My enemy - the evil glucose test!

As most of you who read my blog are already aware, we are expecting our fourth child at the end of July. We are very excited about meeting the newest member of our family and the kids have remarkably been very upbeat about sharing Mommy and Daddy a little more with a new baby.

That said, for anyone who has been pregnant before, you know what I am talking about when I say the words "glucose tolerance test." Usually given around the 28th week of pregnancy, the woman is given a nasty carbonated substance that kind of tastes like Orange Crush that has been sitting out in the sun all summer. You have around three minutes to drink that sucker down and then get to wait around the office for an hour before having your blood drawn. During that hour, you pray you do not have to rush to the restroom to upheave as your stomach is doing flip flops (and quite often the baby too) from the nasty sugar rush.

I was fortunate enough to pass this test during my first two pregnancies. And then along came Avery. Not only did I fail the one hour test in the office and had to go to a special lab to have the three hour torture test completed, I also failed that test as well. And I became a gestational diabetic.

For me this turned out to be a good and bad thing. On the positive side, I had to watch every little food and drink product that went into my mouth so I didn't gain too much weight during my pregnancy with Avery. And I certainly would not have enjoyed wearing all of those cute maternity halter tops nearly as much had I been larger.

On the negative side, I had to draw blood four times a day and check my blood sugar level to make sure I was within my allowed limits. By the end of the pregnancy my fingers were raw, cracked and bleeding without even using a needle from all of the constant poking. It wasn't fun, but I can't complain too much. For people who are born with or develop diabetes they have to endure this lifestyle each and every day with no end. Mine ended the day Avery was born.

And then I became pregnant again and of course the first thing that I think of is, "Hmmm, I wonder if I'll be diabetic again?" During my first doctor's visit, the nurse checked with a doctor and confirmed that they would want me to take the glucose tolerance test during my next visit in order to regulate it earlier this time.

Well, the visit was last Tuesday morning. I braced myself for the worst and have even been stocking up on whole grain items, sugar free treats, etc to be prepared. I was not told to fast for the one hour test and I did something different this time that I don't think I had ever done before. I ate before I went to the doctor's office. Generally, I would starve to death until after the visit which of course makes the glucose drink set even more horribly on one's stomach!

I had a piece of whole grain toast and some sugar free Jello to start the morning and went in and drank down my nemesis - Mr. Orange Glucola. After sitting around for an hour and witnessing not one but three different ladies receive negative results on their glucola tests, I knew I was bound for the same three hour test.

But somehow, I passed. And when I heard the nurse say, "Congratulations, Ms. Hawkins. You passed," I just hightailed it out of there and quickly ran to the check-out in case she had made a mistake. Yea!!!! I have persevered this time. Unfortunately me and Mr. Glucola have another duo scheduled for 28 weeks. Until then...