Phew, I'm safe!

Last Monday I came in to work (ten minutes late, because that's just the way I roll lately) to my principal waiting for me. I though for sure I was going to get the "Please work on being on time" chat. Not so. Turns out one of the kids in my fourth grade class broke out in the Chicken Pox over the weekend, and my principal had been on the phone with the mom of the student for a good part of the morning. The mom was very concerned about my pregnancy and possible exposure to Chicken Pox. As a result, my principal was also very concerned.

Now, in the back of my mind, I was thinking, "I think if I've had it before I'm fine," but she suggested that I just call and check in with my doctor just to be safe. Now I'm a little nervous. Anyway, I called and turns out I was right: if you've had it before, you and your unborn child should be fine.

Fast forward to last Friday, when a case of Fifth's Disease was confirmed at our school. I freaked a little about that one, because I knew that I had read about it being very dangerous for pregnant women. Sure enough, good ol' Google provided the following:

"Infection during pregnancy can lead to miscarriage, stillbirth, severe fetal anemia, and inflammation of the heart muscle."

Perfect. So again, another call to my doctor, who was more concerned with this development. In to the lab I go, to see if I am one of the 50% of women who are immune to the disease, or part of the other half, who are not so lucky.

Now, about having blood drawn. I'm okay with it. I can't watch them do it, but it doesn't totally weird me out or anything. However, here are the words that I don't love to hear as they are prodding my arm: "Um, do they ever have trouble finding a vein? (followed by more prodding) Um, maybe we should try your other arm." This irritates me because (a) I've actually been told by "blood suckers" that I'm not a hard stick, and (b) it makes me feel like the"blood sucker" (fine, the technician) doesn't know what they are doing. Sure enough, when she finally stuck me, it hurt like the dickens, and I have the grossest green bruise to prove it.

Anyway, two vials of blood and a couple days later, the lab called back. I'm fine and so is the baby. At least it wasn't Swine Flu. Or Giraffe Flu. According to Vanda, that could be even worse. Good thing you can only catch it in Djibouti. Or so Tawnya says...

I may need a day off or a good stiff drink after last week.

Oh, right. That's not safe in pregnancy either.