A new doctor

I took matters into my own hands when my precious boy was a month old.  He was 6lbs 12oz at birth and 7lbs 3 oz at 4 weeks.  There was obviously something going on.  There were kids younger than him that had passed 10lbs by this point.  Our family practice doctor had us come in for weight checks once every few days for 2 weeks (after his 2 week check) and nothing was happening and I didn't understand what the plan was.  Were they going to just keep telling us to come in for weigh in's to see NOTHING is happening or are we going to do something. 

I do have to say, before leaving the family practice doctor they did have his pyloric valve checked by doing an x-ray to ensure that he didn't need surgery.  That, of course, scared me and I prayed this wasn't what it was, but by the middle of our journey I was wishing it was that simple.

My husband and I were sleep deprived.  We were taking turns pulling all nighters.  Keean was a good sleeper, but we had to wake him to eat every 3 hours.  He would fall asleep while eating and then we would have to hold him up just right so he didn't throw up.  As soon as we would lay him down, in hopes to catch a few hours ourselves, up came the formula.  :(  Or it would go out the other way in a watery form and he would SCREAM like someone was ripping apart his insides.  I recall numerous times of throwing bottles across the room in frustration and crying in the middle of the night playing on Dr. Google looking for something.  A diagnosis.  A similar story.  Words of advice.  Anything.  I just wanted it to get better.  The only diagnosis we had at this point was "reflux".  It annoyed me.  I knew there was more than "reflux".  Seriously, he isn't gaining weight and I don't think "reflux" has anything to do with that!!!!

Now, before I called the new doctor, we had come up with a system that sort of worked.  We switched to soy formula and started putting rice in his bottle.  The rice helped keep it down most of the time, but his stools were not any better and he was still crying in pain when he had to go. 

So, like I said, we had to do something.  I remember having a break down at approximately 2:30am and decided I was going to call someone else.  I wasn't familiar with this doctor thing.  I had no idea that I could just call whoever I wanted to get more opinions.  I had the same doctor all my life until she moved and THEN I found a new one.  I didn't know you could just call random doctors all the time and have anyone see you. 

I called the clinic the next morning.  I asked to see a pediatrician and the next day they got us in.  She evaluated him and suggested we try switching him to a different formula that is easier on his gut.  I'm not sure if everyone is familiar with it, but we switched him to Alimentum.  Now, believe me when I say it is the most horrible smelling stuff I have ever smelt EVER.  It was hard for me to even feed it to him.  But, it did make a little difference.  His crying quit when he stooled for awhile and I thought we were good.  Thank you new doctor, you fixed him!!! (if only that were true). 

Things seemed to go well for a week or so with Keean, but by the middle of July we were back at the pediatrician looking for more answers.  She referred us to a Gastroenterologist in St.Paul after testing him for things like Cystic Fibrosis (which is on the newborn screen but can come back negative).  The Gastroenterologist (GI doc) told us that he most likely has a severe protein allergy and tried switching us to Nutramagin which is similar to Alimentum, but thought maybe the small difference in ingredience would make a difference.  Well, it did for a little while......but only a little while. By the end of July, so when Keean was 6 1/2 weeks old, we had our first hospital stay.  He was dehydrated, puking again and starting to cry when he stooled again.  We were putting rice cereal in his bottles and back to where we started. 

The pediatrician said we had one more option.  A different formula that they don't sell in stores.  The proteins in this formula are completely broken down so Keean wouldn't have to digest them.  If this didn't work, she wasn't sure what the next plan would be.  BUT, she wasn't going to quit looking for answers. 

Well the formula worked, but like every other formula change......only for a little while.

This is Keean right before we were admitted to the hospital.  He was so sick, but SO happy :)