You've seen my many blog posts about Emmersen's reflux, and you might think, ok, this is a bit dramatic, or, come on, next topic, please! Before having Emme, I knew about reflux, but never understood how severe it could be or how much it could affect one's body and behavior. So here I am again. Another blog entry about Emme's reflux and the toll it is taking on her (and us). She has been on Zantac since she was a few weeks old and her dosage has increased each time she gains weight just to alleviate her symptoms. We add rice cereal to her bottles in order to thicken it. This is done in hopes that she'll be able to keep it down. All of this to no avail. She continues to have screaming fits, vomits constantly, has difficulty sleeping, and arches her body in such a way that she's difficult to hold on to. Here are a few things I've learned:
- Just because a baby vomits profusely several times a day does not mean that she will be super skinny and lose weight.
- Reflux babies drool constantly. They are not teething. Their bodies are trying to calm the burning in their throats and esophagus.
- A baby with reflux usually wants to eat a lot. Constantly. They're smart. They know that liquid going down feels good and is instant gratification for the discomfort they are experiencing.
- A little cough. It's always there and if not careful, it begins to fade to the background and can go unnoticed or written off. But that cough is associated with reflux.
- Waking constantly is the norm.
- The other norm? Screaming for prolonged periods of time. Not just a hungry, bored, tired, wet diaper cry. A painful, deep in the gut, howling cry that will tear through the heart of any parent. It leaves you feeling helpless and frustrated.
Enough is enough. I know there's a happy girl under all that discomfort; I've seen glimpes of her. There comes a point when a parent knows that something is not right and the fight comes out. At least that's the case for me. This nagging inside me, that "mom" intuition screams for me to stand up and get her help because she can't do it herself. So we did. Emme's pediatrician referred her to a pediatric GI specialist. He's in Peoria, about 45 minutes from our house, and we paid him a visit today. I have to say that I left that appointment feeling less than impressed. He listened to her list of symptoms, adjusted her feeding times a bit, recommended an ultra-sensitive formula that could be worn as a diamond ring for the cost of it alone, and sent us on our way. I don't think that's it. I don't think he hit it. He explained that we have to try this route first before we pursue other options. So here we go. Cross your fingers.