moniska

what is this, a fuckin' tumblr?

So, the deal is, I'm due to have a colonoscopy in a 2 days and I start the low residue diet tomorrow. The list of food I can have which my doctor gave me is VERY unspecific and as this is my first one (I'm also having an endoscopy the same day) I have no real idea as to what I CAN eat.

So can someone please tell me what I can eat?

Also, I'm absolutely terrified about this, I've been suffering from pain and diarrhoea for at least 2 years and have had rectal bleeding since I was 15 (I'm now 20) I'm afraid they'll find absolutely nothing and tell me to deal with it, illogical fear I know, but I just can't shake it.
I have an intense fear of needles and gagging (I have had 2 traumatic episodes in my life where I've had a nasal-gastric tube, the latest one I was told my bowel would perforate and I would die, if I didn't allow them to put it in, I had a cholycysectomy and had a bowel obstruction after that) so I'm afraid they won't sedate me enough. They'll be sedating me with Midazolam, and giving me Fentanyl.

I honestly do not know what to expect.


Please tell me your experiences so I know what to expect, and prepare myself so I don't have anymore panic attacks (I've been getting them daily since making the appointment)


Thankyou for reading this
I just hope I've made some sense

And it came to pass in the city of Chicago...

• 10:58 Apparently, "mayn't" (contraction of "may not") is used very rarely in the U.S. Who knew? #
• 16:49 Last week, Frys had an awesome deal on Zune mp3 players, so David got one for me! It's pink! #
• 17:34 Witnessed a car overturning on the way to pick up Em and Ian. bit.ly/8qqCBX The vehicle ahead of us flipped and rolled. Driver OK. #

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• 16:32 I posted 7 photos on Facebook in the album "{maternity & children}" bit.ly/1fjcJH #
• 19:31 Ron, Louise & Baby #3 bit.ly/6acMBS #

.........

I'm starting to wonder if this kid will come in February. My original guess was March 5th. I guess we'll see what day he picks in a couple to three months!

Hello I cannot believe I have not posted since August. I have been reading about every 3-4 weeks.
December is here already and the year is almost gone.

So hello folks, nice to be back.

So everyone hastes the taste of all the nasty stuff they give you for prep work.... has anyone tried magic berries or miracle berries? I haven't had to go in for anything in awhile, but my dad just had a colonoscopy lately, and we were talking about the prep and he remembered I had told him my friends were trying these magic berries to change the flavor of foods.

NYTimes artcile: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/28/dining/28flavor.html and wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miracle_fruit

And you can buy them off of Amazon, or many other places: http://www.amazon.com/Miracle-Frooties-Magic-Fruit-Tablets/dp/B002INDU22/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=grocery&qid=1260137347&sr=8-2

You don't have to swallow them so I don't think they would interfere. I'm going to ask my doc next time I see him what he thinks about them but they have the potential to make the prep more bearable.

Anyone ever try them?

went to an art show at this dude, kyle's, shop...that wasn't correct, grammatically. don't care.

i realized that i'm really socially awkward...
i don't like it when people stand close to me or talk to me about things that i don't want to talk about.
it's strange that when i'm at work it's no big deal... but that because i'm used to talking to people one on one...not being in a crowded ass room that's not a hardcore show.

i wish krista was there with me. we coulda sat on the couch and been awkward together.


this is my buddy kyle. he and i are gonna trade tattoos before i leave.
apparently we're a duo called "diamond cheek and x face"

sounds like a comic.





night.

And it came to pass in the city of Chicago...

• 13:49 Moo and Oink... one of the most unfortunately named food stores in the Chicagoland area. #

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Darrell is trying his hand at putting Ben to bed tonight. :)

A lot of this stuff I'll end up getting anyway because it's stuff I'm going to need. Some things I will never get, but hey, I can dream! Here's my wish list for this year:

- slippers
- nursing tanks (in red, pink, wine, and blue http://www.target.com/Gilligan-OMalley-Women%E2%80%99s-Sling-Nursing/dp/B0010WEU8K/ref=sc_qi_detailbutton )
- breast pads (Lansinoh brand)
- necklace from Tiffany's
- maternity massage
- gift cards for Target/Amazon/Barnes and Noble
- food processor ( http://www.target.com/gp/detail.html?asin=B000NO6PS4&colid=31UEMTD3G432T&coliid=IKCEKXFOPIR43&bckreg=baby )
- small crockpot
- maid service
- fancy diaper bag ( http://www.amazon.com/Skip-Hop-Studio-Diaper-Tote/dp/B001LF3X66/ref=pd_sbs_ba_38 )
- stocking holders in the shape of snow flakes (silver or chrome, 4 or 5)
- charm for my charm bracelet with Ben's name (Benjamin) and birthdate, silver
- brownies
- donations to a no-kill animal shelter
- A Christmas Story (We don't have cable, so we don't get to watch it 24/7.)
- my student loans paid off
- time to do all the things I want to do

Yeah, I just went ahead and bought 6 more of the large Fuzzi Bunz. Happy Birthday to me! I'm not even joking either. It'll be so nice not to have to change his sheets and/or clothes everyday because of PEE.

and here's some stuff i've been up to lately:




apparently i can't shave people very well before i tattoo them. shit.








this is my new ladyfriend... she's swell...i was tired as shit.



hope ya'll's doing well.

indiana, see you soon.

So, it seems like Ben's peeing out issues ARE being caused by too small diapers. Which means I'll probably be spending part of my birthday money buying him a few more diapers. We're going to hit a local brick and mortar and check out some one-sizes. It would make sense to buy those if we think they will work for Ben because they could work for kid #2 for a longer period as well. I'd say we need at least six more diapers.

I kind of just want to buy more of the ones we just bought because I got them for so cheap. (Fuzzi Bunz size large, brand new with insert, for $12.95.)
BGs are at least $18 new, but they are one-size. BUT they don't have snaps and I'm not sure how often Ben would decide to run around naked. Not that I care if he's naked, but I'd rather not have to clean up toddler poop and pee off the floor. Especially once kid #2 gets here. http://pinstripesandpolkadots.com/products/pc/viewPrd.asp?idproduct=4104&idcategory=80
There are one-size Fuzzi Bunz too, but they are also running about $18 new. http://www.abbyslane.com/catalog.php?category=800

The larger sizes and one-sizes are more difficult to find used. Babies don't grow out of them in a couple months like the newborn or small sizes.

For now we'll just have to keep changing his diaper often throughout the day and save the larges for overnight and going out of the house.

ETA: Ben's definitely teething. At least one of his top canines is coming down. I assume it won't be long before the other starts. Slowest teether ever.

found these in one of my old lj's


old ass photo from when i first moved to denver... short bead.




bike i built a while back, sold it shortly after:


oh hey, 20 years old

And it came to pass in the city of Chicago...

• 04:33 Ronco... $13.33... Second set for free... It's 4:30 am, I'm up nursing the baby... and watching infomercials. #

This post brought to you by the letter "Q", the number "8", LoudTwitter and the contributions of viewers like you!

• 11:26 doesn't like it when music artist put out live albums. I've heard it before& fans cheering doesn't make it any better. #
• 16:55 Heading to a friends house for dinner and then the girls will have a playdate. Yay #
• 16:55 Wall-E was an amazing movie. #

.........

alexander kazlauskas
commerce city, co
soon to be valparaiso, in.
born 8/10/1986 in michigan city, indiana.
vegan, straight edge, tattooer, chef, etc.
you 'member... i post funny shit and depressing shit.

And it came to pass in the city of Chicago...

• 14:29 I'm so bummed we won't be in Marion for the Christmas show. It's always a treat - I'll miss everyone, but we'll be back for iDance 2010! #

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my little brother, who was homeschooled his entire life (and therefore used to doing everything himself), is finishing up his first semester of college. he had this group assignment for a psychology class, a presentation of some sort, and there were 5 kids in the group. it was due today and he was the only one of the 5 to show up. which apparently meant... he was only eligible for 20% of the grade. as in, 20 out of 100 points. but the teacher did say this was the FIRST TIME in his entire career that all but one in a group failed to show up. and he did say that my brother is a good student. so he tossed another 40 points at him. so he's got a 60, which is a low D. because the other 4 kids didn't show up. this brings his entire grade from an A to a B unless he totally aces the final.

this is such BS I don't even know where to begin. everyone is telling him to contest the grade, and take it to the dean if necessary. I don't know what he will do--he's not a very assertive type outside the home.

first snow of the season... lets hope this winter goes fast!

i have been getting a strange rash almost daily. it is not the same every day, but sometimes shows up on my hands, forearms, knees, shins, and tops of my feet. it goes away every night, and shows up again later in the day. but i remember like 2 years ago my uncle who also has colitis showed us a red patch on his knee and said it was because of his colitis. has anyone else heard of anything like this??? i cant really make heads or tails of it, it is a little itchy but im able to manage it.

You know how sometimes people on your friends list post about stuff going on in their life, and all of a sudden you think "Wait a minute? Since when were they working THERE? Since when were they dating HIM/HER? Since when???" And then you wonder how you could have missed all that seemingly pretty standard information, but somehow you feel too ashamed to ask for clarification because it seems like info you should already know? It happens to all of us sometimes.

Please copy the topics below, erase my answers and put yours in their place, and then post it in your journal! Please elaborate on the questions that would benefit from elaboration. One-Word-Answers seldom help anyone out.
( My answers. )

( Terra is THREE today! )

I love Terra so much! I can't imagine our lives without her. :)

Does anyone else have an  incredibly noisy GI system?  My belly gets so loud sometimes that you can hear it from across the room.  WHAT is going ON in there?  It's not even always associated with diarrhea. 

Kids' library books should come with one of those things that you press to make them beep. You know, like remote controls. Because seriously, misplaced library books suck.

My colitis has been flaring horribly and absolutely nothing will stop it. I've been on Lialda for about two years, and it worked perfectly up until about a month ago. It doesn't do anything now, and neither does the prednisone. I can't eat because everything just runs through me and makes me horribly nauseous, and I'm in constant pain. The only good thing is that I've managed to get my bleeding to stop.

To make matters a million times worse, I lost my insurance at the beginning of the month, so I can't afford to make an appointment with my gastroenterologist, and I doubt she's gonna be able to prescribe anything without seeing me first and running a bunch of tests (which is understandable, of course, but it doesn't help me...). I called and left a message for her, but I just don't have a good feeling about it. Free clinics here determine eligibility based on your family's income, not your individual income, so I'm screwed there, too. I really, really, really want to avoid having to be hospitalized for obvious reasons, but I may have no choice.

Stupid colon. *tears it out and stomps on it* I hope she calls back soon and can help me. I'm tired of feeling like I'm gonna die.

In July, my father had an colostomy preformed due to severe diverticulitis.

He's adjusting very well, but I think it would be easier for him if he had a belt for his ostomy bag. He's not the type to buy something unless it's absolutely necessary, so I'm going to give him one as a gift.

Can anyone recommend a good belt? Waterproof for showering would be great, but mostly he wants something that will help with support and streamlining the bag under his shirt.

Darrell's gone for the week.
I got a lot of stuff done already though. I cleaned the kitchen (except for the dishes, I might do those later.), cleaned the bathroom, got diaper laundry done, went to the store and got toilet paper...
Ben and I had spaghetti for lunch. We read some books on the couch and it's almost naptime now.
Yesterday I washed ALL of Ben's bedding AND his carseat cover.

Nesting?

( 25 week Belly Photos )

I will post the rest of the November pictures when I get a minute.

And it came to pass in the city of Chicago...

• 20:49 Enjoying a bit of post Thanksgiving LOTR watching. I haven't seen the whole thing since Em and Ian were tiny! #

This post brought to you by the letter "Q", the number "8", LoudTwitter and the contributions of viewers like you!

Ben's been having issues peeing out of his diapers overnight and in the mornings. Overnight we even double stuff! I decided we should try a bigger size diaper. We ordered four large Fuzzi Bunz to see if that will help the problem. I found some of the discontinued ones for $12.95, so I'm pretty happy about that! Hopefully these will hold us over, at least for overnights. If they work, maybe I'll start looking for used larges. It's more rare to find those for sale though, than smalls. Then, when kid #2 is out of the smalls, I can sell those and get more larges. I think Ben outgrew the smalls somewhere around 6 months. Ben might even be using the potty by then. (Oh man I hope so!) That'll be around September. Ben will be three years old two months after that.


Thanksgiving was really great and I've already had leftovers for breakfast AND lunch!


Ben has not nursed since my last entry. I'm assuming this is it. I'm going to wait a little longer before I make it "official" though.

Good morning!

I used to chart religiously to see how my PCOS was doing... check if I was ovulating and whatnot. Then I stopped for a while because things seemed blessedly normal. But recently, my periods got wacky again, so I picked up the charting again.

Specifically, I've been bleeding off and on, but mostly on, for 3 months. I bled for about 7 weeks, had 2 weeks off and have been bleeding for a little over a week again. No sign of ovulation at all.

Of course I saw the gyn who gave me a 5-day course of Provera, 20mg/day. From what I understand, this is a pretty high dose -- the pharmacist questioned it when she filled it, called the doctor to confirm, and still had to override my insurance who wanted to make sure it wasn't an overdose! I've been taking it for 3 days, now.

As I understand, it's supposed to suppress the bleeding (like the normal progesterone surge does), and then a day or two after I stop it, it's supposed to induce a super-duper-clean-out-and-restart period. My bleeding has not stopped yet, though, and my waking temps have gone DOWN, not up! What's up with that? Shouldn't I be seeing some effects by now? When I was on Aygestin a few years ago for the same thing, my temps surged the very first day I took it.

We're going into the weekend, and I'm not even sure if the office is open because of Thanksgiving. I'll give them a call and see. But am I correct here that I should at least see some temperature rise? Or am I just being impatient?

Have any of you received blood transfusions before for your Crohn's, and if so, how often did you get them? I'm scheduled for one every eight weeks, but I really don't think that's often enough. I'm not sure exactly how to convey that to my doctor, though, without sounding like I'm challenging his authority or being pushy.

And it came to pass in the city of Chicago...

• 08:11 Doing the 2h GTT this morning to prove to my endocrinologist the gestational diabetes has resolved. #
• 13:40 Only Emily and Jaiden could have a knock-down fight about an invisible imaginary toy and who gets to have it on their bed during nap. #

This post brought to you by the letter "Q", the number "8", LoudTwitter and the contributions of viewers like you!

And it came to pass in the city of Chicago...

• 15:46 I may be biased, but my little boy is just amazing. I am so blessed to be his mommy! #

This post brought to you by the letter "Q", the number "8", LoudTwitter and the contributions of viewers like you!