A pregnancy complication leads to yet another hospital admission

It was 4:30 a.m. when I sat up in bed, eyes wide open. As I looked down at myself, I was filled with embarrassment. Had I just wet the bed? I rushed to the bathroom, feeling more humiliated than anything. I was about 25 weeks pregnant and couldn’t believe this was happening.

I had a nagging feeling that something might be wrong, so I called the OB-GYN triage line. This 24-hour service allows me to reach nurses and hospital staff for emergency questions. When I explained the situation, they advised me to come in to get checked out. I felt somewhat foolish as I dragged my husband out of bed 10 minutes later, and we headed to the hospital.

Unfortunately, that nagging feeling proved to be correct. I had hoped to laugh off the incident, but instead, we discovered that I had something called premature rupture of membranes, or PROM. In other words, my water had broken.

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The plan

I was immediately admitted to the hospital and given my own room. The doctors explained that the goal was to keep my baby girl in for as long as possible, aiming for 34 weeks. They informed me that 50% of the time that water breaks, mothers go into labor within the first week. For now, I’m focusing on making it through this first week. Eight more weeks feels like an overly ambitious goal, so I’m taking it one day at a time, striving to reach smaller milestones.

Earlier in my pregnancy, doctors had mentioned that I could go into preterm labor due to my Cushing’s disease. However, I misunderstood what that would entail. I thought they meant 36 or 37 weeks, not 25. Because of my Cushing’s disease, I’m being monitored by both an OB-GYN team and an endocrinology team.

During my first 48 hours at the hospital, I was advised to take a steroid shot to help my daughter’s lungs develop. Since steroids can complicate Cushing’s disease, the endocrinology team was consulted, and we had a thorough discussion about the risks involved. I ended up receiving the shot under their supervision, and so far, we’ve had no complications.

I also experience vision issues due to Cushing’s disease, which makes it difficult for the OB-GYN team to monitor changes in my eyesight. Therefore, they called in an ophthalmology team to examine my eyes and ensure there was no further damage, confirming that it was all related to Cushing’s disease and cortisol changes.

I’m doing my best to stay positive, despite the circumstances. It’s hard not to feel like asking, “Why me?” With the multiple tumors I’ve faced due to Cushing’s, the career changes prompted by this disease, and the repeated rejections I’ve experienced, this feels like the final straw. Nevertheless, I’m striving to keep a positive outlook.

Currently, I have only one piece of news: I’m taking things slowly. Living in the hospital is becoming the new normal, even after just a few days. I’ve already seen some positive changes in my monitoring. Initially, I required consistent glucose testing because the steroid shot could spike my levels, and I needed IVs since the rupture of my membranes could lead to infections. However, I’ve transitioned to oral medications and am now at lower risk for glucose issues. Most of my day now consists of checking vitals, listening to my baby’s heartbeat, and trying to stay happy.

I want to clarify that there’s no definitive evidence that Cushing’s disease caused PROM. There isn’t much research on this subject, and I don’t have a clear explanation for why it happened. All I can say is that it’s frustrating, and Cushing’s is influencing how my situation is being managed here. I am hopeful that we will reach 34 weeks and that my baby will be perfectly fine.

You can also follow my journey on TikTok and YouTube.

Note: Cushing’s Disease News is strictly a news and information website about the disease. It does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website. The opinions expressed in this column are not those of Cushing’s Disease News or its parent company, Bionews, and are intended to spark discussion about issues pertaining to Cushing’s.