Baby Adventures: 26 Weeks..

►REMINDER: Only 4 more days until my giveaway ends! ツ And also, I just want some people to be aware that the #1 rule is to be following me publicly through Google Friend Connect, everything else is only extra entries. Once the generator picks a winner and that person hasn't followed the rules/ or cheated, a new winner will be picked. Thanks, everyone!!! 

OMG. It is SUPER late and I am on the computer blogging. This is the pain of taking naps and waking up too close to my actual bedtime. Ugh. And I have to wake up and go to a doctor's appointment at 9am. It's not even my OB/Gyn, I have to see a rheumatologist. I'll tell you why in a second. I should get to sleeping, but I think I'll finish this post first, since a lot of people have been asking about my pregnancy update and baby bump pictures! (✿◠‿◠)

❤ There you go! LOL, my big baby bump at 26 weeks! ❤

Oh, and if you didn't read my previous posts, it's a BOY! ツ His name is Ethan 태양 Yi. Man, this little guy sure is moving around and hiccuping a lot. It feels like he's doing cartwheels in there. I can't help but smile every time I feel even the slightest movement from him. But's annoying how often I need to go pee!!! GAH! Every 30 minutes feels like I've been holding it in for 5 hours! My belly is starting to itch a little. I need to remind myself to get some cocoa butter and vitamin e oil. Awww, he's moving as I am typing right now too! Ok, I need to get some sleep, so let me do a little venting..

❤ Still no problems or stretching with the tattoo! ❤

Being pregnant with my condition: 

Let me tell you, it SUCKS. I was diagnosed with Lupus when I was about 17 years old and you have NO freaking idea of the physical and mental hell I went through. It hurt even more because I saw what it was doing to my family, so I always tried to stay chipper and positive. They say this condition can skip many generations, which is true, because not anyone in my family that anyone knows of had it. I will definitely be making a LONG separate post about my experience and hopefully it will help raise some awareness. It took a YEAR for someone to finally diagnose me, only because my body finally was about to give up and I was on my so-called "death bed" (more details later). 

You can look it up, I don't feel like explaining what is it, but just know that every case is different. I was in the worst shape, because they took so damn long to figure out what was happening. Unfortunately, there is no cure, but lupus patients are very capable of leading healthy, normal lives. We just have to be caution with certain things or environments. I'm "suppose to be" taking specific meds for the rest of my life, but I'll get into specifics later. 

Anyways, they advice women with lupus NOT to get pregnant because of the all the risks to the mother AND the baby. Now, this doesn't mean we cannot have a healthy pregnancy, it only means there are risks that we should be aware of. Now, why didn't this worry me??? 

My specific case of lupus was rare, I guess. So my doctor wanted me to undergo some procedures: chemotherapy and the injection of an experimental drug (that could possibly lead to the cure, I think?). They had told me to think long and hard about it before a decision is made because this would basically eliminate almost any chance of bearing children in the future. I was young at the time, having kids was the LAST thing on my mind, so I did it. 

So you can imagine our surprise when we found out about our little miracle. Anyways, I'm rambling.. Let me tell you the frustrating part of being pregnant wtih lupus: all the doctors you have to see! I can't just have one ob/gyn like a normal person, I have to see 4 different doctors. Ugh... But that's not the stressful part. I have to see certain doctors before I see the other doctor. Confused? Let me break it down:

1. My OB/ Gyn wants me to see specialists at Maternal Fetal Medicine, so they may closely monitor my baby to see if it's in any danger or risks because of my lupus. My OB monitors me and my overall pregnancy. MFT monitors baby and everything else happening within my womb. 
2. Maternal Fetal Medicine wanted to see me in September, but I cannot see them without seeing a rheumotologist first. I haven't seen a rheumotologist in a LONGG time and I called the one I used to see, but they claim not to have any of my records. So now I have to start from scratch. 
3. No new rheumotologist will see me WITHOUT a referral from a primary care physician. I haven't seen MY PCP in the same amount of time I haven't seen my rheumotologist. I called my previous PCP and they TOO claim not to have my records.. WTFFFFFFFFF is going on??!!!
4. So I make an appointment to see ANY primary care doctor at the clinic that my insurance plan goes through and they schedule me for a month later, even know they told them my whole situation. I even explained that I ONLY needed a referral and didn't need to see anyone for any health issues.
5. I finally go my the appointment at the clinic, wait 2 hours AFTER my scheduled time and finally a man leads me to an office, takes my insurance info, and then leads me to the appointment desk. The receptionist tells me she can schedule me to see a PCP in another month. WTF??!! Why did I even come here for an appointment if I wasn't even seeing a doctor?? I'm furious and stressed beyond belief at this point and start crying at the counter. I re-explain my situation and tell them I need to see someone ASAP, because by the time I get the help I need, this baby will already be due. She squeezes me the following Monday to see someone. 
6. I come in Monday morning, wait another 2 hours, then another 30 minutes inside the check-up room, doctor finally shows up and types me up a referral and tell me to call them if I don't hear anything in a week. 
7. Nothing. So I call, they tell me they sent the referral to a hospital in Seattle and to call and make an appointment. I call. They claim to have gotten nothing. I call again a few days later. Still nothing, even thought I myself have the paper stating I have 4 approved visits with them, and they say it doesn't matter if I have it, because they need a referral from the clinic. 
8. At this point, even the nurses and my OBGYN are making phone calls and going out of their way to get all this moving along, explaining to them that they are keeping me from seeing the most important people for my pregnancy. 
9. I call the Seattle hospital again a few days later and they tell me they got my referral.. BUT, it will take a few days to review and to decide if they will take me as a patient or not.. WTF.. Here we go again.
10. Then I get a call from them, telling me I need to send over my lupus records. I explain for the bazillionth time that they don't have my records and I need to be seen as a new patient. They tell me the only way to do that is have the clinic send over another letter stating I have lupus and that I also need to get blood work done. <--That would have taken another couple months.. Omg..

I only NEED to see my OBGYN & MFM, but this whole process is keeping me from getting the help. We still don't even know the full condition of our baby. These other set of doctors were making my life a living hell. I've cried so many times, stressed. They were taking the joy and happiness out of expecting your first.

I switched medical insurances (as my obgyn told me to do, because everyone is claiming they have to do things a certain way, because the policy of my current insurance). I don't know what happened or who talked to who, but the Seattle hospital had called me a few days ago to make an appointment to finally see them.

I'm seeing them in a few hours, so I should probably go to bed now. I hope it goes well.. If they turn me away after all of this and the time and effort to drive 45 minutes to see them, I am going to blow my effing top. I might strangle the person that gives me any bad news. Ughhh.. We'll see how this goes. 

Anyways, I'm going to try to keep positive and happy for baby boy! I cannot wait to finally hold him and tell him he's worth everything I've ever gone through and how perfect he is. <3    

❤ Kisses for my baby boy! ❤

&&& THESE are the pictures I took at 23 weeks that I THOUGH I made a blog post about, but I guess I didn't. :) LOL, not TOO much has changed in 3 weeks, but I still thought I'd share. Don't mind my crazy hair, I had just gotten out of the shower and was getting ready for bedtime. 

Okay, good night!!! I have to force 

myself to sleepppp! ❤