Lizzie finally decided she needed to go to the doctor. The flu she thought she had, had lasted three weeks. Even the common cold didn't last that long. She took off the afternoon from work. It was Friday- and she was going to head to the doctors office and then go home and sleep. She hadn't slept much last night at Gordo's after storming out on Gordo. The sisters had been up most of the night talking and sharing. And for Lizzie- crying. She pulled into the clinic and got out. It was wierd- this wasn't high school, things were so much more serious and intense and on such higher levels. Yet here she was, bawling to Isabelle after a fight with Gordo- just like in high school. She walked through the doors and up to the front desk, "Hi, I have an appointment for Elizabeth Gordon," she said.
The nurse looked up at her. "Well hello Mrs. Gordon. Dr. Peters is expecting you. If you'll follow me," she said, stepping out from behind the counter as she motioned for Lizzie to come over to the side with her." As they were walking down the hall of exams rooms at Lizzie's gynecologists/doctors, the nurse turned her head around. "It's a good thing Stacy was able to fit you in." she said, referring to Dr. Peters. "But she always makes exceptions for her favorite patients."
Lizzie smiled, "Well I'm grateful for her, she's such a lifesaver, you will not believe this horrible stomach flu I have been having," she said following her to the room.
"Yes everything seems to fly around and get caught by people around Christmas time. That's why we're so busy." She opened up a drawer and placed a gown in Elizabeth's hands. "Well Mrs. Gordon I hope you feel better after your visit here."
"Thanks," Lizzie said taking the gown. She watched the nurse leave and she took off her clothes and put on the blue hospital gown. She laid down on the bed closing her eyes.
"Well hello Mrs. Elizabeth Gordon" Dr. Stacy Peters said about five minutes later, opening the door with a clipboard in hand, then closing it behind her. "I heard you called yesterday asking desperately to
be fit in. Well here you are!" she said, smiling easily. They had a good relationship for a doctor and patient. She had been Lizzie's gyno/doctor for about three years now, and had been there when Lizzie had asked for birth control pills three years ago, and then she had been there 8 months ago when Lizzie had asked for pregnancy pamphlets.
Lizzie sat up smiling at Stacy, "Yes I wanted to thank you, I know you enjoy your lunch hour just as much as I do, but with Christmas coming down to the wire I figured I should get in before I make everyone miserable," she said deflated.
Stacy smiled at Lizzie. "I think you made a very wise decision. But I think you would of made an wiser one if you had come in right away, not waiting..." she checked her chart, "3 weeks? Is that right?"
"Yea I figured it was just a bug that would go away, If I would have known it would have lasted this long I would have came in earlier." Lizzie shrugged her shoulders.
"Well let's just see what you have, so that I can prescribe something for it, and you'll be 100 percent for when it's time for you to be doing your last minute Christmas shopping." Stacy moved forward, and opened up Lizzie's throat with a tongue dispenser, looking inside, then asked, "So tell me what you've been battling." Then graciously, she took the tongue dispenser out so that Lizzie could respond.
"Well I have had nausea like I mentioned but I just feel that I have been drained and exhausted beyond belief. I thought it was because of all the new stuff I took on but I don't think that's it. I have also been really testy and short-tempered," she said trying to list all the things she had been experiencing, "If that's part of it I'm not sure. My period was a couple days late and I got it about a week ago and it was just a few specks of blood."
Stacy nodded, taking in all of that information, and for the time being, storing it in her brain. "So you just had spotting on your last cycle?" she repeated, then started listening to Elizabeth's heart. "Do you happen to recall how long ago your last regular period was?" she asked her.
Lizzie put her head in her hands and tried to think hard. The weeks had just flown by and she couldn't distinguish one from the other. I believe it was right at the beginning of November, or maybe the very end of
October" she said with a sigh.
"Uh huh. Ok" Dr. Peters said as she moved her stethoscope away. "So, tell me, are you and your husband still trying to get pregnant?" she asked with a smile, in a tone that was simply one friend asking another friend because it was courteous. She started pressing her hands firmly but gently around Lizzie's stomach. "Does this hurt?" she asked.
Lizzie felt a sudden pain in her stomach, "Ouch," she said, "Yes that hurts!" she said. She concentrated on Stacy's last question, "Yes he's been really obsessed with it the last few weeks," she smiled thinking of a couple weeks ago, "He said he started wearing boxers, which he always does by the way, and that to get pregnant its best that a couple have sex frequently," She rolled her eyes, "I'm sure he was just plotting to get me into bed."
"Ok" she said, moving her hands to another place and pressing even gentler. Then she laughed softly as she concentrated on what she was doing. "Actually Elizabeth, he was on to something. Wearing boxers helps keep the testicles free of confinement, which can help the sperm. And although couples trying to get pregnant don't necessarily have to copulate every night, it is suggested that you do at least once a week to help keep the sperm fresh and healthy, as it gets rid of all the older ones so new ones can be produced." She removed her hands, and jotted a few things down on Elizabeth's chart. "Ok Elizabeth, I know you've probably got a busy day, but I'd like to take a blood and urine test plus do a complete physical examination. Is this alright with you?"
Lizzie looked at her doctor quizzically, it seemed like she was hiding something from her, she didn't think it was that serious, she had expected to come and get some antibiotics, "Uhh. .. sure," Lizzie said not having much of a choice. She wanted to get to the bottom of what was wrong and this was the only way.
"Good." She smiled encouragingly at her. "Don't worry, it's probably just a resilient case of the flu but because of your severe stomach tenderness and the fatigue, I just want to be certain, alright? I'm going to have a nurse come in and draw some blood, plus she'll leave you a cup for the urine test. You can use the bathroom which is just two doors down in the hall. And I'll be back to do your physical once we send your labs in, alright?" She patted Lizzie's knee. "Don't worry." she said encouragingly, then left the room, shutting the door behind her.
Lizzie felt a chill come over her. She hated sitting in the doctors office alone, she should have asked Isabelle to come with her. She wrapped her arms around herself and shivered, why was it that doctors offices always seemed so cold. Then of course the gowns were so breezy and open, it didn't help much. She tried to think of something else as she waited for the nurse to come. She looked at a nutrient poster hanging on the wall.
"Hello," the large, African American heavyset nurse said as she came in pushing a small cart. She began setting a few things up. Then promptly took Lizzie's arm, and strapped the rubber around it tightly, snapping it ever so slightly. "Got to wake those veins up on you skinny as a rail girls!" she said smiling, then picked up the needle, and squirted it, testing it.
Lizzie remembered this nurse. How could she forget her? She had always claimed that Lizzie was way too thin but Lizzie just dismissed it, Dr. Peters told her she tells that to anyone whose thinner than her. Which meant a lot. But the nurse's actions and voice did nothing for her shattered nerves. She watch as the nurse picked up a needle and looked at Lizzie's arm. She ran her finger over it feeling for the vein, "This won't hurt a bit," Lizzie vaguely heard. The nurse stuck the needle unto her arm as Lizzie winced in pain and drew back the syringe. Almost instantly the dark red blood filled the syringe.
The nurse drew enough blood to be sufficient for a blood test. Then just as quickly as she had prepped Lizzie for it, she wrapped it up. She held some gauze to Lizzie's arm and instructed her to bend her arm slightly and raise it above her heart, to prevent excess blood flow and sends all the blood back to the heart. Then she slapped a band aid over the gauze and gathered up her things. "There- that wasn't so bad was it?" she stated. She took the plastic cup off of her cart and handed it to Lizzie. "Bathroom's right down the hall on your left. Can't miss it. Just bring it back in here when you're done, and I'll send Dr. Peters back in to see you." Then she rolled her cart back out of the room, to go and bring the blood sample to the lab.
Lizzie took the cup and headed for the bathroom. They were right, the bathroom had a huge sign in front of it. She let herself in and sat down on the toilet. She put the plastic cup right under her. Almost instantly she had to go. It was amazing, it seemed that when ever she needed urine for testing she had the urge to go. She flushed the toilet and took the cup back to the room. She gave it to the nurse and went back to sit on the bed.
"Knock knock" Dr. Peters said, as she opened up the door. "We'll you'll be glad to know both you're blood and your urine are currently on their way to the lab. And I told them to try and hurry them" she told Lizzie, winking. "Alright, we ready then?" Dr. Peters asked Lizzie, needing her to lie down.
"Yea," Lizzie said a bundle of nerves. She leaned back onto the pillow. Almost instantly Dr. Peters started the examination. She checked her pulse and blood pressure, breathing, and heart beat. She then massaged Lizzie's stomach gently.
Dr. Peters finished the physical examination and pulled Elizabeth's gown back down. She stepped back and took off both her gloves with a 'snap' then tossed them into the wastebasket. As she was washing her hands in the sink she said, "well nothing seems to be wrong besides a tender and sensitive stomach. I really don't think you have much to worry about." She noted a few more things on Lizzie's chart with a pen then looked up, studying Elizabeth. "Although I'm a little worried about you, but not in the sense you need to get panicked about. Tell me, why have you been so stressed lately? That's definitely not good for anyone, but especially if you're trying to get pregnant since stress can delay ovulation and make periods longer, along with having too much adrenaline in your body" she informed Lizzie. "How's your husband doing? Do I need to to call him up and question him for YOUR stress?" she asked her with a joking smile.
Lizzie smiled, her doctor sounded just like Isabelle had last night- lecturing Lizzie. "I'm fine, I have a special edition for the newspaper Christmas eve, and I just hosted Thanksgiving for our families, and along with that type of stuff my sister is pregnant," she told her. "Gordo could probably give you a pretty good synopsis, I've been quite bitchy with him lately, I haven't had sex with him in almost 4 weeks and I am constantly fighting with him." Lizzie divulged to her Doctor.
"Your twin is pregnant?" she interjected. "Well that's marvelous."
"Yea," Lizzie said dejectedly, she started to feel that pull at her heart again, "She lost her birth control," she added, rolling her eyes.
"Lizzie don't be so hard on yourself, ok?" She said, giving her a sympathetic look. "It's just hard for men to understand how the female body works. And if you've been excessively tried and sick to your stomach lately, I'm sure deep down he understands- men just have hard time
showing they do, so they prefer to show that they don't." She laughed. "Look at me, trying to be come a psychologist and a gynecologist!" She laughed again. "Well wouldn't that be just great if you two ended up being pregnant at the same time? Don't twins share everything?"
Lizzie laughed, "I doubt that would happen everything I have tried hasn't worked and we gave up this month cause we were both too busy, and I think im the one that does most of the sharing, I seem to be missing a few new clothes."
Stacy Peters gave her another sympathetic look. "If a baby is something the both of you really want, then don't give up- because it'll happen-" she would of kept talking but there was a knock on the door and the nurse appeared. "Dr. Peters Mrs. Gordon' lab results are in."
"Thank you" Dr. Peters said back, she'd go and take a look at them in a minute, but she still had some stuff she wanted to finish talking to Elizabeth about. "Tell me, after intercourse are you laying on your back?" she asked her, trying to think of anything she could as far as advice went to give Lizzie on tips for getting pregnant.
Lizzie looked at her doctor, "I guess. I mean most of the time I am in bed," she blushed. Even now she was still shy about those kind of private matters. But she was anxious to find out what they found on her lab
tests.
"Well you should definitely try and have yourself lay in bed on your back for about up to a half an hour after you finish. And elevating your hips can help to." She eyed Lizzie, knitting her eyebrows. "I'm sorry are you not comfortable with me talking to you about this sort of thing? Because I'm just trying to help you out in any way I can for advice on you getting pregnant. But if you're not comfortable with this sort of advice then I'll stop. But if you are- then I'll ask you what sexual positions you're mainly trying, because certain ones have a definite less percentage of you getting pregnant in."
"Well mainly we do just the regular position, I know we're boring but we have tried others. So your saying that eating ice cream right afterwards is not the best thing to do?" she asked thinking of the Cosmo magazine.
"The missionary" the doctor paused and smiled, "Is actually one of the best positions for trying to conceive. And I don't know who termed it 'boring'! That position as well as rear entry leads to higher percentages of getting pregnant because it's slightly deeper at depositing the sperm closer to the uterus, than does, say, the woman on top position. Oh ice cream is excellent to have right afterwards!" Dr. Peters exclaimed. "But only if you make your husband go put his shorts and bring it to you, so that you can stay in bed on your back!" She gave Lizzie an encouraging smile. "Well I'll let you digest all of that, while I go and get your lab results. I'll be back in just a minute."
Lizzie laughed nervously. She sat on the bed waiting anxiously for Dr. Peters to bring back the results. She started twisting a part of her thin gown.
Dr. Peters went out to the station and picked up Lizzie's file with the newly deposited lab results. She read them, and like a professional, showed no emotion. She cleared her throat and headed back to Lizzie's exam room. She gave her a small smile when she entered, and held the report down by her legs in front of her.
Lizzie looked at her impatiently. She leaned forward waiting for the terrible news. She widened her eyes. She couldn't believe the doctor was being this secretive!
"Well I have good news and bad news, what do you want first?"
"Bad," Lizzie responded. She always said that first, if she heard bad news then the good news would make up for it. Or so she always hoped. It was best to be let down first.
"Alright. Well it seems that I've wasted the last twenty minutes of your time."
Lizzie looked at her strangely, "You mean nothings wrong?" she asked. "Isn't that good news?"
"Yes. Absolutely nothing's wrong, but everything is so very very right. Especially for you. It seems I've wasted a bit of your time this afternoon, talking about things you should be trying as you and your husband try and get pregnant- because, Elizabeth- you already are."
Lizzie was about to ask what she could get to help her illness or whatever it was going to be when she stopped, "Are what?" she asked oblivious."
Dr. Stacy Peters- the always professional- actually giggled. "You- ARE PREGNANT." she said slowly. "Congratulations."
"WHAT! no way, I had my period remember, and there's no way!" Lizzie protested.
Dr. Peters took a few steps closer to Elizabeth. "Hey hey- there's nothing left to be determined. Don't worry about it. Elizabeth, you're pregnant, it says so in your lab results right here. Here- take a look" she said, opening up the chart to that paper and handing it to Lizzie. As Lizzie looked at it dazed, Dr. Peters wasn't even to sure is she was actually reading the words, she continued to speak. "The reason for the spotting was due to the implantation blood from the blaster cyst, which is quite common. And the sensitive stomach is what happens when woman get pregnant, and just to warn you, quite a few other things are going to get overly-sensitive too, like your breasts. The nausea you've been experiencing is most commonly known as morning sickness, though you can get it at any time of the day, and fatigue is very much a factor in all pregnancies." She smiled. "Any more questions?"
Lizzie stared at the doctor. For the first time in weeks she was elated. A true since of excitement went thought her body. She couldn't believe it, Gordo and her had done it! "Ohmygod!" she said stunned. "When's the baby due, How long have I been pregnant, and how on earth did I not think of that?"
She laughed again, "I knew I shouldn't of asked you that. We're going to be here all afternoon answering questions!" she said, very happy for this particular patient. "The baby will be due sometime around August 13. And according to your menses, it's been 5 and a half weeks since your last period. And you've unknowingly been pregnant for just about 4 weeks now. As for your last question- well I think only you can answer that. But from what I've heard, you've been extremely busy, busy with work a and family obligations. And you've also been stressed out. My guess is you were just too stressed out to comprehend something like that. Now Liz- you need to slow down, ok? This means putting your new priority first, over stuff that includes family, work, and even twins sisters who are also pregnant. You're at the crucial stage of fetal development call organostisis. You've finally gotten your wish- now make sure you can't possibly do anything to compromise it."
Liz nodded her head. Her doctor was right. She referred her to a good obstetrician in town, Dr. Taylor, if she had anymore questions. Dr. Peters showed Liz out of the room after giving her a slight hug, and Liz went back to her car in a daze. She couldn't believe it! Gordo would be ecstatic to know.