Gunk

Our household has been hit by Gunk. Chase has a hacking cough and a low grade fever and Ellis woke up at 1am, 4am, and 6am because she was all stuffed up and it was freaking her out. I think she was repeatedly screaming "I can't get all the boogers OUT. Make it STOP." My comments that crying just makes more phlegm went over like bricks.

But it wasn't like they were keeping me from a good nights sleep. I was awake anyway. Trying hard not to rip the skin off my body. Going on 20 days of this. But it seemed like the Poison Ivyishness went away awhile ago. Now it is just a rash. A full body rash.

A rash that freaked my OB out today.

A rash that got me sent directly to another doctor. Apparently there are some nasty causes of full body rashes during pregnancy. They wanted to rule out some scary ones. The verdict was that this isn't a pregnancy rash in the normal sense [of either scary, or even just annoying like PUPP.] But they do think that it is a result of a suppressed immune system, which is the normal pregnant state. Once I got the Poison Ivy rash and my body was fighting it off, it just went into overdrive and can't shut itself down. I have been given a few medications to try that are considered relatively safe. If there is no improvement by the end of the week, they will discuss the possibility of steroids [benefit may outweigh the risk.] Apparently there is some risk to the baby to have my body in this hyperactive mode for too long.

My appointment today was just a 25 week check up. This was the first time in any pregnancy that I had my belly measured. Apparently I am measuring small. I am guessing that I probably did with both Chase and Ellis, since I think I am bigger at this point than I was with them. But it earns me an appointment for an ultrasound on Thursday morning. Just to make sure that the baby is growing. I get to do this immediately following my glucose tolerance test. Which I know will make me feel horrible. Always does. Oh, the joys of pregnancy.

And as I type this my throat is starting to feel a little funky. Considering the number of times that I have been hacked on, I am sure that it is just a matter of time... until I can add GUNK to my list of ailments.

Is it nap time yet? I think I really need a nap.