Then the vomiting started again. The Dr. admitted this time that it wasn't just a virus and decided it was acid reflux, gave her some medicine and sent me home. The vomiting continued to come and go, she'd be good for a few day and then it would come back. Obviously the medicine wasn't working. After a battle with the referral dept. on base we finally just drove to the ER at Lackland AFB in San Antonio and got an appointment with a Gastrointestinal Specialist. We saw him and he switched her medicine. She continued to vomit for a week and then got better for about a week so we assumed the med. was working. Wrong, she then started vomiting just like before, by this time it had been almost 2 months since this started. The specialist got her in for an endocsopy and a CT scan. While they were getting her ready for the endoscopy she had to be sedated, we were able to stay with her until she fell asleep and then they made us leave. It was awful to watch her get that blank look on her face and when they made us leave the room I couldn't be strong anymore, I just lost it and Dan and I sat and cried until they brought her back in to us to wait for her to wake up. She is such a little trooper.
The endoscopy showed she had a hiatal hernia. So he asked us to try a certain formula and sent us home. Callen kept getting worse and we were not able to contact the specialist as he was TDY. Callen was not keeping anything down and she was lethargic and got to the point where we couldn't even get her to wake up enough to try and feed her. By this point she was almost 8 months old and she weighed 12 pounds, which is about what she weighed at 3 months, since she had gotten sick she had lost almost 3 lbs. She was not even on the growth charts. I was giving her pedialyte from a syringe every few minutes just to keep liquid in her, then she threw all that up as well. So, for about the 5th time we took her to the ER again. They admitted her immediately and got an IV started.
The Dr. here at Del Rio finally took us seriously and stopped telling me it was my fault for not being consistant with the medicine he had prescriped the first time (which didn't work). He set her up on a feeding tube. That was so hard to see. While the nurses were holding her down sticking the tube down her nose she looked at me across the room and gave me this heartbreaking look like she just didn't understand why I was letting them hurt her like that. It was awful. She was on the feeding tube for a few days until we could get in with a different specialist. The Dr. also asked me to switch to a hypoallergenic formula, so I stopped nursing. That was tough since we hadn't been able to get Callen to take a bottle, but I guess she decided she was hungry enough. So we drove to see the specialist in San Angelo this time, who doubled her medicine and ordered a bunch of tests to be done, such as an MRI and sweat test. So the next day we drove to San Antonio for the MRI, which they ended up not doing because they couldnt' get her sedated. So, we drove back another day, got the Sweat test (testing for Cystic Fibrosis), that came back fine and we got the MRI done as well. The MRI acutally came back to show that she had a Cystic Structure on the Sella. I don't exactly know what that means, other than the Sella is the bone that surrounds the Pituitary gland. We go to see a pediatric Neurologist in a couple weeks to find out about that.
ANYWAY, now that i've written a novel lets get back to the name of this post. For the last few weeks Callen has not thrown up. She has been great!!!! I don't exactly know what worked, whether it was the formula, or she's outgrowing whatever it was, ??? I dont' know. To be honest I don't care as long as its gone. For the past few weeks, I have had a happy healthy normal baby girl. Callen is almost 9 months old and for the first time I am enjoying life. She is eating and sleeping better, and she is playful and happy and has gained 3 1/2 lbs. She is a beautiful fun little girl and she finally has the energy to show it. I still have more Dr. appointments coming up but for now i'm just trying to enjoy being a mom.
Callen waking up from General Anesthesia after her Endoscopy
The Feeding Tube (Dan says she looks like a little Elephant)
At the Hospital
healthy Callen!! She Loves the Swimming Pool!
And the Cat!
Isn't she Cute!
5 comments:
That has to be so hard as a mother to see your child in pain and not being able to do anything about it. I'm so glad she has been able to hold her food down for a couple of days now. That is awesome.
ps. glad you told me about your blog
Oh my goodness! I didn't realize you guys had been having such a hard time. We could have come up to San Antonio and been with you. We probably wouldn't have been much help, but it might have been nice just to have someone there with you. If you ever need someone to come out and just be around, we are fairly close.
Anyway, I'm glad that she is doing better and that you told me about your blog. I've been wondering how you guys have been doing. I can't believe Callen is already 9 months old! Crazy. I've got a blog too...don't know if you know. I haven't been so great at blogging lately. It's erinjbaily.blogspot.com
Anyway, Callen is a cutie...sorry for the book. Keep in touch!
Hey! I didn't know you had a blog...I'm so sorry to hear all that's gone on with sweet little Callen, but I'm glad she is starting to do a little better, and that she slept through the night! HOORAY!!! How is everything else going? How is Dan handling all this with training? I hope all is well! We miss you guys!
Oh my goodness. You are amazing. I doubt you even know it. As I was reading what you and Dan have been going through, I couldn't stop crying. To watch such a sweet beautiful girl have to go through that must have been so painful. And still have to be her mother and care for her through all the MANY difficult times...you just amaze me. You are such a great mom, and I hope you know that and remember that always. Ever since you first told us all that Callen was throwing up you guys have been in my prayers. I'm really glad to hear it's getting better. I HOPE it's gone and that she just keeps getting bigger and stronger. ...oh and by the way, we owe you $7 for the oven cleaner....
WOw! I thought when Macey got sick was hard and that was only for one week! Poor Callen! Poor you! I am so glad she is doing better. I was wondering about you guys because when I left she still was throwing up. I hope she stays better. How is Dan doing?
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