The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

About three weeks ago we decided we needed a vacation. Silly me I forgot to renew my passport and it is about to expire in July which meant many of the destinations we were hankering for were no longer options. Oh Thailand... Sigh. The foodie in me really wanted to go to San Francisco but because we had a window of two weeks to travel L wanted to maximize the value. L is not sold on San Fran... how to convince him it would be fun? My passport would allow me to fly to USA, Cuba or Mexico. In the end we were both longing for beaches, sand and sun. L was keen on an all inclusive. So in a last minute internet search on selloffvacations.com we chose Santa Maria, Cuba.

I took my old fujifilm camera on vacation and remembered why I do not like this camera. It died half way through the vacation only to revive a few days before we left.

The Good:

• Beautiful beaches and lounging by the pool for two weeks straight 
• Being on vacation with my hunny 
• Our room was nice and had air conditioning for the 30 + degree Celsius temperatures daily.
• I faced my fear of snorkeling and it was fun snorkeling along the coral reef. 
• I got up close and personal with a dolphin. So amazing. 
• We had some fun adventures.
• L is over all inclusives and buffets which is a small miracle for this foodie. I really do not enjoy buffets. I'd rather eat a sprig of lettuce if it was presented as art on my plate. And tasted for a moment of heaven. 
• This was a rare vacation where I actually lost weight. 

The Bad:

• I have safe toilet syndrome. This was not a happy digestive experience. I tried extra water. Tums. Walking. My system shut down. The bathrooms rarely had functioning lights. There was a lack of toilet seats. No locks on doors. Smells like sewer gas. Women you had to pay after exiting the toilet. TP that was thinner than tissue paper.  I saw a few too many cock roaches. 
• There were way too many flies in the buffet and restaurants.  (I haven't had nausea but perhaps food aversions is similar and counts as a pregnancy symptom? Or was it just mental? I couldn't bring myself to eat most of what was sitting out in the buffet since how long with flies crawling all over it.) I was really worried about not having nutritious food for my baby but on the few occasions when I tried salads they were fermented. It was gross. At first I really liked the donuts until L discovered a worm in his and called it an animal. I almost broke a tooth biting into a rock in my bread at the alacarte. I'd recommend packing granola, trail mix, and protein bars to anyone thinking oh the food can't be so bad she's really a drama queen. You'll thank me later. 

• L got very sick on two different experiences where he couldn't even keep water down.
• We suspected they were fogging for Mosquitos and usually returned to our room before mosquito feeding time. Then one evening or say 6:30 pm much before the general feeding time we were walking along the path to our room, which has large bramble bushes on both sides, and a truck came rolling down the path and fogged us. Umm seriously?! Hoping this has no negative lasting effects. 
• I got stung by a jelly fish on my leg. Ouch. L was a gentleman and helped me out. Note that is not Cristal in the can.

The Ugly:

• I started to spot and bleed after a long day on the Catamaran. It was very scary.  We thought we were having a miscarriage and I bled off and on for several days.  I put myself on self imposed bed rest. I cried out to God and prayed. 
• On my flight home from Cuba my leg started to hurt. It was a very turbulent flight and late. There was little opportunity to wander the aisles. I keep trying to move my legs up and down in my seat because they were hurting. My leg continued to hurt the following day and I was not sure if it was from the jelly fish or something worse. Dr. Google suggested I might have a blood clot based on the symptoms I was exhibiting along with the contributing factors. Red area, swollen, warm to the touch, tingly toes, sore, hard area. I could barely walk folks especially when waking up to go to the washroom at 3 am. Being pregnant, flying, sitting for too long, inactivity, and taking fertility medication, plus I might be prone to clotting based on my family history were also contributing factors. So I asked L if I should go in after the weekend to my doctor and he thought I should go into Emergency immediately. So in we went and waited almost four hours. The doctor was very nice but could not make any diagnosis since the ultrasound technician was not in until the morning so we would have to come back on Sunday at 10 am. Home we went. Back in to wait longer and finally discover I have superficial clotting on my left leg. Luckily the ultrasound technician did not think I was exhibiting deep vein thrombosis but there was a risk it could develop. The doctor said I was complicated and that I had just become a high risk pregnancy. He had to consult with an OBGYN. We were prescribed lovenox, a blood thinner and I have to report back in ten days for a follow up ultrasound. It makes me nervous because I don't want to harm the baby. So far since we have been home I have not had any spotting. I was worried I would start bleeding again with this blood thinner. I'm also nervous about the baby not having a placenta yet. Lovenox does not pass through the placenta but what about prior to the placenta? I am about eight weeks pregnant. There are some internet reports in favor of lovenox during pregnancy and others that are not so favorable. Lovenox is not a fun drug my friends. I have to inject myself once a day. First off it hurts going in. Then it stings, burns, and generally aches following. It's like a wasp sting. Finally it leaves a horrific bruise at the site of injection. I have to get my blood tested now for clotting disorders. And to think I might have to take lovenox for the rest of this pregnancy and maybe a blood thinner thereafter. Oh Jesus I pray that my baby will be healthy. 

& The Excellent

• God pressed on my heart during the times I was spotting in Cuba the verse, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your understanding in all your ways acknowledge him and he shall direct your path." I said this verse over and over and over as I lay in bed, or on my lounge chair near the pool willing my body to stop bleeding. This has not been an easy two weeks but I am trying to trust. I am hoping and praying for a healthy baby. Despite taking a blood thinner since we have been home I have not had any spotting. That is a miracle. Thank you Jesus.

This afternoon is my first ultrasound. I am excited, nervous, terrified, hopeful. I hope beyond everything I have ever hoped for that I will hear a healthy heartbeat.