medicine.

As our little giardia saga continues, the girls, more than 3 months after their symptoms started, still have diarrhea.  We did stool samples on each of them, which came back positive for the toxins associated with it.  Mandalen also had no white blood cells in her stool and Belen's were very low which indicates a continued infection.  So, the dr. wanted to treat the whole family in case someone was reinfecting them somehow.  For the record, I HIGHLY doubt that has happened.  Their symptoms have been almost constant for the better part of two months, and for those of you who have had giardia, you know it is anything but consistent.  You'll have a good day, a horrible day, a bad day, an okay day, and then repeat, but in different orders.  I won't be surprised to find when this is over, it is actually a secondary problem, making all of this trauma for naught.  But I don't have a degree or two cool letters behind my name, so what do I know.

This has been a horrid experience.  This morning as I half sat on Belen, forcing the medicine syringe into her mouth with her screaming, thrashing, kicking, and clamping her mouth shut, it slipped and gouged the inside of her mouth.  As I saw the blood coming out of her mouth I just lost it.  "I'm trying to help you!  Why are you making it so D%&$ hard?!"  Three times a day we do this.  There is spitting, gagging, puking, hitting, punching, scratching, and always tears involved...hers and mine.

Mandalen is cute, she hates it, but she'll swallow making an utterly disgusted face, and then stick her tongue out as far as it will go for about 10 minutes.  She'll even half smile at me, almost as if to say, "This is so bad, it's almost funny!"

Thankfully, Asher finished his last dose last night, he was my other tricky one, which makes us down to the last two girls for just under another week.  When I was giving it to all 3 kids, each round would take on average an hour to an hour a half to get down all 3 of them.  Only doing two will likely cut it down to maybe only a half hour, which will be nice :)

Our car gave up the ghost just before thanksgiving and is gladly awaiting the resurrection.  So Bryan takes the van to work.  We have been very grateful his dad's truck is running so I can get Asher to preschool.  And our sweet neighbors, the Hills, have offered to let us use their van when we have to go longer than a few blocks (since I can't legally fit more than 2 kids in the truck at a time).   It's funny how deprived I thought I was having a van that didn't fit my family.  I can honestly say we are not deprived, but very blessed to have it and the use of the truck.

We have been trying to do fun things with the kids in anticipation of Christmas.  We went to Temple Square, watched Christmas movies, drank hot cocoa, read Christmas stories, and made little gifts for friends.  I am so grateful for my children at this time of year.  They are my saving grace.  They keep me going.  I love them with all of my heart.  They make me crazy angry with frustration many days, but I get them.  As hard to swallow as they can sometimes be, they are my best medicine.