GI appointment continued

I have finally found a few moments to blog in greater detail about our appointment on Friday. The appointment went really well. Cooper weighed 18lbs 1oz and was 29 inches long. That put him IN the 5th% for weight, which makes me very happy. The doctor wanted us to cut Cooper's prevacid dose in half, down from 30mg a day to 15mg. He told me that this is the dose he (a very tall, grown man) would take. This is not the first time we have been told that. Bottom line is, we have to do something about that. I have tried many times before to cut the dose on my own, but it has been unsuccessful. This time, I am doing it, and will just cope with whatever the result. He's been on the new dose for 3 days now, and while I have noticed an increase in coughing /choking, he doesn't seem to be too uncomfortable. We also will have to take Cooper completely off meds 5 days before he has the EGD. This is going to be tough for sure. The doctor explained that he will have a major increase in acid regardless, because he has been on meds for so long, basically his whole life. So, even if the reflux itself is better, he will still have a noticeable difference. He gave us a new med called Carafate that lines the esophagus. He will be able to take this up until the day before the procedure. It will help with irritation and further damage. He also prescribed miralaxx to help with Cooper's constipation due to the incredibly strict diet.

The main reason they are performing the EGD is to check for damage to the esophogus and eosinophilic disease. We are simply looking for an explanation as to why he is still requiring such a high dose of medicine, and why he is so sensitive to foods. It could be that all of this will resolve with age, and that they find nothing. That is the hope, but it will be good to know for sure. Some of you may remember little Grayson had this same procedure a few months back. The reason for the pH probe is to determine if reflux and acid is still the main issue or if there is something else going on such as an EGID or some other food allergy. The hardest part of the pH probe will be the fact that it is left in for 24 hours and we will be discharged from the hospital with it. He will wear arm guards called "no nose" and is expected to go around as normal. HA! This was hard enough at 5 weeks old when staying IN the hospital, but at 11 months toddling around either a relatives home or a hotel, it may be a nightmare. Pray for my sanity!!!

The other thing we discussed was the fact that Cooper drinks all the time. He loves to have a bottle or a cup, and would drink juice/water all day long if I let him, on top of nursing. I always assumed that it was because his throat probably burned from the reflux. The doctor said that would be concerning if it wear true because on the high dose of med, again it should be under control. He also didn't like the fact that he was feeling his tummy with very few calories. He said that we should give him an amino acid based formula, elecare, instead. This was kind of hard for me to accept at first since I have done everything in my power to keep him on breastmilk and off formula. But I know this will be good for him and maybe those extra calories will help him chub up and get some reserve for the winter. He had his first bottle of it today, and it went really well.

All in all, I am very pleased with the appointment and the new clinic. I think we are finally in the right place, and it gives me such hope. I feel completely at peace with all of this. I am not too worried about the tests or the results. When the dr told me he would need these procedures and would have to be put under a general, I didn't freak. It is an amazing feeling to trust in the Lord. Thank you Jesus for making me feel at peace, knowing Cooper is in you hands!