Monday, October 17, 2005

First time for everything

I don't have anything to say! Actually I have a shitload but it's all so jumbled in my head that I can't get one competent word out.

Same old shit around here. Still dieting, still getting nowhere. I spoke with his dr. Friday who was going to fax all his records to a GI and talk to him today, then get back to me with an appointment. I'm not looking forward to going to a GI though, I already know they will try to push formula down my throat. The pediatrician said this particular GI really wants the mom's to continue breastfeeding but if there is a chance the baby will become anemic from bloodloss it could result in poor development and overall health. So if they see any signs of that they'll probably recommend Nutramigen or Neocate formula "breaks" while I pump. Doesn't that sound fun, trying to feed a baby who won't take a bottle formula while I pump a hundred times a day to keep my supply up. I guess I shouldn't get ahead of myself I should just go in and see what they have to say before making assumptions.

I joined a "Parents of Food Allergic Kids" online community, specifically the Breastfeeding group, to get some help and support. It's helpful but almost more overwhelming. In everyone's "signature" they list their kids and their allergies and my GOD I can't believe the shit some people are allergic to. What's more incredible is that they were actually able to diagnose some of this stuff since almost everyone said that tests showed negative for allergies so it was all determined by diet elimination. The list of foods they CAN eat are way shorter than the ones they can't. Food coloring? Spices? Nightshade? What the fuck is nightshade anyway? So like I said, it's helpful but almost more discouraging because it could be so much more than I ever thought. But they all recommended to start with the Dr. Sears Total Elimination Diet or TED in POFAK lingo. I knew about the diet already but was doing a modified, more liberal version of it. But since getting no response, time to go hardcore. I guess more hardcore than the hardcore I was already doing. But since I suspect rice already, I'm not doing it. And I don't want to eat lamb (something about the cute furry faces going "baaah" turns me off) so once again it's turkey, potatoes, squash and pears. No more chicken or pork. I think pork caused some problems anyway, it was either that or the broccoli or blueberries. Hey it makes grocery shopping easy.

So I just got back from Whole Foods, my home away from home, with a trillion packs of turkey and potatoes. Breakfast will be fun, not even oatmeal anymore as if that was something to look forward to. I bought ground turkey and I'll mix that up with some hashbrowns. Another thing on the board I learned was the brands to stay away from that are notorious for cross-contamination and poor labeling. Rice Dream brand = very naughty. Who knew?

And hey, only 11 pounds to lose before I'm back to my pre-pregnancy weight!! But from what I understand it's the last 10 that are the hardest to lose. But shit 49 out of 60 ain't bad. I also learned that McD fries and hashbrowns are OK! Yipee!!! You don't know what this means to me. I found this out Saturday afternoon and have had 5 large fries since then. Probably not the best but I figured I could use the fat. My milk supply seems OK but I still get paranoid that it will deminish from lack of calories. But since I've cleaned out my system, it can't handle grease that well anymore. My stomach of steal is gone! Even though McD swears it's not cross-contaminated I'm still suspect but I needed to gorge on something this weekend. BK also says their fries are safe because they aren't cooked on the same equipment as their onion rings (which contain wheat). If that is the case, how come we've gotten an onion ring bonus in our fries before, hmmm? Don't trust 'em.

It's funny when you are pregnant you worry about all kinds of birth defects but never once did food allergies cross my mind. And if this turns out to be a serious food allergy, it makes life very, very tough. And scary depending on the kind of allergic reaction they can have. Anyway, enough diet talk.

Let see, let see, anything else stressful going on? Ohhhh yeah. So my dog who is less than 4 years old has suffered from chronic allergies (sound familiar) and ear infections. His ears have gotten so bad he now needs surgery. Not just normal surgery, if there is such a thing, no this is a Total Ear Canal Ablation. You know what this mean? They have to remove his ear canals completely and sew up the opening to his ear! NO MORE EARS. He'll have the flaps but that's it. He may or may not be able to pick up any sounds afterwards. I want to cry. He's still a puppy and the more humane thing to do is to make him deaf. How sad is that?! Supposedly he will feel much better and happier after this, man I sure hope so.

Man, life if fun and never stressful. And look, guess I did have something to say afterall.

11 Comments:

Blogger LITTLE MISS said...

there is always something to worry about with kids. If it's not one thing, it's another. My son has developmental delays and anxiety issues similar to autism...some days i think I'd take total ear canal ablation or food allergies. Then I remember to count my blessings and be grateful I have such a beautiful and perfect fit for our family child. I wouldn't change a thing.

I think that's what being a mother is all about. Unconditional love, and loving someone else so much that you'd die to protect him.

2:27 PM  
Blogger hollibobolli said...

OMG OMG OMG OMG.. No - okay - well, first let me say I had to scroll down and read the bottom first to be sneaky and I got confused.. I thought. Okay - the ears are on the dog and not the baby - but still.. that is AWFUL.. I am soooo sorry. I know I feel like I have two babies and that would break my heart too. I'm sorry.

That, on top of everything else - yes.. stress. I'm so glad you can have McDonald's hashbrowns and fries.. I eat those too.

Will you post about the doggie surgery? My last dog went deaf - she was okay for a long time.. she was blind too. But it still...

Okay - I'm rambling. Sorry.

Hugs.

4:33 PM  
Blogger Kira said...

omg i'm so so sorry. what a depressing post but you seem pretty upbeat despite everything. Poor you, poor baby and poor dog! i'm really sorry.
today we had our appointment for his yearly allergy testing. i will blog about it soon.
i would love to know about your food allergy support group, if not for me, but for my friend Jen.

5:57 PM  
Blogger mamaloo said...

Nightshade refers to potatoes. Just in case you still needed to know.

My sis started showing severe allergies at age 11. IT was ASA and that's found in chocolate, chiken, potatoes, strawberries... all kinds of stuff! IT was hell for her.

Good luck babe!

5:59 PM  
Blogger Kiki said...

About the bottle thing, that is tough, my son refused it also. I bought every kind to find the right nipple and then I would start him nursing with the bottle nipple in his mouth too and then pull myself out. It took a while but he figured it out! And that was just so I could leave him with his dad!

Has J really lost enough blood through his stools to be anemic?

And by the looks of him, he is getting quite a bit of nutrition from you! You are doing a great job! My mom frequently told me that when I worried about my supply. "Look at him, he is getting enough!" That is what she would say.

9:34 PM  
Blogger Margaret said...

just gonna give you hugs...

and not think about any food allergies except for milk...cause i have that and so does Pman and so does T...so i am going to assume that Trout will have it too...and that i can deal with... :)

peace...

12:43 AM  
Blogger sarahgrace said...

Sheez Louise! I feel for you, girl. Hope you don't mind if I send my prayers your way...

and I know that eggplant is a nightshade- and there are some other veggies that belong to that group as well (I think maybe carrots...?)

This too shall pass.

1:27 AM  
Blogger sarahgrace said...

Okay, so I was curious and went and looked it up- here is a website that talks about nightshades (not that you necessarilly want to know)
http://www.innvista.com/health/foods/vegetables/nightsh.htm

1:39 AM  
Blogger M said...

Wow, that's so sad about your dog. Poor little thing. And congrats on being 11 lbs away from your goal weight! Granted, you didn't necessarily lose it the way you would have wanted to, but still, it's a silver lining! I'm still hanging on to 20 and Ava's almost 6 mos old. The BK fries comment is hysterical... I ALWAYS get an onion ring bonus! That does suck about maybe having to put J on formula while you pump. I TOTALLY hate pumping, and frankly it just doesn't produce as much milk as the baby taking it straight from the tap. At least you know it's for a good reason, though, if he's in danger of being anemic. Don't feel guilty about it at all. Besides, Emily was a formula-fed baby and I think she turned out pretty damn good! Sorry I'm going off on a tangent... this is a topic on my mind today. More to come once I get a chance to update my blog!

6:48 AM  
Blogger Amy said...

Hey Cara,
MS & HIP were on Pregestimil (yep 40 bucks a can) for 12 months, nutramigen for 5 months,and then onto soy based formulas for a little over six months when they were babies. They didn't eat solid foods until they were 19 months old, and Millie still has sensitivity to dairy protiens. I COMPLETELY understand Gut issues. The gastroentrologist will be so helpful. Trust what s/he says ( I know that's hard, because you are giving up some control ) You'll pull through just fine. & YAY french fries woo hoo! Now onto your doggie: girl, I know what you are going through. It's so hard when your pet feels sick. I knew a couple of 3 legged dogs back when I took Scarlett to the dog parks in DC.. and those dogs were as happy as ever.. 3 legs and all. Dogs adjust so fast. I think Valentine( I think that's the little beastie you are speaking of) will be happy not to have ear pain anymore. I'll ask Scarlett what she thinks. I think she'll support me on this one. :)

8:17 AM  
Blogger fuzzypeach said...

Poor puppy:( What does J think about the dogs, btw?

9:54 AM  

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