health « Fancy Pantsy

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and another one…

November 9, 2009 · Filed under The girl, health

Now the girl has had the flu for a couple days, since she woke up yesterday with a temperature. She is doing okay…when she is on Advil. When it wears off she is feverish, exhausted and achy. Tomorrow is a PA day, so at least she has an extra day to recover before she starts missing school. Now I am really unsure what she and I should do about the vaccine.

Charlotte actually got the vaccine last week, Thursday-she had no reactions. My doctor told me they had a clinic running that night, and the man and I made a sudden decision for me to take her and get it if it is not busy. We walked in and out in 10 minutes. She may have already had the virus…but she is so young and vulnerable and we don’t know, so we decided to just do it. The fact that we heard about the 3 month old who died of H1N1 that day was probably a factor.

I don’t know what the girl and I will do. My doctor said that the flu going around now is H1N1, so if we are sick it was probably that…but also said the official recommendation is if your flu was not confirmed as H1N1 (and they aren’t testing anymore so mine was not and Zoë’s wont be unless she, god forbid, ends up in the hospital) then to assume it was not and get the shot. Great! That helps! I don’t want us to get it if we don’t need it, for many reasons…not the least of which is that there is already a shortage. Which is not surprising since I know many, many people who have been able to talk their doctors or the clinics into giving them shots even though they are not in the priority group…which is upsetting. Believe me I understand being scared and wanting to be protected, but they priority groups exist for a reason, and I certainly would not want to be taking the vaccines from a pregnant woman, or vulnerable infant or someone with already compromised health, and it makes me both sad and angry that so many healthy low risk people would.

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bad news…good news

October 31, 2009 · Filed under health, pity party, the babe

Bad first:
I have been so sick. My fever is not high, but I am achy and miserable all over, especially when my Advil wears off. When I am on it, I am okay as long as I don’t over exert myself-which is difficult. The girl would not get off me or leave me alone all day… and she was so annoying to my achy head AND I am worried about passing it onto her (which is probably unavoidable anyways…but I still feel bad when she is climbing all over me, lying in my bed…etc). Thankfully she has a Halloween party and sleepover tonight. The mother did not mind her coming in spite of my illness, she is a teacher and figures whatever she can get exposed to, she already has. I don’t know if it is H1N1, I really have no way to find out as there is no way am I going to the hospital. Since I do have a fever, aches and (now) a cough and soreish throat…I am sorta assuming it is, but it may well not be. Either way I am sure it is a contagious virus I would prefer not to pass around!

I am hoping that the little 2 days fever Charlotte got was it, and that maybe it was so mild because of BFing? When the girl was nursing, Adam and I go two AWFUL stomach flus (you know, the both ends variety???) and she did not catch either. There were also several times that the entire playgroup got some sort of virus except her…BFing really did seem to help her immunity system a lot. Hopefully the same is true for Charlotte!

Well, I am about 5 hours from my last dose of Advil right now, cross your fingers that I feel a bit better than last time it wore off, and am on the mend.

Then Good:

I can eat dairy!!! I have been allowing trace dairy (like if the ingredients say “may contain trace” or if it touched dairy) into my diet for a few months now, with no problems.

Then Thursday at a play date the mom offered me cheese buns, with milk, cheese and butter. I ate one. Okay, 2. It was pure ecstasy. That night Charlotte did not poo.

Then yesterday I ordered a hamburger at one of my “safe” places for lunch…but they gave me a cheeseburger by mistake. I decided to eat it anways.

Then today….da da da da…Charlotte pooped. A normal, brownish yellow, peanut butter poop. No blood or mucous in site. Smelly, but it was normal poop smell…not the rotten second coming stink of allergy poop.

Woot! I still plan to take it slow (maybe have a little dairy every day or two for the next few weeks and keep and eye on things), both to ensure that it does not start to bother her again when it builds up, and that my recurrent tonsillitis that the dairy elimination killed does not come back. But it is progress…and it is nice to know that even if too much dairy does cause a problem for her (or me), it seems an occasional treat no longer will. I have decided to stick with rice milk as my “milk” at home. I don’t want to overdo it on the dairy (no matter what happens with Charlotte) because of my tonsils, and figure just that will cut out a lot of dairy from my diet. I am used to it and like the flavor (I use enriched vanilla) that is gives my coffee, tea, cereal and baking anyways! Actually, after all this, the thought of cow’s milk grosses me out a little anyways. Cheese and things cooked/baked with dairy are all good, but I really feel no desire for real milk, and am pretty sure I am better off without it anyways. I used to be a milk fiend…several cups a day plus coffee, tea and cereal. No wonder my tonsils and throat were a mucousy mess!

I am not trying soy until she is at least a year though, since she still cannot seem to tolerate even trace soy protein (oil or lecithin are okay if they are near the end of the ingredients) and soy was worse for her than dairy. Dairy gave green and mucous…but it was soy that gave blood!

I was dairy free for 8 and a half months!! I can hardly believe it…that I did that, or that it is (hopefully) over!!

In one nostril, out the other

March 26, 2009 · Filed under health

So, my congestion situation got so serious that a few days ago I bought the SinusRinse Neti Pot since I had heard they work wonders.

Basically, it is a teapot you fill with water and a special powder (which is mostly salt) and pour into your nostrils, one at a time. It actually comes out the other nostril after taking a little tour of the sinuses, bringing all the gunk with it.

Well. Hmm. Okay then.

The first time I used it was utterly disgusting. I was somehow swallowing the stuff and getting it all over my chin and clothes. I needed a bib and thought I was drowning. My nostrils felt clear for about 7 minutes afterwards, then more congested than ever.

I have been using it 2 times a day since then though, and it is improving. The congestion is clearing (though it likely would be anyways by now) and I have learned how to use it neatly without making a mess or swallowing a mixture of salt water and nose goo.

Since I normally get a lot of sinus headaches and grogginess in the spring (seasonal allergies, I suspect) I plan to continue this for a while and hope it keeps my normal spring routine of feeling like ass (I hate spring for this reason. I always feel sick all of March until June!) at bay. I’ll let ya know if it works.

Here is a fun video:

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Poor momma, poor baby

March 23, 2009 · Filed under a day in the life, health, pity party

poor momma has a flu cold thing. Congested, feverish, achy, weak, dizzy. Yuck. My nose is so bad I had to resort to nasal mist, something I NEVER use since I over-came an addiction to the stuff (don’t laugh, it is true and was not fun) several years ago. I am being very careful to not overdo it and only use it at night.

poor baby has a little cold herself. She is also congested yet freaks out at any snot removal procedures I attempt. I am considering getting the vacuum suction thingy gaviesgal has…but it’ll probably be too late. the snot does come out eventually though, all over me. luckily the cold is the only thing she has, since i know some tummy flus have been going around the baby circuit. so far a stuffy nose is all she is suffering though.

charlotte and mommy’s cold thingy have evilly conspired to be coordinated with the 12 week growth spurt, which means charlotte is nursing every hour during the day, and every 2 hours or so at night (when she usually sleeps through the night, or maybe wakes once at 3-5am).

with the growth spurt and cold has come a severe case of mommyitis, resulting in the fact that charlotte will barely let me set her down, even to nap (she is precariously settled into the swing for the moment, not sure how long it will last). she also prefers i not sit down while holding her. i have spent hours over this weekend walking back and forth in front of the TV or computer with her in a carrier.

waaah. I am gonna go nap on the couch now, hopefully she’ll give me half an hour or so.

p.s. my cold is getting a bit better, and i think would be almost manageable by now if the baby was not evil growing (again, she was 13 and 1/2 pounds last week) and i could get a bit more rest. maybe tonight?

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10 Random points about this week

November 20, 2008 · Filed under The girl, a day in the life, health, pity party, pregnancy 2008

1. Yesterday was our 7 year wedding anniversary. No 7 year itch here…but I am not very itchy these days!

2. The girl has been really, really annoying this week.

3. It is my second last week at work. That is good, but I have way too much left to do.

4. I have woken up 2 nights in a row with a throat full of bile. Nice.

5. My migraines have hit an all time high. They are making me throw up and cry almost every day-they are usually at their worst in the afternoons and early evening. I like to bitch about them here, but HATE talking about them (I am not a fan of discussing any health issues in person, I always feel whiny, pathologizing, annoying and pitied and would rather talk about other things…here I can just say it and drop it), so please don’t ask me about them. I can answer here and doubt the answer will change until I have the baby if my last pregnancy is any indication: Yes, I am still having them, and they suck.

6. I am now lying to my chiropractor when I tell him he helps me. He doesn’t…but I keep going in hopes it’ll start working again…and because I will have other uses for him as I get closer to my due date.

7. Tomorrow is my Baby Shower at work. It is exciting for me, especially since Jews do not usually do baby showers, so if I did not have one at work, I would not have one at all. The girl will be coming, and is also excited. Luckly, she is less annoying in public.

8. I want to quit sending the girl to Kindergarten. The papers and expectations that follow her home every day are taking over my life. And kitchen table, which is not big to begin with.

9. I am irritable and crabby and bitchy and easily annoyed these days. Don’t take it personally, though it probably is you (joking!). If you don’t like it, don’t talk to me for 5 weeks or so…or at least until I am done with work.

10. I am feeling so lazy and crabby I have actually not painted my nails since I took polish off this past weekend, and I am wearing them bare. Any of you who know me know that this is UNHEARD of for me. The first thing I am doing when I leave work is getting a mani-pedi!

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