Can Three Positives Equal a Negative?

Thursday, May 19, 2011

Saturday evening I started feeling off. I couldn't really pipoint what was wrong, but I just wasn't feeling great. After trying to fall asleep till almost 2 A.M., I gave in to the Coke induced insomnia and got up for a few hours. While I was playing around on the internet (looking up things like "Coco, Ice T's wife" on Wikipedia), I realized there was something familiar about the way I was feeling. I had felt this way before. Twice before, actually. I quickly brushed these thoughts out of my head, took some Benadryl, and crawled back into bed.
On Sunday morning, I woke up (late! thankful to Hubby for getting up with the girls) and noticed that I was still not feeling well. We went to church together as a family and on the way home I swung by the drugstore. I ran in and out without Hubby even asking what I had purchased.
While Lindsay was getting Murphy lunch, I slipped into the bathroom to take this:
That's right; it's a pregnancy test...

I thought I my eyes must be deceiving me when I saw this:
In case you think your eyes are deceiving you,
yes, that's a + sign. 
I went running to the dining room and shoved the stick in my husband's face shouting, "What do you see? WHAT DO YOU SEE? Do you see a plus? IS THAT A PLUS?" Frantic. I was frantic. Realizing I had two more tests from the same box, I ran back to the bathroom and took the other two.
Because you can't tell from the pic,
let me interpret: Positive. Positive. Positive
At this point, I went completely ballistic and asked ordered Hubby to head back to the store and pick up more tests, 'those expensive tests that say PREGNANT or NOT PREGNANT' in nice, plain letters. While he was gone for what felt like two weeks, I began to really think about what was going on. I love my children. I love all children. I love the idea of having a large family. I love the idea of actually being pregnant again. I did not, however, like anything about the prospect of having three children under the age of three. My other two pregnancies were planned, very planned. The whole idea of being pregnant on accident has always baffled me. But still, here I was, standing in the middle of my backyard, tilting the sticks back and forth in the sun, and refraining from using profanity in from of my children. Lindsay returned with opened box and unwrapped text in hand, and I quickly took care of business. Three more times.

And, each of these super fancy, digital tests read: NOT PREGNANT. Huh? Hadn't I always heard that you can't get a false positive? Timing wise, it made no sense that any test would not show up positive if indeed I was pregnant. So, after telling Lindsay that I needed to use 'those tests I used when I found out I was pregnant the first two times because I know they're right,' I headed to the store, came home, and immediately took these:

And they were both negative. Hmmmmm.... I tried to put the whole thing out of my mind and laid down to rest for a few minutes. Rest?!?! What was I thinking? Who could rest at a time like this? So, I called a local urgent care to get an 'expert' opinion on what was going on. The nurse I spoke with told me that it was virtually impossible to get a false positive and that I had probably just diluted my urine by drinking excess water to take more tests. She told me to take a test first thing the next morning. 
After talking to her, I tried to move on with the evening as normally as possible. On our way home from small group that night, I ran by the store, again, and picked up another box of tests. (And, yes, we've spent well over $100 on pregnancy tests at this point.) After we got the girls in bed, I got antsy again and decided that I couldn't wait till morning to take another test.
If you're keeping track, 
that's six negative and three positive.

The moment I opened my eyes the next morning, I took another test:


I was completely dumbfounded by the three positive tests from the day before. I gave my OB a call to get her take on it. I felt sure she would tell me that the 7 negative tests trumped the 3 positive ones. (Makes sense, right?) Instead, she told me that there was no way to be sure and that I needed to go have a blood test done to get a definitive result. 
I had my blood drawn at about 11:30 AM Monday morning and then began the waiting game. (tick tock) During this period, my emotions ranged from anxiety to fear to eager anticipation. (tick tock) I began to think more logistically in terms of what a positive result would mean for our family. (tick tock) We'd need a new car, after all. (tick tock) At 4:35 PM Tuesday, I got the phone call from the doctor with the test results... I AM NOT PREGNANT! She was as baffled by the positive tests as I had been and said that I must have gotten a 'faulty box.' 

Curious as to what a 'faulty box' looks like?
Note it boasts being over 99% accurate!


So, here I sit, 48 hours after that call: happy with the results yet feeling more and more sure that our family may not be quite complete. When we'll be adding another bambino to our brood, I can't say; but I do know what pregnancy test I won't be turning to when that time comes!

2 comments:

  1. Oh, this is such a LOL post! And I bet many can share in your panic...I mean joyous...feelings. Next time (oh, 'cause there will be one!) try the Dollar Tree tests. Do y'all have those? $1 gets you an accurate test. Seriously...those are the kind I use.

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  2. I was freaking out right along there with you, Sister! This is such a crazy story. Glad you can breathe a sigh of relief for now...but that there may be talk of more little Lewellens to love in the future! XOXO

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