martinimade

First -- two Book things:

1) I will be signing books at the Wilber Mansion as part of UCCCA's Artwalk Oneonta. I'll be just across the hall from the Garden Club. Please drop by if you're in the area. I'll let you touch my knitting.

2) Short Review in the Boston Globe on Sunday. Scroll down. Who knew the Book was "sharp, sassy with a hint of rue?"

Second -- Diva things, well, thing:

At her 4 year check-up/shot appointment, I mentioned that I would have thought her "Toddler Tummy" would have left by now. (Those not familiar -- toddlers tend to have big ol' bellies that disappear as they age.) Given how skinny the Diva is, we've been surprised about her belly. I mean, it's a cute belly, but it shouldn't be the biggest part of her.

Her ped, who is generally a conservative guy who tends to want to wait to see if problems without specific causes resolve themselves organically, recommended a blood test just to be sure. It could be celiac disease, he said. Then he mentioned some other symptoms, which the Diva doesn't have. There also doesn't appear to be anyone else in the family with it, so her odds of having it are low.

Despite those odds, the blood test came back indicating a high likelihood that she might have celiac disease. The blood test is only sorta accurate in kids under age five, so we move on to phase two, which is a trip to Binghamton on Tuesday to see a Pediatric Gastroenterologist, which I dare you to say five times fast. We're not entirely certain what will happen next. At best, he'll just suggest that we change her diet and check back in a few months. This is unlikely. What will probably happen is that he'll want to biopsy her small intestine, which is about as invasive as it sounds.

In the good news department, if kept under control, celiac disease isn't life threatening and is merely a pain in the ass. Given how young she is, a decent treatment might be found in her lifetime. There are much, much worse things to have. This is a bump in the road. Qure sera, sera.

In the bad news department, I wish my first baby didn't have to deal with any of this and that I could make it all better. But I am helpless, here.

Dammit.