In Good Hands...

Yay for Friday!! Travis passed out on the couch about 20 minutes ago, so - again, yay!!

I took Ashley in for her weight check... she's 11 pounds, 6 oz. Exactly a pound bigger than she was 3 weeks ago at her check-up. So, my worrying after my highly scientific method of weighing her at home showed she had gained NO weight(standing on the digital scale, and then again while holding her, and noting the difference) was all for nothing.

My trip yesterday to the cardiologist was informative, to say the very least. My bp was still elevated. 140/110. That is on my medication, too... but also after a 1/2 Caf Peet's Latte. Sigh.

Apparently, the fact that I was told to suddenly stop taking my Labetalol while in the hospital after I had Ashley was a big, big no-no.

Mr. Heart Doc said that can cause vasoconstriction, and a heart attack. Lovely, no? Just the thing a new mommy needs, right? A medically-ordered heart attack. So, in the future, if I need to stop taking it, the dosage has to be gradually tapered off over a period of two weeks.

Anyway, my dosage was upped from 200 mg twice daily, to 200mg in the morning, and 300 mg at night. He told me we're almost there with the dosage, and if we can get into the range of 130 or lower, he would be happy - of course lower is optimal.

I return to his office in 2 weeks for a re-evaluation, and an EKG to rule out the possibility of left ventricular hypertrophy (thickened heart muscle due to overuse). Fortunately, even if I do have LVH, once my BP gets into check, it would most likely resolve itself.

I am really glad I sought out a specialist, instead of just a General Practitioner. I feel like I am in capable hands, and that we will get this figured out.