More than you wanted to know about Varicose Veins.

I really feel like I"m complaining my way through this pregnancy. And I feel really guilty about that. I should be happy and thankful for a healthy pregnancy and that I was able to have this second child relatively easily.

However.

I am so over this shit.

Varicose veins. I always thought about that term like you do hemorrhoids or gestational diabetes. One of those nasty pregnancy/labor issues that you just cross your fingers you never have to deal with. Only this one I got. Big time. Not just, aww, crap, varicose veins. I got the HOLY MOTHER EFFER version of them.

It feels like my leg is on fire.

Now, if you look up ways to relieve the pain and discomfort associated with varicose veins you get the following:

Anti-inflammatory like Ibuprofen: Nope, not on the prego approved list.

Lose Weight: yeah right.

Exercise Regularly: Umm, hello, 33 weeks pregnant, almost 34. I HAVE been exercising regularly. Throughout this whole thing I have walked the dogs every morning. Not a far distance, and for the past month or so I've cut the distance down and it's gotten slower. Today I walked the dogs and wanted to cry, it hurt, so bad. I've spent the whole day limping. So, yeah, that whole "exercise regularly" thing can bite my pregnant butt.

At my last checkup I got a prescription for support hose. Maternity support hose and was told that regular pharmacies couldn't order them and I had to go to a specialty shop. She gave the name of a few and I haven't done anything about it until today. Just for the sake of argument I went to the CVS down the street. Nope.

Ok, fine. Specialty item.

So I called two locations that were supposed to have them. One didn't have any on hand and their supplier was out. Another didn't carry it at all. Both gave me recommendations on other pharmacies to try.

Of those, one was in an assisted living community. Yeah, sending me to an old lady pharmacy for my old lady stockings. They actually didn't have any either. I guess none of the biddies had gotten knocked up recently...

I finally did find one that had some in stock, not my size, but they could order it. Retail is $60.

?!?!?!?

I said that I had been told that insurance would cover these, they said it would have to be paid for and reimbursed.

$60 for support stockings.

I don't even know what to do.

The comments about my size come pretty much every other day or so and adding a limp to the mix doesn't help. People really do think I'm about to pop. I've gained 22 lbs. That's it. It's just all up front.

Six and a half weeks left.

Only six and a half weeks left.