As stated in an earlier post, Beckett has been struggling a bit in the areas of eating and digestion. The problem is now (thank you, thank you) solved, but getting there involved a few stressful days. Rather than drag on and on via prose (oops...it still drags but wanted a record), I thought I'd just write down a timeline...
Tuesday: Beckett's not gaining weight. See pediatrician who orders us to get an abdominal x-ray and ultrasound, as well as refers us to a GI specialist. I somehow manage to talk my way into scheduling the tests Thursday (could have been Monday thanks to a LAME technician).
Wednesday: Make an appointment with a pediatric GI specialist for Friday morning who, it turns out, is one of the very best out here. So now we're feeling like we'll get some answers before the weekend. Much relief here, especially because today emerges as the worst day/night for Beckett to date: he throws up after every meal from 11am to 5am.
Thursday: Alex stays home (crazy night with Beckett and wanted to be around for the tests). Sally (super awesome friend) watches Hamilton in the morning, giving Alex and myself a bit of a breather. We go to the pediatrician and discover that Beckett has lost a few ounces since Tuesday (I knew it!) but isn't dehydrated (whew). Lunch as a family at the hospital (cool to eat in the cafeteria Alex frequented just a few weeks ago). Then spent FOREVER waiting/getting the tests done. Beckett loved the ultrasound...the hum of the machine put him in the deepest sleep. So cute. Head home...
We somehow manage to get a few ounces in Beckett (no vomiting...miracle) and head out for a walk. We go no farther than one block when my phone rings. It's the pediatrician on call for our guy who once he establishes he's talking to the right person says, "I don't know who was working over there, but they shouldn't have let you leave the hospital. You need to come back right away. Your son has tested positive for pyloric stenosis, which can cause dehydration and can only be solved by surgical means. I'm calling the ER to let them know you're coming." I, of course, started crying almost immediately but manage to talk to the doctor...waiting to start sobbing until after hanging up. So, we return home, I pack a really random diaper bag (mostly blankets--didn't really know what I was doing), drop Hamilton off at friends', and drive back to the hospital.
The ER is totally, totally packed, so I'm so grateful that we have our own "doctor fast pass." Beckett gets an IV and blood drawn. We all wait for about 4 hours before we get our room up in Pediatrics.
Friday: We are so glad to be in Pediatrics...where people know how to take care of babies! I run home to grab stuff for a couple days, as well as some food. When I get back, Alex leaves to spend the night at our house. Beckett hasn't been allowed food since we entered the hospital, but the little guy still lets me sleep from 1am-4:30am. After that, it's a lot of cuddling and pacifier use.
Alex comes over around 7:30, which is about when we finally learn that the surgery will be scheduled between 1 and 2. More cuddling, more waiting. Talk to surgeon and anesthesiologist. Like both of them right away...much reassured and understand better what's going on with Beckett (stomach muscle leading to intestines has grown too big, so food can't get through to be digested).
An incubator gets wheeled in around 2:30, and I think, "What?! That's for sick babies!" Oh...wait...mine is. Dose of reality.
Surgery lasts from 3-4. Alex and I do a pretty good job of distracting each other, including eating our feelings with ice cream. So happy to see the surgeon and hear that everything has gone perfectly.
We see Beckett back up in our room by 4:30. Alex leaves around 6 to get Hamilton, leaving Beckett, the nurses, and me to work on his new feeding schedule: taking 24+ hours to build up to 2 oz of full-strength formula (we started with 10ml of Pedialyte). I spend the night holding him, sitting up in bed, sometimes dozing, and feeding him what the nurse brings every two hours.
Saturday: Beckett has only spit up (real baby spit up, not the vomit we're used to) a couple times, so we're cleared to be discharged by the evening. In the meantime, Alex has (again) dropped Hamilton off with friends to give me a Beckett break and some company for the last few hours at the hospital.
Sunday: At home, but keeping Beckett on smaller feedings (2 oz every 3 hours), so he's pretty miserable.
Monday: Pediatrician's. No weight gain (well, he hasn't gotten to eat much), but he looks good, and I look much improved as well :).
Tuesday: Back to "ad lib" feeding. My baby is hungry!! Hooray! Smiles his first smile :).
Part II of this story will be a lengthy list of all the big and little things we had to be grateful for during this time...
