Back home

Yesterday around 2:30pm, I was released. They started giving me methyldopa for the BP, and the first 12 hours (all in the hospital) didn’t really make any difference. In fact, on a couple readings it went UP into the 180s, and I think someone told me my midnight reading spiked to over 200. That particular reading was horrible. The night nurse took the reading on my right upper arm, and it came really high, so I suggested (I’m still kinda sleep) the left upper arm, and that was worse, and actually brought me to tears and gave me a headache. Wound up using the right forearm, as they had in triage, which was much more tolerable, but my emotions were in shreds at that point, and my head was stuffy and snotty now. Just bad all around.

Anyhow, met with the OBGYN later that next morning (Thursday morning) and then the high-risk specialisty early that afternoon. The specialist laid things out pretty matter-of-factly without being scary about it. He also said that while his colleagues (the other two high-risk specialists in the department) wanted to keep me there longer, after talking with me, he decided to let me go home and self-monitor, to see if the BP readings were better in a more comfortable environment. At this point, I was getting really frustrated with being in that room for 2 days straight. Nice good staff and all, but they wouldn’t even let me go down one floor to the nursery, without being in a wheelchair. That cooped-up feeling can really get to me quickly, I’ve found out.

So, he seconded the methyldopa, and gave me a list of things to come in for immediately (ANY spotting — possible placenta abruption, pain in the upper right quadrant — liver issues, headache that doesn’t go away with Tylenol — possible precursor to a seizure, blurred vision, swelling, etc.)

We got back home around 3:30 with a blood pressure monitor, some regular strength tylenol and the methyldopa, and I took a nice long hot shower, and fell asleep. Woke up around 8pm, had some small dinner, and took the meds at 9:15. Took my first home reading, and it came in at 138/84, measured on the upper arm. YAY! Big drop. Next reading I took after waking up around 7:45 this morning, we couldn’t get it to work on the upper arm, so tried on the forearm, and came in at 134/93. Much better as well, and that was at the tail end of the medications’ effectiveness.

So, the day goes by, and I’m still feeling kinda groggy and sleep deprived from the prior 3 days, so it’s a lot of lying around, and getting up to pee or stretch, etc. Not much movement, but I helped Joey with some of his online work. The readings are getting better with each measurement (which I’m doing every 4 hours) and the last one, taken at 7:45 tonight was 112/70, so that is a HUGE improvement, IMO. Hopefully that keeps up. Gonna take another reading in a little bit before hitting the sack.

I’ve got an appointment with the OBGYN on Monday morning, and one with the specialist on Thursday afternoon. Won’t be going back to work until Friday at the earliest, which frankly is fine by me at this point. I’d been wanting a break for a few weeks anyhow.