....continued from yesterday.

(This is Part 2. Part 1 was just yesterday. I am sooo sorry to have left a cliffhanger, peeps! Really! I only divided it up because the post was getting so long, and I knew that what was yet to be written was going to be even longer, and I also knew that it would need photos and links in order to be...well...bloggy LOL. So here you go: Suspense suspended. xo )

So I guess I do have one more thing to say about the past couple of weeks before I move on to talk about the doctor's appointment Tuesday, and it is basically this:
What a whooooole lotta effort, for very little return.

I mean, I stopped eating a whole bunch of everything, and for what. The rash returns. I actually see myself actually getting itchy a couple of hours after eating certain meals, but I can't figure out what component is causing it. My stomach is also bugging me after certain meals. I am left feeling fatigued. And so what happens is that I get a little defeatest-depressed about the whole thing. I suffer from the whole notion that no matter what I cut out, or take, or don't take...no matter what I do....it aint gonna work.
That's the pity-pot I tend to climb onto in my darker moments.

Well. It turns out I wasn't feeling so hot because what I cut out is not what I am sensitive to at all. Nope. Not even close. Even the NewDoc seems a little surprised.

I am highly sensitive to:
Green beans.
Kidney beans.
Eggs.

Hard to believe.
Here. See for yourself.




Green beans. Now, I like green beans. I am not going to feel deprived without them (there's enough other green veggies on the planet I like), but it sure is interesting to me that I roasted a huge sheet pan full of green beans for myself last week.

Kidney beans. I also really like kidney beans, although I usually only eat them if they're at a salad bar or something. I rarely buy them. However. It turns out that there are other beans in the same family, like the cannellini bean for example (which is a *ahem* white kidney bean) which I DO buy all the time, and in fact, over the past couple of weeks, I must have used 3 or 4 cans in soups and mixed in with sauteed veggies. I have to double check with NewDoc, because I see conflicting things online, but I think this also means I have trouble with pinto/refried beans or black beans, which I also eat fairly regularly....and possibly garbonzo and maybe even soy. And I have to say this: look at those test results! Kidney beans are all the way OFF THE CHART. I'd thought I had heard it all with food allergies, and I have never in my life heard anyone say they are allergic to kidney beans. Ever. I know some people say they have a hard time digesting them, but I always thought they were complaining about being gassy. But allergic? Sheesh.

Eggs. Now, Eggs are a whole little mess in and of itself, because eggs hide out in all sorts of weird places that I am now going to need to watch out for. Fortunately, in my 20's I was a vegan for long enough to know how to get around all the no-egg-nonsense and still be a happy camper. I know how to find products that use egg substitutes, and I know how to make them, too. I don't ever "jones" for a scrambled egg. But I what I am going to miss (and by miss, I mean mourn with occasional woeful sob) is my favorite poached egg breakfast. *sigh* I should also point out to you that I have eaten eggs every weekend these past three weeks, thank you very much. NewDoc said what was most interesting about my test results is that I am more sensitive to the white than the yolk. For most folks it's the other way around, and they can still have scrambled egg whites. Once again, I amaze the medical community LOLOL

So those three foods are in the "Avoid" category, but I had 4 other items show up in the "Moderate" category...and NewDoc says I should avoid them, too (at least for now). These are the ones that are Blowing. My. Mind.

I am moderately sensitive to:
Pineapple.
Brewer's Yeast.
Almonds.
Garlic.

Yah. I know.
You can blink, but it won't go away.
Let's discuss them individually. And yes.
Let us save the best for last.

Pineapple. I like it, I often love it, but the best one I ever had was in Hawaii and it kinda ruined me for all pineapple after that anyhow, so...no big loss. I will not feel deprived. There's enough tangy tart sweet fruit in the world. I'm over it.

Brewer's Yeast, not to be confused with Baker's Yeast. This means no beer, no alcohol, and most importantly (for me), no wine. Now, I don't drink all that often, but I really do dig having a glass of wine from time to time (not to mention some bubbly), so this is gonna get interesting. It's not going to kill me to forgo it, but having just watched 6 hours of programming about Prohibition, I'm a little peeved about this one.

Almonds. Almonds???!!! Are you insane?! Well, it's also another thing I can live without. Like the greenbeans and the pineapple, there are plenty of other substitutions out there that I can eat and be satisfied with. But do you know how often I eat almonds?? Almost daily. I keep little bags of raw almonds in my glove box for a healthy snack on the run! I drink almond milk! I top hot cereal and salads with almonds! Because peanuts are typically more of an issue than almonds, I've been using almond butter instead of peanut butter! I even use soaps and lotions that have almond oil in them!! Smear my allergens all over my body---yay hoo!! woot!!
Sheesh.

But nothing compares to what is for me the real kicker.
Garlic.
WHO THE F#%& is allergic TO GARLIC?????!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

(Well, apparently AmpuTeeHee is, that's who).

Can I just get this out?????????
RAWWWRRRR!!!! MFTZER FIZTER FRANNA NANA NA!!!!!!!! GRRRRRRRRRRR!!!

1) Do you know how much garlic I have had just in the last 3 weeks alone?? LOTS. Garlicky greens, garlic in dressings, garlic in vegetable juice smoothies. I even ate more garlic than usual because I was sick and garlic is supposedly good for a cold...NOT TO MENTION (yes, I am yelling, I know, sorry) that garlic is supposed to be one great natural anti-fungal, and I was told THAT MY RASH WAS A FUNGUS.
Lordy.

2) Garlic is awesome, and there is really no suitable replacement for it. None. And I went to culinary school, and got an "A" for creativity. There is no suitable replacement for garlic. Nothing compares. That being said, you are going to see me experimenting like a madwoman with things like raw horseradish and maybe some different peppers or wasabi, just to get that "nose heat" thing going in place of raw garlic...and maybe I'll be using shallots more often when it calls for cooked garlic. I'm open to suggestions on this one, if you have any. Please prove me and my belief system about there being no suitable replacement wrong.

3) Not only do I use garlic a lot, but it's also IN a lot of the things that I love and prefer to buy prepared because there are only just so many hours in the goshdanged day. Salsa? Hummus? Pesto? I could go on and on. It kinda makes me cry to think of what I will have to make from scratch if I want it. I know how to make all of those things, I just lack the time some days. Who doesn't. And eating out?? Ha! Garlic will lurk in everything, including stocks and sauces. By the way, do you know that when I go to a chinese restaurant, one of my favorite dishes is Dry Fried String Beans, which is green beans with garlic and ginger (I guess next time I just ask for the bowl of rash, yah??).

4) Garlic, sweet garlic. OH THE IRONY. Ok. I used to be a professional chef. I used to work for Whole Foods, and I used to work in a restaurant, and I used to work for several catering companies large and small, and let me tell you something about chefs. When we'd get a request for "no garlic please, I have an allergy" we would cover our mouths and cough, "Bullshit!" into our palms. We all knew that no one was EVER truly allergic to garlic (because who the fuck is allergic to garlic). Those people....those people...they don't have a garlic allergy, they just have a preference for no garlic.

That is what we all said.
Seriously.
All of us.
And we'd take the garlic out of the dish, and maybe curse you a bit if you were inconveniencing us during the evening rush.
And then we'd laugh at you.

Which is now: At me.
Yah, that's it. Curse me and laugh at me.
Because I am allergic garlic.

I cannot even tell you how long it is going to take me get over the fact that I have become exactly what I cannot stand about people. Hahahahahaha. And this aint the first time, lemme tell you. For every finger I have pointed, I have walked a mile in those shoes. For real. But to have it happen with the garlic is just truly unbelievable. I mean, I feel like I might need to carry around a copy of my test results with me so that if I go out to eat I can storm into the kitchen and prove that I really am ACardCarryingAllergicToGarlicFreak.




So where does this leave me.

Well, I cannot believe it, and NewDoc seemed like he kinda couldn't believe it either. Because, OH! The results of the stool test showed NO CANDIDA. A huge hooray for that, but he and I both think that refined sugar is probably not doing me any favors and I should avoid it. But where I thought I was going to have to stop all sugar, even natural sugars...nope. I can eat fruit and things like dates and agave, etc. He even says a little caffeine is fine. And I'm not allergic to dairy or wheat, "so bring me mah slab o' bread an hunk o' cheese, please!"

Well, okay. Not for awhile. He actually wants me to do another course (a stronger and longer course) of the diflucan, just to whack this out of my system. And meanwhile, he wants me to do a Detox Diet for 3 weeks to clean myself out and hit the reset button. Basically it's a fruit and a simple grain in the morning, then steamed veggies for lunch and dinner topped with a healthy oil.
I can do that.

red potatoes, zucchini, eggplant, bok choy, bell pepper,
with a dab of a blend of some really good butter and olive oil

Hell, I can do just about anything for 3 weeks. After that, the goal is to eat healthier in general, avoid the foods I am sensitive to, eat more whole foods and less processed ones and even though I am not allergic to wheat or dairy, eat them less frequently than I used to. Eat more veggies, basically. Then on an ongoing basis, maybe do another round of simple detox-y type eating session as the seasons change. Just to hose myself out. He hasn't said this to me yet, but I have a hunch that some day, when my system calms down, I might be able to rotate those moderate allergens back in on the rare occasion. We'll see. But for now, I'll at least hold on to this thought, as it will bring me much happiness:


I'm not allergic to chocolate!

updates from the newdoc

So I went for the follow-up with the NewDoc yesterday, but before I tell you what it turns out I am allergic to, let me recap (because I feel the need to have this saga all in one place for some reason):

I have had an odd skin rash for almost 10 years. It started on the top of my foot. BigBoxMedicine first told me it was athlete's foot and to use a topical. When it spread to the inside of my calf near my knee, so BBM gave me an oral anti-fungal (diflucan) to clear it up. Which it did. Until it returned. This happened over and over again for a couple of years. BBM then sent me to the DermatologyDepartment, where I was told it was tinea. She gave me a new pill to pop and a new topical, but when that did nothing at all and I complained, she wrote me a prescription for the diflucan. Like, a huge prescription with a kajillion refills available to me, so I'd never come back and complain, I guess. For years, the rash would come, I would do a short course of the diflucan, the rash would go, and then eventually several months later, it would come back.

A couple of years ago, I started noticing that I would crave sugar right before the rash flared up again. And by crave, I mean shove-your-face-full-of-cookies-and-skip-dinner crave. But right after taking a course of diflucan? No cravings. Oddly, no cravings. Like no desire for sugar at all. But as it would flare up, it literally felt like I had a monster inside me and, well...you put that together with too many episodes of daytime doctor television, and I "gave myself" parasites, and a kajillion other conditions. Now mind you, over these last few years, I've also developed migraines, joint issues, and I'd wake up just feeling like my gut was full of sludge. And a few other things. I've "given myself" all sorts of diseases...hahahaha.

Anyhow. I finally decided to switch docs (still within the BBM system), to one closer to home. I chose a doc who was an osteopath, who said she believed in alternative therapies such as acupuncture, and said she believed in food as medicine. She looked at my meds and said I had to stop the diflucan because it was really bad for my liver (thank goodness liver tested okay), and she had a guy with a special camera take a photo of the rash on my calf and send it to the dermatology department. It came back that I had psoriasis, and I was ordered a topical ointment that I put on twice and the rash flared even worse.

And this is where I flipped a little bit.

I didn't take the oral meds anymore, and I didn't use the topical, and my rash was ON FIRE. Dealing with my dad's and my dogs' medical issues all summer, happily kept me from dealing with my own issues (because to be honest, I was little freaked out to go get help. I just weird like that. It's like, I wanna know...but I don't wanna know...ya' know??).

I remembered purchasing and reading a book called Diet For All Seasons about 15 years ago, and it was written by a guy who was a doctor, but he really believed food and diet was a hugely ignored part of the deal. All summer, I looked and looked online to find a doc that would be like him nearby, and I always came up empty handed...or back on the NewDoc's webpage. I figured I could never afford to go see him (out of pocket) because it turned out he had written a bunch of books since that last one I got 15 years ago, but I finally just called the office, and to my surprise, his rates were reasonable.

So I saw the NewDoc 5 weeks ago, and he ordered bloodwork and the every so crazy stool sample, which took longer to complete thanks to missing parts. And he sent me home with two more of his books, and he told me to read through the chapters about detox and about sugar sensitivity. I of course, read more than just those chapters, and decided I was allergic to everything (because that is just my way, apparently), and the rash was the worst it had ever been....ever...because I had done nothing for it since the spring.

I wrote him asked if I could take a course of the diflucan, he said yes. So I took it as prescribed by BBM which is one tablet, then a second one a week later. The rash went away, as expected. And then I wrote NewDoc again and asked if I could make any dietary changes until I was to see him next, because I was getting antsy to DO something. He wrote back:

Dear one,
We can talk a few if you wish, and you can begin a diet off the big three of wheat, dairy and sugar--the white foods--and that will make you more colorful. It's a start.
And yes, you could do supplements, but it's not mandatory. Let me know. We can also wait until I see you.
Dr E

I love this guy.
Remove the white foods. Make me more colorful. Not to mention calling me dear! :-)

So. As you know, I did just that. And then some. I actually not only cut out wheat, but I cut out all gluten. I stopped dairy, except I had a couple of eggs, and I also had the occasional wee bit of butter mixed with olive oil. I stopped all refined sugar, and even most "healthy" unrefined sugars...but still ate a small amount of fruit, a wee bit of agave and stevia. I also quit caffeine and alcohol entirely.

And I sat. And I waited for follow-up with him. I got online and read everything I could tolerate about candida and the misery I was sure I was about to suffer diet-wise, because honestly, how could I not have candida. I ate brown rice with almonds, and I roasted green beans, and I made vegetable soups with hearty beans. I made sautes of garlicky greens, and....I just kept feeling like crap (but how crappy, I couldn't really tell, because I also had the head cold, which was probably intensified by detoxing off all the crap I had been eating). And then.....the rash came back.

*sigh*

Well, at least this now brings us to yesterday.



And since this post is already looooong, I'm going to stop here and post at least this much now....but then keep typing away....and then I will post Part 2 first thing tomorrow morning (sneaky blogger, but hey...tomorrow is a busy day. Shhh!)

;-)

i'm rambling, grab yer favorite beverage and stay awhile.

Sorry to have been so vague last night, but when I have that much going on, and I am that tired, that's about all I feel like typing. Betcha y'all can't wait until this Blog365 thing is over, because then I'll just shut up instead of posting really bad one liners ;-)

After I posted last night, TheMostImportantGuy said to me, " We need to get you back to feeling just 'whelmed'." Hahahaha. Yah. No kidding.

Here's what is that I think is going on with me. Because honestly, the things that are coming up in my day to day life do not seem all that much different than usual.

I think it's the work I'm doing with TheScarDoc. It's AMAZING. It's bringing me so much relief and release, I honestly do not think I have invested in any other sort of treatment that has been this effective for me. It also has a way of pushing just about every emotional button for me--sometimes while the treatment is actually happening, but often in the days following when I'm not quite paying attention because I'm....whatever....folding laundry and helping MyFavoriteKid with homework.

The technique this guy specializes in is called Myofascial Release. Now, I had a wee bit of this done on me right after the car accident. Like a few minutes of each physical therapy session. The PT's would teach me how to work the scars a bit so that the scar tissue would not become so dense. Helpful, but this guy's version of the work takes it to a whole new level. See, the notion is that the fascia (the layer between your skin and your muscles) is one continuous sheath. He acutally uses the image of it being like a sweater (and not just for me because I am a knitter--lol). When you tug on one part of a sweater, it shifts on the other side. The fibers are connected. So in his work, there is big attention paid to how one part of the body plays into pain in another. This is quite different from regular massage where the treatment is applied to the muslce tissue directly. The actual stuff he does feels like he is sort of tugging on one side of my body part to get release from the other side. Not sure if that makes any sense.

So I went to this guy several months ago because my right arm (the one that has 3 plates and 16 screws in it), was starting to go numb. I would have sworn up and down and sideways that it was coming from the forearm. The screws are irritating some nerves down there, and I was positive it was radiating up the arm. He swore up, down, and sideways, that it was coming from my neck and going down my arm...and probably a bit the other direction as I suspected...but that most of it was my neck. And then he went so far as to say that the problem with the neck was tied into the scar that runs down the center of me, from sternum to pelvis.

(for those who don't know, the car accident left scars on every part of my body except my left arm....which really deserves and honorary tattoo or something!)

Anyhow. A few weeks after working with him? The numbness was gone. I have not experienced numbness once. That being "done" (not that it wont need the occasional tune up), we decided to work on the abdominal scar. See, the part up near the top, at the sternum? The scar tissue has affixed itself to my diaphragm. It makes it very difficult to take a full, deep breath.

Now here is where the "over" in "overwhelm" starts to come in. See, unlike the hospital PT's, TheScarDoc's work also really factors in the reality (imho) that there is a mind/body connection. The logic is that body remembers. In the very same way that one can remember a scent from childhood that can cause them flashbacks, the logic goes that scar tissue probably stores some memories, too.

I know about most of these. Most. And let me tell you, some of them I could never have imagined. Every once in awhile TheScarDoc gets in there and something happens. It can happen while he doing it, and/or it can happen in the days following. I remember stuff. And I don't actually mentally remember it. I'm not even sure if I can describe what happens. It's like a total cellular recall, though. And it can be intense. One time when he was working on the abdominal scar near the sternum, I could swear to you that it didn't feel like his hand was on top of my skin outside of my body. It felt like hand inside. And along with that feeling rose an immediate panic in me that if I could attach words to it, felt like, "NO NO NO NO NO! I didn't say you could do that!!"

Now, I have no idea what the f*&% happened that day in the Emergency Room, and I might be making some of these body memories up. I truly believe that the mind/body is amazing and powerful and can store all kinds of truths....but I also know for a fact that if you lie about something long enough, you'll believe it ;-) Know what I'm saying?? So I have no frickin' idea how much of what comes up during this work is real or imagined....but over the weeks I have come to realize that it really doesn't my matter. My body/mind is holding on to it, and it is due time to let it go.

Ok, so weeks have gone by, and TheScarDoc and I have worked on the arm, and the abdominal scar. I have homework in between weekly appointments, and his goal is always one of helping people get the release, but then setting them up for self-care, not dependency. It's going great. As sure as I sit here I can tell you that my arm is no longer numb. I no longer have constant neck pain. I am breathing (I am breathing!!) again (this is HUGE). I used to notice that I was sitting with poor posture, and when I would go sit up straight and would be stiff and tight---now it hurts to slouch. I actually am now naturally and unconcioulsy sitting up straighter. I am doing my exercises now how to treat myself if I pull something or move the wrong way.

But now? I've decided to have him keep going. We've moved down in to the leg in the past two sessions.

Oh. My. God.

It's hard. It's really hard. It's difficult when it's being worked on, and it's been really difficult afterwards. I have not even processed the hows and whys of it yet. I can tell you that from the physical side of things, I am already noticing greater range of movement in my thigh socket on the stump side (in addition to the amputation during the accident, my pelvis also separated in the front like a book. I have a plate there that holds it together now. Yay me. LOL). But there is a whoooole bunch of stuff going on inside the bowl of my pelvis where that tissue got pulled out of shape, and no massage therapist or PT is going to ever be able to palpate all that. But his work? Well, you pull on one side of the sweater, and it adjusts on the other. I can home Monday afternoon and it felt like the bottom of my pelvis was falling through. Crazy.

And that's what overwhelms me. I need to sit still for a freakin' minute and just BE with it sometimes, and it's almost like I cannot find the time! I am not trying to avoid processing things (been there, dont that)....but it's like my day to day responsibilities plus life's other mini-dramas all seem to get in the way of me "me time" and then all of those feeeeeelings that TheScarDoc and I are working to release? They just sort of "steep".

It's unnerving.


Okay. So I just sat down and typed away for awhile, kind of like stream of conciousness writing, and I'm not going to go back and reread it now, or edit it, because if I do, I will take half of it out and besides, I need to go do laundry and feed the cats and let the dog out and go to the market and stop by the school to meet with the music teacher, and get ready for dance class and and and and....

...and maybe find a minute for myself ;-)

And THAT is all have to say about THAT.
Hahahahah.

Ok. Ok. OK.
The gallstones.

Well, here is where I stand on this issue as of today (and please keep in mind that my life's credo is: Everything is subject to change based on new information). But for now...

* I have spoken to whoooole bunch of people who have had their gallbladders removed, and I am clear that if I have to have mine removed, I will be just fine.

* I do not know exactly how many stones I have or what size they are. The problem with an ultrasound is that it is basically a flat, frontal image of an organ that is a sack. Think of it like taking a photo of a bag of marbles. You really can't tell how many there are in there.

* I do not have any of the symptoms that indicate I have an infection or a blocked duct.

* I personally do not buy into the logic that the gallbladder is "not a necessary organ". Seems like if we didn't need it, we wouldn't have one.

* I personally do not buy into the logic that one gallbladder attack warrants a surgery that would remove the entire organ, especially when subsequent attacks can very likely be kept at bay by making dietary changes.

* I am already missing enough body parts, as far as I am concerned, and I'm not too keen on losing one more...unless required.

* This one is big: I am probably not a candidate for laproscopic surgery. I have a huge scar from the car accident (well, I have many), but I have this very long one that runs vertically from sternum to pubic bone. The surgeon would start off laproscopically, but it is highly likely that the scar tissue would prevent proper inflation for insertion of the implements. In other words, I could go into the hospital hoping for a simple procedure, a 1 night's stay, and a simple 1 week recovery time. I could wake up with another large scar, a 4-5 night hospital stay, and a 3-4 week recovery time. It's a whole lot more invasive.

* I am willing to make the dietary changes, and I have been doing so.

* I have been educated on what symptoms to watch out for, and of the importance of high-tailing my arse to back to the ER if they show themselves.

* As "granola" as I have been known to be, you will not be seeing me doing some sort flush that involves drinking olive oil or whatever. I have not found one yet that has not been debunked.

* I am open to non-surgical options though, and I am researching now. I am also open to surgery if the situation warrants it. I do not think this moment is the situation quite yet, though.



And so there you have it.

I am good. I am fine. I am feeling much better. I am researching. I am eating less fat, and just for kicks a giggles, less gluten, too (I am not going gluten free, I'm just replacing most of the bread and pasta with things like rice and quinoa, for example. I like those foods anyhow). I am drinking more water and taking a couple of supplements that may help, but won't hurt (things like more vitamin C). I have eaten a couple of foods (ok, CRAP) that don't agree with me, and I'm just not going to eat them anymore. Period. I know what signs indicate a need for removal. I understand the risks of both keeping it and having it removed, I am ready to go the emergency room if I need to. I am ready to remove the gallbladder if I need to.

a parade of one

I have a parade of finished knitting to show you, but I can only eek one of them out tonight because I feel like crapola.

See, I was feeling reallllly good earlier today. Finally. And that caused me to somehow have a complete brain fart and lapse into a pretty serious case of bad judgment in the food department (hint: eating poorly is not a good thing to do right after a gallbladder episode that puts you in the ER). So now I feel nauseous. And this is all you get. One item. No parade.

hey, I don't look toooo bad for feeling so sick, do I?

Urban Bubble Scarf (kit) from Blue Moon Fiber Arts, by Marta McCall
(ravelry link to the pattern, ravelry link to my project page)

Yarn: Blue Moon Fiber Arts KidMo, colorway "Highway 30"

Needles: US #5

Points of Interest: This is my first time ever doing Shibori felting on a project. Read more about what shibori is and how to do it over here.

Mods: The scarf was intended to have shibori all over it. Like 250 little balls, the kit came with. I decided to go with a more sparse look, as I didn't want the scarf to be so pouffy that it made me look like Bozo The Clown (like this scarf I already own and never wear...scroll down)

Time to Knit:
Well, I feel like an ass even telling you this. I started this scarf in March of 2007. Hahahahaha. See, I bought the kit at Stitches West in 2007, and I knit almost the entire scarf pretty quickly. And then I couldnt figure out how long to make it, because I wasn't sure how much it would shrink in the shibori process. I put the scarf down for ages until I could knit a swatch and test it. Then after I did that, I couldn't decide just how much shibori I wanted to do on the danged thing, so it's been sitting here fully knit but unfelted for over a year. Neat, eh? I finally just decided to go for it yesterday, and tadaaaaa! There you have it.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


Tomorrow is the appointment with the surgeon about the gallbladder. I have my list of questions compiled. If there is one thing I have learned about surgeons over the past couple of years, you best have your shit together because they are going to give you maybe 5 minutes of their full attention. I am ready ;-)

an update, some knitting, and one cute baby

Today found me feeling somewhat better. Haven't needed any medications since Friday night. Energy is up some, and I feel less like I have been kicked in the ribs. Less nauseous, but heartburn-y still. Seems like Mr. and Mrs. Food and I need to have a little come to Jesus.

I would really like to thank everyone for the well wishes and information. It was quite reassuring, and I am thankful to all of you. To be honest, if y'all hadn't chimed in, I might have gone a wee bit loopy. It was really helpful to my spirits to not feel alone and to know that life does go on.

Here's where I am at with the gallbladder thing right now:
* I'd like to keep it if I can. Lord know, I'm already missing enough parts ;-)
* I know people can live without their gallbladders, but I'm not in total agreement that it is not a necessary organ. Seems to me that if I can hold on to mine, I should try.
* I should hopefully have more information on the 21st when I meet with the surgeon. I still don't know how many gallstone there are, where there are (like, are in the in the ducts?), or how big they are. That information seems like a big piece of the decision making process to me though, no?
* Meanwhile, I am still researching alternatives, and most point back to having that chit-chat with Mr and Mrs Food. Seems like I will be needing to do that whether the gallbladder stays in or comes out.
* I am not taking this lightly, and if I need surgery, I will have it. I'm not about to let this problem snowball into something that wreaks havoc on the my pancreas or any other body part.


Meanwhile, I have been knitting. I've got various things on the needles right now and I have tinkered with all of them (which basically means no visible signs of progress)....but I had me a new baby to go visit this weekend, so I made her a hat and some booties.


Baby Hat and Booties (ravelry link)
Hat
Pattern: Shop Sample #52, free with purchase, from ImagiKnit
Yarn: Lorna's Laces Angel, #52 Valentine, 1 skein
Needles: US #9
Mods: When down to last 4 sts, switched to Lambs Pride Worsted in Mulberry to make an i-cord, which I sewed into an infinity symbol
Booties
Pattern: Ruth's Perfect Baby Booties by Ruth Bennett (the pdf version--the blog version has errata)
Size: 3 to 6 mos
Yarn: cast on with the LPW and when got to the top of the bootie switched back to the Angel. A 12" i-cord for the ties knit with the LPW
Needles: US #4
Mods: worked the cuffs in the round on dpns

PS the knitter's gift tags came from the etsy shop Knit It Up, and I just love them. There is a place on the back to write care instructions, too.



KarenTheDancingLurker and I drove up to go visit the happy (but tired) family. I'm telling you, the getting there was half the fun. On the way up Karen and I chatted about fashion and clothes and shoes.....on the way back about food and the why's and why nots of eating. It was a blast. Honestly, Karen. I don't know why we don't hook up more outside of dance class. We should work on that.

I should mention that Karen totally out-knit me. She banged out a hat AND a baby sweater! Totally adorable, both of them.

MyFavoriteKid came along for the ride, too...but he tuned us out during the ride listening to his i-Pod (which he saved up and bought himself!). He's turning into a little headbanger.

The baby was gorgeous. Happy baby. Eyes open and curious. We all got a turn holding her. Here was mine:


Too cuuuuuuuuuuuuuuute!!