We finally got the results of my IgM and IgG antibodies last Tuesday. We were so relieved to see that my antibodies were high and i was not recently exposed to Rubella. We sent the results via SMS to Dra. Caras, my OB, and she said that it is a good result and it means i am protected against Rubella. Whew! Hubby and I immediately said our thanksgiving prayers. Thank you Lord!
It was also my follow up check up that afternoon to Dra. Diaz, my dermatologist. Upon seeing the results of my IgG and IgM tests, and checking my rashes, which was lesser that day, she concluded that it was Pityriasis Rosea (PR). My concern is that it might be bad for the baby and she assured me that it is not. I did not bother to tell her about the articles i read about PR affecting pregnancy. I decided to hold on to what she said and relax.
It's been almost a week since my rashes appeared. I still have some marks in my arms and legs but they are much lesser now. Some articles said that PR sometimes lasts for months. I am lucky mine is not that noticeable anymore and it was not itchy as compared to others who had it. I hope it will continue to disappear in the coming days.
All praises to God!
Sunday, September 18, 2011
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Unexplained Rash
Last Sunday morning, September 11, I noticed some rashes on my left arm. First thing I thought was an insect bit me while I was sleeping. I noticed some of it on my right arm too. Come afternoon, rashes also appeared on my chest and legs.
I sent an sms to my OB, Dra. Grace Caras, that i have rashes and that it's not itchy and I have no fever. I also scheduled an appoitment with her the next morning at MegaClinic in Megamall. I tried to google for allergies and rashes but none matched mine. I was just praying that this is not Rubella.
As per babycenter.com:
"Rubella is an acute viral illness, but the symptoms can be pretty nonspecific, which makes it hard to distinguish from other illnesses. In up to half of the cases, the symptoms are either nonexistent or so mild that you might not know you were infected.
If you do have the typical symptoms, they start to show up about 12 to 23 days after you're exposed to the illness. You may have a low-grade fever, malaise, headache, swollen lymph nodes, joint pain and swelling, reddened eyes, and a stuffy or runny nose for one to five days before a rash erupts.
The rash lasts only a few days, usually appearing first on the face and later spreading to other parts of the body. The swollen glands and joint pain can last several weeks. You're contagious one week before the rash first appears and for another week or so after. The most contagious period is when the rash is erupting."
"If you get rubella during the first 12 weeks of pregnancy, there's a high chance (up to 85 percent) that your baby will develop CRS. The rate of CRS for a baby whose mother is infected between 13 and 16 weeks is about 54 percent, and the rate continues to go down sharply from there. After 20 weeks there's very little risk that the infection will cause a birth defect."
What if I belong to those half where the symptoms are nonexistent? I prayed and hoped that when I wake up the next morning, the rashes will be gone. Unfortunately, it was worse the next day.
When I went to see my OB, she looked at my rashes and asked if I have any food allergies. I don't have any. She also asked if I had fever or headache the past days. I said none. She asked if I had measles before and I said I can't remember although I remember Mama telling us that we have complete vaccines when we were young. The last question she asked was if we have babies living with us. Yes. And the baby had fever days before.
She did not conclude that I have Rubella since I am perfectly fine except for the rashes. But she asked me to get the Rubella IgM and IgG antibody tests to check the presence of antibodies and to detect for recent infection of Rubella. It cost us a whopping Php 4200! (Well I just hoped we can get the results immediately but were told that it will take 2 days for it to come out. That's sad.)
My OB also referred us to a dermatologist as she admittedly said that she is quite puzzled. The dermatologist available that time was Dra. Tootsie Diaz. She inspected my rashes and I also saw the puzzled look on her face. She is not convinced that it is Rubella but said that the closest to my symptoms is Pityriasis (or sounds like that). She did not give any medication as the rashes are not itchy but asked me to come back on Wednesday after I get the results of my blood tests.
When we got home, I searched for Pityriasis and found Pityriasis Rosea (PR). I thought that reading about it and convincing myself that i had it instead of Rubella will be better. But some articles also suggested that Pityriasis Rosea can also pose serious problems to pregnant women.
I tried to read as much as I could about Rubella and PR but found little information on these two in the Philippines.
I hope all the guessing will end tomorrow and to come back with good news.
I sent an sms to my OB, Dra. Grace Caras, that i have rashes and that it's not itchy and I have no fever. I also scheduled an appoitment with her the next morning at MegaClinic in Megamall. I tried to google for allergies and rashes but none matched mine. I was just praying that this is not Rubella.
As per babycenter.com:
"Rubella is an acute viral illness, but the symptoms can be pretty nonspecific, which makes it hard to distinguish from other illnesses. In up to half of the cases, the symptoms are either nonexistent or so mild that you might not know you were infected.
If you do have the typical symptoms, they start to show up about 12 to 23 days after you're exposed to the illness. You may have a low-grade fever, malaise, headache, swollen lymph nodes, joint pain and swelling, reddened eyes, and a stuffy or runny nose for one to five days before a rash erupts.
The rash lasts only a few days, usually appearing first on the face and later spreading to other parts of the body. The swollen glands and joint pain can last several weeks. You're contagious one week before the rash first appears and for another week or so after. The most contagious period is when the rash is erupting."
"If you get rubella during the first 12 weeks of pregnancy, there's a high chance (up to 85 percent) that your baby will develop CRS. The rate of CRS for a baby whose mother is infected between 13 and 16 weeks is about 54 percent, and the rate continues to go down sharply from there. After 20 weeks there's very little risk that the infection will cause a birth defect."
What if I belong to those half where the symptoms are nonexistent? I prayed and hoped that when I wake up the next morning, the rashes will be gone. Unfortunately, it was worse the next day.
When I went to see my OB, she looked at my rashes and asked if I have any food allergies. I don't have any. She also asked if I had fever or headache the past days. I said none. She asked if I had measles before and I said I can't remember although I remember Mama telling us that we have complete vaccines when we were young. The last question she asked was if we have babies living with us. Yes. And the baby had fever days before.
She did not conclude that I have Rubella since I am perfectly fine except for the rashes. But she asked me to get the Rubella IgM and IgG antibody tests to check the presence of antibodies and to detect for recent infection of Rubella. It cost us a whopping Php 4200! (Well I just hoped we can get the results immediately but were told that it will take 2 days for it to come out. That's sad.)
My OB also referred us to a dermatologist as she admittedly said that she is quite puzzled. The dermatologist available that time was Dra. Tootsie Diaz. She inspected my rashes and I also saw the puzzled look on her face. She is not convinced that it is Rubella but said that the closest to my symptoms is Pityriasis (or sounds like that). She did not give any medication as the rashes are not itchy but asked me to come back on Wednesday after I get the results of my blood tests.
When we got home, I searched for Pityriasis and found Pityriasis Rosea (PR). I thought that reading about it and convincing myself that i had it instead of Rubella will be better. But some articles also suggested that Pityriasis Rosea can also pose serious problems to pregnant women.
I tried to read as much as I could about Rubella and PR but found little information on these two in the Philippines.
I hope all the guessing will end tomorrow and to come back with good news.
Thursday, September 8, 2011
First Pictorial
We had to wait for two weeks before we can confirm that the pregnancy is viable.
That two-week wait was like forever!
And from somebody who had a previous miscarriage, it was double the nervousness.
I lost my previous pregnancy at 5 weeks and I had that anxious feeling everyday until that week.
But God is good. He answered our prayer.
And at 6 weeks and 2 days, we saw our little angel.
The feeling was amazing!
That two-week wait was like forever!
And from somebody who had a previous miscarriage, it was double the nervousness.
I lost my previous pregnancy at 5 weeks and I had that anxious feeling everyday until that week.
But God is good. He answered our prayer.
And at 6 weeks and 2 days, we saw our little angel.
The feeling was amazing!
Surprise!
It was August 23 and I'm 2 days delayed. I was resisting the urge to go to the nearest drugstore and buy a pregnancy test. I even chose to have lunch outside the mall so I would not pass by the pharmacy!
It's not that I do not want a positive result, it's just that I am not ready yet for another negative test.
But guess what?
I failed.
And after lunch, I ran to the mall.
And good thing I did.
It's not that I do not want a positive result, it's just that I am not ready yet for another negative test.
But guess what?
I failed.
And after lunch, I ran to the mall.
And good thing I did.
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