The Reality Is--

Lydia's test results are finally all in and processed.  The biopsies showed she, indeed, has acid irritation in her stomach lining.  They also found a technical term thing that can be indicative of Celiac Disease.  However, where they'd expect to find the same technical term thing in her small intestine, there was none. 

Several blood drawls later...

She doesn't have Celiac.  They even tested for a genetic marker.  She doesn't have one.  She will never develop Celiac Disease.  Which, on one hand-- WOOO HOOO!-- but on the other hand-- FUCK!. 

We were hoping, hoping-hoping-hoping, for a positive diagnosis.  Wheat/gluten we could treat.  Just add it to the list of things she already can't have.  It would have been an easy fix.

But no. 

I asked GI Doc if, possibly, she could still be intolerant to gluten because, let me tell you, Jeremy and I have studied the SHIT out of Celiac Disease and the number of odd-ball, what-the-fuck symptoms Lydia presents is covered under this disease.  So.  Maybe it could be possible she's intolerant to wheat/gluten the same as she's intolerant to half the food in this world? 

GI Doc said it could be possible.  Hell, anything's possible at this point.  All we know is SOMETHING is irritating her stomach.  Its the one and only proven fact we have to work with. 

We've switched her medicine to Prevacid in hopes that it will start heal her tiny little insides.  I asked GI Doc about going gluten free, anyway.  She suggests we take one month to see how well the new medicine does or doesn't work on its own and, after a month, we can try a new diet plan. 

The good news is, we're one week in and she's FINALLY! started sleeping through the night again.

Oh, how I love my sleep. 

Though, what I love even more is that I'm not spending half the night rocking a writhing Lydia as she cries herself back to sleep. 

One day at a time.  One step at a time.  That's the reality of it.