I've set a date...for surgery

I took Paisli to the doctor today, and she gained a pound in a week! She'll be another chunk like Kiersa. Her stools are bright yellow again, but I'm still ordered off all dairy for another couple of weeks. It's not hard to go without it. It's just hard to remember to lay off it when I've never had to before.

So I thought it was lactose intolerance that the doctor said could be causing Paisli's bloody stools, but I was wrong. She said that lactose intolerance is where your stomach doesn't digest the milk sugar (lactose), so it makes gas and diarrhea in your intestines. What Paisli may have is an ALLERGY to the PROTEIN in milk. What that means is that when the proteins in dairy (that I consume) come through my milk, they get to Paisli's stomach and intestines, and an allergic reaction occurs that causes inflammation in the intestines, and thus bleeding. Babies usually outgrow it and can have milk by the time they're 1. I'm assuming this is probably why you're not supposed to give babies cow milk until they're 1.

If I reintroduce dairy in my diet and bleeding doesn't reoccur, then she's over it, or else it could have been from cracked nipples, but I don't believe that because there was WAY TOO MUCH blood for that be the case, and it never happened before with my other kids who made me bleed far worse.

In any case, Paisli is healthy and happy and chunking up nicely. She's a SUPER good baby...even better than Kiersa was, so I'm very grateful. I need all the help I can get in the behavior department with the kids all being so young, and luckily all of my kids have been really easy (well, Tilly was quite a challenge for a while and is still my most headstrong child).

Now, let's move to a more southern topic. I'm having muffler surgery on Friday to remove the baffles off my exhaust. Okay, so that's what Hyrum keeps saying. In other words, I'm going to harvest my cauliflower crop. Okay, okay. So it's a hemorrhoidectomy. I'll be going under general anesthesia for about an hour and a half and should wake up a changed woman...with 2 weeks of horrible pain and recovery. That's what I'm told. They say it's a pretty rough surgery and pretty tough recovery, but I'd like to do it now so I can be "normal" again. Plus, I've already hit my deductible with having the baby and all.

I got a chest X-ray, EKG, blood test and pee test, so now I'm all set for surgery on Friday. I wish I had a sister or friend living closer to help me recover. Maren will be going back to Utah to tie up loose ends just after I get the surgery done, so I'll be on my own. I may have to mooch off ladies in my ward by sending my kids over to their houses when Hyrum goes to work. I think the thing I'm most afraid of is taking the powerful laxative. The nurse warned me that it's the worst part. She said that "If you feel like you have gas, it's not! Run to the bathroom as fast as you can!" I've read people's accounts of their experiences with the laxative, and they say you pretty much need a seat belt on your toilet so you don't launch yourself. If that doesn't send a terrifying picture into your head, I don't know what will. Help!

I'm scared! I may as well get a colonoscopy while I'm at it since you have to cleanse your system for that procedure as well. Wish me luck! I'm going to need it.

Thanks, Paisli. You better be the best, most well-behaved child in history, considering all the trouble you've given me already. You gave me stretchmarks, caulirrhoids, surgery, and oh yeah, a couple of weird mole-like growths that look like eternal zits (one on my forehead, one on my cheek), that are only now looking as though they may fade away...hopefully. It just looks like I have a zit on my forehead in this picture when you click on it, but it's not a zit. It's my pregnancy curse.


On a less disgusting note...we're in Bandon still. I'm at our apartment for a little bit, hence this post, but I'm heading back there in a few minutes. My camera is over there, so I can't post any pictures yet. I'm assuming that I won't be able to post pictures for quite a while, or even post anything, because I don't think I'll be able to sit for a while, and may not feel like getting out of bed. This surgery better work, because I'm kind of scared. But until then, I'm having fun right now with Hyrum's family. Nana is great with the kids and it's fun for them to get to spend time with her and Hapa. We're looking forward to Elisabeth's arrival on Thursday, although I think I'll be trapped in the bathroom when she gets here. It'll be up to Hyrum and Maren to show her a good time in Bandon I'm afraid.