GI Update

I thought it was time for a quick update on Beckett's health.

First, let me say that we are so thankful for our new situation with the motility specialist at TCH. We are very confident that Beckett is getting great care. They follow him very closely and are very proactive. We are seen at the clinic every other week for weight checks and to discuss his feeding, growth, and digestive health. They feel his belly to make sure he is staying cleaned out and not developing blockages. I have met other parents who have children with similar motility disorders, and they go several months between appointments, and unfortunately become sicker in the mean time. We are blessed to have a doctor and staff who are following our little one so closely and providing very detailed care. It has been stressed in research from the major pediatric hospitals all over the country, that there is no cure for this rare type of constipation and motility problem, but it can be maintained by medicine and different treatments. We are so thankful that are doctor is doing a great job with Beckett's "maintenance" and he is not suffering from blockages and vomit that would result from poor maintenance.


Beckett will be getting tubes placed in his ears a week from today. He just finished another round of Flagyl (the antibiotic for his colon), and another round of antibiotics for yet another ear infection. So after a 5th round of meds for his ears, and a 4th round of Flagyl for his colon, it became a very easy decision for all his doctors that B needs tubes! Hopefully, the tubes will end this cycle and his colon will get a break from all these infections! At the same time, Dr. C will do both an endoscopy and colonoscopy to see how everything is looking on the inside. I was--and still am- slightly concerned about the "prep" for the scope, but they assured me it wasn't too bad. Please pray for Beckett as he will again be under anesthesia for the ear tubes to be placed and the scopes.


Beckett's weight gain has slowed. He has gained just over a pound since his six month check up. Weight gain is such a rollar coaster for this little guy. It was something that I always took so for granted with Brant. I never realized what a struggle just growing could be. So we have bumped up the calories per ounce on his formula once again. He is tolerating the more caloric mixture of his Elecare, so we are thankful for that. He also has learned to drink from a sippy cup! He takes half of his daily feedings from a sippy, and the other half from a bottle. I figure he needs a little variety. :) He is learning a lot of new things. He can now get from the laying position to the sitting position all by himself. He can also kind of "army crawl" and pull himself along. He prefers to crawl towards things that are not toys, such as remotes or wires, so I have a feeling he is going to be my child that gets into things. :) He is absolutely amazing to watch. He smiles and babbles and flirts with everyone. So while growth continues to be a struggle for him, he is learning new things and continuing to develop well. We are very thankful for that.


Thank you for your prayers. Specifically, please pray for the procedures he will be enduring next Monday, and for some good weight gain. If he does not gain well, he will be put back on the continuous pump night feeds through an NG tube. It is hard not to be anxious about it, but we know that God already knows what will happen, and he is holding little Beckett in the palms of his great and might hands. Thanks for checking on us. Happy Monday!