On the Right Track

Our appointment yesterday was such an answer to prayer. Our new GI seems wonderful for Beckett. He specializes in motility disorders and does a lot of study in the area. He took the time to listen to our concerns and questions and answered each one of them. I am very thankful that we get to see this specialized doctor. I feel like we are on the right track, and Beckett will soon be doing better with the right balance of meds and food monitored by Dr. C. We did get some "sort-of" answers. By "sort of," I mean that they can never be sure exactly what is to come (but of course, no one can be sure of that...) There are several "probably" type of answers, but they are optimistic. First, yes, there is something wrong with the nerves in his Enteric Nervous System. The ENS controls the gastrointestinal system. His has some abnormalities. BUT, it is possible that over time, it will develop. There is no way to know how long or if it will, but this is our prayer for him. In the meantime or for as long as needed, this can probably be managed with medicines and laxatives. "There are lots of tools in the shed," as the doctor said. So he gave us much hope that this is manageable. Several of the drugs do have some hard side effects which is something to consider with the duration that he is on each drug, so I am sure there will be some off time and scheduling involved. It is a little concerning, but we have been assured that the risk of side effects is very low while his need for the medicine is very high. So, he will be closely monitored until we figure out just the right combinations to help him "thrive." Of course, as with anything there are some risks and worst case scenarios, but we are very hopeful that with the help of Dr. C, Beckett will do very well. Dr. C ordered a gastric emptying scan to be done in order to see if Beckett has some level of gastroparesis or delayed gastric emptying. Basically, he will drink his formula, be swaddled and strapped to a table, and they will time how long it takes his stomach to empty. If his nerves and muscles in his stomach are not responding as they should, the emptying process will be delayed. We have a follow up in two weeks to discuss more of the plan. As long as he keeps gaining as he is (slowly but surely), there is not a feeding tube in our near future which is also a relief. We will be doing a colon cleanse over the next several days to try to clean out his colon of any blockages. He is currently very constipated, and when constipation is severe and chronic, it can cause severe infection and problems with the colon. So we need to get the little guy all cleaned out. Because of his inability to digest food well, he is still on an Elecare (his special formula) only diet, but it is concentrated to a higher calorie level. Solid baby foods are very hard on his system. We are not sure what the near future holds as far as what he can and can't eat. Hopefully, in a couple weeks, we will have even more answers, but I think we are feeling hopeful and optimistic about the situation and the direction we are headed. I will let you know how the gastric emptying scan goes. Hoping he will sleep through it! Thanks so much for your prayers and for checking on us. I am so thankful.