Lights Out!

For the last few days, I've been feeling very tired. I've been working out and doing all of the usual things. But I've been feeling very fatigued. I've also had a lot of headaches.

At work this morning, I was feeling very weak. As I was walking 1st grade out of the door, I grabbed some change to get some apple juice. I remember saying, "Don't run down the..."

Then I remember waking up on the floor and people staring at me. I am ok. I was able to eat lunch and have a normal rest of the day.

My dear husband (the registered dietitian wanna-be) is saying that I have low iron. By removing all red meat from my diet, and other things that are going on right now, he says I am not getting at least the recommended amount of iron.

Since I can't eat red meat, I'm going to have to find other ways to do this. Maybe take a multi-vitamin?

Can You Hear Me Now?

Today was Maddy's 9 month well visit. She weighs 23lbs 12oz and is just shy of 30 inches long. She is in the 98th percentile in both height and weight. The doctor said he was surprised to see how much she's grown, because she was very sick. But he's very pleased with her growth and development.

Her lungs were clear. NO WHEEZING! Yay! She can sit on her own, scoot on her bottom, crawl backwards, roll around in circles, feed herself finger foods (that can be very messy), and babbles like a crazy girl. She still has no teeth, but he said he isn't worried about it yet.

The bad news (there's always bad news) is that she has a double ear infection. This is infection #8 in a 4 month span, and has been on every antibiotic on the market. He said one more, and he has to refer her to the Ear, Nose & Throat specialist to have tubes put in her ears. I went home feeling very sad and scared. Naturally, I started looking for reasons and excuses, and when I couldn't find any, I blamed myself. I KNOW it isn't my fault. I guess it's just me wanting to protect her at all cost.

My mother-in-law came over this afternoon and we talked a bit. She told me that JJ had tubes put in his ears when he was a baby and had them for a little over a year until they fell out on their own. She said the surgery wasn't bad and it helped him out tremendously. I feel better after speaking to her. JJ doesn't seem to have lost his hearing, so the pros outweighs the cons.

Hopefully, they will clear up and she will have no more infections.

Dole Recalls Canteloupe

You can read the story HERE

Geeze, spinach, peanut butter and now canteloupe.

See, the things I eat NEVER get recalled - chips, pretzels, french fries...

It's The MILK!

This afternoon we saw the pediatritian and we talked about the bloodwork that was done on Maddy. She, indeed, has a peanut allergy, but what was very shocking was the dairy allergy! He said the numbers were off the charts! THAT'S what's been causing her wheezing. He said people react to a dairy sensitivity differently. Some will breakout, some will have vomiting, others will have a never ending cough and have wheezing. Well, that's Maddy! It all makes sense! She was on Soy formula for a while but was switched to a milk based formula in November. THAT was when all the breathing problems started. I feel horrible because here we're giving her milk based formula and then giving her breathing treatments because of the wheezing.

Now she's strictly on Soy and we're following up with the pulminologist on the 19th, and absolutely NO peanut. We can't even touch it and then touch her.

I feel very sad. Her life has just changed.

Weigh In

I had my 2nd weigh in today. Another 3lbs lost. Yay me! That brings me down a total of 8lbs in 2 weeks! Woot woot!

Losing

I had my very first Weight Watchers weigh-in. In my first week, I have lost 5.2 lbs!!! I am very happy, and very pleased. I am eating well, and feeling good. Yes, getting up at 4:30am to go to the gym is hard. Especially when I am getting up every 2-3 hours at night with a fussy baby. But is it sooooooo worth it.

Finally, Answers.

We took Maddy to the doctor today because she has been reallly bad the last 2 days...not wanting to eat, tugging on her ears, not wanting to lay down to sleep. Yea...we've been sleeping sitting up with her in our arms so we are TIRED.

Since this has been going on since early November, they did an RSV test, and lo an behold. It was positive. She has RSV. The good thing (I guess you can say good thing) is that the worst part should be over, and she should be getting better soon. He said RSV can last weeks. They're sick for about a week or so, do really bad for a week, then begin to get better. I hope this was the bad week because it was BAD. He said with RSV, they will have a lot more mucos. So that explains the cough and the drooling, and the fluid in the ears. Poor thing has had it rough. So she is still on the breathing treatments and now on antibiotics for her ears.

One Down. One To Go.

I had my LEEP done yesterday. It went ok. It DID hurt. A lot. I saw smoke in places I never thought I would. I am doing well...just very groggy and sore.

Wednesday is the stomach biopsy.

Needing some relief

Maddy has been coughing and wheezing since early November. She got better around Thanksgiving day. Debbie came home with a cold, and then Maddy caught it. She's been sick ever since then. She has gone to the doctor weekly, and each week it's the same thing....continue to give her her albuterol breathing treatments.

Well, I took her today because she was coughing non stop. He decided to put her on an oral steroid to open her lungs and stop the wheezing. With one dose, I can tell she is a lot better. She was playing and laughing tonight.

He said she will probably become asthmatic like Adam and myself. We both take Advair for our Asthma. It could also be something she outgrows.

I was concerned that maybe it's the dog, but he assured me that it isn't. That dog has been here since she was born. The chances that she is allergic to it is unlikely. If we would have just brought the dog home, then maybe. But that isn't the case. I vaccuum every other day, mop weekly, clean the bathrooms, and dust weekly. I don't let dust and mold settle down. He said to continue to do what I'm doing. It would only help her to get better. He said they cannot do any allergy testing until she's a year old.

Here's to hoping she has a peaceful, restful night, and that the steroid helps.

Now I Have Some Answers

I have been so sick. I've been going back and forth to the doctor for the last 3 weeks because of stomach pain. My doctor thought it was my galbladder and i had a ton of tests done and they were all negative. He set me up with a gastro doctor for 11/27, but I had to leave school yesterday morning because I was doubled over in pain. I went to the doctor and I had an upper GI test done. It was horrible. I had to drink this radioactive drink and they took xrays of my stomach. It tasted horrible. I returned to the doctor today and the results are that, yes, I have an ulcer. So I have to see the stomach doctor on 11/27 and set up an appt for a stomach biopsy to check to see if it's cancerous. He said it's very uncommon to have a stomach ulcer without family history and being so young. I am so terrified.

I am on a strict diet of non-fat, non greasy, non spicy, just plain BLAND foods. I cannot have any meat, and I cannot have anything citrus. So while my family eats Stuffed Manicotti tonight, I will eat potato soup.

I have that going on, and then I have to have a cervical biopsy done next Tuesday the 21st because I had 2 abnormal paps.

I need a vacation.