Another Update

So, my Vanderbilt appointment with the pancreas/bile duct/liver specialist was Tuesday. We spent the night in Nashville Monday night so that I'd actually be on time to my 9:30 am appointment. The wait at the office wasn't bad at all and it was actually pretty easy to find my way around the clinic. The doctor I saw was pretty thorough and seemed to know what he's talking about. He informed me first thing, that he doesn't think I have a blocked bile duct. He said with almost every case of a blocked bile duct, the person will have jaundice and liver blood tests would come back abnormal, which I've had neither. As far as Pancreatitis goes, he said my previous blood work does indicate that diagnosis. However, he said that most of the time, an MRI or at least a cat scan is ordered, to image the pancreas and look to see how inflamed it is. It's possible, but rare, that some people have regularly high blood work that would show Pancreatitis when they don't really have it. I haven't had an MRI or cat scan so he can't guarantee that I've had Pancreatitis. We basically just discussed different diagnoses that my symptoms could possibly be attributed to and I had lab work done. I go back on Friday for an MRI to see what's going on. Currently, my levels involved with Pancreatitis are normal. I do have some other lab work that was off so I'll find out what he has to say about that Friday or soon after. When I first started having these symptoms, they did an ultrasound of my gallbladder and happened to find a spot on my liver, which I've been told by a couple of different doctors, is harmless. However, the Vanderbilt doctor said he feels we need to look at that as well during the MRI to make sure it's just a hemangioma. The following website describes what a hemangioma is in case you're curious. http://www.medicinenet.com/hepatic_hemangioma/article.htm. He said that "normally", these things are harmless but it should not be brushed off, saying they always need to be looked at closer and be re-checked in a few months to make sure it isn't something else. He also mentioned that he thinks I may be having spasming in my upper intestines, which is causing the pain and vomiting. I forgot the actual diagnosis he had for it but compared my intestine to a balloon. It will clamp together in certain areas, bunching food up in a big ball and it has nowhere to go, while it continues to spasm. This would also explain the vomiting. As if all of this information wasn't enough of a shocker, he informed me that the 2 procedures I had done in Jackson weren't the best decisions. The doctor here tried to do what is called an ERCP (http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/003893.htm) but was unsuccessful. The Vanderbilt doctor said that the ERCP should never be used as a diagnostic procedure but only if they had done a cat scan or MRI already and KNEW there was a stone or something in my duct that needed to be removed. The second procedure I had done here was when they tried to put a stent in my bile duct but were unsuccessful with it as well. He said, "honestly, I'm beyond shocked they even attempted something like that". I remember the day I had it done, the Interventional Radiologist performing the procedure came in and said, "I don't know that I should be doing this procedure on you". The Vanderbilt doctor just said that both procedures, particularly the latter, are very risky and I'm just lucky that nothing was damaged (or at least that we know of). He even said that they don't practice that procedure at Vanderbilt, unless a person is about to die and it's a last resort. I just hate that I've gone 3 months thinking that I had a blocked bile duct. While it doesn't matter, it's just disappointing and confusing. To be honest, I was satisfied with that diagnosis because it could be fixed. If I'm having spasming of the intestines, I'll have to take medication until it gets better and who knows when that will be. I despise starting new medications. Now I worry about finding something else as well. I am glad however that I have found a great doctor that seems very well-educated, experienced, and cares. Anyways, all I can do now is carry on with what advice he gives me. Hopefully, after the MRI results come back, which will hopefully be on Monday, we can come to some sort of conclusion/diagnosis. Everyone have a great week and weekend!

The big day!

So, Tuesday's the day I've been waiting on for a while now. I was supposed to go to Vanderbilt to see the pancreas/bile duct specialist on May 10th. They called me Thursday to let me know that they had an opening on April 19th, which is this Tuesday. I was thrilled, to say the least! My appointment is at 9:30 that morning so Barrett's going to stay with my mom Monday night and we're going on to Nashville after work tomorrow. Barrett hasn't spent the night at my parents' house in months so they are excited to have him. I'm eager to see what this doctor has to say and what he wants to do about the situation. I'm a little nervous about waking up during whatever procedure he's going to do, like I did both times at JMCGH, but I'm trying not to think about it. On another note, Barrett's getting so big. He's still not rolling over but he's holding himself up like a champ. We tried cereal again Friday night and he actually liked it this time. I also got him a big boy carseat last week, which he used for the first time today. It's sad how fast they grow up. He goes to bed between 9 and 11 pm every night and sleeps for about 9 hours, which means he gets up between 6 and 8 am. It's great! We've been blessed to have such a good baby. He's still going to Mother's Day Out at Englewood on Tuesdays and Thursdays and Ty's mom keeps him on Wednesdays and occasionally another day or two during the week. It's been really nice to have a little bit of "me" time again. I normally work when he's away but sometimes I go shopping or use the day to clean the house or run errands. Speaking of, I cleaned house today and I must say, it feels great to have a sparkly clean house!Barrett loves to watch Mickey. He likes sitting in his swing, bouncy seat, or Bumbo and play with toys...mainly toys he can fit in his mouth and chew on. He still naps quite a bit during the day. He takes around 8 ounces of formula every 2.5+ hours. He likes to be rocked to sleep still which I'm definitely not complaining about ;). He's just started caring about Lilly. Ty will hold Barrett, facing away from him, and chase Lilly around the house. He holds Barrett low near the ground and he just giggles and loves it! Lilly likes it too! They're just too sweet together. I'm loving my little family right now! Below is a video showing Lilly and Barrett together.
Barrett was extremely fussy last Thursday and Friday. Finally, Friday night, we decided to take him to Convenient Care and sure enough, he had an ear infection in his left ear. He was so fussy for about 3 or 4 days and he's acting like he feels much better now. We just finished our antibiotic today! Anyways, I have to run to Kroger (yes, it's 11 pm) to get a few things and get this boy to bed before I leave! I hope everyone has a good week. I'll try to get back on here after my appointment Tuesday for an update.

Catching Up...

Side Note: I DID try to break this post into paragraphs but it won't let me for some reason. So, for some reason, I feel like I haven't posted in a while but I don't think it's really been that long. I've finally gotten some sort of work schedule for myself. On Mondays and Fridays, I have Barrett all day. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, he goes to Mother's Day Out. On Wednesdays, Ty's mom keeps him. So, I'm finally getting some free time, which is very nice! Between laundry (every other day), dishes (about every 3 days), work, a baby, a husband, a family, and try to fit in some personal time or time with friends, I've been a pretty busy girl. B's getting so big. He's slept so well the past 2 nights (knock on wood) and I'm so proud! Tonight, he's staying with Ty's parents and I miss him bunches! However, me and Ty took advantage of it and went to Cinema Planet and loved it! We were the only people in the theater, the big seats are so much nicer than Hollywood's, we had some good food (what I consider good food would be blah to others), and watched Insidious. We both thought the movie was pretty good but I'm finding it harder to deal with scary movies since I've had B. Not quite sure why. This movie was pretty scary though, in comparison to the most recent ones. B's still not rolling over but that's perfectly fine. I had to run by the doctor's office the other day for some shot records and mentioned it. His nurse said some babies may not roll over until they can crawl or even later. Like I've said before, I can't blame him...carpet is pretty boring. However, I did find him doing something new this morning. He went to sleep at 10 last night and I had to go wake him up at 8:15 this morning, to go to Mother's Day Out. To my surprise, his foot and ankle were wedged in between the rails of his crib. I'm just thankful he didn't pull hard enough to break it or anything. On another note, we need to get to looking for a new carseat. He's pretty much growing out of his and I can't tote him around in it anymore anyways. To sum up B's progress, he's the cutest baby boy ever born and his laugh makes me so happy :). Last weekend, we went to Atlanta to celebrate my nephew's 4th birthday, so Happy Birthday Colin! He had his party at the fire station there, which I must say was pretty stinkin' cool. I never knew they'd allow you to have parties there. It was such a luxury when I was little to have your birthday party at McDonald's and you were really upscale if you had your party at the skating rink. My puppy Lilly and her sister Ellie (mom's dog) had their 3rd birthday Sunday as well, which is the same day as Colin's actual birthday. I feel horrible because I didn't even get her anything :(. I'll definitely make it up to her though! She stayed with Ty's parents while we were gone so that was probably enough of a present to her than I know :). She loves going out there because she pretty much runs things...haha. And on another COMPLETELY different note...I went to the doctor today to discuss getting "fixed". I'm supposed to get a call back from my preferred doctor on Friday or Monday to see what he thinks. Some doctors are weird about "fixing" a woman my age because they feel like you're jumping the gun. However, after what I've been through, I'm positive I do NOT want anymore children and I just can't chance it. I'm debating between getting my tubes tied (they have to put you to sleep, you're normally in for the morning and out by that night, and have a few days to a week of recovery), Essure (they sedate you but you're still aware of things, done in the office, and no recovery time-they insert coils into your tubes and scar tissue forms around it), and Adiana (they sedate you, done in the office, and no recovery time-it's some type of burning of the tubes and something inserted to stop eggs from dropping). I know I sound crazy, but I think I'm going with the old-fashioned tubal. The only thing holding me back is that this will be my 3rd abdominal surgery in less than 3 years and that's scary. I've already had hernia repair, C-Section, then this? Not to mention, I'm not sure what procedure the Vanderbilt doctor is going to want to do to unblock my bile duct. Oh decisions, decisions... Everyone thinks I'm crazy for not wanting another child. It's almost like it's the American Standard to get married and have a bunch of kids, while the husband goes off to his high-paying business job and the wife stays home with the kids all day, every day, cooking, and cleaning. It's just not for me. I always get comments from random strangers when they ask, "are you going to try for a girl" and I tell them "no, I'm done". They always act so shocked I don't want more than 1 child. If a person doesn't want another child, why in the world would you try to push them to? Sounds crazy to me. I give props to mothers of multiple children. I must be lazy because I don't see how they do it. Anyways, I think I've shared my whole life story...haha. I've had alot of flare ups with my bile duct lately and the pain is moving around now...not sure why. I'm counting down until my appointment in Vanderbilt. In fact, I believe it's 34 days away. They DID let us know that they had a cancellation that I could have though, and it would be on May 17th! Yay!!!! Too bad my current appointment is on May 10th...dee duh dee...welp, I got's to get some sleep while I have a break from baby. Good nite and good week!

I'm Sleepy!

I tried taking Barrett's 4 month pictures but he wasn't having it...we took 2 and he was done! The 2nd picture is right before he pitched a fit!

This past week has exhausted me! I don't have Barrett on a "set" schedule or anything but he generally eats every 3 hours, goes to bed between 9 and 11 pm, and wakes up between 8 and 10 am. So he has a "general" schedule. When he spends the night away from home, he gets off schedule for a few days, after he returns home. He spent the night with someone last week and has been off schedule since. He has woken up multiple times a night for the past week. Luckily, I think he's finally getting back in the swing of things. He only woke up once between 11 pm and 9 am last night. To top things off, he got his 4 month shots on Monday. I figured it would be easier this time around but it was much worse. He didn't want to eat until late last night and ran fever until this morning. He's been really fussy the past 2 days but today was much better and he's eating better too.

Barrett and I went to Baker's Rack with my best friend today and spent the rest of the day with her. She's a teacher and on Spring Break this week, so we took advantage of it and had a great time. I attempted feeding Barrett cereal again tonight. We tried it once when he turned 3 months old and it didn't turn out well. He was constipated and gassy from the cereal, which led to him crying for practically 2 entire days. He sat in his high chair for the first time tonight too. He LOVED his high chair and looked like such a big boy in it. The cereal on the other hand...not so much. I couldn't spoon it in his mouth quick enough for him. I figured I'd try it when he wasn't "starving" so that this wouldn't happen but it really didn't make a difference. Oh well. We'll probably try it again in a week or so. His pediatrician said that he would wait until 6 months old to give him cereal but that it wouldn't hurt if I just wanted to give it to him. Barrett weighed 18 pounds 6 ounces and was 26.2 inches long! He isn't really fat, he's just built stocky. His measurements put him in the 97th percentile. I love my big boy and can't imagine him being a little baby! Everything else is going great with Barrett. His doctor did notice that his head is pushed in more on his left side, so we have to prop him on his right side, when he's lying on his back, playing. That way, his head will even out in the back. Barrett HATES lying on his stomach so that's not an option. I can't blame him though...what's interesting when you're looking at carpet? He plays alot in his Pack n' Play, Bumbo, or in his walker. He likes sitting up like a big boy, on his own.

He will be starting Mother's Day Out at Englewood next week, hopefully. I've filled out all of the paperwork and am going tomorrow to tour and finalize everything. It will be on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9 am-2:30 pm, which will be nice and convenient for me. Englewood is just down the road from work. Ty's mom is going to keep him on Wednesdays, so that I have 1 more day to work or run errands. He goes with me to work sometimes but it's hard to get anything done with him there.

Anyways, I am exhausted and better go to bed while I can. Between keeping up with Barrett this past week and having a rough week with my pancreatitis, I haven't gotten much sleep. I can't wait for my appointment at Vanderbilt in May or possibly sooner! Good night!

No News is Good News

Barrett will be 4 months old on March 21st and I can't believe it. He just started trying to roll over today. It's so weird. He showed no interest at all and suddenly today, he's almost completely rolling over. He can get to his side but can't master the full roll. I figure he's teething because he's chewing on everything still and gets fussy randomly. He talks ALOT now. Literally, he's usually either talking, laughing, or crying. He's hardly ever quiet. Right now, he's in his swing having a good conversation with himself :). I called Englewood today about Mother's Day Out, which would be on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9 to 2:30. They weren't sure if they had an opening, but I'm hoping she'll call me tomorrow and say they do. It will be a very nice break for me. I'll actually be able to work at work! He's been saying "mama" alot lately. I know it's just coincidence but I love it anyways! He's doing great sleeping at night still, too. He usually goes to bed around 11 and sleeps til atleast 8am. He won't go to bed any earlier than that but that's fine with me!

As far as my ongoing situation goes, I'm still just waiting. A doctor I recently saw has called 3 different hospitals in Kentucky, Louisiana, and Washington, to see if they can fit me in quicker than Vanderbilt. As of now, I have an appointment with Vanderbilt on May 10th and that's all I know. Hopefully, I'll get a call soon, saying that one of the other hospitals can get me in quicker. The problem is that this isn't considered "urgent" yet doesn't need to wait another almost 2 months to get fixed. So, I'm kind of put on the back-burner I feel. Luckily, I've got 2 doctors here that have been awesome at helping me when I need it. The others just brush me off as usual.

Besides that, everything is going smoothly. Therefore, I have no other news... ;) No news is good news, right? I'll update later.

March 3, 2011

To start, Ty's grandmother passed away today. It's been a sad day, for sure. I thought alot of her and hate that she had to go so soon. I really hoped Barrett would have her around longer because he would have loved her. Anyways, visitation is Saturday and her funeral will be Sunday. We've closed work tomorrow as well. When a close relative or friend dies, it somewhat puts things in perspective-what/who's important and what/who are not. You need to live every day like it is your last.

On a different note...I had something happen this week that scared me. I laid Barrett on my bed, with his blanket while I got ready. All of a sudden, I heard him making a gasping noise so I looked over and he had the blanket wrapped around his face. You always hear stuff about SIDS but I just never thought my "big" boy would be susceptible to it. I was obviously wrong. It's not like the blanket was smothering him either...supposedly, when something comes close to a baby's face, they just THINK it's smothering them and they quit breathing. Needless to say, we won't be using blankets at all anymore, unless he's in my lap with it. That may be overreacting a bit but it's getting warm outside anyways, to where we won't need one. I'd rather be safe than sorry. He moves and shifts alot at night in his crib now, so the blanket would be everywhere, including his face. When he was smaller, we could wrap it around him and it'd be the exact same the next morning...not anymore. The picture below is Barrett in his Bumbo earlier this week. He loves laughing now!

Anyways, that's my update for the week. I've got a busy weekend ahead. My sister's supposed to be coming Friday and then visitation Saturday and funeral Sunday. Everyone have a great week.

"Mother Knows Best"

Mother knows best...I have definitely found this to be true! My mother always knew what was best for me as a child, even though I may have not thought that at the time. The same applies to me, as a mother. I know what's best for Barrett and I feel like I've done a pretty good job of parenting so far. He's healthy, happy, and loved, which is what's important. A mother shares a special bond with her child that no one can come close to. A mother is irreplaceable. I can only dream for Barrett to love me as much as I love my mother. I've had some critiquing lately, which has brought up this subject. I feel for other new mothers that have to go through this. I'm sure at some point, every parent has the same issue. Anyways, I'm through with my rant for the day ;)

Barrett started losing some hair today :(. I was rubbing his head and noticed I had little hairs in my hand and all over his face. It's so weird how overnight, it decided to start falling out. He had so much to start with though, that it won't be a big deal. He has gotten so observant. He really likes watching his hands and feet lately. He mocks facial expressions too. He just started using his bumbo last week, since he's finally able to hold himself up completely. Time is flying by. He goes for his 16 week shots in about 2.5 weeks. We'll be equipped with Tylenol and his swing though, so we'll get through it! He's just an overall happy baby. He sleeps through the night and hardly ever fusses. I have to make sure he naps alot or he'll fuss. He doesn't get tummy aches much anymore. He spits up but what baby doesn't? He weighed 17 pounds the other day, according to our scale at home. That puts him in the 90-95th percentile! He's wearing 9 and 12 month clothes right now. I can't believe how big he is! I can tell in my back too, that he's getting bigger, from toting around his carrier.

I'll update again soon!