A little recap.

Sunday morning, bright and early, I came down the stairs with my best little guy and found our backyard looking like this:



And this.


Ahhh, the first snow.

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Monday, our GI doctor (finally!!) called us back. And guess what? We still do not know anything! (Gr!) She said that in 99% of the cases, they are able to determine exactly what the problem is by examining the biopsies. Naturally, Mr. Dylan falls into that itty bitty 1% category. The doctor said that the tissue did appear abnormal, but they do not know why. She said and that while it did not appear to be Celiac, we should continue with a gluten free diet as it has seemed to help with the vomiting issues.

It's frustrating, though. To not know for sure. To watch as he still spits up. To have put him through the procedure only to come back empty handed.

For now, we'll continue forward. Onward and upward we go.

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12 Days of Giving: Days 6, 7 and 8

On day 6, I told my husband that I would commit to making dinner once a week. Er, please know that I am completely aware of just how pathetic this sounds, but believe me when I say that I can't cook to save my life. My husband, on the other hand, is a wonderful cook. As I had mentioned in my mediocre mama post from a week or so age, I want to try harder, I want to do better. So, here I go. It was pretty funny though, when I told Dave that I wanted to start trying to cook dinner one time a week, he looked up at me with a slightly frightened expression and said, "Oh. Um. Ok.". Haha! Ah well. With the help of Everyday Food magazine (thanks Michele), I think it will be fun. Or at the very least, it will be interesting. In the mean time, I just hope I don't burn down the house...

On day 7, I continued doing some more, er, in depth research on a very special way that I am hoping to be able to give...

Today, day 8, I am going to finish addressing our Christmas cards. I am also going to write out a letter to each of our Early Intervention specialists, letting each of them know how much we appreciate them.

So that's that. A little recap.

12 Days of Giving: Days 4 and 5

Yesterday I went Christmas shopping - finally!! I had the 12 Days of Giving Challenge in the back of my mind, but wasn't exactly sure what it was that I could "give".

I decided to pick out a holiday card for Larisa Hertz. Ever since I read her story on Life With My Special K's a few months ago, I have been following her journey. She is an amazingly strong girl who is currently recovering in a burn unit in a hospital in Kansas. It appears that she will be in the hospital during the holidays, so I decided to send along a card with a small donation as well.

Now, this isn't part of the giving challenge, but as I was walking into line there was a woman who was also walking into line. Clearly I was there ahead of her, but I had 32,412 items in my carraige. She was literally holding 2 items in her arms. I stopped, mentioned for her to go ahead of me and said, "You go. Please". She looked surprised, looked up at me and said, "Really? Are you sure?". I laughed and said, "Of course!". She stopped, smiled and said, "Thank you very much".

It was such a small gesture. So easy and yet it made her happy. But seriously? Do people normally not do this?

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Today I stole, er...borrowed Bethany's idea to check out the Wish Upon a Hero website. I found a woman in need of winter jackets and clothes for her 1 year old daughter and 4 month old son. I can do that! So, I did.

Now...to think of 7 more things...hmm.

Update...sort of.

Dylan's biopsy results are (finally, ahem) in. The diagnosis is: unclear. Seriously? Yes, seriously.

To make a really long, and annoying story (which will just lead me to frustration, again,) short, I never was able to speak with Dylan's GI doctor this week. And believe me when I say it wasn't due to a poor attempt on my part. The doctor's nurse did call me today to let me know that the results were in, but unfortunately they were not able to determine, by the reports from the pathologist, what exactly is causing the cells in the tissue to appear abnormal. She said that the doctor would be calling me on Monday to speak with me more about it, but suffice it to say, they need to have a "clinical discussion" as well as a meeting with the pathologist to determine what exactly is going on.

For now, we are being told to move forward with the assumption that it is indeed Celiac Disease, and are to put Dylan on a gluten free diet. She said that unless they determine otherwise, we will be referred to a nutritionist who specializes in Celiac, so that we can learn more about which foods we are able to feed Dylan.

So we shall see.



Now, don't think that I have already given up on my 12 Days of Giving Challenge! I have been doing it, but didn't think that I needed to dedicate an entire blog post to the fact that after over 5 years of not having a primary care physician, I finally picked up the phone and called my insurance company to determine who exactly is in our network. Not only that, but I then called the doctor and scheduled an appointment for a physical. Go me! Oh, I know it seems silly, but eh. I'm giving the gift of health to myself. That counts! Doesn't it?

So, that was Day 2.

Day 3 is even more exciting because I decided to give the gift of time to my husband! After 3 years of he and I pretty much never leaving our house to do anything social (bad, I know, I know), I called a woman whom my friend recommended to babysit for us on a regular basis. Yeah!

So, there it is. An update of sorts.

12 Days of Giving: Day 1

Aaaaaand on a more pleasant note...

12 Days of Giving: Day 1 (I'm a day off!)



Bethany from Life with Bubba, Chicky and Nika is sponsoring a 12 Days of Giving Challenge and has inspired me to participate!

For the next 12 days, I am going to think of some small way that I can help someone, anyone. I am not sure exactly what I have to give, but I am committed to thinking of something each day.

This morning I gathered up canned foods, popcorn, oatmeal packets, pudding, jello and a whole bunch of other food items from our home and put it in a nice bag which we will bring over to The Lazarus House. This care package will also include our old television, furniture that we do not need, various toys that the kids rarely play with, some old clothes and shoes of mine and random baby items that we no longer use.

Ah. I feel better, already. Thanks Bethany!

Trying

I am trying.

Trying to be patient. Trying to figure out how 5-7 days doesn't really mean 5-7 days. Trying to understand how one doctor can tell me to call the hospital on Monday or Tuesday for the results of Dylan's biopsy, and another can tell me not to call back until at least Friday. Trying to comprehend how I was specifically told, by the doctor who preformed Dylan's endoscopy, that the results would be back in 5-7 days and am now being told that that information wasn't accurate, that it wasn't correct, that she can't understand why I was told it at all because naturally 10-14 days is the norm for biopsy results. Trying to wrap my head around the fact that this, this!, is the best hospital. Trying to hold back, so hard, from calling the hospital right now and demanding that I speak with someone, anyone, who might possibly be able to help me.

I am trying.

But I sort of feel like screaming.

Mediocrity

Today, as I sometimes do, I felt like a mediocre mama.

The weather was dreadful and has been for a while now, it seems. Dark. Wet. Rainy all day. We have been completely off our usual schedule lately with Dylan's appointment last week, Thanksgiving, family gatherings.

I felt tired today, but I don't think I am. At least I don't think I should be.

Oh, I attempted an effort today, but quite honestly, it was pretty weak. Come to think of it, did I even take my slippers off? Briefly I'd bet - yes, when I brought Cassidy to get her much needed hair cut.

It's not that our house is dirty necessarily, but then again, it certainly isn't clean, either. I mopped the floors and vacuumed the rugs. The coffee table is relatively shiny. I paid a couple of bills.

I played Pretty Pretty Princess (jealous Piecy?), Memory, "Fishy Game", and read piles of books to both Cassidy and Dylan. We had an EI appointment. We listened to the "Cass cds" and danced around the house. We played tea party and dress up (Cass did the dressing up naturally!).

But.

Cass did spend a good chunk of time with her paci in her mouth watching her new Max ansd Ruby dvds. Dylan napped alot.

Toys were strewn about everywhere and the dog hair...ugh...each a losing battle, I think. Our bathroom trash barrels remained full all day. I thought about emptying them, but I didn't. There is dirty laundry in the washing machine and clutter in the kitchen. If you look closely (or maybe not so closely), you will see that it is dusty upstairs. Garland is wrapped around our porch columns while our rotting Halloween pumpkins sit below. Holiday lights are in clumps on the kitchen floor, waiting to be hung up. Our unmatching (that's not a word, is it?) Christmas stockings are stuffed in a grocery bag on our dining room table.

Come to think of it, I have one plant in my house. One. And it's barely alive. I do not know how to "do" Cassidy's hair. I, along with my kids, spend the majority of our time in sweatpants. And fleece. I don't cook (as I was reminded by Cassidy tonight) nor do I bake.

I am a stay at home mom, but I'm not so certain that I'm any good at it.

One thing I can say with absolute certainty, though, is that I love my kids. Ah, do I love them!

I love how today Cassidy turned to me, after getting hit by our dog's tail, and said, "Bailey just wagged me". How she must have asked me no fewer than 300,000 questions today about everything from, "Why do we have 2 noses?" (I explained that it's actually one nose but 2 nostrils) to "Why did Dylan do a big poopoo in the bath last night?" (Wasn't too sure how to answer that one, honestly). I love how she told me repeatedly that she loves me. Especially when she knew that I was losing my patience.

I love how today Dylan learned yet another sign - "bath". I also discovered that apparently he has been secretly growing another tooth (a molar?!). I realized this when he grabbed my finger and shoved it in his mouth and proceeded to crunch down. (Another sharp little bugger!) I love how today he rolled around our living room floor, then army crawled up to his little karaoke toy and smacked the button down starting the music so that he could "dance" on his belly.

Mediocrity. It's my issue, then, as I don't suspect my kids notice. Don't think they care, either.

But, I know. And because of that, I want to do better. I think that I can do better...

The Endoscopy

Whew, we're home from Dylan's upper GI endoscopy! Everything went very well...just as smoothly as it could have gone.

And you know, for someone who was woken up before the crack of dawn, Dylan sure was quite the trooper! Here he is in his wee hospital gown prior to the procedure.



The procedure itself went well. Dylan tolerated it appropriately, handling both the anesthesia as well as the biopsies just fine.

It did take him a bit of time to wake up after the procedure and we were warned that when he did awake, he would probably be quite cranky.



Hm, not so much. He blinked his eyes, looked around and snuggled right into my arms. Ahhh, he's the best.

As for the results: In a copy of the report it states that "patchy mild mucosal abnormalities characterized by pale discoloration in a linear arrangement as well as texture changes were found in both the duodenal bulb as well as in the 3rd part of the duodenum. Biopsies were taken with cold forceps for histology".

Say what?

Ok, so basically what this all means is that there were some abnormalities found which, according the the GI doctor, are most likely consistent with Celiac Disease. If it is not Celiac, it may be esophagitis or someotheritis (that I can't remember right now). It may also be nothing. The only way to know for sure is to wait for the results of the biopsies, which typically take about 5-7 days to come back.

So, for now, we wait. Aaaagain. But this time, at least we may have something to go on.

Thank you so much for all of your positive thoughts. We really appreciate it!!