Addie's Agony

I didn't think lightening was supposed to strike twice. Well, it has. Addie is now running a very close second to Lexi in the reflux department. It's gotten so bad, I actually had LaNell record Addie during her feed this afternoon. Go here to see what it's been like. This, unfortunately, has become the norm for Addie. Since about 1 p.m. today, every minute her eyes have been open, she has been crying...hard. The wind sucking, chin quivering, holding the breath cry.

Up until today, she'd been eating 2 1/2 oz (80 cc) every 3 hours. Today, she ate 15 cc during her feeds. She'd cry in between feeds and act so hungry, but would get even more upset while eating. Finally, I made an appointment with the after hours pediatrician. She screamed the whole ride up and for the 45 minutes we waited to see the doctor. She cried the entire time we saw him. She cried while she ate during the visit (again, taking only 15 cc). Today, she cried from about 2 p.m. until 8 p.m. - almost non-stop. I showed him the video and he said this is very severe reflux with a developing food aversion. He recommended we get a picture of her while she is swallowing to rule anything out. He also upped her meds and told us to get on soy formula since the hypoallergenic we are on has trace amounts of milk protein and could possibly be irritating her still. He said it sounds like our regular doctor is on track, but we now know we're dealing with severe reflux and should act quick before she refuses to eat completely and drops too much weight.

We are now feeding her with a tube via syringe since she won't take a bottle. In between feeds, we're pushing pedialyte to try and get some fluid to stay in her. She has also lost more weight - almost a pound since yesterday. We have another appointment at our regular clinic tomorrow and hope to get the GI appointment made and a date for the swallow test. In the mean time, Addie continues to cry and cry and cry.

I have to admit, I walked into the doctor's office with tears in my eyes and it's been hard to maintain. Lexi is doing the best a 2 year old can, but isn't sure why we're always gone. She doesn't understand why Addie is sick. She wants to help feed her with the syringe and gets upset when we tell her no. She says, "It's ok, baby Addie. Don't cry." while we feed Addie. And, she is starting to act out because we're constantly preoccupied by the sick baby. I feel like I should conclude with a nice summary, but I really think that our situation sums it all up for itself.