Update on me...

I would love to call all of you individually and give you the update on my health that you've been asking for, but let's face it, this is much easier - and I'm all about easy these days.

So, the tummy troubles have returned. For whatever reason (probably hormones), they went almost completely away while I was pregnant with Camry. Shortly after she was born, they returned. The worst of my "attacks" happened January 14 - the day before our 10th wedding anniversary. I threw up for an hour and a half STRAIGHT, non-stop. It was horrible. I felt like some strange stomach wrenching power had consumed my entire body. It scared me. . . and Chad (it takes a lot to worry him!) He called over to the hospital and scheduled a HIDA scan for me - to test the function of my gallbladder. Of course when they said they had an available time the next morning, he took it. Thankfully, and I know non-coincidentally, he had already scheduled to have the day off because of our anniversary. My sweet, very selfless mom came right over that day to help with the kids while I rested and Chad worked and then spent the night so she could be there to watch the girls while Chad took me in for testing. (I love you Mom! I couldn't go through all of this without you!!)

Anyway, the next morning I went in for the scan. To do the scan, they inject you with some radioactive substance and then you lay under a big machine that takes pictures of your gallbladder moving this stuff through it for the next hour and a half. Fortunately for us, because of Chad's profession, he has a few connections and so when we got done with the test we went straight to the radiologists' office there in the hospital. He read my scan right there and explained to us that a normal gallbladder functions at 35% and mine was functioning at 8%. Oh, Happy Day!! We walked out of the hospital feeling like we finally had an answer to all of this madness and extremely optimistic of what was to come. Chad called the surgeon and we met with him that afternoon. (What a way to spend our tenth anniversary, uh?!) Anyway, the surgeon pretty much could have just thrown a ton of bricks on us. He said that basically a non-functioning gallbladder would cause other symptoms and therefore I was to try some medicines and continue to suffer under the umbrella diagnosis of "Irritable Bowel Syndrome" and that there was no reason to have my gallbladder out.

Yes, I felt like it was a stupid, lazy, diagnosis. I still do. But, wanting to respect him and the professional relationship he and Chad have, I said ok and started two of the medicines. A week later, I was sick again. Hmmmm. Funny. So, I switched to one of the other medicines he said to try. No, I haven't been sick since (and that was a week ago today - and I've pretty much been eating nothing but jello, yogurt and pudding), but I'm not settling for the answer I was given.

This morning I had an ultrasound on my abdomen and I'm just waiting to hear about the report Chad gets. In the meantime, I spend time on researching on the internet, only to find a bunch of stuff that I could have, but the symptoms don't really fit.  Nothing really adds up.  Maybe I'll have this forever and just have to learn to live with it and manage my life around it.  It wears me out completely for a few days and then just a little bit after that.  It's worse now that I'm eating pretty much nothing...I don't really have any energy to do anything.  Our house might never be perfectly clean again, but I figure as long as I'm spending what energy I do have on the stupid laundry and playing with my beautiful kiddos and handsome hubby, I'll have a clean, happy family!!!  (I have been sewing a lot lately too ~ it doesn't take a whole lot of energy, but gives me a little bit of time to concentrate on my hobbies.) 

Thank you so much for all of your concern and prayers.  It's humbling knowing so many care so much.  We do feel really blessed that what I have is not worse than it is.  There is always someone suffering much more than I am, and for that blessing, I am truly grateful.  Our Heavenly Father has truly blessed us in many ways and I have faith in His love for us.

Love to you all,
Me