A decision was made

**DISCLAIMER**
This post will lead you to make a semi disgusting assumption. However, it is the truth, and part or being a running pregnant woman.  Please do not read if you have a weak stomach, or if you really have no desire to know the inner workings of pregnancy. 

** The retelling of this event will start now**

Truth be told I have been struggling to continue running.  The doctor is 100% behind me.  Encouraging me to continue.  But the last time I went in I explained that EVERY time I run I am getting really bad cramps, even during the short runs.  However, once I use the restroom the cramps go away. 

The doc came to the conclusion that Pat is STILL sitting so low that it is putting pressure on my intestines.  Running in the afternoon/evening means there is waste in my intestines, the baby bouncing on my intestines is causing the cramping, moving the waste through at a very fast speed.  The best solution was to run early in the morning, and try to stay away from the hills.  Well the doc didn't come up with the no hills but I notice a different on a flatter route verses a hillier one. 

So I came up with Plan C.  Plan A was to keep running with Pat.  Plan B was run shorter distances only 4 days a week.  Plan C was to run early, in hopes to have empty intestines.  This past week I was able to show up to work a little bit later than normal, so it was my idea to wake up early and run before work. 

Jacob and I woke up at 5 a.m. and got ready to go out.  My stomach growled, and I had used the bathroom quite a few times the night before so I thought I was all set.  We went out in hopes to get in 3 miles.  Unfortunately, every route around our house is pretty hilly, but we picked the least of the hills for this morning run. 

A little before 1 mile I felt a sharp pain on my right side.  I continued running.  About 1.1 miles the pain became unbearable, and was slowly moving from my right side to my middle.  I told Jacob I was going to have to walk, and I almost doubled over from the pain.  By far these were the worst cramps I had ever had.  I told Jacob that we were going to have to cut the run short, and head home. 

I took off my support belt, to relieve some pain.  It didn't help.  I started to have sharp pains, and I knew a decision had to be made.  I wasn't going to make it home.  I had to decide to do something in my shorts, and make for a miserable mile walk home, or find a bush.  Let me remind you, I was running in the residential areas around my neighborhood.  I jogged to the darkest place between street lights, found a bushy side yard, and squatted. 

I have had to use the restroom in nature before.  However, those were places of need, camping, Peru, Kenya... not a residential neighborhood.  But I found myself in someone's side yard with yet another decision to make: socks, or leaves.  I will not go into detail but I took the leaves route, as my socks were relatively new, and good running socks are expensive. 

Well the worst part is over.  I was done.  The next problem was how to get up.  My right arm was supporting me, and I found myself unable to swing my weight forward to get back up right.  I rocked back and forth a couple of times, and pushed with all my might to get my big belly to move forward. 

In that movement I strained the muscle that travels from my ribs to my hips on the right side.  Jacob and I finished the walk of shame back home, not speaking much about what had just happened.  In the moment I was truly mortified, but as the day wore on, I could only laugh about the situation in which I found myself. 

But because of the side pain due to the strained muscle it hurts to breath much less even try to run for a couple of days.  I am working on Plan D, which I guess is a combination of waking up super early, being around the house for a couple of hours, then possibly driving to a not so hilly route.  I hope to try this within in the next few days. 

Pat is still doing fine, and I think just LOVES being so low.  Pat kicks so much.  Pat is not a morning person, but loves to start moving around about 10 a.m. and will go strong until we go to bed.  Overall I am not having a lot of the complications that other pregnant women have.  So I am happy with that.  I am still pretty comfortable except for the skin stretching.  There is no longer an indent where my belly button used to be, but the good news....no stretch marks...yet. 

Well I debated for a couple of days about posting about this experience. I am an open book, and felt that it ends up to be a funny story, so it should be told. It is part of my this wonderful pregnancy journey.