Abstinence

Oo has been complaining of stomachaches multiple times a day since August. Adrian and I have been at our wits end over it because we don't know whether or not to take her seriously. Sounds cruel?? You have to know Oo to understand. She has a penchant for drama and control, and the stomachaches have a tendency to occur when there's something that she wants to get out of doing.

Well, last week she began to be more descriptive about her pains, and what she was describing to me sounded a lot like acid reflux. So, off to the doctor we went.

Oo was sensitive to lactose and soy in her first year, so lactose intolerance is a strong possibility. However, since the stomachaches don't always coincide with the consumption of dairy, the pediatrician's office has decided to test her for lactose and fructose intolerance as well as celiac disease (sensitivity to gluten). Our exploration includes a visit with a pediatric GI specialist but it begins with taking samples... of her poop. Let me clarify that. It begins with ME taking samples of her poop. Feel free to gag. I do.

I need to get three days of samples before I can turn them in to the pediatrician to be tested. I won't disgust you with the details of the collection process, but Oo watched me do it this afternoon, and her response was appropriately, "Ewwww! Gross! Yuck! Are you actually going to... ewwwww!"

Always thinking ahead (perhaps too far ahead sometimes), I responded, "Yep, it's disgusting... really disgusting. But mommies have to do disgusting things like this for their kids sometimes." My hope is that when she's a teenager I can remind her of this day... during "The Talk."