Healthy again?

So my last post was posted the first day I got sick.  It has been a roller coaster here at the Shepherd home.

It started off with Kidney pain, now I had kidney stones when I was pregnant with Rivers, so I wasn't surprised to have kidney stones again.  I have pretty miserable morning sickness while I'm pregnant, as most women do, and after doing some research I have learned it is not uncommon to have kidney stones while pregnant, and I have a family history of poor kidney function.  While pregnant your digestion slows down, including of course calcium intake.  This causes me to have kidney stones.  I'm already lactose intolerant so in my normal, not pregnant life I try to avoid dairy.  But since we are a brainwashed society I do drink milk while pregnant to up my calcium intake for my growing baby.  Well, this is causing me to develop kidney stones.  

Kidney stones hurt, and the way my body responds to pain is to vomit.  So after 20 weeks of morning sickness, I got about 2 weeks of relief before the kidney pain started.  It's been off and on for over a month now.  I went and saw a crazy Urologist, and been working with my OB, but I have had to completely overhaul my diet.  Did I mention that they think I might also have Crohn's disease.  We have no way checking for sure until after the baby is born since you have to have a colonoscopy and that can't be done while pregnant.  I have to keep a detailed food diary, and drink at least 2 liters of water a day.  I am allowed 1 cup of orange juice when I take my Iron pill since it was also discovered that I have anemia.  Anemia is not uncommon while pregnant, however I was sad when I saw how much hair I was losing until the diagnosis.  

I never thought I was "unhealthy" until I had to start all this.  I knew I could be better, as most people, and I have never worried about my weight since all I've ever wanted was for my clothes to look nice on me.  I have also suffered an eating disorder as a teenager so I know how to avoid the triggers that might start me on that path again, so we don't own a scale and we don't deprive ourselves of treats.  By we I really meant I, but Scott is a good enough sport to go along with it.  

Well, after a month of crying, and throwing up, and people taking my child so I can rest, and people coming in to help take care of my home, and going to doctors, and ultrasounds, and blood work, and hospital visits, painkillers, and finals, and late night study sessions, I think the worst is finally behind me.  I haven't gained as much weight this pregnancy as I should, but the baby is healthy so my job is to eat more to take care of myself.  I know, how rough :).

Also my wonderful unborn child is pushing on my cervix, and kicking my poor sore kidneys and laying on nerves that make my legs go numb, but I think I am finally on the upswing.  I have an appetite again, I can sleep, Scott is done with school and looking for an internship.  It's a relief to feel human again.  I have also been grateful to my loving neighbors and presidency for being able to step up and help, and even though my body has been through so much I am grateful that I am able to carry this baby that I wanted so bad. It could have been worse, I had to work really hard to conceive this baby and even though that was a long road, I am grateful for this body.  It may struggle, but it does what I need it to do.  

Scott is also amazing, but that goes with out saying :)