Thanks to Ariq's curiosity of what was in my bedroom cupboard, he found a 'test-kit' that I kept in there. I knew at that time that I had been feeling 'quite different'.. light stomach cramp, easily tired and sometimes dizzy.
I decided to do the test, and I found out the result in 10 seconds.. it was.. POSITIVE!! A very happy morning! I called Ahmad at work right away to tell him the good news, and he caught my happy mood.. :-)
And.. the 'funny-sickness' started!
It wasn't really bad at first.. but I could remember day after day, it became stronger! Any smell that I used to like or I didn't use to mind, suddenly could become very irritating and even sickening! Any taste of food that I used to like, suddenly became appalling..
Every morning, I would wake up feeling refreshed and ready to conquer the world, but after an hour or two, all the energy seemed to evaporate into thin air.. Dizziness and headache started to hit and all I could want was to lay down and take a deep breath. There was only so little that I could do around the house every morning, that Ahmad had to take over most household chores after work or when he came home for lunch.
25 January 2006
Finally found a referral from Ibu Wati to see Dr. Hanna at Yemen German Hospital. Did a USG and saw the tiny 'baby-to-be' on the screen, after sitting in the doctor's waiting room for about 2 hours (and almost finished reading a novel). The doctor gave a referral letter to do a blood test. I told her about my symptoms, and she confirmed to me (after doing a blood pressure test) that my blood pressure was low due to the thin oxygen in Sana'a, being over 2,800 m above sea level. All I could do at that time was drink a lot of water, fruit juices and milk, also not to forget to take the multivitamin.
29 January 2006
Went to the lab. at the hospital in the morning to have the blood test done. Received the result that same night. However, didn't manage to see the doctor again, as it was already quite late.
The lab. result showed nothing to be concerned about (as far as I could understand the numbers).
3 February 2006
I haven't managed to see Dr. Hanna again. It has been a bit hard to organise a time to go to the doctor, as Ahmad's schedule at work has been pretty tight, and my 'sickness' could last the whole day during that time.
4 February 2006
For the 1st time in weeks, I was actually feeling fine in the morning.. managed to clean the house properly, wash the dirty dishes and do some cooking for lunch, and after that, still felt that I had some energy left to check my email.. After that, I took an afternoon nap with Ariq, but just because of feeling tired.. nothing else!
And.. the 'night-sickness' started..
From that Saturday on, every morning to afternoon, everything seems to be back to normal, however.. after dinner, the 'sickness' usually starts.. and it does affect my sleep! But, I decided that this is still better than feeling weak all day.. at least at night, it is time for everyone to settle down and get ready for bed anyway..
Now.. the 'funny-craving' started..
Starting from the time I felt 'better'.. my appetite decided to compensate my feelings!! This is a real test for me! I have been known as the person who can adapt to any kind of food (as long as it's halal!).. Even if I don't really like the taste of something, I usually still manage to finisih whatever is served for me. And I can say that I've been very happy about it!
Anyway, it is not the way at the moment!! I have been unable to attract my appetite by anything else than INDONESIAN FOOD!!! This is a bit frustating for me, since Indonesian food usually needs quite a preparation and completeness of spices to mix in the dish. Really.. really.. not my best point in cooking side of life!
Finally, Ahmad decided that it would be better for me to go back to Jakarta to make sure that I can eat properly.. HHhhhh... It is hard to leave Sana'a when I thought that I would be here for at least 1 year! Moreover, Ahmad and myself have planned to have a trip around Yemen, once he could get a time off work, or at the end of his contract here.. Now it seems that we have to wait until the baby is born and strong enough to go on the trip with us..
I used to think that I might still be able to do trips in Yemen during my pregnancy, but realising that I haven't been able to eat properly, I don't think a long trip would be a good idea this time..
13 February 2006
I still haven't managed to see Dr. Hanna again, although I will have to see her once again before I fly back to Indonesia.. I hope that everything is well, and we can go as planned..
I will continue next time, with more updates..
