31w 2d flames

** Too much information warning. **

Any amount of blood in the urine is enough to make this particular pregnant woman hyperventilate, let alone what the nurse today described as "a lot." This just adds to a fun-filled day of waking up at 2 a.m. with the sensation that my nether regions have been set on fire.

I waited an unusually long time for the doctor today, who then seemed very rushed in our appointment. That left me feeling unsatisfied with the diagnosis.

Okay, to be honest, what left me feeling unsatisfied was more the extensive online research I did prior to the doctor appointment, which had me convinced that I could be suffering from at least a dozen different problems, including early labor.

The diagnosis of the old standby -- urinary tract infection (UTI) -- was unsatisfactory because the burning is there constantly and doesn't feel at all connected to urinating. I warned you about receiving too much information in this post, didn't I?

So the doctor didn't really examine anything, just took the baby's heartbeat again and scribbled off a prescription for antibiotics. "They'll be ready when you get there," the doctor had said. She must not be familiar with Wal-Mart.

Now I'm drinking water like it's going out of style in the hopes of flushing that little pill as quickly as possible to the burning nether regions.

In the back of my mind is still the nagging worry that something else could be wrong, but my logical half says that's the obsession talking. In any case, baby's heartbeat was good and my weight had not changed. In other physical news, my back pain has improved to the point I had hoped -- no more episodes of unbearable pain, just the usual discomfort. I'll try to be grateful for that, even as it feels like my chair has burst into flames.

From "Let the Flames Begin" by Paramore:

I give it all my oxygen
To let the flames begin...
This is how we'll dance
When they try to take us down
This is what will be, oh glory
Somewhere weakness is our strength
And I'll die searching for it
I can't let myself regret such selfishness
My pain and all the trouble caused
No matter how long
I believe that there's hope