Acid Reflux? GERD?

I believe Gabriella has some bad acid reflux. I mean to the point of possibly being GERD. She seems for the most part ok during the day. Since she was born she has had issues with occasional bouts of frequent swallowing/liquid sounds in her throat. It was worse when laying on her back. I actually elevated her to change her diapers. I switched her to soy formula at 3 weeks because of stomach issues and later she was diagnosed with a milk protein allergy. We are supposed to have tests this week to see if she is still allergic. The thing is she has issues at night. She will wake up and when she wakes up you see her swallowing a lot. Nothing is coming out but she is swallowing and seems uncomfortable. I hold her upright and she'll fall back to sleep pretty quick. The doctor has put her on Zantac. She's been on it now for about 2 weeks but she's still occasionally waking up with this problem. She has seen the doc twice and he believes it is GERD. She is 16 months. I'd really like her to outgrow this. I feel sorry for her and can almost feel the acid in my throat. Poor baby! I haven't dealt with acid like this in any of my other children. I guess I'd love some hints, tips and advice from any parent who has dealt with this. Does this sound like reflux? It does seem worse after bottles. Yes she is still taking a bottle but I am cutting back hardcore. She takes smaller bottles and I am trying to not let her have much to drink near bedtime. I admit it's been difficult because she fusses. I would love to have some information on how to handle this from a mom who has been there. Or a dad!!

Yet Another Birthday Party and An Escape Artist

My oldest daughter wanted a separate birthday bash from her sister Mikayla. If you'll remember they share the same birthday. Really 12 years old and 9 years old are not that far apart but when you are a little girl it's such a huge difference. Lexi is my oldest and she wanted to do a big party so we let her have a few friends over. They sang karaoke, listened to music, played some basketball outside and had cake. It went well! Here are a few pics of the fun day.

Sing it Lexi!

The Girls

We had some good singers!

Hubby on Guitar!

She can play! She's learning.

It was a great day. Lexi got herself all dolled up for the special occasion.

Now what about this escape artist? Gabriella is trying to get out of her playpen. She has a Dora Backpack toy which she stands on. She then tries to raise her leg over the side. I was lucky enough to snap a shot of the possible escape.

Thinking about it.

Smooches from Mom

The leg is raised.

And now the leg is resting on the side. Not bad!

Applied For a Job Today

After I made my post feeling fairly upset about the potential changes things started to look a little brighter. It was odd really. I decided to look at our online classified ads not really expecting a whole lot. I found a part time receptionist job at a nearby Porsche dealership. Seriously...I could handle some secretarial work at a Porsche dealership. The hours weren't long and I'd still be home early enough to put the children to bed at night. It could make the difference up in what we'll lose. I am not holding onto too much hope because I do realize everyone is job hunting right now. Still, I think I have the right qualifications for this job so we'll see. I went in and told them I came about the job. They had me fill out an application and interviewed me then and there. They said they needed someone two days ago! I apparently was the only one who has applied. This is good for me. I used to work for a local newspaper. I don't know if I have ever mentioned that but I did before I had children. I was a typist. I edited a bit and I helped arrange the layout of the newspaper. I also had my own article each week in which I wrote a bit about the history of our town. All you history bloggers you might now realize why I enjoy your blogs so much! haha I was also a receptionist at a local Health Care Center in my late high school years. I feel I could do this job and still not lose much time with the family. I'm crossing my fingers.

TGIF!!!

It's been a tough week. I haven't really said much. I put a little on my other blog but basically the economy crisis has hit home. We have taken a pretty huge pay cut. We won't be seeing the effects of it for a couple of weeks but things are already very tight. I know for a fact we will not be able to afford to live. This is a fact. I have gone over so many possibilities and I have run out of ideas. We have bills that must be paid and we won't have the money to pay them. This is not counting my medical bills and all the tests and appointments I still have to have. Luckily we still have insurance but we have still have a lot of medical bills and a portion of each bill to pay. Not to mention my daughter's asthma meds and just so much stuff. I have been a little down this week trying to think of a solution to our troubles. I know everyone is having a rough time right now. I know it's not just us. That doesn't really make me feel any better. I hope this trouble ends soon because if it doesn't I really am at a loss to know what will happen. I'll try to be thankful my hubby still has a job. Regardless I am glad it's Friday. Hubby will be home with me and that always makes me feel better. I just want to relax and at least for awhile pretend like nothing is wrong!

What is Mesothelioma? And What is the Deal With the Ads?

I see a lot of advertisements on TV for lawyers helping those who have Mesothelioma. All I can really tell from these commercials is that it is caused by exposure to asbestos. I actually remember in my early high school days when we got the day off of school while they removed asbestos. I am assuming this was around the time they realized, hey this stuff is bad. Still I never really knew much about this cancer. I can actually really understand the anger involved when a person is diagnosed with it because most likely they were exposed while working or from what I hear you could get it from being exposed to another person who was around asbestos. I am not really sure how true that all is but according to www.cancer.gov Mesothelioma (cancer of the mesothelium) is a disease in which cells of the mesothelium become abnormal and divide without control or order. They can invade and damage nearby tissues and organs. Cancer cells can also metastasize (spread) from their original site to other parts of the body. Most cases of mesothelioma begin in the pleura or peritoneum.

That sounds pretty scary to me. According to their website it is still a relatively rare cancer even though there has been an increase in the past few years. What are the symptoms? They may not appear for 30 to 50 years after exposure. That sounds kind of scary and it's really hard to say you can do anything about it. We have all been exposed to things that are probably bad. I can't imagine how much lead my toys were covered in as a kid. Still, it's not going to give me cancer. Asbestos can. I have read it causes pain in the chest and shortness of breath. I experienced both of those with my cancer too, so my guess it's not easy to diagnose based on just those symptoms. There are other symptoms here: http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Sites-Types/mesothelioma

I think what concerns me most is these ads screaming at you about suing whomever exposed you to the asbestos. I can understand finding yourself this ill and wanting to get legal representation. I absolutely have no problem with that. It's just the whole attitude of the commercials that bothers me. It's like they are announcing you won the lottery or something. They seem to be hoping you do have it. They yell like an infomercial would. This is just my opinion. I feel like they could make these ads a little more tasteful and somber. It after all is a serious situation and needing your medical bills payed is not a laughing matter. I know! Trust me.