Yes, I know I have been a terrible blogger, but I promise I have had an excuse (many of them). Our family has been in survival mode for awhile. As most of you know I had a very tough pregnancy that felt as though I was I was with child for as long as an elephant (which is 2 years). Then, we had our priceless little baby which we were beyond grateful for, but with that priceless bundle came a big BUNDLE of craziness.
Grayson had feeding problems starting around 3 weeks of age. He would go to nurse then he would pull away, back arched, screaming, and try again. He would repeat this cycle through an entire feeding, then become so frustrated that he would just give up and not eat at all. I did the math (which wasn't easy for me because I was sleep deprived and seeing double) and it turned out that it was spending over 6 1/2 hours a day trying to feed him!
I took him to the Doctor more times than I can count. After a month of this charade I went back to the doctor and told her that I really thought that Grayson had GERD (Gastro-esophageal reflux disease.) She said the only problem that my baby had was that I was spoiling him and that I just needed to let him cry it out. ***enter anger here*** I could feel my blood pressure go through the roof, and it took every shred of composure that I had not to launch her booty out of the clinic. I think she could see I was coming unglued, so to appease me she wrote a prescription for Grayson's acid problem. Turns out she wrote and dosed the prescription for an adult. THANKFULLY, I worked in pharmacy before I became a stay at home mom, and noticed this issue when I picked up the RX. I brought this to the attention of the pharmacist but the Pharmacist just said that "it should be fine." I was dumbfounded at this point, and I stressed to him that this RX was for a 7 week old infant that was only 8 lbs, and this particular medicine was for an adult. The pharmacist shrugged his shoulders and said "just give him a little in his bottle" then he walked off. I was irate at this point and completely frustrated with the whole medical community. Needless to say when I got home that day I fired my doctor and my pharmacist. (Just a side note, months after this occurrence I found out that this pharmacist was under investigation by the FDA for all of his pharmacy errors. Scary right!)
Finally, I got a great new doctor who actually cared about my child and his health. Grayson was referred to a GI Specialist right away, and then started being treated for his GERD. Medication helped for a few months, but then he started to have the same problems again with his eating. It was taking more than 2 hrs to only get 2 ounces in him because he was in so much pain. Then on January 8Th my baby stopped eating completely because he associated food with pain. I took him to the ER because he was becoming so dehydrated that his soft spot on his head was completely sunken in and pulsing with each heart beat. By this time it had been 24 hrs since a wet diaper as well.
When I took him to the ER I told this whole story to the Doctor, he looked at Grayson and said that he wasn't dehydrated enough for an IV. He said that if he still wasn't eating to bring him back in the morning for an IV (mind you this was in the middle of the night, so he wanted me to come back in 4 hrs, basically the doctor didn't want to deal with it.) I was flabbergasted! I felt completely frustrated and scared for my child.
I went home that night called Seattle Children's and explained everything that happened with my son. They said to get Grayson over there as soon as the mountain pass cleared up. The next morning Corey and I took him over the pass to Seattle, and it was the worst driving conditions imaginable. The snow was coming down in blankets and you couldn't see the road. Shortly after we started over the mountains, the highway advisory closed the pass because conditions had become so dangerous. We couldn't go over 25 mph, and we saw countless accidents. The whole time I was an anxious mess over my baby that I thought I was going to have a nervous break down. I did the only thing that could distract me at the time, I played Angry Birds on my phone (an addicting pointless game) it kept my mind diverted till we got there.
As soon as we got to Children's Hospital (which took 4 hrs, and it usually only takes us 2) the triage nurse saw Grayson and immediately got him in a room and worked on getting him an IV. It took over an hour to get the IV inserted because Grayson was so severely dehydrated, they tried both feet and both arms, and almost had to give it to him in his forehead. Once they got his IV accessed and fluids going into him, I felt a huge wave of relief. Then the doctor examined him and decided to admit him right away due to his condition. Grayson had a whole team of Doctors and Specialist trying to diagnose the problem and figure out how to get it under control. He had GI Specialist, pediatricians, Occupational therapists, dietetics's, and med students that would all see him individually, then they would all get together and collaborate and show their findings. They let Corey and I be apart of this entire process as well, which was empowering and also humbling. After days of different tests and procedures they did find he had an extremely significant case of GERD, which if left untreated could have destroyed his esophagus and upper GI tract. They increased his dose of Prevacid, and the Occupational therapist made him him a special bed that always keeps him at a 30 degree angle, that way the acid doesn't come up in is throat while he is sleeping.
This might be something he always struggles with, but we are hopeful that he will outgrow his condition, and be able to thrive and grow the way he should. Since our time at Children's he has done significantly better. He is finally putting on weight, and on the growth chart now!
He is a precious baby, and I adore him more than words. Grayson has such a special and gentle spirit. Even though this journey with him thus far has been challenging, I can't imagine our lives without him, he is truly a blessing to our family. Also, I wouldn't take away the experiences we have had with him, because it has been a huge growing experience for us as individuals and as a family. I am ever so humbled that my Heavenly Father has entrusted me with these darling little children, and that I have the honor to mother. We have leaned heavily on the Lord during this trying time, and it is only through Him that could give us strength during the low points, the power of discernment to know what to do for our child, and His unconditional love to comfort us when we felt defeated. I know that is only through our Savior that we can make it through this life and its challenges, and reach beyond this life and become better and more like Him. He is the light and the life of the world, and I am forever in awe of his majesty and power.
Grayson had feeding problems starting around 3 weeks of age. He would go to nurse then he would pull away, back arched, screaming, and try again. He would repeat this cycle through an entire feeding, then become so frustrated that he would just give up and not eat at all. I did the math (which wasn't easy for me because I was sleep deprived and seeing double) and it turned out that it was spending over 6 1/2 hours a day trying to feed him!
I took him to the Doctor more times than I can count. After a month of this charade I went back to the doctor and told her that I really thought that Grayson had GERD (Gastro-esophageal reflux disease.) She said the only problem that my baby had was that I was spoiling him and that I just needed to let him cry it out. ***enter anger here*** I could feel my blood pressure go through the roof, and it took every shred of composure that I had not to launch her booty out of the clinic. I think she could see I was coming unglued, so to appease me she wrote a prescription for Grayson's acid problem. Turns out she wrote and dosed the prescription for an adult. THANKFULLY, I worked in pharmacy before I became a stay at home mom, and noticed this issue when I picked up the RX. I brought this to the attention of the pharmacist but the Pharmacist just said that "it should be fine." I was dumbfounded at this point, and I stressed to him that this RX was for a 7 week old infant that was only 8 lbs, and this particular medicine was for an adult. The pharmacist shrugged his shoulders and said "just give him a little in his bottle" then he walked off. I was irate at this point and completely frustrated with the whole medical community. Needless to say when I got home that day I fired my doctor and my pharmacist. (Just a side note, months after this occurrence I found out that this pharmacist was under investigation by the FDA for all of his pharmacy errors. Scary right!)
Finally, I got a great new doctor who actually cared about my child and his health. Grayson was referred to a GI Specialist right away, and then started being treated for his GERD. Medication helped for a few months, but then he started to have the same problems again with his eating. It was taking more than 2 hrs to only get 2 ounces in him because he was in so much pain. Then on January 8Th my baby stopped eating completely because he associated food with pain. I took him to the ER because he was becoming so dehydrated that his soft spot on his head was completely sunken in and pulsing with each heart beat. By this time it had been 24 hrs since a wet diaper as well.
When I took him to the ER I told this whole story to the Doctor, he looked at Grayson and said that he wasn't dehydrated enough for an IV. He said that if he still wasn't eating to bring him back in the morning for an IV (mind you this was in the middle of the night, so he wanted me to come back in 4 hrs, basically the doctor didn't want to deal with it.) I was flabbergasted! I felt completely frustrated and scared for my child.
I went home that night called Seattle Children's and explained everything that happened with my son. They said to get Grayson over there as soon as the mountain pass cleared up. The next morning Corey and I took him over the pass to Seattle, and it was the worst driving conditions imaginable. The snow was coming down in blankets and you couldn't see the road. Shortly after we started over the mountains, the highway advisory closed the pass because conditions had become so dangerous. We couldn't go over 25 mph, and we saw countless accidents. The whole time I was an anxious mess over my baby that I thought I was going to have a nervous break down. I did the only thing that could distract me at the time, I played Angry Birds on my phone (an addicting pointless game) it kept my mind diverted till we got there.
As soon as we got to Children's Hospital (which took 4 hrs, and it usually only takes us 2) the triage nurse saw Grayson and immediately got him in a room and worked on getting him an IV. It took over an hour to get the IV inserted because Grayson was so severely dehydrated, they tried both feet and both arms, and almost had to give it to him in his forehead. Once they got his IV accessed and fluids going into him, I felt a huge wave of relief. Then the doctor examined him and decided to admit him right away due to his condition. Grayson had a whole team of Doctors and Specialist trying to diagnose the problem and figure out how to get it under control. He had GI Specialist, pediatricians, Occupational therapists, dietetics's, and med students that would all see him individually, then they would all get together and collaborate and show their findings. They let Corey and I be apart of this entire process as well, which was empowering and also humbling. After days of different tests and procedures they did find he had an extremely significant case of GERD, which if left untreated could have destroyed his esophagus and upper GI tract. They increased his dose of Prevacid, and the Occupational therapist made him him a special bed that always keeps him at a 30 degree angle, that way the acid doesn't come up in is throat while he is sleeping.
This might be something he always struggles with, but we are hopeful that he will outgrow his condition, and be able to thrive and grow the way he should. Since our time at Children's he has done significantly better. He is finally putting on weight, and on the growth chart now!
He is a precious baby, and I adore him more than words. Grayson has such a special and gentle spirit. Even though this journey with him thus far has been challenging, I can't imagine our lives without him, he is truly a blessing to our family. Also, I wouldn't take away the experiences we have had with him, because it has been a huge growing experience for us as individuals and as a family. I am ever so humbled that my Heavenly Father has entrusted me with these darling little children, and that I have the honor to mother. We have leaned heavily on the Lord during this trying time, and it is only through Him that could give us strength during the low points, the power of discernment to know what to do for our child, and His unconditional love to comfort us when we felt defeated. I know that is only through our Savior that we can make it through this life and its challenges, and reach beyond this life and become better and more like Him. He is the light and the life of the world, and I am forever in awe of his majesty and power.
Awww, look how happy Mr. Corey looks.
This is Grayson's bed that the specialist made just for him. He finally out grew it at 11 months old, and could finally sleep lying down!
