One year and one week ago I stopped sleeping through the night because I was uncontrollably itchy.
One year ago I started to pity myself and become depressed. How did I end up with such a rough pregnancy? I started off so sick and unhealthy, and lost so much weight that I was being threatened with a PICC line.
Since then, I've learned more about this liver disease than I've ever wanted to know. I've explained this liver disease to anyone who asked and anyone who would listen. I've explained to people who asked why I was OK with being induced instead of letting my body go into labor naturally. I've explained why we just couldn't wait for that to happen, and the risks to the baby that were involved.
I've explained, countless times, why I had to go on bed rest, even though I wasn't ordered to stay in bed. And why I spent hours in the middle of the night able to finish the nursery - because I wasn't sleeping. Ever.
I've even explained to a select few how I became depressed and stopped wanting to go out, or see family and friends because I felt so sad and anxious and afraid for my baby all the time. And I've explained to those who've asked, what I needed in that time last year, from friends and family, and how I was afraid and ashamed to ask for it. I've explained that it's likely to return if Hubs and I decide to have another baby, and that I'll need those things again - and likely more, since there will be a toddler/child running around also.
I'm thankful for the obstetric care that I received, and that the condition was treated seriously, and that I wasn't dismissed, which happens to so many pregnant women because a large number of doctors don't know about ICP - or believe it's so rare that it doesn't fit the case at hand.
This website has a lot of extremely valuable information and I urge you to at least glance through it - if you have questions about what I went through. Please don't skip the In Memory page. I feel like this page requires the most consideration.
www.icpcare.org
