In early August, with almost two months of pregnancy remaining, we rush Mary to the hospital. The pain is enormous, but it's not in the right place for labor. It takes a few hours to figure out what is going on. She has gall stones, lots of them, and the baby is kicking them about. This is rare, but <not unheard of>. One of the stones is lodged in her pancreas, and is seeding a massive infection. The typical gall bladder procedure is out of the question, as the baby is in the way. They could go in from the side, but that's risky. Nick the uterous, and you're done. They could bring the baby out early, but it's way too early for that. The effects of an 8 week premature birth can last a lifetime. We need to buy some time. They stabilize her with iv antibiotics, and nothing by mouth. The liver settles down, the pain subsides, the infection retreats, and Mary is discharged with a low fat diet. Yes, we have yet another diet in the house. Fat causes the liver to work overtime, which exacerbates the gall stones. Mary needs to eat about 5 grams of fat per meal or less, for the next 8 weeks; and even this is no guarantee. The pain was so intense that she follows this diet to the letter. I hardly have to manage her at all. But it is a bit ironic, going to the grocery store and looking for low carb items for John and low fat items for Mary. Mary's diet works, for the most part. She still has mild gall stone pain from time to time, but we can manage it with meds. The baby cooks for another five weeks, before the gall stones flare up again; and that's all we need. The doctors induce in early September, and mother and child are doing fine. Gall bladder surgery is scheduled for October, and then Mary can finally go back to school.