house, so we are celebrating with one last stoop party.

Good news on our AFP test!

My doctor's office just called this week to tell me the result of the test they ran on the blood they took from me during our appointment last week. And it's good news!

The results from my AFP Test were negative, meaning I have normal levels!

This test measures the amount of alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) produced by Lima Bean's liver and passed into my bloodstream. High levels of AFP may suggest the possibility of a neural tube defect, such as spina bifida or anencephaly (a serious central-nervous-system defect). Low levels of AFP could indicate Down syndrome.

During last week's appointment, I went over the list of everything I have been tested for. Here goes:

All pregnant women are routinely tested for all STDs, such as Hepatitis-B, Syphilis, Chlamydia, Gonorrhea and HIV. Not surprisingly, I was found negative for all of them.

My urine culture and pap smear came back normal and the level of hemoglobin in my blood, which tests for anemia, is also normal. Additionally, I was found to have a normal Rh status and an O+ blood type. And I'm immune to Rubella. So all that's good stuff.

Our first big round of testing was at Week 12 when we went in for my First-Trimester Screening, which includes an NT Scan and a blood test. The NT Scan involves an ultrasound in which a technician measures a thin layer of fluid that accumulates in the back of the baby's neck, called nuchal translucency (NT). Increased fluid could indicate an increased risk for chromosomal abnormalities such as Down syndrome, congenital heart defects or other genetic disorders. The blood test, combined with the NT measurement and the mother's age (32) can provide a risk assessment for Down syndrome and trisomy 18. My risk came back as being 1 in 10,000 which is the best risk assessment you can get! So that's good stuff too!

I was then tested at Week 13 for Cystic Fibrosis and that test came back negative, another good thing!

Due to the good results from the First-Trimester Screening and NT Scan, the fact that I am under 35 years of age and not of Sephardic Jewish descent (so the chance of my carrying Tay-Sachs is nearly nonexistent), we decided to forgo Chorionic Villus Sampling (CVS) and Amniocentesis, which are both invasive tests that could have a 1 in 200 rate of causing a miscarriage.

Our next test is a Level 2 ultrasound on April 15th! This is a routine test, also called an "anatomy scan," in which the doctor can check the baby's development. It allows the doctor to measure the size of the baby and check out all the major organs, such as... THE SEX OF THE BABY! We can't wait.

In short, everything has been progressing normally and all the tests that we've had have been great. We feel blessed and are looking forward to meeting our fabulous little Lima Bean!