GI

I feel I post more about Jack and his medical stuff than anything else. And here Brooke is the one with the hole in her heart (which we're hoping to hear is closed by early next year).

Jack had a GI appointment yesterday. At his last appointment at the end of August, he was barely only 37lbs and 41 inches. He had gained about half a pound in the previous 6 months. So we've been really pushing his calorie intake with the DuCal power, shakes, smoothies, snacks, food chart to encourage he eats well every meal, etc. That appointment is what spurred the GI to refer Jack to an Allergist to see why he was getting so many ear infections. We had also done a bowel sample to see if his body was processing foods, which it is.

Due to the allergist appointments, we took Jack off his appetite enhancer medicine at the end of September for 3 weeks and WOW did that make a different. Eating became HORRIBLE. Every meal was a struggle. There were many tears at just about every meal time and he threw up about 3 times a week because he'd get himself so worked up about eating.

The allergist raised some concerns about the appetite enhancer medicine affecting his behavior because it has a sedative side effect. Our highly active Jack being sedated all these years?! As soon as we put Jack back on the appetite enhancer medicine, it has been a world of difference -- no throw up, no tears, he eats -- on his own. As for the sedation... he does sleep an extra 30-45 minutes at night, but you know what -- I'm totally okay with that!!

So, that is the GI history for the past couple months. And at this GI appointment, he is up to 39.6lbs (2+ pounds in the past 2 months)! It has been an uphill battle, but one I'm so thrilled with the results, esp. considering how hard it was to get him to eat for about 3 weeks.

However, in was evident that without the appetite enhancer medicine, his eating is affected... and do we want him on medicine for years and years? We've run all the tests except one. All the tests we've done have come back normal -- not giving us a reason for why he isn't hungry on his own. The last test to do is an upper endoscopy. This would entail putting him under and putting a tube with a camera on the end of it to go down his throat, esophagus, stomach and small bowel for examination. Tissue will also be taken out for examination. They are looking for signs of reflux, inflammation, celiac disease, infection and eosinophilic esophagitis. We are still debating on doing this.