Ow, Ow, Ow, Ow, Leg, Leg, Leg


I am, unfortunately, not the only one suffering from strange side effects in the Yudell-Rick household.

When I am in recovery mode, poor little Otis seems to misbehave more than normal, and he doesn’t seem to like to be too close to me. I wonder if he can smell the chemo, and if it just stinks to his doggie-senses.

Jacqui too, growing by the minute, has had some strange pregnancy-related side effects. Not to mention the exhaustion from caring for me, Otis, and the growing baby–all at the same time–Jacq has suffered from intense leg cramps which leave her sore, sometimes for days. They almost always happen about an hour before we are supposed to wake up in the morning, and it almost always goes like this: I am in a deep sleep, usually dreaming of getting a haircut, and I am torn from the barber’s chair by Jacqui yelling, “OW, OW, OW, OW, LEG, LEG, LEG,” which apparently is the universal call by pregnant women for rousing their husbands from slumber to massage their cramped up legs. After rubbing Jacqui’s calf for a few minutes, I am permitted to go back to sleep for a while.

While the doctor has told us that these cramps are a normal side effect of carrying around extra pounds and of changing body chemistry, given my limited ability to take care of Jacq in these final few months of her pregnancy, I actually kind of like this routine. It is one of my few opportunities to return, at the bare minimum, what Jacqui has done for me these last few months–the staying with me in the hospital on an air mattress, the nursing me back to health, the walking up and down the stairs to make me food when I can barely sit up in bed, and, of course, her driving to NYC in the middle of the night to get some fresh bagels.

None of this surprises me. But I am so in love.

6 thoughts on “Ow, Ow, Ow, Ow, Leg, Leg, Leg”

  1. Hey Mike & Jacqui–pregnancy leg cramp trick…get your feet on something cold right away (like the bathroom floor). I forgot why it works but it really does release the cramp.But Mike, that doesn’t give you a pass on the leg massage for your pregnant wife.Good luck–Jen

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  2. hi. okay here is what i think might help. jacq, stand up on the floor (while still screaming) because the pain is excruciating, even getting heel to go to floor is so painful, try and force the heel to the floor while holding onto the edge of bed. then walk to the cold floor, drink alot of water and hurry back to bed for a much deserved rub (an hour at least)make sure you drink plenty of water during day as that could help you as well. sorry that you are in pain. i love you. mother in law

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  3. Mike& Jacqui … leg cramps are just one of the reminders of the cramps you will have when your child drives away in his or her car.Not to worry you will remember these cramps with fondnessxoxoxoxo

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  4. otis, i am shocked at how you are treating your dad. get with the program kiddo or no cuddling in my bed when i see you. grandma

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  5. Jacqui, I still get those cramps sometimes and I’m even past menopause, forget pregnancy. If while lying in bed you can point your toes towards your head, it helps. When cramping you have a tendency to point the toes forward which just worsens it so push the heel down and point the toes up!Mike, your LOA was approved!!! I love reading the blog even if it is through teary eyes.Rosalie

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