A Specialist
*UPDATED 11/16*
The visit with the specialist went well. He's a nice guy. G didn't like him. But by the time the guy got in there G was hungry and grumpy and didn't want to play any peekaboo games.
I don't want to go through everything, but the end result is we're having an endoscopy on Monday (as predicted) and we have to find a solution because G needs more body fat.
I'm very tense about the whole thing. On edge. But we will find out what's wrong (if anything) and we'll make some dietary changes and it will all be grand.
-- Original Post 11/15 --
I don't want to post anything on facebook, because it just doesn't feel right. But ... I do want to talk about this. So ...
We are following the advice of our pediatrician and taking G to see a Gastroenterologist tomorrow. It's not the most pleasant of decisions. In advance of this appointment, I took G to get some blood drawn for labs this morning (after our pedi appt) and it was not fun. But I have to say, the lab tech who drew the blood took it hard. Real hard. I had to console her that he was fine and that it was all for the "greater good."
It was not pleasant to hold a screaming toddler who get all red in the face for what felt like a million minutes while they took all the blood. I practically had to sit on him. He didn't understand and he did not like it. Not one bit.
The testing done at this point is not ... simple. But things have gotten to a point that I think it would be pretty irresponsible not to dig a little deeper. There may be something that is wrong that can be fixed.
I do believe that this testing is going to find nothing conclusive. I do believe that it is something he will grow out of. I do believe he is healthy and growing (even if not fatter) and so very bright. He is not "sick."
But I am not a doctor. And I would like to be sure. And this is just one of the reasons that we live where we live and have the insurance that we have. We made these decisions for a reason. For times like these.
It is not easy for me to take my child to a specialist. It's not easy for me to think about the procedure that will probably require we go to Children's. This whole thing has me so tensed up, I share with you what happened to me this after noon ...
We were leaving for a playdate, and as we turned out of our neighborhood, G threw up. I turned around and in the garage, started to clean him up. There was red. Bright red. Scary red. It's amazing to me the seconds that pass that I don't know what to do. There were so many. And I could see them in my brain, ticking. What do I do? What do I do? In some part of my brain, there is understanding that G is breathing and laughing and playing with the straps of his carseat. He's in no sort of distress. But after about 30 seconds I called the peds office. I go through my standard schpeel ... I am, my son is, I need to speak with a nurse. What's the issue? My son just threw up and I'm afraid there's blood. Let me get a nurse right now.
Internally I'm thanking her for taking me seriously. But the frog that hitched and the tears that started probably helped that. The very nice nurse (who helped us this morning) got on the phone and was so calm. It was so helpful. She said, let's go through what he ate today. He only had peanut butter and jelly. I don't think it's that. Do you just want to bring him to the ER? I don't know. (more tears at this point). I don't know what to do.
And then it dawns on me. Oreos. He had one oreo after his lunch. A holiday oreo. With red cream filling.
I know what it was! He had an oreo with red filling. I was so relieved that I almost fell over. She was so nice to me. I apologized over and over again for being so upset. I told her I was so tense about the appointment tomorrow, I'm on edge. She said usually we can find what it was if we talk through it. I was glad she helped me.
Nothing about his reflux has been easy. That having been said ... it's not that hard either. He is so healthy and happy and growing and smart. There are so many worse things.
So I know, going into tomorrow, as we start the next phase of this, that we are blessed and we are lucky. And that it's probably nothing. It's probably just him. He'll probably grow out of it.
I would still appreciate your prayers and thoughts. No one wants to take their baby to a specialist. No one. Not for anything.
The visit with the specialist went well. He's a nice guy. G didn't like him. But by the time the guy got in there G was hungry and grumpy and didn't want to play any peekaboo games.
I don't want to go through everything, but the end result is we're having an endoscopy on Monday (as predicted) and we have to find a solution because G needs more body fat.
I'm very tense about the whole thing. On edge. But we will find out what's wrong (if anything) and we'll make some dietary changes and it will all be grand.
-- Original Post 11/15 --
I don't want to post anything on facebook, because it just doesn't feel right. But ... I do want to talk about this. So ...
We are following the advice of our pediatrician and taking G to see a Gastroenterologist tomorrow. It's not the most pleasant of decisions. In advance of this appointment, I took G to get some blood drawn for labs this morning (after our pedi appt) and it was not fun. But I have to say, the lab tech who drew the blood took it hard. Real hard. I had to console her that he was fine and that it was all for the "greater good."
It was not pleasant to hold a screaming toddler who get all red in the face for what felt like a million minutes while they took all the blood. I practically had to sit on him. He didn't understand and he did not like it. Not one bit.
The testing done at this point is not ... simple. But things have gotten to a point that I think it would be pretty irresponsible not to dig a little deeper. There may be something that is wrong that can be fixed.
I do believe that this testing is going to find nothing conclusive. I do believe that it is something he will grow out of. I do believe he is healthy and growing (even if not fatter) and so very bright. He is not "sick."
But I am not a doctor. And I would like to be sure. And this is just one of the reasons that we live where we live and have the insurance that we have. We made these decisions for a reason. For times like these.
It is not easy for me to take my child to a specialist. It's not easy for me to think about the procedure that will probably require we go to Children's. This whole thing has me so tensed up, I share with you what happened to me this after noon ...
We were leaving for a playdate, and as we turned out of our neighborhood, G threw up. I turned around and in the garage, started to clean him up. There was red. Bright red. Scary red. It's amazing to me the seconds that pass that I don't know what to do. There were so many. And I could see them in my brain, ticking. What do I do? What do I do? In some part of my brain, there is understanding that G is breathing and laughing and playing with the straps of his carseat. He's in no sort of distress. But after about 30 seconds I called the peds office. I go through my standard schpeel ... I am, my son is, I need to speak with a nurse. What's the issue? My son just threw up and I'm afraid there's blood. Let me get a nurse right now.
Internally I'm thanking her for taking me seriously. But the frog that hitched and the tears that started probably helped that. The very nice nurse (who helped us this morning) got on the phone and was so calm. It was so helpful. She said, let's go through what he ate today. He only had peanut butter and jelly. I don't think it's that. Do you just want to bring him to the ER? I don't know. (more tears at this point). I don't know what to do.
And then it dawns on me. Oreos. He had one oreo after his lunch. A holiday oreo. With red cream filling.
I know what it was! He had an oreo with red filling. I was so relieved that I almost fell over. She was so nice to me. I apologized over and over again for being so upset. I told her I was so tense about the appointment tomorrow, I'm on edge. She said usually we can find what it was if we talk through it. I was glad she helped me.
Nothing about his reflux has been easy. That having been said ... it's not that hard either. He is so healthy and happy and growing and smart. There are so many worse things.
So I know, going into tomorrow, as we start the next phase of this, that we are blessed and we are lucky. And that it's probably nothing. It's probably just him. He'll probably grow out of it.
I would still appreciate your prayers and thoughts. No one wants to take their baby to a specialist. No one. Not for anything.
Comments
Hopefully everything will be just fine, but I'm sure you'll feel so much better knowing. Thinking of you guys.