Thursday, August 28, 2008

little girl, BIG MEDICINE!


Thursday found us visiting doctors number 4 and 5 at the recommendation of doctor number 3. The GI Specialist from Thursday (#3) plans on covering all bases by putting Lydia on an anti-ulcer medication, scanning her stomach for any defects, testing her blood for anemia, and switching her from breast milk to a special hypoallergenic formula. At some point, I could go back to breastfeeding, but I would have to spend 13 weeks systematically eliminating and then reintroducing common allergens in my diet. All the while waiting for Lydia to have another GI tract bleed. Sounds too risky to me, so I regretfully stopped breastfeeding yesterday and switched her to formula. As if that didn't upset things enough, this morning we had to stop feeding her altogether in preparation for a meckles scan for stomach defects. Lydia got an IV injection of a radioactive tracer element and then went into the scan machine for 40 minutes. Jen and I were able to hold her hands and sing to her, but neither she nor I could think of many lullabies. So Lydia got a duet of Prince's Raspberry Barret and that song that goes "Don't Give Me Know Lines and Keep Your Hands to Yourself". The whole time, my radioactive baby lit up the computer screen with an extra bright spot where her stomach is. Radiology guy didn't seem overly concerned by what he saw, but we will know more when the results are in. Then we were off to a different lab for blood work. Another poke, another band aid and we thought we were done. That is, until we were handed the baggy with a bio-hazzard symbol and given instructions on collecting several stool samples and bringing them back to Children's Hospital. The potentially radioactive poo is now safely stored in my refrigerator and it looks like returning it will be medical appointment number 6 this week. Did I mention that I bought a BIG bag of apples at the store today?

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