Roo had his third upper endoscopy yesterday. As usual, he was a total trooper. I ripped him out of bed at 5:15 am, slapped a clean diaper on him, and pushed him out the door in his PJ's before he'd have the chance to ask for a drink, which of course, he couldn't have. The procedure went well overall. He was a little hesitant to go along with the nurses at first but the "little something to relax him" that the anesthesiologist gave him did the trick almost immediately. He was all grins and giggles, watching the trails from his fingers, and driving his hospital bed back to surgery complete with "beep- beeps".
Now, I don't condone substance abuse at any age but man how I wish I had a little bit of that happy juice in the fridge to administer to the kids from time to time. Looly's hysterical because she scraped her elbow? Happy juice. Bean's on another biting spree? Happy juice. Roo's chucking Legos at the cat and crying when the poor thing seeks shelter in the basement? Happy juice. Accidental shopping spree? A little happy juice for Mufasa's water bottle while handing over the receipts. Okay, I guess I'm starting to see why they don't dole out gallon jugs to the parents...
Anyway, we won't have the official results for another day or two but I am ceding victory to the know-it-all GI doctor. I honestly still can't believe it but the results of the scope were not good. For the first time ever there was visible evidence of allergy cells (eosinophils) in Roo's esophagus. Essentially, the doctor could see, and provided me with photos, of the inside of his esophagus complete with nasty little white plaques (pussy groups of allergy cells) and mild furrowing (kind of like little ridges) - two of the tell-tale signs of EoE. The worst part is that in his previous scopes he never had any visible evidence of EoE. The biopsies revealed EoE, but his esophagus looked healthy. Seems like it's gotten significantly worse this year.
I am beyond bummed. I so thought he was tolerating the milk. I'm so sorry that he has to be experiencing pain whenever he eats or swallows for that matter. And selfishly I'm dreading the return to a dairy-free existence. I'll save the true lament for once the biopsy results are in but it's not looking good folks. In fact it looks worse than before. Maybe I could sneak just a tiny bit of that happy juice for me? Feel like I could use it.
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
EE strikes again?
Roo had his annual GI check-up today and in all my naivete I was considering it a non-event. I was planning to blog about how his EoE is under control, he's eating a wider variety of foods, starting to gain weight here and there, doing great. Right?
His original GI doctor moved away this spring. Then, I found out his allergist is no longer at the hospital we use. So today we met with a wonderful nurse practitioner we saw once last year, a new doctor, a nutritionist, who, no offense intended, but I could give suggestions for increasing caloric intake at this point, and no allergist. I would love to be witty about the appointment but I just don't have it in me.
Roo needs another scope to check up on his EoE. That wasn't a surprise. The part I did find surprising, was the new doctor berating me for reintroducing dairy. The new doctor is convinced that Roo's allergy cells are back and that the premature reintroduction of dairy is to blame. Did I mention that it was a flipping GI specialist in the very same hospital who told me to give him dairy back in April! This is not a huge department. Given the fact that the new doctor is the department head I'm guessing doctor number two, who told me to put dairy back into the diet, is about to get a workplace whooping. Unfortunately it still doesn't make me feel any better.
New doctor argues that the evidence is clear - Roo isn't growing or gaining weight according to the chart, his appetite is meager at best, he vomits, wakes at night, and still seems uncomfortable at times. Well, I'm not convinced. He was absolutely, exactly the same when he was NOT eating dairy. And thank goodness for the blog for giving me a documented history of what he was doing while he was off dairy, namely, vomiting, not eating much, not gaining weight, and waking up at night. Just like now. The kid has an oral delay. He gags. He has reflux too but let's save that story for another day.
Ugh, I am so frustrated. The thought of taking him off dairy again, and this time for longer, makes me want to puke myself. Maybe the kid just won't eat because his diet gets completely revamped every few months. I just got him to tolerate some nice buttery, creamy, lusciously high-calorie foods. Either way, the scope won't lie. Here's hoping I'm right.
His original GI doctor moved away this spring. Then, I found out his allergist is no longer at the hospital we use. So today we met with a wonderful nurse practitioner we saw once last year, a new doctor, a nutritionist, who, no offense intended, but I could give suggestions for increasing caloric intake at this point, and no allergist. I would love to be witty about the appointment but I just don't have it in me.
Roo needs another scope to check up on his EoE. That wasn't a surprise. The part I did find surprising, was the new doctor berating me for reintroducing dairy. The new doctor is convinced that Roo's allergy cells are back and that the premature reintroduction of dairy is to blame. Did I mention that it was a flipping GI specialist in the very same hospital who told me to give him dairy back in April! This is not a huge department. Given the fact that the new doctor is the department head I'm guessing doctor number two, who told me to put dairy back into the diet, is about to get a workplace whooping. Unfortunately it still doesn't make me feel any better.
New doctor argues that the evidence is clear - Roo isn't growing or gaining weight according to the chart, his appetite is meager at best, he vomits, wakes at night, and still seems uncomfortable at times. Well, I'm not convinced. He was absolutely, exactly the same when he was NOT eating dairy. And thank goodness for the blog for giving me a documented history of what he was doing while he was off dairy, namely, vomiting, not eating much, not gaining weight, and waking up at night. Just like now. The kid has an oral delay. He gags. He has reflux too but let's save that story for another day.
Ugh, I am so frustrated. The thought of taking him off dairy again, and this time for longer, makes me want to puke myself. Maybe the kid just won't eat because his diet gets completely revamped every few months. I just got him to tolerate some nice buttery, creamy, lusciously high-calorie foods. Either way, the scope won't lie. Here's hoping I'm right.
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Still alive and kicking...for the most part
In case there was any doubt, it turns out life without childcare is somewhat more hectic than life with it. July was a blur and I'm still not quite sure what happened to August, but here we are solidly into September. School is in session and I have found myself with a moment to spare for what feels like the first time since our Au Pair packed her bags back in the middle of July.
Forget family dinners and monitoring weight gain, I'm just thankful to be here to tell the tale. Granted not every summertime situation was handled with Claire Huxtable's knowing poise and endless good humor but alas, the kids and more importantly, Mufasa, are still talking to me. The gym, the blog, and inspired meal planning took a back seat to using every ounce of my will power not to smack anyone - Looly for telling me she didn't like me and wanted a new Mom on my birthday, the lady who used her extra inches to nab the last container of Similac Go n' Grow at Target even though I was clearly reaching for it first, the librarians who continually accuse me of not returning books I never checked out, Roo every time he spits out food he's eaten a hundred times before claiming he doesn't like it now, and so on. I required a couple of mandatory mommy timeouts and didn't make it to 5 pm every day before popping the Viognier but nobody got hurt. It's all about managing expectations.
We're not quite back up to speed yet but the three glorious hours per day I've reclaimed while the little ones are at school are helping me feel human again. Showering has resumed as a near daily event. My gym card is back in rotation, and at long last I'm blogging. We've hired not one but two competent babysitters who, for a fee, tolerate Bean's ceaseless screeching while we are away for a bi-monthly date night out. The little kids are transitioning to new teachers, new friends, new rules, and most importantly being dropped off at school. By transitioning, of course, I mean full-out wailing, writhing, spitting, hissing, and attaching themselves to my leg until their teacher pries them off with a crowbar. So the gist is, we're getting there.
Forget family dinners and monitoring weight gain, I'm just thankful to be here to tell the tale. Granted not every summertime situation was handled with Claire Huxtable's knowing poise and endless good humor but alas, the kids and more importantly, Mufasa, are still talking to me. The gym, the blog, and inspired meal planning took a back seat to using every ounce of my will power not to smack anyone - Looly for telling me she didn't like me and wanted a new Mom on my birthday, the lady who used her extra inches to nab the last container of Similac Go n' Grow at Target even though I was clearly reaching for it first, the librarians who continually accuse me of not returning books I never checked out, Roo every time he spits out food he's eaten a hundred times before claiming he doesn't like it now, and so on. I required a couple of mandatory mommy timeouts and didn't make it to 5 pm every day before popping the Viognier but nobody got hurt. It's all about managing expectations.
We're not quite back up to speed yet but the three glorious hours per day I've reclaimed while the little ones are at school are helping me feel human again. Showering has resumed as a near daily event. My gym card is back in rotation, and at long last I'm blogging. We've hired not one but two competent babysitters who, for a fee, tolerate Bean's ceaseless screeching while we are away for a bi-monthly date night out. The little kids are transitioning to new teachers, new friends, new rules, and most importantly being dropped off at school. By transitioning, of course, I mean full-out wailing, writhing, spitting, hissing, and attaching themselves to my leg until their teacher pries them off with a crowbar. So the gist is, we're getting there.
Saturday, July 10, 2010
End of an Era
Sigh. As of Thursday, we will be saying goodbye to our dear Au Pair, friend, and pseudo-big sister, Wiebke, aka ViVi. For the past year she's put up with all of our family's idiosyncrasies and ridiculous demands. You think I jest, but just try watching Yo Gabba Gabba reruns for hours at a time every time you sit down to "enjoy" a meal without throwing the toaster through the television.
She has snuggled and fed, read and sang, danced and played. She has diapered stinky butts, band-aided bloody noggins and slathered vats of Vaseline on Roo's lizard legs (if only we could make a handbag out of him!). She's built countless Lego and block towers only to have them destroyed by three-foot-high vigilantes at the final precarious moment. She's cleaned up hair-balls, live mice, and kept a sense of humor on rare occasions when the cat mistook her bed for the litter box. She's instilled a sense of fear in our children (in the best possible way) so that upon hearing footsteps at their closed door during nap time, the little ones dive instinctively into their beds and bury their heads amidst cries of "Vivi's coming! Vivi's coming!" She has manned solo trips to the swimming pool with all three kids in 90 degree heat, moderated mortal combat between twins, caught toddler vomit in her bare hands, and lived to tell the tale.
Without her this blog wouldn't exist. She's provided me with the opportunity to pursue projects outside the realm of child-rearing, knowing all the while that my little ones were in capable, loving hands. She's given me a year of sanity, date nights, relaxation, and the ability to go to the gym. I could not ask for more. Thank you, Wiebke. It's been a pleasure.
It is with heavy hearts and eager passports that we say goodbye. We look forward to a reunion on the other side of the Atlantic. Farewell, Vivi. You will be missed.
She has snuggled and fed, read and sang, danced and played. She has diapered stinky butts, band-aided bloody noggins and slathered vats of Vaseline on Roo's lizard legs (if only we could make a handbag out of him!). She's built countless Lego and block towers only to have them destroyed by three-foot-high vigilantes at the final precarious moment. She's cleaned up hair-balls, live mice, and kept a sense of humor on rare occasions when the cat mistook her bed for the litter box. She's instilled a sense of fear in our children (in the best possible way) so that upon hearing footsteps at their closed door during nap time, the little ones dive instinctively into their beds and bury their heads amidst cries of "Vivi's coming! Vivi's coming!" She has manned solo trips to the swimming pool with all three kids in 90 degree heat, moderated mortal combat between twins, caught toddler vomit in her bare hands, and lived to tell the tale.
Without her this blog wouldn't exist. She's provided me with the opportunity to pursue projects outside the realm of child-rearing, knowing all the while that my little ones were in capable, loving hands. She's given me a year of sanity, date nights, relaxation, and the ability to go to the gym. I could not ask for more. Thank you, Wiebke. It's been a pleasure.
It is with heavy hearts and eager passports that we say goodbye. We look forward to a reunion on the other side of the Atlantic. Farewell, Vivi. You will be missed.
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Good Tidings
A fortuitous week all around with lots of good news to share!
1. The new kitchen design is working out beautifully. We're still waiting on stools but the little kids have taken to standing on kitchen chairs pulled up to the island to watch me cook. Better yet, they like to stand there and eat a snack while they watch. Even better still, good, fatty, nutritious guacamole is becoming a favorite.
2. Though we continue to discover more annoying molluscum bumps on all of the kids, ZymaDerm appears to be working. Roo's worst (and most obvious) patch of bumps is clearing up. It didn't happen in the 30 days promised by the ZymaDerm guarantee, but they are exploding and vanishing now, about 6 weeks into treatment.
3. Summer is here. Our first CSA vegetable box of the season arrives today! According to Angelic Organics, we're scheduled to receive purple and white scallions, various squash and zucchini, broccoli, oregano, cilantro, lots of cooking and salad greens, and the treasured single harvest garlic scapes. I can hardly wait to get started. Fresh organic greens salad with flank steak tonight, baby!
4. Last but certainly not least, Roo has reached another milestone recently - 21 pounds! Dairy continues to agree with him and while it's still not his favorite food group, the addition of cheese, butter, and cream to foods he does like seems to be helping him pack on the ounces. He's still no hulk for sure (but please don't tell him, especially if he's wearing his Incredible Hulk t-shirt!), but the pediatrician gave us the go ahead to wait and see before we have to go back to the food aversion specialist. His next pediatrician appointment is in early July. Do I hear 21.5 pounds?
Not a bad start to summer. Here's hoping the good tidings continue.
1. The new kitchen design is working out beautifully. We're still waiting on stools but the little kids have taken to standing on kitchen chairs pulled up to the island to watch me cook. Better yet, they like to stand there and eat a snack while they watch. Even better still, good, fatty, nutritious guacamole is becoming a favorite.
2. Though we continue to discover more annoying molluscum bumps on all of the kids, ZymaDerm appears to be working. Roo's worst (and most obvious) patch of bumps is clearing up. It didn't happen in the 30 days promised by the ZymaDerm guarantee, but they are exploding and vanishing now, about 6 weeks into treatment.
3. Summer is here. Our first CSA vegetable box of the season arrives today! According to Angelic Organics, we're scheduled to receive purple and white scallions, various squash and zucchini, broccoli, oregano, cilantro, lots of cooking and salad greens, and the treasured single harvest garlic scapes. I can hardly wait to get started. Fresh organic greens salad with flank steak tonight, baby!
4. Last but certainly not least, Roo has reached another milestone recently - 21 pounds! Dairy continues to agree with him and while it's still not his favorite food group, the addition of cheese, butter, and cream to foods he does like seems to be helping him pack on the ounces. He's still no hulk for sure (but please don't tell him, especially if he's wearing his Incredible Hulk t-shirt!), but the pediatrician gave us the go ahead to wait and see before we have to go back to the food aversion specialist. His next pediatrician appointment is in early July. Do I hear 21.5 pounds?
Not a bad start to summer. Here's hoping the good tidings continue.
Thursday, June 10, 2010
New Kitchen!!
Okay, we're waiting on the counter stools, the tile backsplash is still pending but here it is before...
And AFTER!!
Monday, June 7, 2010
Back in Business
Phew! After a week of more strategic than usual meal planning, hectic restaurant outings where nobody actually ate anything, and doing dishes in the bathtub, our "minor" kitchen remodel is nearing completion. This weekend we regained use of our countertops, new extra-deep, single-bowl sink, two stylish new faucets, and a brand spanking new garbage disposal in the island sink.
The troops will be back today to finish up some patching and painting, to haul the debris and by god, I hope, to reconnect the dishwasher. As it turns out, putting the endless stream of sippy cups into and out of the dishwasher is not the monumental chore it once seemed when compared with the alternative of carrying them to the river.
The kitchen is glorious. Opened up floor plan, glossy granite, shiny sinks, leak-free faucets, a sprayer that actually sprays, countertops that no longer grumble and shake in protest when we run the garbage disposal - marvelous! Of course now we can't afford groceries but still totally worth it, don't you think?
The very best part is that with our new super-island, the kiddos can get their hands into the batter without getting in the way. At least that's the theory. I'm looking forward to making dinner without three little butts propped on the counters between sharp knives and steaming pans. I can't believe no one's lost a finger yet. Now they'll each have a clear view from their own safe little perch on the other side of the island.
I'll post some before and after photos when it's finished, with any luck later today.
The troops will be back today to finish up some patching and painting, to haul the debris and by god, I hope, to reconnect the dishwasher. As it turns out, putting the endless stream of sippy cups into and out of the dishwasher is not the monumental chore it once seemed when compared with the alternative of carrying them to the river.
The kitchen is glorious. Opened up floor plan, glossy granite, shiny sinks, leak-free faucets, a sprayer that actually sprays, countertops that no longer grumble and shake in protest when we run the garbage disposal - marvelous! Of course now we can't afford groceries but still totally worth it, don't you think?
The very best part is that with our new super-island, the kiddos can get their hands into the batter without getting in the way. At least that's the theory. I'm looking forward to making dinner without three little butts propped on the counters between sharp knives and steaming pans. I can't believe no one's lost a finger yet. Now they'll each have a clear view from their own safe little perch on the other side of the island.
I'll post some before and after photos when it's finished, with any luck later today.
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