Asking You: Infant Reflux or Something More?

How cute is he?   You’d never guess he’s been my biggest challenge.   But, through it all, he keeps smiling.

Some of you have asked exactly what’s wrong with my cute little son.   I’ve touched upon it, but never really told you.

He has reflux.

Once upon a time when I heard a mom say this, I’d think, “You can’t handle a little spit up?”.   Oh, what I wouldn’t give for a little spit up!

It started with some grunting, which we thought was cute, but shortly after he was born he started to sound like Darth Vadar’s son.   I couldn’t sleep at night, because he silently choked at random times.   His throat was full of mucus.   He coughed.   He screamed in pain.   He’d go as long as 24 hours without eating.   But he was growing, so the doctors had ideas but no sure answers for me.

Finally, I went in crying, saying I just knew something wasn’t right.   Hours later Daelan and I were in one of those glass rooms you seen on shows like “House” in isolation for Whooping Cough!   While there, he was tested and they found he had high-grade reflux.

It’s taken a while, but we’ve also found a milk protein allergy.   He’s sensitive to everything – rice cereal, certain medicines, etc…   We’ve found a medicine that works for him and have him on the liquid gold Nutramigen (That does some damage to my grocery budget!!).   He’s doing great most days.   And now at almost 7 months it’s time to start solids.

We’ve been through so much.   Ear infection after ear infection and learning that even treating him for a simple ear infection is hard, because the medicine can just make everything worse.   Even the switch to the new generic version of his reflux medicine flew over like a brick and we now have to demand brand name.   We’ve had to buy nebulizer to help with reflux induced breathing issues.

It’s just not “a little spit up”.   In fact, he rarely spits up.   It stays in his throat and tears up his esophagus.

So, solids scare me, but he’s starved.   And knows.   He watched the other kids in his class eat and he cries.

I picked squash.   It was on his “safe list” and marked as one of the foods least likely to cause allergies.   It only took two meals, before my son was coughing so bad we had to break out the nebulizer three time.   He’s arching his back in pain, screaming.   He’s throwing up.   He’s wheezing. He’s cry is week, because he’s lost his voice.   Our pediatrician has told us to wait until he gets better again, then try a new food, but my mind is telling me this has more to do with the “pre-digested” part of the formula.   Just adding rice cereal to his bottle ended badly.   It seems like anything that his body has to break down, ends up causing him pain.

I usually am trying to help you save money, which I love doing!   But this time, I’m asking for help.   I’m hoping there will be at least one voice out there who’s “been there, done that” and offer me something – guidance, peace of mind, anything.   My heart is breaking, while my son is in pain.   I know the symptoms of severe reflux.   This is them.   But could it be something more?   Is there something I can do for him to help take away his pain?   His symptoms?   Anything?