Kiddy-Kate update

Our little Anna has been having some medical issues. Something to do with acid reflux. Tummy aches and “throat feels weird.” After a couple visits to our regular pediatrician, we were referred to a GI specialist.

Now, this guy knows how to set up a kid friendly practice! On the way into the office, there was a huge baseball by the door– oh, probably about 2 ½ feet in diameter. Well, we didn’t know it but that was a clue.

Inside, in the waiting room, it was all about baseball. First thing I noticed were the framed signed jerseys hanging on the wall. Some of the seating was bleachers with stadium seats. The ceiling tiles were in a baseball diamond design. Everywhere I looked, I saw more baseball. Then I noticed the employees all wore matching White Sox uniforms. This place was cool! The girls were over playing in a little playhouse in the corner of the room. Robert and I started reading the plaques and the framed information on the walls.

Well, ‘come to find out’ the stadium seats were from Comiskey Park! Yes, the real stadium! Then we noticed a player’s locker from Comiskey. And that weird looking reception? It was a ticket booth from Comiskey! How cool is that?

Here’s a link to some info about it. Sorry, no photos. Bummer. And we didn’t have the camera with us. But we do have an appointment in a few weeks so we’ll definitely take the camera then.
http://www.bizjournals.com/birmingham/stories/2003/12/22/story2.html

When we went back to the exam room, we found that each room has a different mural painted on the wall. We got Superman! There was also outer space, underwater, etc. The nurse told us the paint was glow-in-the-dark and she said we could play with the light switch all we wanted. So, of course, we did! It was neato! The very best part was how much more comfortable and relaxed it made Anna. She had been rather concerned about the visit, not knowing what to expect. Dr. Mestre displayed a wonderful “bedside manner” with her. Today when I told her she would be going back next month, the kid literally jumped up and down with joy! Now, that’s success!

Unfortunately, they needed a blood sample from Anna. Robert and I were both holding her down for safety. Now, it’s just wrong, wrong, wrong for a mom to have to go through that. (Yes, wrong for Daddy, too. And, yes of course, for Anna.) I had her precious little tender arm right in my face and was watching that needle go into her. Yes, I would have loved to have been able to look away, but I had to make sure I held her arm steady. It was bad enough but then the blood quickly stopped flowing. The nurse had to poke around a bit to get the blood flowing again. I’m standing there praying my heart out that somehow God can just let the nurse put it in my arm and save my baby the pain. My arm was so close – why can’t my blood just be good enough? No, I hate needles but I do love my child that much. The nurse handed me the tube so she could free her hand to find the vein again. Suddenly, just like a miracle, the blood just started flowing again. The nurse said, “All we needed was Mom’s special touch.”

The doctor also took her off all lactose and changed her med. She had an endoscopy on Monday. At first she said she needed both of us to go with her, but she finally decided that she just wanted Daddy to take her and I could stay home with Ravie. I hated to not go with her, but I also hate taking my kids anywhere near a hospital or doctor’s office if it’s not totally necessary. So we let Anna decide who went. And she is a daddy’s girl if ever there was one! It’s soooo cute! We were supposed to do the endoscopy a week earlier but the poor kid got a virus and had a raging fever – yes, we took her to see Dr. Jamie just to make sure.

She had to be anesthetized for the endoscopy, which scared the beegeebers out of me. When they got to the hospital, the doctor wanted to do an ultrasound first. Well, that was great because if that told them what they needed to know we could skip the endoscopy and the anesthesia. But after several hours they ended up doing it. Robert came home with some incredible color pictures. My child’s insides. Oh, gee! Somehow it just seemed wrong to see inside your child’s digestive system in full living color. Not something I’d ever planned on. Probably didn’t bother Robert as much. He was quite fascinated to see my insides when I had the c-section with Anna.

Anna was a trouper that day and has been through all this. Of course she got petted and pampered and got a new My Little Pony, doll and Pooh video for her trouble. She earned them!

Got the results today that the stomach looked fine, but there was some irritation in the esophagus from the reflux. Changing meds again so I have to run into town later to the pharmacy. She’s doing much better. Hasn’t had a tummy ache for quite a while now. We really don’t think she’s lactose intolerant but we’re following doctor’s orders. Hopefully, when he sees her again we can drop that. She had some problems as a newborn. I spent the first 6 weeks sleeping in the recliner with her on my chest every night. It was the only way she would sleep. I think she was having tummy problems then. But she's been fine up until last fall and we've battled this off and on since then. But I do think we'll get it all worked out somehow. We might have to drop some things from her diet, but I think we'll find a solution and hopefully without meds.