My IBS (or whatever it is) continues unabated.  If anything, it's
getting worse.  I feel like I've had a stomach ache for over a month
straight (although technically I guess it's an intestinal ache).

My acupuncturist has stuck tiny magnets in my ears (via adhesive; no
poking!) and given me herbs (Six Gentlemen) to take three times a day.
So far I haven't noticed much of a difference, but he did up the
dosage yesterday, so maybe it will help.  I've worked my way up to two
tablespoons of benefiber a day, one morning and one night.

Blood tests from my regular doctor came back negative (I don't
remember what they're testing for).  I'm supposed to send stool
samples to the lab, which I haven't yet, to test for bacterial
problems, but I guess I really doubt that's the problem, so I haven't
been motivated to take time out of my busy schedule to deal with this
and bring it to the lab.  Plus it's gross!  (Although, as my
acupuncturist said, "Oh, once you have kids, nothing will gross you
out anymore.  It's just poop!")

I've even given up coffee!  It seems like a sacrifice like that should
be rewarded =/

I figured it was stress, but couldn't figure out why I'd be so stressed
... until my massage therapist (I see her for my wrist, but she is a
firm believer in the body as a whole, not just treating one piece) asked
me how I felt.  I said my belly hurt like crazy, but I didn't feel
stress, but I guessed there was a lot going on ...

And that's when I started listing what's going on ... and almost
crying ...

My company was just bought.  We're now a wholely owned subsidiary of a
large company.  There's no anticipation of any changes to our company,
and by all accounts this is a good thing, but a lot of people have been
leaving the company (probably because they got their option check and it
seemed like a good time to go), and it's certainly an uncertainty in my
life right now.

I just started a completely new role at work.  For the last almost-year
I've been developing Java applets for end users.  As of last week I am
primarily writing SQL for a server system that, well, it's the most
complicated database app we have at our company, more complicated than
most DBAs have ever seen; it's far from perfect and when there's a
mistake, it needs to be fixed instantly.  So it's a high-visibility job
for which I really have no experience; this week I wrote my first-ever
stored procedure and had to put it in the production environment the
same day I wrote it.  (It did work perfectly.)   We also have a new
employee who's started on this team and needs a lot of help.  Now,
overall I am actually very interested in this application, and I enjoy
mentoring people, so it's not like I hate my job or anything.  It's just
innately stressful.  The guy who worked on this project solo for almost
three years quit the company (after being a very unhappy camper working
many long hours for a long time).  He did wait until we hired two people
to learn the system, but one of those quit unexpectedly.  So the
least-experienced guy in the system is now our de facto "senior" guy for
it.  We think that three people is the right number for this system, and
hopefully with three people, required late nights will be a rarity ...
still, I guess I'm pretty stressed out about this, even though I'm also
looking forward to it and I know I'm at my best when I'm learning a new
system.  There's a lot of pressure to do it right, and do it now, and
while everyone knows I'm in the learning phase right now, soon enough
I'll be in the line of fire.  At least that will take some pressure
off the guy who's currently doing everything.

My husband's job is at risk.  His company is also in the process of
being bought, but while my company was bought as an investment, with a
mostly hands-off approach, his company was bought strategically, as in
"we just want you customers."  DH seemed to be in a very good position
for this -- everyone loves him -- but it turns out there's one guy (just
one guy!) at the new company who used to work with DH and is running
what appears to be a smear campaign.  The new company is very teamwork
oriented, and there's a good chance that they won't keep DH if someone
in the company hates him and refuses to work with him.  The good news is
that with severance package, unused vacation, and some other stuff, it's
unlikely to be a financial hardship.  But it's a blow to the gut for my
husband, which of course hurts me, too.  He's worked hard for all these
years to do right by the company, and even became a manager to try to
make things better for his engineering team, so ... well, this hurts.
And it's more uncertainty; if he gets laid off, we'll need to switch
insurance companies, which would suck because a lot of the "alternative"
treatments I've been getting have been covered under his insurance ...
and of course it's just more stress.

And last weekend, we put down a deposit on an expensive car.  Now, DH
has wanted this car for over a year, and he's been driving an old
clunker while I have been driving a new car (bought in 2004) that's
fun to drive.  It's not that I don't want him to have a nice car.
It's just ... it's a lot of money, and with everything else going on
... well, it's just more stress.

Oh, and my mom's visiting in a few weeks.  I'm definitely looking
forward to this, but I'm also apprehensive.  I've talked a little bit
on rpca about how we don't always get along.  Mostly I worry about her
saying something about my weight, which is definitely not what I need.
So I build up these elaborate scenarios in my head about what she
will say, and how I will respond, etc, that stress me out without
actually helping at all.  She's coming for a week that spans Memorial
Day, so my plan is to take WTh off, then work Friday, then spend the
long weekend with her, then go back to work.  Hopefully the Friday
will give me enough of a break that I won't stress out too badly.  I
love my mother, and I definitely want to see her, but she can also
wear me out badly.

What with the belly and all the stuff going on right now, I also
haven't been getting to bed early, and haven't been sleeping well, and
if there's one thing I need to function, it's enough sleep.

In some ways, I feel like these are all "poor little rich girl"
problems.  I have a job.  Money probably won't be tight (but it might
be).  Overall, I'm in good health, even though the constant ache in my
belly makes it feel like I'm not.  But, regardless of whether I'm
comparatively well off, I'm horribly stressed and feel awful.  So
please, could I have some purrs?  (Virtual hugs wouldn't be at all
amiss, either.)

Oscar did make a point last night of lying down on my belly and
purring, which does seem to relieve the pain.  I just wish she hadn't
decided to *jump* and land hard on my belly before settling down to do
so!