Ah! My hip!

Last Thursday I walked to the library and sort of over did it. I wasn't speed walking but the distance of the walk was a bit more than my usual route and I didn't appreciate how loose my pelvis had become. I expected pelvic pain later in pregnancy, once baby engages near my due date, but not at 20 weeks. 

As I've mentioned, I have had some hip issues upon waking which I related to side-lying and being out of alignment but now I have more to consider. Apparently I'm one of those lucky women whose pelvis starts to loosen up earlier in pregnancy (thanks to an amazing hormone called relaxin) and this causes the muscles and ligaments and bones to become out of alignment and often causes aches, pain, and difficulty walking among other things. 

After my long walk on Thursday I found myself hobbling, bending over to try and find a position where the pain in my pubic bone wasn't as bothersome-it was very crone-like. At one point I was doing the dishes and leaning over to put them in the dishwasher was so uncomfortable I started tearing up. I was so frustrated with myself and the sudden limitations to my movement  (and I think the pregnancy hormones helped coax the tears out easy too) I started crying and the hubby rushed into the kitchen to see what was the matter. 

I explained the situation and he encouraged me to call the midwives. I had been tempted to call earlier that day but had dismissed the thought knowing that pelvic girdle pain is just a fact of pregnancy and while the discomfort can be treated it's something I'm just gonna to have to deal with until baby arrives (and, you know me, I err on the side of "suck it up"). I did end up calling the birth center and it did feel good to hear someone tell me I wasn't crazy or alone. The midwife recommended seeing a chiropractor or a physical therapist, which I've yet to look into, but more important to me she reassured me that I was totally normal, that I can still exercise but not to push through the pain and listen to my body. That I can do!

So the rest of the weekend was pretty slow going for me as recovery time. Friday we had standing plans and went south to an outlet mall in OR to shop for maternity clothes (the hubster was an awesome shopping buddy, I have to admit) and then carried on to visit my in-laws in the Tri-Cities. I walked slowly, had to be extra careful sitting down and getting up, and even getting in and out of the car was a bit uncomfortable. It was a long day. We didn't get to bed until after midnight and I was achy and hobbly from pelvic pain. I tried to take it easy the rest of the weekend and even Monday I couldn't quite walk at my normal pace. Thankfully today I felt a lot better though I'm very careful not to overdo it again! 

It was an okay visit to my in-laws, though being in pain definitely brought my mood down. I also felt a lot of stress from my mother-in-law and that negativity on top of my bodily aches sapped my patience and made me a little grumpy. I think she was anxious or upset about family stuff and I sponged up the feelings. Normally I might be able to inject some positivity, but this weekend I just kept to myself. It was really nice when we finally made it home (utterly exhausted) and I consciously appreciated the comforts of home, I tend to take those fore granted!

In other news, the cats and dog are being treated for roundworm. Not fun squirting gunk into cats' mouths but Fio took it like a champ. They all get another round in a couple weeks and we're hoping not to have to do this again for a long, long time...

I knew it! I KNEW IT!

I tend to overreact to neighborhood woes; graffiti and trash mean that the neighborhood is slipping into the "slum zone" when it's really just a part of urban living. So when I started getting concerned with the junk around our apartment a part of me ignored the suspicious thoughts and ruled them out as the ravings of a neurotic woman. What are the chances some kids would try to light up a pile of furniture, I mean really?

Well, walking the dog this morning by the piles of furniture abandoned at our complex (and left in piles for months on end by the management) I noticed a box of half-used fireplace matches around the furniture. Perhaps some hoodlums attempting to light up a pile of junk? Eh? Eh? Maybe this crazy gal ain't so crazy!

I've been contemplating calling the city on the complex in regards to the junk and after seeing that today I was pretty well convinced but being the not-so-confident chick that I am I still had doubts. I decided to call the office and see what they had to say about it. I got a canned answer, "We have it on our to-do list but other emergencies have come up and we only have 3 maintenance guys working but we'll investigate those matches, thank you for calling." I am not impressed. Sounds like other people have called, the management has established a routine answer, and the piles will remain.

The other pile.

Pile with matches.

It's not a huge deal, it doesn't directly affect me daily, but I am concerned about the vandalism potential, housing loose animals, kids getting tetanus, that kind of stuff so I'm still considering reporting it to code enforcement. But is that too much? I feel like a tattle. Like I don't have a good enough reason to complain! Or is it just my low self-esteem negating my opinions again?

I've mentioned before how frustrated I am at this complex and this episode builds on that frustration. I feel like it's the complex/management vs. me. Is it just me, or is that wrong? Shouldn't it be a complementary relationship? Maybe it's too much to ask for a positive rental relationship? I don't know and the hubster doesn't care, so I'm stuck in an uncomfortable limbo of self-doubt and angst.

Speaking of uncomfortable.... Pregnancy has thrown me another curve ball and my hip pain has become more than just a morning affair.

I'm not sure if I mentioned it before, but occasionally upon waking my hips would throb and sometimes pop as I turn over. Even turning over in the night was problematic. Well yesterday that pain left the bedroom and followed me through the day and eventually I lost it.

Doing the dishes I was aching and having a hard time bending over and I became frustrated with the pain, next thing you know all the tears I'd been trying to shed the past week came flooding out. I can handle the pain, I just couldn't handle it all day and feeling like I couldn't do anything! The hubster was a little blindsided but afterward told me that I had to call the midwives today even if I have appointment next week. Pain that prevents me from doing my daily activities or affect my bottom line is just too much pain. I knew he had a point but I grew up with a "suck it up, buttercup" approach to pain and nearly always err on the side of "stop complaining and carry on." So I have a message in at the midwives' and we'll just have to wait and see what they say.

In other news, Iroh seems to have worms. So the pet saga continues with more poo and vet drama to come. So delightful!

Not.