Hmmmm... scared or prepared?

So over this weekend, things have started to approach shit-tastic. Maybe...or maybe it is just me reading too much into things.

My BPs have jumped with the diastolics ranging from 90-98....not good. Plus my swelling is worse - my ankles now have pitting edema as well as my shins. My shins have had pitting edema for over 15 weeks now - but the ankle pitting is new. Then today I took a nap and my face was swollen when I woke up. My eyelids feel heavy and dry - could be from swelling, or allergies which I have a lot of too.

I have to pee a lot still, but less than usual, and when I do pee I have bubbles (this can be a sign of protein - or not). I have nausea and heartburn off and on. I have a mild headache that kind of goes away for tylenol - but comes back later. But, the pain is only a 2-3.

Basically, all of these things can be a sign of pre-eclampsia making it's return. Or it can be a sign of normal pregnancy issues. What do I feel in my gut? I feel pre-e is striking again. Of course, this is probably due to the fact that this whole pregnancy has had the PE shadow lurking over it. I'm scared that I have been nesting hard core lately - so many women have told me this is a sign baby is coming soon - I figured it was a normal sign of entering the 3rd T. Again, this could all be normal or it could be things starting to fall apart.

Before anyone freaks on me - I did get in touch with the on-call doctor yesterday. She was happy with me going from modified bed rest to strict bed rest and watching my pressures like a hawk. Proceed to labor and delivery if :

a) pressures go 150/95 (either or)

b) I feel worse

c) baby stops moving

d) I get any new symptoms

I have an appointment with my doctor tomorrow. The on-call doctor was cool with me staying home and chilling until that appointment as long as I continue monitoring myself - she was surprised with how thorough my knowledge was with lab values, when my last labs were drawn, what symptoms were worrisome. So I bought myself until tomorrow.

Now, why did I want to wait until tomorrow? Well, when you go to L & D they lay you down on your side and your pressures are lower. The do take blood work and make sure everything else is kosher - but if your BP is low laying on your side - you are going home unless your bloodwork is pretty bad - and staying on bed rest until your next Dr.'s appt. Well, I don't lay on my side all day, so the BP they get means nothing to me and I am just skipping the step of going in.

**** Full disclaimer**** If I really needed to go in, I would no question, so please know I am walking that line between cautious and overkill and not really bordering on negligence.

When I go to my Dr. tomorrow, my BP will be taken the proper way. The number will be similar to what I get at home. We will see if I have increased protein in my urine and look at my blood work labs. Then we will make decisions from there.

Now this is my question. Is it overkill to bring a hospital bag with me tomorrow in case I need to stay for a few days? I don't think I will have to stay, but I want to be prepared if I do. I'd like to have my own clothes and toiletries. My computer and a book.

I don't want to be alarmist and freak my hubby out by bringing a bag - but I would rather be prepared. I just wonder if it is unnecessary. I think I am jaded by my last experience when I was sent to L&D and then stayed in the hospital for over a week and left without my son.

O.K. I think I will pack a bag and keep it in the trunk. If I need to stay, the hubby can go get it. Send me some stay away PE vibes please. I'll let you all know how Sprout is doing tomorrow. Hopefully we will be home sipping cocoa (sugar-free obviously!) typing an update while watching some cheesy TV.