They say all good things must come to an end, and the world’s easiest pregnancy (mine) is about to come to an end. Or should I say, it has come to an end. I can no longer sleep on my stomach. And I kind of want to die.

For most pregnant women, or women who have been pregnant, this is probably laughable — particularly since this is, hands down, the worst symptom I’ve had to deal with thus far in my four and a half months of being pregnant.

But what those women don’t understand is: I can be a horrible human being without sleep.

It happened over Thanksgiving weekend — at my in-laws’ in Illinois, no less, a place I rarely get a good night’s sleep. when I laid down on my stomach to go bed, something felt … off. I chalked it up to the fact that, lately, not a moment goes by when I don’t feel like I have to pee. so, I went to the bathroom, and when I returned to bed and assumed my position, same thing. the night before then was the last time I slept.

I look like hell. I feel like hell. I’m not sure if it’s allergies, but I appear to have a slight cold coming on, as well. Damn weakened immune system. And now, when I lie in bed at night, the only thing I can think of is: How the hell am I going to make it another four and a half months without sleep? I need sleep. it is truly the one thing on this earth I cannot do without. Take my food, take my water, hell, take my freedom. just don’t take away my sleep.

Last night, I tried wedging a pillow behind my back, so I wouldn’t roll over. the only thing that did was make it feel like I had a pillow digging into my back. then I tried taking that same pillow and hugging it between my arms and legs. it was a little better, but not much.

Then there’s my husband and my dog. both lying peacefully on their backs, snoring their irritating little heads off, taunting me with their non-pregnant bodies. I currently dislike them.

So, bottom line here is: help! I don’t know what to do. I was so enjoying being the kind of pregnant woman I always wanted to be — laid back and unencumbered by “symptoms.” Will I ever have that back? is there anybody in the entire world who loves sleeping on their stomach as much as me? Who’s been pregnant? And managed to sleep during that time? I need your precious guidance right now, dear people, because, for the love of God, I cannot go another night — let alone another month — without sleep.

How did you sleep while you were pregnant?

Image via Frank de Kleine/Flickr

Occasional Bloody diarrhea, then loose stools with blood, sometimes no blood in the stool, stomach cramps, urge to empty but still get cramps and have to go again? (someone who is only in their late 30's). No other symptoms (not tired, not weak, not nauseous). I am lactose intolerant and sometimes I would have dairy products anyway, this last time I ended up getting lots of bloody diarrhea (sorry gross).

Thank you for helping!

Modesto, Calif. — Lacey is a 6-year-old Pomeranian who runs the household. I bet there are a lot of us who might say the same thing about our dogs. Lacey spends her time indoors but is allowed to frolic in the back yard and goes on regular leash walks with Karen. Over the past few months, Karen has been dealing with a swelling on Lacey’s face just below her right eye. She has taken Lacey to her veterinarian and twice treated her with antibiotics; the last time, the treatment included prednisone. Each time, the swelling would disappear only to return a few days later. Karen is becoming discouraged, and in reading her letter, it is obvious she is worried about Lacey. Without question, Lacey’s facial swelling needs further investigation. Anytime a lesion is treated with antibiotics and there is resolution — whether permanent or temporary — there is likely to be bacterial infection involved. This does not mean that bacteria are the primary problem. there may be an underlying issue that allows a bacterial infection to secondarily occur. in Lacey’s case, there may be a tumor in the area of the swelling or perhaps a mass inside the nasal passage on the right side of Lacey’s face. I would think this less likely because antibiotics alone should not be able to reduce that type of swelling, as it is being caused by the growth of a mass. there is a possibility of a foreign body within the right nasal passage that has caused a secondary infection, which then causes swelling within the nasal passage that might then distort the right side of the face. I am not convinced this is the case. I am betting Lacey has an abscess in one or more of the roots of a tooth called the carnassial tooth. Technically, this tooth is a premolar, but typically it is the largest tooth in a dog’s mouth and has three roots. These roots are quite long and are anchored in the maxillary bone of the upper jaw. If there is an abscess in one or more of these roots, it can cause erosion of the thin layer of bone separating the tip of the root(s) from the nasal passage. This then can cause swelling of the face precisely in the described location of Lacey’s lesion. to diagnose a carnassial abscess, we simply need to take some dental radiographs and look for a tooth root abscess. The molar behind the carnassial tooth could also be a culprit. Armed with the information provided by the radiographs, we can then go about fixing the problem. Depending on the individual case and preference of the caretaker, we can do a root canal of the offending root(s) or elect to simply extract the tooth. once either procedure is done and yet another course of antibiotics is finished, Lacey will be cured. JEFF KAHLER is a veterinarian in Modesto, Calif. Questions can be submitted to your Pet in care of LifeStyles, The Modesto Bee, P.O. Box 5256, Modesto CA 95352.

***It’s long, just so you know***

Ok, so Friday’s pulmonology follow-up appointment was….a DOOZY to say the least.

I’ll preface it by saying A. I don’t like him anymore. and B. I won’t be back.

First of all, my appointment was at 1:45. I was put in the room at 2:15. He didn’t come in until 3:30. I know you’re running behind, but almost 2 hours? The last time I was there, I was in and out in 30 minutes so this was just ridiculous.

If you recall, I was just finishing up my bronchitis antibiotics. I just happened to be seeing him during this time, I wasn’t going to him for the bronchitis issues…

The nurse did a spirometer reading – the thing you blow in to see lung function. really? I’m not coming in with anything like that. of course, it came back fine.

When he came in, he asked me all kinds of questions. I explained the bronchitis situation and how it was being treated, and also the rib/chest pain I had for 3 days. Thursday night while I was watching TV, every breath – in and out – I felt a popping sound in the area it was hurting. This went on for about an hour. When the popping stopped, the pain went away. I don’t know if you can pop out a rib or rib cartilage, but that’s what I thought with my non-MD Degree….I told him this and he pressed on my chest and basically told me that was impossible and those ribs (upper chest) can’t do that, there’s something going on with your chest wall? And was talking over me while I was trying to tell him what I felt and had been going on with me. Like answering his questions with his own flavor of answers, not listening to me, THE PATIENT.

He then says, maybe you have some reflux issues and I need to scope you. He says this on the way out of the room. I said NO – you put me on a reflux medicine that I’ve been on for 6 months – I don’t have anymore problems with that. “the nurse’ll be right in.”

So in she comes with a tray of the nasal spray to numb it and then he comes and sticks a scope up my nose/down my throat. “oh I don’t see anything in your nasal cavities or your throat.” NO SHIT. I just told you that!

Next, he starts banging away on his laptop. He said not one word to me. Not what he thinks is going on, how the bronchitis sounds, not what he is diagnosing, not what he’s going to give me. NADA. ZIP. ZILCH.

Leaves the room again and says, “Nurse’ll be right in.” She comes in with an armload of stuff. Samples of inhalers (same ones I had in June), some tube thing and an injection. She starts opening the injection and I’m like WHOA. what is that and what is that for? It’s a Depo shot. Isn’t that steroids? yes. Don’t all those inhalers have steroids? Doesn’t that rx he sent to my pharmacy – prednisone – have steroids? yes. Don’t you think that’s overkill on the steroids? what is all this for? The doctor prescribed it. I just want to know what it’s for. Are you refusing medical treatment? No, I would just like more information as to what is going into MY BODY. Well you can see right here (on the computer) that he selected it for you. That’s fine, but I want to know WHY. Are you refusing medical treatment? No, I would just like to talk to my doctor about what is going on since he didn’t say one word to me before you showed up. He’s with another patient. I DON’T CARE. I’ll wait.

She takes her little injection and leaves. Comes back and says at least you can take your breathing treatment while you wait and snaps a face mask on me, inhaling some type of mist. I don’t know if it was a nebulizer, I’m guessing it was? She didn’t say either. No idea. meanwhile, I am getting more and more pissed at this super secret shit. I get up and get a scratch paper from my purse and try to look at the computer and write down my diagnosis as well as what he is prescribing since no one is telling me.

She comes back while I’m doing this and is all what are you doing? I said never mind, just print that out for me. what? Print that screen out for me. Why? It’s my chart, it’s my information, please print it for me. Insert eye roll. She prints it and gives it to me. I’m reading this when he comes back in. it has 4 diagnosis codes and a paragraph of “procedures” he did/spoke to me about. back to that shortly…

I have no idea what she told him about the injection, but he was all on his high horse about what bronchitis is and how asthma can flare it up more and pointing to this diagram and this poster and again what bronchitis is and how asthma can flare it up. you need to take the shot and everything else I am giving you. we need to bring out the big guns. OK, but WHAT are you giving me and WHAT is it for and HOW will it treat me?

Blah, blah, this inhaler for these airways, this inhaler for these airways, this tablet to knock out the rest of the mucous buildup and to stop the wheezing from the asthma. And the injection? we need it in your system now. Fine.

Nurse comes in and gives injection, says to make a follow-up in 2 weeks.

I make the appointment, leery of whether I will actually return.

I decide I really don’t want Google interpreting the patient info I had printed, so I made a mad dash to my internal medicine doctor. I told the nurse that I would wait between patients or even be the last one of the day, I just needed to talk to her.

Luckily her last patient of the day was running late, so I had some time. I first explained everything that he did to me, and what he didn’t tell me. Then I handed her my sheet.

Diagnosis:Cough (primary) – (I mean, isn’t this a given since I am recovering from bronchitis?)HemoptysisAsthma with acute exacerbationAcute bronchitis with bronchospasm (I wouldn’t consider it acute as it was WAY better than it had been)

Procedures:Chest x-ray full, sprirometer, bronchoscopy, injection, nebulizer, asthma symptoms eval, tobacco use eval (I don’t smoke?), BMI discussion, meds verified

First I asked her what was hemoptysis. She has this look on her face like what? She said that means coughing up blood. my chin hit the table? what? Are you kidding me? She said you didn’t tell me you were coughing up blood. I said I didn’t tell him that either. Well he says you have that. But I don’t. He made this shit up? I said, in his defense even, that maybe when he scoped me he saw blood in my throat that I didn’t know about, yet also didn’t tell me about so he put this down. She said there’s another word for SEEING blood, this words directly means COUGHING up blood. WTF.

She thought the bronchitis and “acute” descriptions were a bit excessive especially since I was at the end of it already.

Now remember I had a chest x-ray on Tuesday for the pain I was having? To avoid further radiation, I brought my CD with me. it was just 3 days old. so he viewed those images. you see the procedures up there? He is telling my insurance that he performed a FULL CHEST XRAY ON ME! He didn’t do this! He looked at existing images! He definitely didn’t discuss smoking or BMI with me. He didn’t do most of what he said he did and he MADE UP A DIAGNOSIS CODE!

Most of his patients are 65+ with lung issues from 50 years of smoking, emphysema, cancer, etc. I know damn well they are not asking for printouts of their information. WHO KNOWS what all he is charging them for! I just can’t even believe it. my blood is boiling just talking about it again.

Doc did say I shouldn’t take one of the inhalers, if I’m trying to not take something (because it seems like so much!) because the tablets will cover the same symptoms so why do it twice? I could tell by her face and what she was NOT saying that she was just as much beside herself as I was.

So my question now is, how do I proceed? I am most definitely not going back in 2 weeks. I need a new pulmo. But what about his wrong information? do I contact some medical malpractice agency? is there such an agency? do I let my insurance know what is going on? maybe they can deny something he is charging me for? if I hadn’t upped my insurance this year, I would possibly be responsible for some of the cost of the x-ray. That he didn’t really do….

How can I let someone know he is potentially scamming insurance companies and giving tests/procedures that are unnecessary?

Martha? Suggestions? Any other medical type people have any advice???

Dear Most Esteemed and Knowledgeable Kitties:

I had a 9-year-old Russian Blue mix. He was an outside cat due to the fact that even though he was neutered, he still sprayed. I brought him in the house last night in a small kennel because the weather has been so bad. He was fine when I put him in. I picked him up and he seemed normal. but this morning when I went to put him back out, I found he had died during the night. He was laying as if he just died in his sleep. I knew he was getting older for a cat, especially since he was an outside cat, but I’m worried because was in a severe cat fight three weeks ago and I’m afraid he might have gotten rabies. There have been reports of rabies in my county, including a cat about three miles away. When I took him to the vet for care because the wounds on his shoulder abscessed, he was given antibiotic shots and updated on his immunizations (he had lapsed on his rabies shot, even though they told me last time I was there that he was up to date). would my cat have shown signs of rabies if that is what killed him? I’m now afraid that perhaps whatever bit him gave him rabies and it killed him, therefore exposing my family. am I worrying over nothing? his behavior had been 100% normal all the way up to last night when I put him in his kennel. Should I mention this to the vet? We buried the cat today, but should we have gotten him tested for rabies? I think it is odd he had this fight so close to his death.

Siouxsie: Well, Shelby, our research indicates that even if your cat was rabid, it’s highly unlikely that your family could have contracted the disease. but the best way to set your mind at ease is to call your veterinarian and ask him or her if it’s possible your cat might have been rabid. A professional’s opinion is a lot more authoritative than anything we could tell you here.

Thomas: your question does give us a chance to share information about rabies, not only with you but with the rest of our readers.

Dahlia: this information comes from the Cat Owner’s Home Veterinary Handbook, which was written by three veterinarians and one human doctor.

Siouxsie: Rabies is a fatal disease that is found in nearly all warm-blooded animals. it is caused by a virus that spreads up the nervous system from an infected bite and eventually causes encephalitis, or swelling in the brain.

Thomas: In North America, rabies is typically carried by skunks, raccoons, foxes, coyotes, and bats.

Dahlia: Rabies is caused by a virus which is found in the saliva of infected animals and is usually transmitted by a bite. however, saliva on an open wound or mucous membrane such as the inside of the nose or mouth can also constitute exposure to rabies.

Siouxsie: the incubation period in cats can be anywhere from nine days to one year, but usually signs appear within 2 to 3 weeks of infection.

Thomas: because the virus travels to the brain along nerve networks, the farther the bite is from the brain, the longer the period of incubation. but the virus can be in the saliva glands within a week after infection, so animals can be contagious before they show signs of rabies — however, the writers of the Cat Owner’s Home Veterinary Handbook do point out that this is unusual.

Dahlia: the symptoms of rabies are caused by the brain swelling we mentioned earlier. In the first stage, which lasts one to three days, the signs are very subtle — mostly changes in personality. A laid-back cat could become more irritable or aggressive and bite repeatedly at the site where the virus got into the body, or a shy cat may become overly affectionate.

Siouxsie: but then an affected cat becomes withdrawn and starts staring off into space. they avoid light and could hide and die without ever being found.

Thomas: There are two forms of rabies-induced encephalitis: the furious form and the paralytic or “dumb” form. A rabid cat may show signs of one or both. the furious, or “mad dog” form is far more common. it lasts two to four days, in which the infected cat suddenly attacks other animals or people around the face and neck. Soon the cat develops muscle twitching, tremors, staggering, lack of coordination, and violent convulsions.

Dahlia: the paralytic form, which happens in about 30 percent of cases, causes the swallowing muscles to become paralyzed. A cat with paralytic rabies, drools, coughs, and paws at its mouth. As the condition progresses, the cat loses control of his rear legs, collapses, and cannot get up. Death from respiratory arrest happens in a couple of days. because of the rapid course of the disease, paralysis may be the only sign people notice.

Siouxsie: if you or your cat are bitten by an animal of unknown rabies status, it’s crucial to vigorously cleanse all wounds and scratches. Wash them thoroughly with soap and water. Studies in animals show that prompt wound cleaning greatly reduces the risk of rabies. A wound from a possibly rabies-infected animal should not be stitched shut.

Thomas: A previously vaccinated cat that is bitten by an animal of unknown rabies status is given a booster shot, which should happen as soon as possible after exposure. the cat should then be keep confined indoors at home for 45 days. Even outdoor cats known to be up to date on their vaccinations should be kept indoors under observation for 10 days.

Dahlia: An unvaccinated cat bitten by a potentially rabid animal must either be euthanized or placed under strict quarantine without direct handling by humans or contact with other animals for six months. the cat is then vaccinated one month before he is released. if this seems harsh, remember that it could have been prevented if the owner had been responsible about the cat’s vaccinations.

Siouxsie: different states have their own quarantine and vaccination regulations for cats that have been exposed to rabies, so be sure to check your local laws if you find yourself in this unfortunate situation.

Thomas: There is no effective treatment for rabies. be sure your cat is properly vaccinated against the disease, under the supervision of a veterinarian.

Dahlia: We know there are a lot of people who vaccinate their own animals in order to save money and we’re not saying that it’s totally irresponsible to do this. however, in the case of rabies vaccinations, it’s crucial that they be done properly. And your vet can provide you with legal proof that your cat was vaccinated, should the need arise.

Siouxsie: Preventive rabies vaccinations are available for humans at a high risk of contracting the disease, including veterinarians, animal handlers, cave explorers, and lab workers.

Thomas: We suspect people who regularly work with feral cat colonies would also fall in this high-risk group.

Dahlia: Remember, the professionals have the last word about this! if your veterinarian or your physician says something different than what we’ve shared here, go with the medical professionals’ opinions. They’ve got all the latest information and years of professional training — and we’re just cats who are trying to help you understand health concerns and have the best possible relationship with your feline companion.

I just found out on Tuesday that i am four weeks pregnant wiht my second. The first time, I didn't have too many symptoms, mainly extreme exhaustion and loss of appetite. This time, I have bad headaches and fatigue, but so far not as bad as last time. I'm a bit worried because I feel so great! what symptoms did/do you get during pregnancy? When do symptoms usually first start?

Unusual fatigue. I could sleep all day if I were able to. my breasts were hurting and I had wierd headaches. They started maybe in the end of the 1sth month..I remember how tired I was the most and my heart would pound harder if I got a bit winded going up the stairs for instance, something that never happened again after pregnancy..

omg b4 i confirmed my pregnancy i knew i was pregnant because i couldn't go near anything greasy that had been fried… the smell made me ill… i was 3 weeks at this point lol. then at about 5 to 6 weeks i was always exhausted no matter how much sleep i got. and then my breasts where so sore .. im 5 month now all of that's gone apart from my breasts that's getting worse lol good luck

im ten weeks and only had sore boobs for a couple of weeks fine now go 2 bed early nearly every night some nights the kids stay up with there dad and im catching zzzzzzzz s. apart from that ive not had anything else

i also had no symptoms wit im first but i am having everythg with my second,

I am 4 days Pragnant, i have cramps, and i have a very sore boobies.
They Been Sore for three days in a row.