Here is the story. I really can't pinpoint when Kaitlyn started throwing up and gagging on almost everything. It didn't happen that one moment she was fine, and the next she was having problems. I know it started in 2011. I know it was at least by the time Kaitlyn turned 18 months old because I mentioned it at her 18 month well child doctor visit. I mentioned it at every single doctor visit after that - and there were several of them. I even switched doctors during that short time to get a second opinion. Kaitlyn COULD NOT keep food down, and I was not ok with it.
It got to the point I had very few things I could "feed" her, if you can call it that. Soups were always good. Yogurt was good, if she would eat it. Noodles, SOMETIMES were ok if I chopped them up into teeny tiny bits. Cheese - yes, most the time. Baby foods, yep. BUT MOSTLY, she lived off of Carnation Instant Breakfast, Pediasure, Boost, and V8 Fusion. Everything else came up. Meats were a definite NO. Anything chunky, ha! Even things like scrambled egg would not stay down.
Kaitlyn was gaining weight but barely and solely because I power packed all of her foods with extra calories. I made her drinks with half and half instead of milk. I added sour cream to her soups and dinners. I was a determined momma to keeping her healthy weight the best way I knew how.
During this time, I got a lot of well meaning feedback and opinions from friends and family. What I should try, how to help my 'picky eater,' and other people were less understanding and even made it sound like I was to blame for letting her get away with it for so long. Often times, I blamed myself for not being able to help my child. I felt incompetent and helpless.
Doctors offered little advice. They thought it was "heightened gag reflux." Then when it didn't go away with age, "acid reflux." It wasn't until her two year well child check that anyone took me seriously. Her doctor said we could wait longer, or do an upper G.I. test - and that's what we did. Waiting longer was not an option when I had waited so long already. A month later on June 4th, Kaitlyn had her first upper G.I. test.
I was nervous about that test all night the day before. Shayne and Dad had given her a blessing, and I felt anxious and ready to start getting answers. I KNEW we would find something, I just didn't expect what we found. One scan into the exam, the radiologist said, "Oh! We found the problem!" I was shocked. A COIN WAS STUCK IN HER THROAT.
With all the gagging and throwing up over the past YEAR, I wouldn't have known if she did this the night before or nine months ago. My doctor didn't know how to react either. He assured me that he thought it had to of just happened. There was "no way" that Kaitlyn had the coin in her throat for long.
Poor Kaitlyn. I knew they were going to have to get it out that day. She was already hungry, cranky, scared, and confused. It was a hard - LOOOOONG - day waiting for Utah Valley Hospital to call us back and tell us when to bring in Kaitlyn for her surgery. We played in the pool, took a nap, watched tv - anything to keep her mind off of her milk and food.
Luckily the time came when we had to bring her in, and we were waiting at the hospital for her time to go back. It was hard to keep Kaitlyn entertained, so I decided to walk her around the hallways until it was surgery time. I had to. I couldn't keep still. My anxiety was high and I couldn't let her be any sadder than she needed to be. I walked her around and around. We took rides in a wagon. After a short while, they gave her something to calm her down and it really calmed me down too.
Playing
Just Out of Surgery
The Culprit
A New Beginning
I met her new doctor, Dr. Sutton, around 4:00 that day. He seemed very nice but didn't believe that the coin had been in as long as I was suspecting. He also seemed surprised when I told him how much and how long she was throwing up, that even I was second guessing if I was right. When surgery was done though, I could tell he believed me because the first thing he said was, "We found a dime... and it's been in there an extremely long time."
I finally felt validated! I KNEW IT! I knew this didn't happen last night or a week ago and I knew there was a serious problem with Kaitlyn not keeping food down. NOW FINALLY PEOPLE WOULD SEE THAT KAITLYN WAS THROWING UP BECAUSE SHE HAD TO; FOOD WAS NOT GOING DOWN and not because of an allergy, or picky eater, or acid reflux, or gag reflux, or behavioral issue. I wasn't making it up!
He let me know that her esophagus was narrowed from the dime at the top and that she had a pocket from the dime burrowing in, and in her stomach was a hiatal hernia. Another upper G.I. two days later showed an irregular esophagus that was almost twisted in appearance instead of smooth straight like a normal child. However, we did find out she did not have acid reflux so that was good. Also - there is a good chance the doctors might not do anything about the narrowed part of her throat and watch her over time. I don't know yet.
One thing I do know is that I sleep better at night knowing the dime is gone. I am happy to say that Kaitlyn keeps down most of her food now too. We are feeding her soft foods and working our way up to harder foods. Even her bowel movements have changed with the food going into her. I am relieved and thankful that she is alright! I can think of many ways that this coin could have came loose and hurt or killed her. We are so lucky it was something that can be fixed and not anything worse. I am peaceful now knowing that she she will be alright.
It brings joy to my heart and tears to my eyes to see her eating with us as a family now. I love watching her discover that she can keep food down. She is not out of the woods because she does have behavioral reservations about food. She has been scared and untrusting of food for a very long time, but it is improving day by day. I couldn't ask for anything else... She is healthy and happy and has a new vibrant energy about her. I love it - and her. <3
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