Attack of the Gallbladder

Back in March of 2009, just three months before I was due to be married I was working an evening shift at my job. I started experiencing a pain I had never felt before.

It started at five in the evening, and was a sharp pain just under my ribs on the right side of my body. Long story short I spend a few long hours in the hospital emergency room with my mother-in-law to find out I had just had my first gallbladder attack caused by passing a gallstone. Once the stone was passed the pain disappeared never to be heard from again...

Fast forward to approximately a month ago. I started having mild pain in the same area as before. I put off going to the doctor because the pain was mild and I knew what was causing it. I figured I would experience the pain until I passed a stone and then it would go away. No such luck. The pain persisted and I trucked off to my family doctor.

She is convinced that it is my gallbladder, and is sending me for a confirmation ultrasound. The result of the appointment was what I expected. I insisted on the opportunity to change my diet to see if that would improve the situation before jumping into the drastic alternative of surgery.She agreed but also let me know that an improvement in diet isn't always going to "cure" the problem and I may end up needing surgery anyways.

As for now I have decided to maintain a low fat diet, and ultimately, I should lose the weight that I need to if nothing else.

  

Gender Determination

When I was pregnant with Monster we chose not to find out his gender via ultrasound before birth. We wanted to keep one of the biggest surprises of our lifetime just that, a surprise.

It definitely worked well for us this time, we have 4 nieces and 1 nephew that we're very close with, who are all under 13. We had more then enough hand-me-downs to sift through before and after my Monster was born. We even painted his bedroom a cheery green color, which I at the time thought was gender neutral, but now realize I must have had that motherly instinct I was about to birth a boy.

I will admit, the surprise ate at my insides. Every time I walked by an infant clothing sales rack I died a little because I couldn't shop for gender specific clothes -yes I too hate yellow- at dirt cheap prices (I love a deal, and usually can't pass it up when it comes to kids clothing)!

We have already decided as a couple that next time I get pregnant we will certainly be finding out the gender of our baby. Not to ruin the greatest surprise of our lifetime, but because it will likely determine if that will be my last pregnancy or not. We decided a long time ago that we will have 2 children, the only exception being if we get two of the same gender right off the bat. We will consider a third in order to have a girl and a boy.

Not that I would be unhappy if I had two little boys running around under my feet, that will grow in to strapping men to hug, love and protect me (along side my husband :D)!