the guys got referred to a speech therapist today (their 2 yr appointment) & conrad got an extra referral for an occupational therapist to deal with his food aversions. apparently all the spitting out/hoarding food is indicative of an actual diagnosable condition, not just picky eating. the doc thinks it's a sensory aversion, which renders him physically unable to swallow certain textures or tastes.
i have to say, i was expecting the speech therapy (the twin talk has slowed them down, although i still think their comprehension is fine-- it's just the ability to articulate words in english.) i was NOT expecting the OT. i *knew* something was up beyond the usual toddler food-control issues, but i was thinking it was a return of the dreaded reflux. we are, of course, going to embrace the offered help & take advantage of our killer insurance to get them the best help i can find, but i'll admit-- i had a moment of "but my babies are PERFECT! they can't need therapy!"
sigh.
& they ARE perfect-- each in their own imperfect way. i jsut have to remind myself that extra help is not a step backwards.
really, i think they're on the verge of turning the corner with their speech, so a little extra help is probably just what they need to break through. it's the OT that's throwing me for a loop. who ever thought picky eating was a medically treatable condition? part of me thinks that EVERYTHING is diagnosable in today's society, (cheating on your spouse? it's a sex addiction! a hyper kid? must be ADHD! overweight? clearly you had a traumatic childhood!), & if we left the kids alone, they'd work it out in their own time. but the larger part of me thinks that some extra training on how to feed a picky kid is a good thing, regardless of the label given to the behavior.
which suggestes the larger question-- why label at all? does it benefit us in some way to be able to say "he has a sensory aversion" instead of "he won't eat it" when explaining why the kid refuses baked chicken? what is behind the compulsive need to label things before treating them. does declaring yourself an alcoholic make it easier to refuse that next drink, or does it merely offer an excuse for WHY you can't put down the drink? does declaring that conrad has a sensory aversion give him carte blanche to eat only mac n' cheese? (as his mom, my answer to this is a resounding NO!)
as an aside-- i'm not saying that ADHD isn't real, or that having a traumatic childhood is not a legitimate reason to have weight issues, or that conrad doesn't have sensory aversions to certain things. for the record, i think the doc is right. i just question the wisdom of requiring a label to treat certain behaviors. i'd prefer to treat the behavior without stamping a big "XYZ disorder" sign on a person's head.
Showing posts with label health. Show all posts
Showing posts with label health. Show all posts
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Sunday, August 1, 2010
bc i started it...
(& feel i need to stay semi-public to stay accountable) a random update on my weight-- down to 138!
& i can fit into my pre-emma jeans! altho i really want those last 18 lbs GONE.
& i can fit into my pre-emma jeans! altho i really want those last 18 lbs GONE.
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
hold me accountable
no, this isn't about to become a weight loss blog, but i need a way to hold myself accountable, so i'm posting (publicly--ack!).
once upon a time, pre-kiddos, i weighed 110, but i have no illusions about ever being that skinny again, so i'm shooting for 120 as a happy weight for me. i currently weigh 143, (down from 177 at the end of my pg with emma) & i'm almost back to where i was before i got pg with em. of course with 3 kids in 2 years, everything has changed shape, so weight is really nothing more than a number, but it is a way to keep track of progress i suppose. mostly i just want to fit in my jeans again!
we eat pretty healthy here, so i'm not going to worry about diet. i'm just adding in some exercise & hoping that between that & nursing i'll keep shedding pounds. wish me luck!!
once upon a time, pre-kiddos, i weighed 110, but i have no illusions about ever being that skinny again, so i'm shooting for 120 as a happy weight for me. i currently weigh 143, (down from 177 at the end of my pg with emma) & i'm almost back to where i was before i got pg with em. of course with 3 kids in 2 years, everything has changed shape, so weight is really nothing more than a number, but it is a way to keep track of progress i suppose. mostly i just want to fit in my jeans again!
we eat pretty healthy here, so i'm not going to worry about diet. i'm just adding in some exercise & hoping that between that & nursing i'll keep shedding pounds. wish me luck!!
Monday, May 24, 2010
updates on the rest of life
GERD: it's back. not that it ever really left. but conrad is puking again, pretty regularly. his usual M.O. after a medicine switch is to be fine for a while, then progressively get worse & worse. i'm afraid we're on the downward slope again & i am very scared for him. i know if we can't get this under control it's striaght back to the surgeon & this is NOT a surgery that he could bounce back from quickly. i'm going to track everything that passes his lips & see if we can i.d. some triggers (no luck so far) & have cut out all fat from his evening meal & snack. i don't want to omit the high fat diet entirely, since if he starts losing weight again, or even not gaining, we're still headed back to the surgeon. healthy baby vibes are much needed & appreciated, if anyone has some to spare!
walking: conrad FINALLY took his first unassisted steps yesterday. i knew that when he started, it would be when he was certain he could do it all on his own & sure enough-- that's what happened. he'll only take a few at a time, bc he refuses to allow himself to fall, so he gracefully sinks to his knees when he knows he's losing it (unlike val, who just falls on his face & keeps on trucking). but he's walking & we're all so thrilled, especially his brother, who follows him around clapping-- it's super cute & conrad loves it. :)
3: is a stubborn child. i have been having steady & seriously uncomfortable contractions for several days now, but it's not "real" labor (altho it really feels like the early labor i had with the dudes) so other than being really annoying there's nothing new on that front. c-sec is still scheduled for the 1st (next tuesday) & i'm sure this little booger will just stay camped out until the 11th hour. whatever. baby will come when baby will come & in the meantime i'm just trying to stay busy & occupied so i don't dwell on how freaking uncomfortable i am. which is much easier to do when i'm not puking (thanks zo.fran!)
minivans: we're going hunting today. hopefully we'll find something decent & can bring it home. it's not crucial to have before 3 gets here, but it would be much easier to get done while dealing with only 2 kids instead of 3.
apologies: for the dull updates, but sometimes that's life!
walking: conrad FINALLY took his first unassisted steps yesterday. i knew that when he started, it would be when he was certain he could do it all on his own & sure enough-- that's what happened. he'll only take a few at a time, bc he refuses to allow himself to fall, so he gracefully sinks to his knees when he knows he's losing it (unlike val, who just falls on his face & keeps on trucking). but he's walking & we're all so thrilled, especially his brother, who follows him around clapping-- it's super cute & conrad loves it. :)
3: is a stubborn child. i have been having steady & seriously uncomfortable contractions for several days now, but it's not "real" labor (altho it really feels like the early labor i had with the dudes) so other than being really annoying there's nothing new on that front. c-sec is still scheduled for the 1st (next tuesday) & i'm sure this little booger will just stay camped out until the 11th hour. whatever. baby will come when baby will come & in the meantime i'm just trying to stay busy & occupied so i don't dwell on how freaking uncomfortable i am. which is much easier to do when i'm not puking (thanks zo.fran!)
minivans: we're going hunting today. hopefully we'll find something decent & can bring it home. it's not crucial to have before 3 gets here, but it would be much easier to get done while dealing with only 2 kids instead of 3.
apologies: for the dull updates, but sometimes that's life!
Monday, May 17, 2010
everyone is sick, & i am going to be pregnant forever.
sound dramatic? sorry, i'm a bit punchy.
conrad woke up at 5 with a ridiculous fever, i got it down to 100 ish with ty.lenol (generic), but have been unable to put him down all day, which is rough bc val is still sick too (altho not quite as sick as his bro.) took the guys to the doc, & its a virus, so there's nothing we can do but tylen.ol, etc. except-- conrad has lost a half pound in just a few days. not a huge deal for a kid not fighting GERD & weight loss on a good day, but for con it's bad news & if we can't get him eating/drinking again ASAP we're in trouble (doc's words & i am so determined to get him eating i didn't even ask what "trouble" meant.) so i got ice cream & pudding & avocados & other delicious treats (his favs) in an attempt to get him to eat. no luck so far, but he is drinking a little again & i'm hoping when he wakes he'll be up for a little munching. val, on the other hand, has decided that as long as i'm going to feed him ice cream, he'll eat again. not as much as usual, but at least he's eating.
oh & N is getting sick now too.
& i am recovering from my sick, but still having random bouts of nausea (pg related i'm sure) & contrax all day, that won't get regular enough for me to think i'm in labor, but are regular enough to make me super uncomfortable & miserable, & keep me awake for the better part of the night. & once i'm alseep, it's pretty much a guarantee that a poor little sicky will wake up & need mama. i don't begrudge the boys the time, but i could really do without the uselses contractions.
so, according to murphy's law & our good luck, i will either be super contract-y & miserable until june, left to care for all these sickies by my 9-mo. pregnant lonesome, OR i will go into labor like, tomorrow, while everyone is horribly sick, so that i'll be bringing a new baby home to a cess-pool of germs & a daddy unable to help.
p.s. on ta.bitha's salon ta.keover that's on in rerun right now (crappy show, i know....) you can see my old apartment in boystown in chi..cago i don't miss much of chi, but i did love that apartment....
conrad woke up at 5 with a ridiculous fever, i got it down to 100 ish with ty.lenol (generic), but have been unable to put him down all day, which is rough bc val is still sick too (altho not quite as sick as his bro.) took the guys to the doc, & its a virus, so there's nothing we can do but tylen.ol, etc. except-- conrad has lost a half pound in just a few days. not a huge deal for a kid not fighting GERD & weight loss on a good day, but for con it's bad news & if we can't get him eating/drinking again ASAP we're in trouble (doc's words & i am so determined to get him eating i didn't even ask what "trouble" meant.) so i got ice cream & pudding & avocados & other delicious treats (his favs) in an attempt to get him to eat. no luck so far, but he is drinking a little again & i'm hoping when he wakes he'll be up for a little munching. val, on the other hand, has decided that as long as i'm going to feed him ice cream, he'll eat again. not as much as usual, but at least he's eating.
oh & N is getting sick now too.
& i am recovering from my sick, but still having random bouts of nausea (pg related i'm sure) & contrax all day, that won't get regular enough for me to think i'm in labor, but are regular enough to make me super uncomfortable & miserable, & keep me awake for the better part of the night. & once i'm alseep, it's pretty much a guarantee that a poor little sicky will wake up & need mama. i don't begrudge the boys the time, but i could really do without the uselses contractions.
so, according to murphy's law & our good luck, i will either be super contract-y & miserable until june, left to care for all these sickies by my 9-mo. pregnant lonesome, OR i will go into labor like, tomorrow, while everyone is horribly sick, so that i'll be bringing a new baby home to a cess-pool of germs & a daddy unable to help.
p.s. on ta.bitha's salon ta.keover that's on in rerun right now (crappy show, i know....) you can see my old apartment in boystown in chi..cago i don't miss much of chi, but i did love that apartment....
Saturday, May 1, 2010
i think it's working! (knock wood)
as an update for those i haven't talked to yet: i'm not sure whether i posted about con's GERD here or not, so here's the background, in brief--
his reflux was not well controlled on meds & he was losing weight (pounds of it) despite being on enough pre.vacid for a grown man, so we got referred to a surgeon for a fundoplica.tion as a last resort. (fundoplic.ation= scary stomach surgery, with a large chance of being only a temporary fix & an awful recovery for conrad.) when we saw the surgeon, he had miraculously gained a little weight back & bc the risks of this surgery are so great for such a little guy, (he's very small, the recurence rate is close to 90% for kids who have a fundo.plication before age 2, general anethesia is esepcially dangerous for babies with GERD, the recovery is long & really awful bc it would impact his entire digestive system, & the list goes on), the surgeon advocated waiting another 6 mos to make a decision. as long as we can keep him comfortable on the pre.vacid & get him back on a normal growth curve, we can wait. there's no guarantee he won't need the surgery in the future, but the older he is the safer it will be.
anyways-- the kid is now on a high fat diet to gain weight.
problem: high fat & reflux are a BAD combination, & the new diet brought the GERD back in force, with all of its nastiest symptoms & lots of pain for conrad.
thanks to some wonderful friends & lots of research, we (i think) have the boy on a program that actually works!!! we front load the fatty stuff-- cream in his milk, ranch dressing at lunch (yup, ranch! apparently preemie taste buds hate bland & he has done MUCH better eating since we've spiced up his chow), & lost of snacks in the morning & early afternoon, & then we remove the high fat/high cal stuff for dinner & bedtime snacks. so far-- minimal puking & only occasional mild reflux attacks, & he seems MUCH more comfortable.
i'm really hopefuly this will work & we can get him gaining again... so please, keep fingers crossed, rub a lucky rabbbit's foot, or just think some "healthy kid" vibes for him!
his reflux was not well controlled on meds & he was losing weight (pounds of it) despite being on enough pre.vacid for a grown man, so we got referred to a surgeon for a fundoplica.tion as a last resort. (fundoplic.ation= scary stomach surgery, with a large chance of being only a temporary fix & an awful recovery for conrad.) when we saw the surgeon, he had miraculously gained a little weight back & bc the risks of this surgery are so great for such a little guy, (he's very small, the recurence rate is close to 90% for kids who have a fundo.plication before age 2, general anethesia is esepcially dangerous for babies with GERD, the recovery is long & really awful bc it would impact his entire digestive system, & the list goes on), the surgeon advocated waiting another 6 mos to make a decision. as long as we can keep him comfortable on the pre.vacid & get him back on a normal growth curve, we can wait. there's no guarantee he won't need the surgery in the future, but the older he is the safer it will be.
anyways-- the kid is now on a high fat diet to gain weight.
problem: high fat & reflux are a BAD combination, & the new diet brought the GERD back in force, with all of its nastiest symptoms & lots of pain for conrad.
thanks to some wonderful friends & lots of research, we (i think) have the boy on a program that actually works!!! we front load the fatty stuff-- cream in his milk, ranch dressing at lunch (yup, ranch! apparently preemie taste buds hate bland & he has done MUCH better eating since we've spiced up his chow), & lost of snacks in the morning & early afternoon, & then we remove the high fat/high cal stuff for dinner & bedtime snacks. so far-- minimal puking & only occasional mild reflux attacks, & he seems MUCH more comfortable.
i'm really hopefuly this will work & we can get him gaining again... so please, keep fingers crossed, rub a lucky rabbbit's foot, or just think some "healthy kid" vibes for him!
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
the ugly green monster
let me preface this by saying, the kids are worth everything i'm about to complain about & then some, & there is NO way i would trade them for anything. that said....
my best bud was over this weekend, & she has been doing WW & hitting the gym big time, & well, she looks awesome. she had just got her hair done, & was all skinny & even dressed up cute (not for me & the boys, but bc she was going on a date with the dude we set her up with later that day), & talking about a cruise she's going on at the end of this week thru mexico.
i was wearing pajama pants (comfiest thing ever when preggo, but not attractive) & one of N's t-shirts bc i was doing laundry & all of my shirts had been puked on recently, hadn't showered in 2 days, so i had a real resemblence to medusa going on, & i was gimping around like a schmuck bc of my stupid ankle. & i felt like the world's frumpiest, most boring housewife ever.
i don't begrudge my bud any of the good times she has coming, she's had her shares of woes & i know she wants very much to be a "boring" housewife & mom, so i'm pretty sure she'd smack me if she knew i was here complaining, but MAN did i feel lame.
less bc of her pending vacation (which is much deserved) & more bc she looks so great, & i look nothing like "myself". (or at least the version of myself i still stupidly expect to see in the mirror. the one who didn't have 3 kids in under 2 years.) i hate not having clothes that fit, i hate the extra 20 lbs that i know are going to hang on for months after 3 is here. & even tho i know this is part of the deal, & most days i can laugh & be glad i'm having such a healthy pg & growing a big, healthy baby, some days i just feel like a frumpy, homely, schmuck.
& i know that after a few months with #3, i'll be able to go to WW (they have a program for breastfeedings moms) & get back to the gym, & i really can't wait. i am so sick of not feeling like myself, & quite frankly i'm a bit jealous of anyone who still looks skinny & awesome, while i look bloated & tired.
ok, i'm done whining, i swear. i chose this life, & i really do love it, but i can't help the green eyed monster from sneaking up on me occasionally. i'm going to kick him out NOW tho & go back to laughing at my little dudes, who are chatting it up in their cribs instead of napping right now. little boogers!
my best bud was over this weekend, & she has been doing WW & hitting the gym big time, & well, she looks awesome. she had just got her hair done, & was all skinny & even dressed up cute (not for me & the boys, but bc she was going on a date with the dude we set her up with later that day), & talking about a cruise she's going on at the end of this week thru mexico.
i was wearing pajama pants (comfiest thing ever when preggo, but not attractive) & one of N's t-shirts bc i was doing laundry & all of my shirts had been puked on recently, hadn't showered in 2 days, so i had a real resemblence to medusa going on, & i was gimping around like a schmuck bc of my stupid ankle. & i felt like the world's frumpiest, most boring housewife ever.
i don't begrudge my bud any of the good times she has coming, she's had her shares of woes & i know she wants very much to be a "boring" housewife & mom, so i'm pretty sure she'd smack me if she knew i was here complaining, but MAN did i feel lame.
less bc of her pending vacation (which is much deserved) & more bc she looks so great, & i look nothing like "myself". (or at least the version of myself i still stupidly expect to see in the mirror. the one who didn't have 3 kids in under 2 years.) i hate not having clothes that fit, i hate the extra 20 lbs that i know are going to hang on for months after 3 is here. & even tho i know this is part of the deal, & most days i can laugh & be glad i'm having such a healthy pg & growing a big, healthy baby, some days i just feel like a frumpy, homely, schmuck.
& i know that after a few months with #3, i'll be able to go to WW (they have a program for breastfeedings moms) & get back to the gym, & i really can't wait. i am so sick of not feeling like myself, & quite frankly i'm a bit jealous of anyone who still looks skinny & awesome, while i look bloated & tired.
ok, i'm done whining, i swear. i chose this life, & i really do love it, but i can't help the green eyed monster from sneaking up on me occasionally. i'm going to kick him out NOW tho & go back to laughing at my little dudes, who are chatting it up in their cribs instead of napping right now. little boogers!
Saturday, April 10, 2010
doldrums
i have some serious blahs going on lately.
the 3rd tri sleepies are a contributing factor, as is my stupid ankle, which is keeping me from doing fun things like taking the guys to the park or starting my garden, but mostly i've just settled into a funk of blah-ness & can't snap out of it. i just can't work up enough enthusiam over anything to get excited about anything. even the pending arrival of #3 in a few weeks isn't enough to light a fire under me. honestly, i'm kind of thinking "eh, another baby".... the excitement of a few weeks ago is fading, & now i'm mostly thinking how much recovery from another c-sec will suck, & about how my workload is about to explode with newborn "fun." i know, i know, i am a rotten, rotten woman for feeling that way. don't think i don't feel guilty about it, i do. but even that isn't enough to shake some sense into me.
i had a check on 3 yesterday, & bc i had no real concerns or problems, the u/s was so quick (doc was running WAY behind) that i barely got a peek at the top of 3's head. i had kind of been looking forward to a real look at the baby again in hopes that seeing 3 would make me feel excited again. now i don't have another look for 3 more weeks, & i feel kind of detached from the baby inside me. (insert comment about how i'm a horrible person & awful mom.)
i seriously doubt that i'll be able to maintain this level of apathy in the face of a living, breathing person. i do LOVE babies afterall, especially my own, so i'm counting on some excitement returning as we get closer to d-day, but for now i just feel beyond lame. i think maybe i'll go baby shopping & pick up something specially for 3 (not that we *need* anything, but baby shopping is always fun) & maybe that will drum up some enthusiasm.
oh wait... i'm staying off my ankle. nevermind. blah.
the 3rd tri sleepies are a contributing factor, as is my stupid ankle, which is keeping me from doing fun things like taking the guys to the park or starting my garden, but mostly i've just settled into a funk of blah-ness & can't snap out of it. i just can't work up enough enthusiam over anything to get excited about anything. even the pending arrival of #3 in a few weeks isn't enough to light a fire under me. honestly, i'm kind of thinking "eh, another baby".... the excitement of a few weeks ago is fading, & now i'm mostly thinking how much recovery from another c-sec will suck, & about how my workload is about to explode with newborn "fun." i know, i know, i am a rotten, rotten woman for feeling that way. don't think i don't feel guilty about it, i do. but even that isn't enough to shake some sense into me.
i had a check on 3 yesterday, & bc i had no real concerns or problems, the u/s was so quick (doc was running WAY behind) that i barely got a peek at the top of 3's head. i had kind of been looking forward to a real look at the baby again in hopes that seeing 3 would make me feel excited again. now i don't have another look for 3 more weeks, & i feel kind of detached from the baby inside me. (insert comment about how i'm a horrible person & awful mom.)
i seriously doubt that i'll be able to maintain this level of apathy in the face of a living, breathing person. i do LOVE babies afterall, especially my own, so i'm counting on some excitement returning as we get closer to d-day, but for now i just feel beyond lame. i think maybe i'll go baby shopping & pick up something specially for 3 (not that we *need* anything, but baby shopping is always fun) & maybe that will drum up some enthusiasm.
oh wait... i'm staying off my ankle. nevermind. blah.
Friday, April 9, 2010
ow. (a whine)
N is out running, the boys are sleeping, #3 is digging some appendage or other into my ribs, so if i weren't in pain, this would be a nice quiet evening. stupid ankle. (yeah, i know i'm being really whiney. sorry. i'm not whining & complaining in actual life, so i guess i'm doing it all here. feel free to skip this post if you don't want to hear me b*tch.) i've been off my feet all day today, with the exception of my doc's appt this morning, & OW. my ankle freaking hurts. my OB gave me a script for vi.codin, & then said try not to take it regularly, bc it can cause the baby to become addicted & go thru withdrawl. great. so i'm thinking i'll just take it at night so i can sleep? maybe? this is making me seriously grouchy & very touchy. why can't the damn thing just feel better? sigh.
Monday, April 5, 2010
sticks & stones break my bones, but GERD makes me cry.
i broke my ankle. it's a hairline fracture, but it's a fracture & i walked on it ALL week in arlington & DC last week. today i gave up tho, bc it now hurts so bad i can't chase the little dudes around anymore, & spent all afternoon in dr's offices while people tried to tell me it hurts bc i'm pregnant. i finally pitched a total hissy fit & demanded an x-ray & eval by a non-OB, & sure enough it's totally unrelated to me being preggo. duh. this isn't my 1st pg, & i was the queen of swollen appendages with the boys, so i'm pretty sure i know what a pg-swollen ankle feels like. sigh.
so now i'm in an air-cast & supposed to be "off my feet". HA. we'll see how that goes. mostly it just hurts & i don't know what i'm going to do to stay off my feet.
in even worse news, conrad gained ZERO since his last dr. visit, & the puking has returned depite the prevacid. after an appt today & a big pow-wow with our pedi. & his partner (both of whom specialize in this stuff) they think he's a candidate for surgery. basically, it's really bad that he's not gaining & is in fact losing weight, that we can't take him off medicines ever without making things much worse, & that there's been no improvement in his reflux, (which is now offically diagnosed as GERD), since birth.
so we got a referral to a pediatric surgeon who will get the final call. i'm praying we have other options available before we have to resort to surgery, bc it's not minor stuff this time. it's inpatient, requires rehab & abdominal surgery HURTS. i'm super scared just thinking of him having to go through this. we're waiting on the surgery folks to call & set up a consult, & in the meantime if anyone wants to send some good thoughts, vibes or prayers conrad's way, we'd be grateful.
so now i'm in an air-cast & supposed to be "off my feet". HA. we'll see how that goes. mostly it just hurts & i don't know what i'm going to do to stay off my feet.
in even worse news, conrad gained ZERO since his last dr. visit, & the puking has returned depite the prevacid. after an appt today & a big pow-wow with our pedi. & his partner (both of whom specialize in this stuff) they think he's a candidate for surgery. basically, it's really bad that he's not gaining & is in fact losing weight, that we can't take him off medicines ever without making things much worse, & that there's been no improvement in his reflux, (which is now offically diagnosed as GERD), since birth.
so we got a referral to a pediatric surgeon who will get the final call. i'm praying we have other options available before we have to resort to surgery, bc it's not minor stuff this time. it's inpatient, requires rehab & abdominal surgery HURTS. i'm super scared just thinking of him having to go through this. we're waiting on the surgery folks to call & set up a consult, & in the meantime if anyone wants to send some good thoughts, vibes or prayers conrad's way, we'd be grateful.
Friday, March 26, 2010
it's a miracle!!
con's skin is CLEAR!!! one more reason i *big puffy heart* antibiotics!
i love that when you finally find something that WORKS, excema disapears overnight. it's the one saving grace in all the horrible itchy scabbiness. so the kid still has some scabs & scrapes, but they can now heal, since his skin isn't attacking itself anymore. (for those of you who haven't ever seen REALLY bad excema, picture the worst diaper rash you've ever seen, the bleeding oozing kind, & imagine that all over his body. the boy looked like a leper.) he does have a lingering infection in the diaper area that had been masked by the excema, but we have a new cream for that & the boy should be MUCH more comfortable soon. he's still itchy of course, but we can deal with that.
one problem down, & only time will tell in regard to the reflux/weight loss issue. my plan is to keep offering him lots of small meals, since he's being such a fussy-pants about eating, & hope he gains. (knock wood) we've had 3 puke-free days on the double dose of prevacid, so i'm beginning to feel hopeful. (knock wood some more). we'll just have to be careful next week traveling, since it always stressed him out & makes both the reflux & excema worse. i'll just have to have a talk with N about putting the baby first, regardless of how badly he wanted to see XYZ, keeping conrad stress-free & eating is more important. it's not that N is a jerk, he just has a military mindset, where he starts thinking that the kids should just be able to "suck it up" & go along with whatever change in schedule is most convenient for the adults. he always listens to reason eventually, he just needs reminding that babies are babies, not troopers & that when a kid isn't well, it's US who need to be accomodating, not them. (insert here how incredibly glad i am that N is NOT in the military. the paramilitary police attitude is enough! & now i'm off on a tangent.... sory...)
& #3 is looking good (had an u/s today) & both boys were perfectly well-behaved & charming at all the doc's this morning. (a miracle in itself!!)
i love that when you finally find something that WORKS, excema disapears overnight. it's the one saving grace in all the horrible itchy scabbiness. so the kid still has some scabs & scrapes, but they can now heal, since his skin isn't attacking itself anymore. (for those of you who haven't ever seen REALLY bad excema, picture the worst diaper rash you've ever seen, the bleeding oozing kind, & imagine that all over his body. the boy looked like a leper.) he does have a lingering infection in the diaper area that had been masked by the excema, but we have a new cream for that & the boy should be MUCH more comfortable soon. he's still itchy of course, but we can deal with that.
one problem down, & only time will tell in regard to the reflux/weight loss issue. my plan is to keep offering him lots of small meals, since he's being such a fussy-pants about eating, & hope he gains. (knock wood) we've had 3 puke-free days on the double dose of prevacid, so i'm beginning to feel hopeful. (knock wood some more). we'll just have to be careful next week traveling, since it always stressed him out & makes both the reflux & excema worse. i'll just have to have a talk with N about putting the baby first, regardless of how badly he wanted to see XYZ, keeping conrad stress-free & eating is more important. it's not that N is a jerk, he just has a military mindset, where he starts thinking that the kids should just be able to "suck it up" & go along with whatever change in schedule is most convenient for the adults. he always listens to reason eventually, he just needs reminding that babies are babies, not troopers & that when a kid isn't well, it's US who need to be accomodating, not them. (insert here how incredibly glad i am that N is NOT in the military. the paramilitary police attitude is enough! & now i'm off on a tangent.... sory...)
& #3 is looking good (had an u/s today) & both boys were perfectly well-behaved & charming at all the doc's this morning. (a miracle in itself!!)
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
crap.
we had a really rough appt with the guys at the pedi this morning... val is just fine. language delayed, but no worries yet over that, as his hearing is fine & he is a twin & 7 weeks early. doc said both are pry contributing factors, so not to stress yet. he's 50th percentile for height & a bit less than that for weight. lots of shots today, plus a finger stick to test lead & hemoglobin levels.
conrad got all the same pokes & measurements, but hasn't grown much height-wise (he & val are now the same height) & actually lost weight in the past 10 days. seriously not cool. he had been gaining slowly, then holding steady & now he's losing. & this is with him actually barfing LESS. his eating habits haven't changed, so we don't know what's up. he had a bunch more blood drawn, in addition to all the pokes, to test for anything wonky going on & should get results back in a couple days. we're dropping the zantac, which seemed to help not at all, & moving to prevacid twice a day instead of just once. we have a follow-up appt a week from monday, but if nothing changes, we're off to a GI doc. & the poor boy's excema is no better after the wet-jammy treatment, altho it did seem to make him temporarily more confortable. we're going to give it another day, then i'll call the allergist back & see what our next step is.
i feel so awful my poor boy is going thru all this crap. he's such a happy little man, despite it all, & it just breaks my heart to see him with all these needles & pokes. we're never out of the doctor's office for more than a week, & i am so freaking upset that he's losing weight. i'm not sure we should even be going to DC next week (for my grandpa's funreal at arlington) with all this going on. he doesn't eat well when we travel, & stress makes the excema worse. the pedi said it was ok to take him, but i just don't know....
this sucks. at least he's still cheerful tho, & val is doing great-- asthma well-controlled & perfectly healthy. (counting blessings....)
conrad got all the same pokes & measurements, but hasn't grown much height-wise (he & val are now the same height) & actually lost weight in the past 10 days. seriously not cool. he had been gaining slowly, then holding steady & now he's losing. & this is with him actually barfing LESS. his eating habits haven't changed, so we don't know what's up. he had a bunch more blood drawn, in addition to all the pokes, to test for anything wonky going on & should get results back in a couple days. we're dropping the zantac, which seemed to help not at all, & moving to prevacid twice a day instead of just once. we have a follow-up appt a week from monday, but if nothing changes, we're off to a GI doc. & the poor boy's excema is no better after the wet-jammy treatment, altho it did seem to make him temporarily more confortable. we're going to give it another day, then i'll call the allergist back & see what our next step is.
i feel so awful my poor boy is going thru all this crap. he's such a happy little man, despite it all, & it just breaks my heart to see him with all these needles & pokes. we're never out of the doctor's office for more than a week, & i am so freaking upset that he's losing weight. i'm not sure we should even be going to DC next week (for my grandpa's funreal at arlington) with all this going on. he doesn't eat well when we travel, & stress makes the excema worse. the pedi said it was ok to take him, but i just don't know....
this sucks. at least he's still cheerful tho, & val is doing great-- asthma well-controlled & perfectly healthy. (counting blessings....)
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
allergies? what allergies?
so conrad has really bad excema. this is no "oh he's a little itchy" rash, this is a whole-body, red, cracked, oozy mess. it itches, so he scratches & it hurts, so he cries. it. is. AWFUL.
we went in to the allergist last week for blood testing to see what he's allergic to (skin testing requires him to go off ALL his meds, including his reflux meds, which is not an option right now), & we got the results back today. he is allergic to...
drum roll, please....
nothing. yup, nothing. could have knocked me over with a feather. apparently excema can be its own cause. & in severe cases like con's, it is a virtual guarantee that he WILL be allergic, the allergies just haven't manifested yet. so we're re-testing in june, hopefully with a skin test, & until then, we're just trying to get his skin under control so he can be comfortable. so he's on a new steroid for 5 days, we're supposed to continue his daily 20 minute luke-warm soaks in the tub, followed immediately by a slathering of cream to lock in the moisture, & now, after his bath, we are to soak a pair of jammies, ring them out, dress him in the soggy jammies & then put dry jammies on top. he's supposed to hang out like that as long as possible, & it's supposed to help relieve the itching (the more you itch, the worse the excema gets, so half the battle is stopping the itch/scratch cycle), & help the steroids penetrate more deeply. so he's been chilling in sog-butt jammies since 5, & will be in them til bedtime. i know it sounds weird, but the doc says the wet-jammy treatment usually has really dramatic results, like better overnight results, so i'm hoping....
we went in to the allergist last week for blood testing to see what he's allergic to (skin testing requires him to go off ALL his meds, including his reflux meds, which is not an option right now), & we got the results back today. he is allergic to...
drum roll, please....
nothing. yup, nothing. could have knocked me over with a feather. apparently excema can be its own cause. & in severe cases like con's, it is a virtual guarantee that he WILL be allergic, the allergies just haven't manifested yet. so we're re-testing in june, hopefully with a skin test, & until then, we're just trying to get his skin under control so he can be comfortable. so he's on a new steroid for 5 days, we're supposed to continue his daily 20 minute luke-warm soaks in the tub, followed immediately by a slathering of cream to lock in the moisture, & now, after his bath, we are to soak a pair of jammies, ring them out, dress him in the soggy jammies & then put dry jammies on top. he's supposed to hang out like that as long as possible, & it's supposed to help relieve the itching (the more you itch, the worse the excema gets, so half the battle is stopping the itch/scratch cycle), & help the steroids penetrate more deeply. so he's been chilling in sog-butt jammies since 5, & will be in them til bedtime. i know it sounds weird, but the doc says the wet-jammy treatment usually has really dramatic results, like better overnight results, so i'm hoping....
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