Yes, "What a Moose!" is the first thing Dr. Adzick said when he entered the exam room this afternoon at CHOP. We had gotten up before the crack of dawn to get ready, drive there, wait forever to get a barium swallow test, feed Joshua & ourselves, wait again to get into see this specialized surgeon after seeing a Nurse Practitioner, and this is what he said (all in good fun). Unfortunately, the appointment was NOT fun, not one part of it....well, other than being able to spend the day with Shawn when normally he'd be at work. We got there early enough and signed in, where there was a room PACKED with people & kids, overflowing into the hallways. CHOP is getting a new computer system and there was a major back-up of getting kids registered. He was actually seen on time, though, but he was TERRIFIED at the machines and being held down! And, add to that fact that the appointment was scheduled for his naptime and that he couldn't eat four hours beforehand, and we had a screaming, crying, cranky and frightened baby. Even though he was hungry, he did NOT want the bottle with the barium in it, but they still got enough to tell us the results.
"Everything is there and in the right place with his stomach & intestines, but there is major reflux" is what the radiologist said. Dr. Adzick said that Joshua still has a hiatal hernia. He explained that they are very hard to get to from the chest, and he was only able to put one stitch in it. Normally, these are done through the stomach. Thus, when Joshua eats, his stomach or its lining sometimes goes into his esophagus, causing major reflux, vomiting, etc. Poor Bean! I was so disappointed to hear that. He's such a happy little guy for obviously enduring such major pain (heartburn is TERRIBLE, let alone if it's actually making him vomit all the time!). His esophagus looks okay right now (no scarring at this point from all this acid) and he's gaining weight nicely - he's at 21 lbs and 28 inches! [Insert funny moment note: the nurse asked us to completely undress Joshua, even his diaper, for a weight check. I no more than take it off, and Mt. Saint Joshua erupts - he peed EVERYWHERE!!! I was embarrassed and cleaned everything, but it was a little comical, too.] Anyway, they referred us to a specialist in the Exton/King of Prussia area that deals specifically with reflux. They also gave us a prescription for infant zantac. He doesn't think that Joshua will need to have surgery to cure it, or he'd keep on seeing him. But, if these other specialists feel differently, they will let him know. He wants him to be carefully monitored, though, since this can cause major problems. I feel so bad that Joshua's been feeling bad. I was so glad I asked about his spitting up, too. We want to make sure Joshua is 100% healthy! Poor little guy! No wonder he doesn't like eating his bottle. I bawled on the way home. [Meanwhile, Shawn was driving with his four ways on and wondering why everyone was honking at us. Ha!] At least we don't think Joshua will need surgery. I'm praying that he grows out of it - please join me in praying for him and his health. He's been through enough! The devil has no place here!!!
The beginning two pictures of this post are of Joshua playing with Big Bird. For some reason, he likes to bite Big Bird's beak, which Shawn thinks is absolutely hysterical. Joshua has been biting everything and everyone! I'm not sure what age you can start teaching little guys and it sticks. We try to tell him, but I think he's too young for major discipline. But, still...OUCH, buddy! Good thing Big Bird doesn't mind, but mommy, daddy, grandma, and everyone else does!
Bean's still a little schnarky from his cold, but feeling better each day. Tonight he 'accidentally' caught/hit my hand with his happy-flapping arms when I was feeding him, and his hair caught the food that was on the spoon. (He was loving the sweet potatoes with chicken - the first success we've had with meat of any kind!) Thus, to the bathtub we went after dinner. This is the first "big boy" bath he's ever gotten. Janis gave us a very sweet gift, with which we purchased the mat for the bottom of our tub so the Bean doesn't slip & slide on the bottom. The "bath-ket-ball" toys were a gift from Nonie & Poppy, which he loved. I could barely get him to sit still long enough to wash his hair. Splish splash! He was taken a bath!
Yes, "What a Moose!" is the first thing Dr. Adzick said when he entered the exam room this afternoon at CHOP. We had gotten up before the crack of dawn to get ready, drive there, wait forever to get a barium swallow test, feed Joshua & ourselves, wait again to get into see this specialized surgeon after seeing a Nurse Practitioner, and this is what he said (all in good fun). Unfortunately, the appointment was NOT fun, not one part of it....well, other than being able to spend the day with Shawn when normally he'd be at work. We got there early enough and signed in, where there was a room PACKED with people & kids, overflowing into the hallways. CHOP is getting a new computer system and there was a major back-up of getting kids registered. He was actually seen on time, though, but he was TERRIFIED at the machines and being held down! And, add to that fact that the appointment was scheduled for his naptime and that he couldn't eat four hours beforehand, and we had a screaming, crying, cranky and frightened baby. Even though he was hungry, he did NOT want the bottle with the barium in it, but they still got enough to tell us the results. 
The beginning two pictures of this post are of Joshua playing with Big Bird. For some reason, he likes to bite Big Bird's beak, which Shawn thinks is absolutely hysterical. Joshua has been biting everything and everyone! I'm not sure what age you can start teaching little guys and it sticks. We try to tell him, but I think he's too young for major discipline. But, still...OUCH, buddy! Good thing Big Bird doesn't mind, but mommy, daddy, grandma, and everyone else does!
Bean's still a little schnarky from his cold, but feeling better each day. Tonight he 'accidentally' caught/hit my hand with his happy-flapping arms when I was feeding him, and his hair caught the food that was on the spoon. (He was loving the sweet potatoes with chicken - the first success we've had with meat of any kind!) Thus, to the bathtub we went after dinner. This is the first "big boy" bath he's ever gotten. Janis gave us a very sweet gift, with which we purchased the mat for the bottom of our tub so the Bean doesn't slip & slide on the bottom. The "bath-ket-ball" toys were a gift from Nonie & Poppy, which he loved. I could barely get him to sit still long enough to wash his hair. Splish splash! He was taken a bath!
1 comment:
Elliott had major reflux problems. All the back arching, fussing, and tests (barium, ultrasounds, chest x-ray...) were agonizing. Remember we even thought he had cerebral palsy due to his back arching moves! He was on Zantac for a while until that stopped working and we switched him to Prevacid. That worked well and eventually we were able to stop all medication!
We'll pray that Joshua grows out of it quickly and without surgery.
A hint about the meds...Get grape flavoring in the zantac. It's nasty with or without it, but a little better with the flavoring. If switched to Prevacid, ask for the solutabs - they taste like sweet tarts! Elliott actually got excited when he saw us bringing the syringe in the room!
Kristen
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