IBS Treatment Center

Gerritt discovers necklaces in his toddler class


Gerritt learning to cut "fruit"


Time to dance!


Gerritt graciously sharing his car with Sophia (surprisingly, we had a lot of fun in our back yard that day even though it was raining)


Gerritt's new love - the racing horse at the mall

Last night a miracle happened - Sophia slept continuously for 7 hours & 15 minutes (10 pm - 5:15 am)! After eating, she fell asleep again & woke up at 7:30 am. We are so ready for her to start sleeping longer. My husband jokes that when we start to get more rest we'll probably begin thinking of having another baby. :-) We are so thrilled to have our kids that those sleepless nights quickly become a distant memory. When a newborn enters the household again we will say, "What were we thinking? How could we do this to ourselves AGAIN?" Well, there is just no easy way to have children, & everything worthwhile in life requires hard work. It was inspiring to read about the study in the Journal of Happiness Studies finding that married women with children are happier than their single counterparts, & that the largest "happiness effect" is attributed to people with 3 children.
On Wednesday I had my appointment with Dr. Stephen Wangen at the IBS Treatment Center. I've been having gastrointestinal problems for years & have finally decided to address them. Dr. Wangen is a naturopathic physician specializing in irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) & food allergies. Almost $900 later & after submitting my blood & stool samples, I have about a month to wait to find out whether I have intestinal parasites, yeast, abnormal bacteria, & food sensitivities to about 96 different foods. Perhaps there is more to my lack of energy & fatigue than having 2 little ones 19 months apart? Now begins the battle of having the insurance company to reimburse my medical bill since Dr. Wangen doesn't deal with insurance companies & requires payment from patients up front. He finds the insurance companies to be too restrictive in the kind of service he wants to provide. I would spend more if only he could get to the root of my gastrointestinal problems. I guess, I'll have to wait & see...