Do you think they'll let me keep it?

This cold is lingering and I'm sick of it. I have to get over it soon because I found out I have gallstones and have to have my gallbladder removed. Like soon.

Since about a month after Jack was born I started having pain, vomiting, and diarrhea that has gotten progressively worse and more frequent. At first I thought it might be a great "diet", but the pain is kind of interfering with my life so I went to my doctor. They did an ultrasound and found the stones. Now I need to have it removed. At least it's done laproscopically. I did tell the doctor that if he found the flap of baby skin to be impeding him in any way I was totally willing to part with it. You know, to make things easier for him and all.

I am waiting for his office to call me back to schedule the surgery. I have to say I'm nervous. I've never been intubated before. I have pretty teeth and I'd like very much to keep them. I guess this is one instance where knowing too much can be a bad thing.

My mother is going to take some time off to help me with Jack since I won't be able to carry anything greater than 5 lbs for a week. I guess laying him on the floor and occasionally throwing puffs at him would probably be a bad idea so she's helping me.

Maybe during my downtime I'll be able to blog more.

Hi My Name Is Sarah...

And I'm addicted to Afrin.

Well, used to be addicted. It could happen to anyone, I swear!

It starts out innocently enough. You have a cold and your nose is plugged up. If you're like me and primarily a nose breather (I can NOT breathe through my mouth) it can make for a miserable time. Especially at night when you're trying to sleep. So you buy some Afrin nose spray. One squirt up each nostril feeling the mentholated burn and within minutes you have clear nasal passages. You can Breathe again!! It's heaven. It worked so well that you do it again the next night. Aghhhhhh. Then 12 hours later it wears off and so you do another hit. Pretty soon it doesn't even last the whole 12 hours before your congestion returns and so you do another hit. Before long you're sniffing the stuff two or three squirts every four hours and your nose is bleeding like a coke fiend.

I mean, that's what probably happens.....cough.....not to me or anything.

So this past weekend, as I have been suffering a head cold, I have stayed strong and only used the Afrin one squirt at bedtime.

And that is enough.

Babies Are Like Terrorists

I live in a constant state of fear.

Those of you who have or have ever had babies know what I'm talking about. Every morning I start my day terrified to go in and check on Jack. Afraid that something happened to him while I was asleep. That's how I wake up every day.

Terrified.

And I'd like to say it gets better, but no. I go to work and I'm afraid of everything that could happen to him while he's out of my sight. Or I'm afraid he'll like the sitter more than me (cuz my new sitter is the bomb). Then I pick him up and I'm afraid that I could trip and drop him or fall down the stairs holding him. When I walk across the room while he is laying on the floor I have a moment of panic that "what if I tripped and fell on him and crushed him".

Then there's the fear that he won't sleep that night. And then he does and I scurry around to do all the things that I have to do because I'm afraid he'll wake up. When he doesn't I fall into a coma and start the whole thing over again.

My baby is a terrorist.

He uses piercing screams and cries as weapons to strike fear into my heart. I am always at def con 1. High Alert!!! But like many captives of tiny dictators I have developed Stockholm syndrome. I love my little captor.

And every day the fear gets a little less. More manageable. I should have it under control just in time to have another one.

And start again.

And Do It With a Smile

What happens when patients are treated like "customers"?

A woman comes to the ER with shortness of breath and chest pains.
Fix me! She cries.
But I won't take any nebulizer treatments or wear oxygen.
You can't draw any of my blood or do any of those "expensive" tests.
Could you also order me some lunch, turn on the TV, and hand me the phone?

What's taking you so long to help me? I'm fading fast...

My Big Boy

Let's start the new year right shall we? With some gratuitous Jackson pics. Here's my big boy in his bib overalls that were a gift from a friend of the family. Thanks Lora!

Here he's just chillaxin' in his room. He looks older than 4 months in this picture doesn't he?