The appointment didn't go as well as we had hoped, but it was fine. I wanted to wait until I had all of the updated information and my thoughts in order before posting, but, unfortunately, I only have the latter.
She said the upper issues and lower issues are unrelated. Apparently his Xray from the fall showed his intestines completely full of stool (that would have been helpful information to share 6 months ago!). A suspicion is that he becomes completely constipated and only the very loose stool is able to pass - hence the nasty diapers and pain he experiences. She ordered stool samples to check for a variety of things, including to make sure his pancreas is functioning properly (something I have questioned). I dropped the samples off on Wednesday - not sure when we'll hear back.
She also ordered a skin patch allergy test for milk and soy, and a soy-free diet in addition to the milk-free diet he's already on. 2 issues here - 1) I tried to set up the appointment with his allergist for the test and they say it doesn't exist. The two offices are going back and forth at this time and no one has gotten back to me about a resolution. It may be something that is unavailable in our area and requires us to travel. The reason for the patch test is that it is more accurate in showing a GI allergic response than the skin prick. Issue #2 is the diet. I do not feel comfortable completely removing soy from his diet until I speak with his pediatrician and possibly also a dietician. Removing milk has really limited his diet and soy will substantially reduce it even more. His dietary needs at age 2 are different than an adult and I want to ensure he's getting what he needs. The rice milk even states to consult a doctor before giving it to children under 5. His pediatrician is away until next week, so we'll discuss this change at that time.
Last, she said to put all of his meds at night. We have no intention of doing this right away. She seemed to forget about the conversation we had moments earlier about a possible reaction to the full Prevacid dose. It also makes us nervous about how he'll do during the day with no meds in the morning. Again, something we'll talk to his pediatrician about before implementing.
We go back in about a month. We'll analyze the results and make a plan thereafter. If there is no diagnosis by then, she will likely order a full scope of his system. We'll see...
Today we go to the dentist. I'm interested to hear what he says about his teeth. Many reflux children have damage to their teeth from the constant stomach acid rising. It's something we've always known about, so I'm not anxious going in to the appointment, just information we've been wondering about.
So that's the lastest news. As I have only 1 more week left of work, we are more and more confident in our decision for me to resign.
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