Spring Break

For those of you who don't know, I'm getting my Post-Bac teaching licensure from UVU. I will be doing my student teaching about this time next year. But what's cool about this is that for the first time since I graduated high school, I get almost a week off of school for spring break! It actually ended up being a bit more because I had to go into a classroom and teach for a couple days so the education department gives their students an extra week off of classes. Cool, huh? Well, spring break officially started yesterday. And how did I start my spring break? With surgery. That's right, the first time I've ever had surgery, or even stitches for that matter (besides the ones I got with Emmalee) was on spring break.
My surgery was a pretty simple one. I had to have my gallbladder out. I have been having attacks for about the last 14 months. Each time I get one they get worse. I was in the ER both Saturday and Sunday this last week. After the second or third attack the only thing that helps take the pain away is morphine. On Sunday they had to give me Dillodan (I'm not sure of the spelling) which is evidently pretty much morphine but 10 times stronger. On Sunday the ER doctor decided to do an ultrasound because my liver enzymes were very high (and have been for almost two years) and on the ultrasound they saw a nice pile of stones in my gallbladder. He wanted to do an emergency surgery, but the on-call surgeon didn't think I was quite bad enough. So yesterday I went in for an outpatient surgery and he took it out. They gave us some pictures, and on the picture of my gallbladder cut open Joel counted 33 gallstones, but there were probably more because it looked like they went on outside the picture (like they were falling all over the place). We figured it we kept going to the ER with every gallstone we would have ended up paying $4,950 in ER copays alone. We didn't go to the ER for every attack, but the last couple ones they had to give me IV's because I wasn't holding anything down. I had Lortab prescribed, but every time I had an attack I started vomiting profusely, even if I took an anti-nausea medicine as soon as I started feeling uncomfortable.
I feel okay today, I've definitely had better days, but all things considered I think I'm doing pretty well. I'm sore, and it's hard to pick up Emmalee (which I'm not supposed to be doing anyways) but other than that it's really not too bad. This is way better than having my attacks. It got to the point that passing a gallstone hurt worse than labor (but then I did have an epidural for labor).
On happier notes, Emmalee is officially over to her new formula and quite likes it. Even without her appetite stimulant she eats much more than she did with her appetite stimulant for the other formula. She is over 16 lbs now (we think), and she is getting quite the little pot-belly. She not only eats a lot more formula, but she also eats more baby food. She now eats between 6-8 ounces of baby food every meal! I love it. And she is such a happy fun baby. I truely feel blessed. She sleeps through the night (most of the time) eats enough that she is still growing on her growth curve (she has one now:) and is such a happy baby. She is so fun to play with. We are staying at my in-laws right now while I am recovering and she loves playing with grandma and grandpa. While grandma was giving her her bath tonight she was having the best time splashing the water and blowing raspberries. I love my baby!