Update on Zoe's Health
I hesitated to blog about my Zoe and what's been going on with her. But, I hate being vague and I also know so many of you have been praying for her, which we SO appreciate and feel like it's only fair to keep you updated and in the loop. I also have a hope that sharing her experience will be helpful to someone else. So, here it is:
Zoe's has been a puker since day one. This Momma has been concerned since day one. None of the doctors at our family practice seemed concerned and said it was reflux and that she would grow out of it by 12 months. That's basically all we heard from them. Around nine months, Zoe wasn't putting on weight and actually dropped on her growth curve, which (if you don't know) rewards you with the diagnosis of Failure to Thrive. Momma got more concerned. I talked with lots of people who had been in my shoes, and who were in the medical profession and everyone agreed that she should be referred to a Pediatric GI Specialist and that she should have an Upper GI set of x-rays done.
Fast forward to the present: Zoe is now 16 months old. She's still a puker. The fact that we are four months past when I was assured she would grow out of it has only made me more upset. I have become the expert on how much fluid she can handle at one time, and it's not much - about 2oz a few times a day. I am also the one (patting myself on the back as I type) who discovered that she had a dairy issue going on. Long story short, as soon as she started keeping more milk down, with the help of Zactac, she started with diarrhea - the first symptom of milk allergies/sensitivities/intolerance.
Well, I got my wish this week after finally getting a referral to see a Specialist.
On Monday, Zoe was seen at the Children's Hospital in Rockville, MD where the doctor confirmed two things: Yes, Zoe has an allergy to milk protein (which means she can't even have lactose-free milk because that only removes the sugar, not the protein) and he suspected she was still suffering with reflux, although that is not normal in a child over the age of one. He sent Zoe to have bloodwork taken to confirm the allergy and wanted us to get an x-ray to confirm the reflux. We went through the torturous process of extracting blood from a toddler that day and were still deciding what to do about the x-ray because they wanted it performed there, and we didn't want to drive in rush-hour traffic for hours all while making sure Zoe didn't eat or drink anything before the procedure. Ugh.
Enter amazing MIL. She got us an appointment right here in Hagerstown to have her x-ray done by a fantastic doctor. We went in this morning to have it done and I'm now home with Zoe, who is napping peacefully. I cried the whole way home after hearing that EVERYTHING is normal. She was given this special drink so they could see it going down and she even puked it up for them, a sure way to get a diagnosis of reflux! ;) The doctor could see that her stomach and her esophagus were normal, and that for whatever reason she just has not outgrown the reflux yet, although that is still the hope. He gave me the same advice that we were given at Children's Hospital - continue giving her only small amounts of liquid at a time.
I cannot even express how grateful, relieved, and thankful I am right now. Truth be told - on the way to her appointment this morning, I started flipping out. Maybe. Just a little bit. Thinking this was the day we would finally figure out something was terribly wrong. And then I got angry, that I was going to have another child with a major health issue. How unfair is that? And now I sit here in awe before my God, that the only thing I'm dealing with is an allergy and some reflux. Sigh.
Part of me feels silly, that her doctors said it was reflux all along. But then I think about the peace of mind I have now, and how priceless it is, and wish I was given this gift months ago when I was worried and worked up about my little girl. I can't change any of that now, but I am grateful to have this present moment of really knowing that everything is okay.
Zoe's has been a puker since day one. This Momma has been concerned since day one. None of the doctors at our family practice seemed concerned and said it was reflux and that she would grow out of it by 12 months. That's basically all we heard from them. Around nine months, Zoe wasn't putting on weight and actually dropped on her growth curve, which (if you don't know) rewards you with the diagnosis of Failure to Thrive. Momma got more concerned. I talked with lots of people who had been in my shoes, and who were in the medical profession and everyone agreed that she should be referred to a Pediatric GI Specialist and that she should have an Upper GI set of x-rays done.
Fast forward to the present: Zoe is now 16 months old. She's still a puker. The fact that we are four months past when I was assured she would grow out of it has only made me more upset. I have become the expert on how much fluid she can handle at one time, and it's not much - about 2oz a few times a day. I am also the one (patting myself on the back as I type) who discovered that she had a dairy issue going on. Long story short, as soon as she started keeping more milk down, with the help of Zactac, she started with diarrhea - the first symptom of milk allergies/sensitivities/intolerance.
Well, I got my wish this week after finally getting a referral to see a Specialist.
On Monday, Zoe was seen at the Children's Hospital in Rockville, MD where the doctor confirmed two things: Yes, Zoe has an allergy to milk protein (which means she can't even have lactose-free milk because that only removes the sugar, not the protein) and he suspected she was still suffering with reflux, although that is not normal in a child over the age of one. He sent Zoe to have bloodwork taken to confirm the allergy and wanted us to get an x-ray to confirm the reflux. We went through the torturous process of extracting blood from a toddler that day and were still deciding what to do about the x-ray because they wanted it performed there, and we didn't want to drive in rush-hour traffic for hours all while making sure Zoe didn't eat or drink anything before the procedure. Ugh.
Enter amazing MIL. She got us an appointment right here in Hagerstown to have her x-ray done by a fantastic doctor. We went in this morning to have it done and I'm now home with Zoe, who is napping peacefully. I cried the whole way home after hearing that EVERYTHING is normal. She was given this special drink so they could see it going down and she even puked it up for them, a sure way to get a diagnosis of reflux! ;) The doctor could see that her stomach and her esophagus were normal, and that for whatever reason she just has not outgrown the reflux yet, although that is still the hope. He gave me the same advice that we were given at Children's Hospital - continue giving her only small amounts of liquid at a time.
I cannot even express how grateful, relieved, and thankful I am right now. Truth be told - on the way to her appointment this morning, I started flipping out. Maybe. Just a little bit. Thinking this was the day we would finally figure out something was terribly wrong. And then I got angry, that I was going to have another child with a major health issue. How unfair is that? And now I sit here in awe before my God, that the only thing I'm dealing with is an allergy and some reflux. Sigh.
Part of me feels silly, that her doctors said it was reflux all along. But then I think about the peace of mind I have now, and how priceless it is, and wish I was given this gift months ago when I was worried and worked up about my little girl. I can't change any of that now, but I am grateful to have this present moment of really knowing that everything is okay.
I'm sorry that there isn't an easy fix, but I'm glad that your momma instincts were confirmed! Keira never had reflux but she was puker for her first year so I get the anxiety about not only dealing with extra laundry (and keeping towels/blankets/burp cloths handy), but wondering what the heck is wrong with your kid every.single.time. they eat or drink. It's exhausting.
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