One Month (Not About the Baby)

Nope...baby is already 6 weeks old!

But it's been a whole month since I took a little ride in the ambulance. Did I ever tell you what I figured out about all that? A doctor fixed me up in the hospital. He did an EGD and cauterized the blood vessel that  had the hole in it as well as the ulcer in my stomach. I had a follow-up appointment at his office with his assistant.

She talked the whole time about acid reflux and heartburn. I was confused because I don't ever have those things except heartburn when I'm pregnant. She went on and on about my esophagus and gave me a sheet telling what to do and change in my life to keep my esophagus healthy and keep the acid reflux at bay. I listened. She also wanted to change me to stronger medicine when I'm all done breastfeeding. I was confused again because another doctor at the hospital told me I would be on the pills for 6 weeks...not indefinitely?

So I researched when I got home. Learned all the things I needed to do to change my lifestyle and diet. Then the next week I had an appointment with my new (wonderful) family doctor.

Guess what? Turns out I don't have acid reflux and heartburn.

My family doctor said that there wasn't anything in my files (I had them faxed over) about acid reflux and heartburn, but there WAS notation about gastritis.

This made so much more sense! And guess what? It will go away.

So the causes of gastritis are: alcohol (not me), smoking (nope), something else I can't remember that didn't apply to me, physical stress (Hello? Bee's birth!) and Ibuprofen (I took it 3 times prior to the ER trip).

Since I had been bleeding ever since her birth, I figure the gastritis started that day. When I took the ibuprofen a week and a half later....disaster. So as long as I stay away from Ibuprofen...I should be fine once all this heals. And since my symptoms are mostly gone...I believe I'm almost there.

SUCH good news!!!

I'm thankful for every single day that I've been home from the hospital. Thankful to do our dishes, sweep our floor, visit with S in the evenings, take care of Bee, fix Little Bit's hair, read history read-alouds to Sweetheart...everything!! I am so thankful to feel better and to be here at home.

Being sick and hospitalization and doctor's appointments and feeling bad are all stressful. Hospital bills and insurance are stressful too. I know S has had a VERY stressful month. He bore a lot of the burden while I was sick and still bears the burden of caring for his family and providing for our (now more expensive!) needs.

But really, the LORD is our Provider. He who is able to do immeasurably more than all we can ask or imagine...holds us in His hands. Praise God!!

There is no better place to be.

I'm off to enjoy cleaning out that sewing room now!