WOW WOW WOW!

So, Joshua took Jaymeson to see the GI today and BOY and I confused!

This whole thing started because they thought Jaymeson had had too many Antibiotics and this had caused his body to fight food instead of absorbing the nutrients.

NOW, they have put him on an antibiotic to STOP the diarrhea! I called the GI and am awaiting a phone call back for further clarification! Has anyone heard of Alinia Antibiotic and what do you know about it?

I am so frustrated and just want my baby boy to feel better! But this is so confusing!

New Enzyme

We went and saw the GI Doctor this week. And although he has made progress we still have A LONG way to go!

Doc is happy with the progress he has made, but wants to try some other things and MAY want to do more blood work.

Jaymeson is now on an Enzyme for helping to digest his fats. We have been praying for everything to get better now that he is on this. However yesterday and today have not been great days. After pooping about 6 times yesterday and then about 4 so far today his butt is RAW.

Because of his body not digesting both fats and sugars well his poop is VERY acidic. Josh has wanted to add on a room to our house JUST for diaper changes. It is the stinkiest poop I have ever, ever smelled. And the acid in his poop is horrible to his skin.

I have had to put Neosporin with pain relief on it just so he can sit. And a special diaper rash cream to beat the acid....

Equal parts Aquaphor and Creamy Desitin and Mylanta. I know it sounds weird, but the antacid in the Mylanta works to protect his cute little bottom from the acid in his poop.

We go back in two weeks and will keep you updated!

Proud Moments When Things Get Tough

Sorry it has been so long since I have posted! I should be sent to the minors of the blog world! LOL Anyway if you are a regualr follower, please dont think I am neglecting you, I have just been ultra busy!

So....what has happened in the last two weeks? ALOT of course!

Jaymeson has been making progress. We still dont get to have a turd party, but I have faith we will! We have appointment at the GI doctor on Tuesday and we hope to get some news on a "next step", but we are assuming that it will be another appt where we are reasurred that we are headed in the right direction, but need to JUST KEEP AT IT! :)

One big moment I want to share is acctually a testiment to how wonderful of a big brother my older son, Jonas, is!

Last week Jaymeson must have snuck someone elses snack at daycare (that is the ONLY place I can think it would have happened). I only guess this becuase we woke up to a DISASTER.

And when I say DISASTER, I TRUELY MEAN IT!!!!!

I woke up and as usual I got Jonas up, packed lunches, packed bookbags, got a shower, did my make up and hair and got dressed. Then I went to go get Jaymeson.....

Now in the days before we started the new diet I used to do a "smell test" every morning. I would get up early, and walk past his room and SMELL if I needed to wake him up early! I know it sounds silly but it is just one of the many ways we had acquired ourselves to Jaymeson's Poop! However, since we havee been seeing so much improvement I have left this part of my morning out.

So....I was so surprised when I walked into his room and the stench hit me like a bag of bricks. WOW!!!! For such a "pretty little boy" he sure can clear a room!

I know what your thinking....WHAT DOES THIS STORY HAVE TO DO WITH JONAS!.....Just wait I'm getting there!

So back to the story, I had put Jaymeson in some adorable feety pjs for bed that night. I love to cuddle up to my babies in these jammies and they always sleep so sound in them. I went in to get him and at first I thought it was some stinky pooop, but the bed was clean. "YES, we are in the clear!"

What was I thinking! I started to unzip his pjs and WOW....poop was everywhere! And YES everywhere. In between his toes, under his toenails, in his arm pits! UGH!

Well, when this was a regular occcurance I used to have everything set up and ready to go. I would lay a bathtowel in the middle of the floor (he is WAY to big for a changing station), I would have a warm soapy wash cloth (only get him clean enough for a bath), lotion in case it was a mild poop and I didnt have time for the bath (I know, but sometimes we were bathing him two to three times a day!), diaper rash cream (when your poop ios so acidic that your brother gags from the smell you would need it too!), a plastic grocery bag (to dispose of the stench) and MANY MANY WIPES ( I swear I should have stock in HUGGIES!) but this hadnt happened in so long that I wasnt prepared.

So, I needed my main man, Jonas! I hollered for Jonas and he immediately showed me how awesome a big brother he can be! He ran into the bathroom and got me a bathtowel and before I could ask him he was running back in and getting a washcloth. Next I asked him to get me a diaper and wipes and he rocked it out agian. And at the end he even took the NASTY diaper, put it in the plastic bag and ran it out to the trash barrel! It was so great to see him WANT to help me and his baby brother! By the time we were done WE had accomplished it all in record time and Jonas was NOT late for the bus!

There are MANY MANY times that I am proud of Jonas and he shows me how much he wants to help his baby brother. BUT WOW, he had shown me just how amazing he is ONCE AGAIN!!!!!!

One Step Forward and Three Steps Back

Everytime I think I have the SUGARLESS MOMMY thing down I find a new challege. Although this is difficult I have learned some thing through it all.

Things have been goign pretty well with Jaymeson for a couple of weeks, but this week we have had some interesting setbacks. Although we "think" we have kept ALL sugar out of his diet, this week he a set back in the poop area. I believe that maybe he had swiped a snack from another kid at daycare....BUT (BUTT...ok so I am my Dad's daughter and that made me laugh)...we will never know. I find it amazing how he can have good poop for days and then all of a sudden the flood gates open and we are back in CRAZY POOP mess! We have had a couple successful poops since and we are trying to stay ont he right track.

Now on to my BIGGEST challenge right now. I am BORED!!!! Jaymeson is doing great with his new diet (this morning he even ate 8....YES EIGHT...whole wheat, organic, sugarless pancakes with NOTHING on them). However, I am so bored with cooking the SAME things and eating the SAME things. WOW, you dont realize how badly you want something until you dont have it!

On top of being bored, I am trying to work on my patience with all the FOOD THINGS. It is so hard to go into a retaurant and ask for the nutrition information. You either get a look of "HUH?" because they have NO IDEA what it is or where to find it.....OR....you get a look of "What The Heck? your gonna make me work today!". I try so hard to stay patient and realize they dont understand what is going on, but it is hard. And I almost feel defensive for Jaymeson and myself as a Mother. I always WANT to say, sorry we are inconviencing you soooo much, because we know it is too much work to go and find this information so that my son can enjoy going out to eat like ANY other child his age! All he wants are some Chicken Fingers. BUT (dont worry I wont make the joke again) I hold myself back, take a deep breath and pray for patience!

So we are moving ahead and I will do one of two things:

1. Just be bored and impatient and deal with it.

2. Be creative, look for new recipes and TRY THEM. And comtrol my patience and realize if you havent dealt with anything like this you have no idea how it can be and give all restaurant staff a break for that!

So...tell me what YOU think 1 or 2??? What would you do??

I am freed from the hold of Whole Foods

As some of you may have read my experience at Whole Foods was less than stellar. AND the main thing I needed to find and get from there was BREAD!

I have found a solution! PANERA...they have about six different breads that use NO SUGAR! YEAH! (really if you could see me now you would see that I am litterally doing a happy dance at the thought of NO WHOLE FOODS, less money and more choices!)

Success! So tonight we got to enjoy the fruits (no pun intended...ok maybe just a small pun) of my searches and boy was it good! Asiago Cheese Bread, Ciabatta Bread and French Baguette! Bring on the carbs! LOL

So, tomorrow I may be making a PB sandwhich on Ciabatta Bread for my babydoll to take for lunch at school. How the small things matter now! :)

So the moral of this story: WE PRAISE THE CREATORS OF PANERA! You have won me a success in this journey! THANK YOU!

New Challenges and Successes ahead!

This week was an interesting week of POOP PATROL! Our lives have become more about "poop, turds, turds, gas, etc" then I EVER would have imagined.

It seems like everday I am either asking a daycare teacher, a babysitter, Grandma, etc to describe my childs poop. I know to anyone who has not gone through a sickness like this, that this may seem weird.

But, Jaymeson has been going along with the new diet GREAT and we have been strict about what he eats and taking his probiotic on time EVERY DAY (btw, we have to get him to "eat" a probiotic powder three time a day everyday!). Hoever, the only way to know if any of this is working is by.....you guessed it...shit!

Jaymeson's health depends on him having a close to normal bowel movement.

(WARNING: DECRIPTIVE POOP.....STOP HERE IF YOUR TUMMY GETS QUEEZY)

I have gone from describing his poop in any way I can, to finding that the best way to describe it is by comparing it to food. LITERALLY! Below is an example of my conversation with his DC Teacher on Tuesday:

Me: When you circle on his daily sheet that he had a BM can you please add a decriptive word. Since I dont se eyou at the end of the day, this will make it easier for me to know how well he is doing on ther new diet.

Teacher: What kind of decriptive word?

Me: Well, whatever word you can think of that will help me tell his doctor about the BMs he has been having.

Teacher: Ok, yeah, I can write down a color and that is was a BM.

Me: Oh no, sorry, a color doesnt do me much good, I need to know the consistancy.

Teacher: WAIT< you want me to touch it?

Me: NO NO NO!!!!! Just descripe the consistency. I have found this is easier to do by using food words. See, before he started the diet, I would have described it as Dark Brown Chocolate Milk. You know, you could pick up the diaper and it would just run out because it wasnt any thicker than milk.

Teacher: Ok, I kinda see, what would you say now?

Me: Well, now that he has been on the diet for two full weeks, I would say it is more like a Mustard Yellow color, but the consistancy of Mashed Potatoes.

Teacher: Ok, I got it, no problem

However, I pick him up from school that day and.......

BM is circled and beside that is says "Slimy".....ok can you guys tell me? Dies that mean slimy like pudding texture? Slimy like potato texture? Slimy like jello texture?

Are you confused......THIS is why I said FOOD WORDS!

I know it sounds gross, but it works! If you all ccan think of a better way....PLEASE...let me know!

Enjoy your poopy week!

The Whole Skinny on Whole Foods

During this challenge of NO SUGAR I have been told time and time again, sometimes by people that barely know me, that I just HAD to try Whole Foods Market. Well, I've been putting it off because it is a half hour away from our house. However, in a desperation to find MORE FOODS that Jaymeson can eat I went today!

Let me start by saying that for some people (With Diabetes, Celiacs, Peanut Allergies, etc.) this place is probably HEAVEN on EARTH! But for me the experience went something like this.....

I got in my car after work and drive the 15 min from the office to WF. When I finally arrive I pull into the parking lot and BOY was it busy! I literally (and for those of you that know the phrase, this is NO HERMILLER EXAGERATION!) drove around the cramped parking lot for 11min (and yes I timed it!) before I could find a spot. And I wasnt being picky....I dont mind having to walk alittle to get into a place. Sorry, getting a little off track.

I finally found a parking spot and I hike my way in. From the outside I was IMPRESSED! It was like mo other place I have ever grocery shopped. It is no Giant Eagle, Kroger or Hiennens. Back to my story....so I head inside and am immediately stunned by the noise level. I know Im only 30 and lound noise should not bother me, but come on people, it is a grocery store. There were people everywhere! Carry glasses of wine, waiting in line to try samples. And the music, you would have thought you were in a High School gymnasium before the Homecoming Dance!

But, I was willing to head deeper into the craziness for the sake of Jaymeson's taste buds! So, I was PUMPED! I thought this place would be the answer to my prayers...then I saw the $$$$$$! I truely thought that my eyes would explode with $$, you know like the cartoons! I mean a box of cereal for $8...that is pure explotation! But, If I could find a cereal for Jaymeson it would all be worth it.

I stood in EVERY ISLE and read WAY MORE LABELS than I ever thought I would. Label after label after label. And dont get me wrong I dont mind doing it, but why cant they just have a star on it that says SUGAR FREE (and mean it). Sugar Free should mean that it is free of ALL SUGARS! If they said Dairy Free, but still put cheese in it, you would think it was wrong. So why can companies put Sugar Free yet still use Cane Syrup (CANE IS SUGAR!). So, i continued to read EVERY LABEL OF EVERY ITEM I thought I might want to buy. WHAT A LONG NIGHT!!!!!

Finally, after MANY LABELS. I found a golden ticket. TWO LOAVES OF BREAD WITH NO SUGAR. Grant it they cost me triple what a loaf of bread cost at Giant Eagle. But my baby can now have a Peanut Butter (Minus the Jelly...remember...NO FRUIT!) Sandwich and a Grilled Cheese! Life has gotten a little better. But, if there was a way for me to avoid WF forever I WOULD! I paid too much, found too little without sugar and lost my mind in the mean time!

Soon will come the stories of Mustard Seed and Trader Joes...Bet you cant wait! :)