More Rambling.

Thursday. Really a beautiful day! It's been so cool and fall-like here, and for the first time inyears, farmers are taking out soybeans before corn. We've been drinking hot apple cider and eating lots of muffins, apples, this week (we have been there twice already!) and I cut one in half because I thought they would be really rich. I have to say, I couldn't even eat HALF of one. I needed to cut it into thirds. I am the chick who can eat two pieces of rich cheesecake without blinking, but this brownie was so rich it actually HURT my mouth to eat it. Isn't that crazy? I should have taken pictures of them to post. Since I am not online at home, I am online away from home, which means I can't reach the brownies from here. LOL.

Ardyn is really walking well now and I am trying to work on putting her down more out in public. When we walk to our table at a restraunt or while in the hospital having tests or in a parking lot that isn't busy, I have started to take her hand and let her walk alongside me. She LOVES that and I love not having to carry her everywhere. Last night I decided that I should write down the words and phrases she knows, because I haven't really done that yet (with the exception of her first two words) and by today I was already up to 65 words and phrases. Not bad for a 13 month old? When people had asked me I had been saying she had like 15-20 words to say, but wow was I way off. It's funny because sometimes she will say something and I will be like "Oh, forgot that one!" and run to my journal to add it to the list. Today for the first time she verbally answered a question I asked her. I was astounded. Seriously, very cool. She is getting really good at repeating just about anything you want her to say, but she never does it for an audience. In fact, I can't get her to say hardly anything for the video camera either. I love when she says "shoes" (sooos) and today I was trying to get her to say Rocket and it kept coming out like Cock, so I gave up. he.

Today I had foot and ankle x-rays and also visited a couple of nurses that I used to work with and who were there when I was in the hospital with Ardyn. Then we closed my bead retreat party. I got 4 half-price items, $80 in free stuff, and a free October Bracelet. Yay. Can't wait for everything to come in!

So I have been having issues with the ball of my left foot, right below my second toe. It's been very sore for a few weeks, and usually by the end of the day, I am limping. It has gotten better since I have been making an effort to wear shoes or slippers while around the house, and wear shoes versus flip-flops while out. I made an appointment a while back to go to the foot doctor, and my appointment was Wednesday afternoon. It was enlightening to say the least. My mom has feet that are much like mine, and has had nothing but problems recently, as she works on her feet all day. When I started to have pain where she was having pain, I decided no messing around and went right to the foot Dr. He drew me several pictures of the foot and toes and bone structure and explained that what I was experiencing was due to the way my feet are formed, with extremely high arches. This causes my weight to be distributed too much on my toes, and affects the balls of my feet.

I also have ankle problems, which increases my issues, and explains why I spent LOTS of my college years on crutches with ankle twists and sprains. It also explains why my ankle gave out on me while I was 9 months pregnant with Ardyn, and even though I was standing completely still, I had an avulsion fracture of my ankle where the tendon actually tore away from the bone and chipped a piece of bone off. Ack. So today's xrays will determine at which stage my foot problem (Second Metatasal Pain) is in. It starts with Bursitis, moves to a Plantar Plate Tear, and eventually becomes a Ganglion Cyst, where the bone has rubbed on the bottom of your foot for so long that liquid has filled the area around the bone and the fat pad of your foot has worn away and all that is left between the bone and the ground is your thin layer of skin. It's freaking scary, because not treated, it can end up with foot surgery, specifically a chunk of your bone removed and hoping that your foot bone heals at a different angle. So as complicated as all that sounds, the xrays are to determine if I am just at the bursitis stage, or if the plantar plate has already torn on my left foot, and to see the status of my right foot and my ankles. The plan will probably be to first get custom made arch supports to correct the way weight is distributed on my feet, and potentially Physical Therapy, Cortisone, and/or anti-inflammatory medicine (which I have taken in the past with flare ups of carpal tunnel or the arthritis in my lower back that I got from the double whiplash car accident when in my early 20's.) So next Friday I get to see the Xray results and see what the first step is. And of course since I am pregnant, and will be soon breastfeeding another, I won't be able to take medicine or likely cortisone either. Luckily my foot doctor is not only excellent at what he does, but extremely interested in making sure that it all makes SENSE to me, which is right up my alley.

Of course Ardyn's body rash is a little worse lately. Still new breakouts on her forehead and temples and in her hairline, also on her neck and her chest and tummy. I myself am beginning to think it is eczema. It looks almost Identical to the eczema that I have (when I first was diagnosed) and I am currently testing a bit of my steroid-free lotion on a patch to see if it gets better and so far, it seems to be getting less scaly and red. After Tuesday I can officially call th pediatrician back and let them know that the body rash has not been elimitated by removing milk from her diet.

I also recently learned online that there are vast differences between lactose intolerance and a dairy allergy. Children with lactose intolerance can likely eat milk products in moderation but can be pushed over the edge by drinking milk or eating too many dairy products. They may have gas, stomach upset, or diahrrhea as a result of their intolerance. These aren't allergies, just their digestive system's reaction to dairy consumption.

A Dairy Allergy, on the other hand, is a true allergy to dairy products. It's characterized by allergy symptoms, body rash, diaper rash that won't heal without removing dairy from the diet, etc etc. People with a dairy ALLERGY are the people who don't consume any dairy products, and usually this means even things as simple as the milk powder found in things like instand oatmeal, "lactose free" cheeses, and certain crackers and cookies. They have a true allergy to dairy products characterized by an allergic reaction when given any dairy. That's Ardyn. Today we mistakenly let her dip cucumber slices in ranch dressing, because we weren't smart enough to remember that there is milk in there! Tonight she had really bad, dark, pasty poo, and a diaper rash. All from a tiny bit of ranch dressing. Hence Allergy, not Lactose Intolerance.

Of course now I am reading all about phytoestrogens in Soy products and really searching for locally sold Goat's Milk. I have a couple of leads that I plan on pursuing tomorrow.

Well, still not internet at home, and it's past Ardyn's bedtime, so I think it's time for me to get offline and go home. Have a great night and a happy weekend, since I don't think I will be back before then!