Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Waiting Game

I've been trying so hard to keep the despair and negativity I'm feeling towards Addisons' disposition, health problems, temperament (take your pick--I'm not sure what the right word is to describe the situation, though I feel that health problems is the best way to describe it) out of my blog, but tonight I'm unable to avoid it.

Just in the way that we have to wait again for a referral to a new pediatrician. I am hoping, earnestly, that we do not need to wait long (as in 3 months long). Not knowing what is wrong has gone on long enough. She was doing so well up until the middle of November, and then things went all awry again. She doesn't sleep well at night, waking up howling, as if she's hurting somewhere; holding her and cuddling her doesn't help anymore, either. When I hold her, she pushes away. She isn't hungry; typically she wakes within an hour or two of eating.

She's begung crying at frequent intervals throughout the day again- for the most part enough throughout the day that I dare not leave the living room where she's playing, because as soon as I start doing something, the crying begins again.

Her appetite remains on the poorer side--one day she'll eat fairly well (for her) and the next, she eats next to nothing. For a while, even rice cereal didn't go over so well. In the last week or so, it seems to be getting better again, thankfully, because breakfast and supper tend to be the only meals where she eats (in my mind) adequately.

Naps aren't going so well, either--for both girls. Maybe its teething; I'm not sure. Typically, they would nap an hour or a little longer each time they went to sleep during the day. They were having a quick snack at 5 pm and then heading for another quick, short nap after that, tying them over until supper time at 7, and then bedtime at 8. Not anymore. Now we're not napping at all after 2, and the naps we do take are only half an hour long.

Thankfully for Maren, she's starting to sleep through the night. It might not be every night, but three out of the last four nights have been all-nighters for her. Thank you, baby!!

I've been bringing Addison to the chiropractor, which unfortunately isn't making a big enough difference for us. It isn't really helping. Her pediatrician, who we saw last Monday, didn't have the time to listen to my concerns, so sent us home with an inadequate diagnosis (slight ear infection--so take amoxycillin and an antacid for tummy troubles). Today, we went to another doctor, this time in town, and I am not totally satisfied with what he had to say, either. I was hoping he would have some insight into the situation; either he was playing it safe or he really didn't know.

The chiropractor isn't able--and hasn't been able to over the last three visits-- to get Addisons' right knee to reflex with her rubber mallet. She is a bit concerned about it, so asked me to have it checked by someone else. We did, and now we're waiting for another doctor to have a look at it. We hear that this pediatrician is really good; his waiting list is long, but once we get in, we won't be disappointed.

Dear Lord.

The first time we were referred to him, we had to wait three months. At the time, that was wwaaayyyyy too long. Thank goodness our current pediatrician came up with the diagnosis of colic. It may not have been the right or accurate one, but what he prescribed certainly made a difference.

Not anymore. Now there's something else. Oh, she still has her happy moments. And when she does, she is soooo sweet. I just wish they happened a little more frequently.

For my own sanity--and for the sake of my dear child--I am not sure I can wait that long again, either.

4 comments:

  1. Hi Alison, have you ever tried taking her off dairy? Try her on a lactose free formula?Amy was terrible as a baby. She screamed most of the night and was always really uspet when I layed her down flat. My pediatrician suggested I give her some lactose free formula and it was amazing how different she was. That being said, she still didnt sleep thru the night until she was 19 months old but she was alot happier. It was rough though I did alot of cryng... alot of crying. Oh I also had to cut out whey products which are also a dairy protein. Just a thought. Good luck. I hope you have help.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Allison, I'm sure you've tried this already, but in case you haven't, have you tried taking her off of milk and milk products? Addison sounds a lot like Owen did for his first year of life, and no milk made a big difference. He was still sensitive, difficult and slept poorly, but there was a lot of improvement. And on the brighter side - he's now almost 4, and his temperament (while still more sensitive than most) is much more even keel, and he SLEEPS. It will get better!

    ReplyDelete
  3. i so feel for you. I have been through similar issues twice.... one question when she has her "moods" does she get dark circles under her eyes end or get red cheeks and or ears?

    my chiro naturopath and peid all said the dark circles are allergy shiners. (both my kids get them and my husband his is nearly constant cus all he eats is things that set it off) the probiotics help and enzymes even more so. but its not perfect. and anti fungals help too with all three she consistently eats and has regular bowel movements its crazy as she never has, at a young age it was constipation from iron intolerance (read fortified cereal formula and meat) then after a tummy bug she went the other way.

    the worst reaction to food she had was around the age of one, i gave her a cookie she ate half of it and in 20 min her eyes got soooo dark and passed out for two hours. nothing could rouse her. now food she complains of tummy pain and tongue pain.

    we even got a blood food allergy test for h too. and are thinking of getting another.

    your description of addy sounds so much like how H is.

    ReplyDelete
  4. milk is one thing. i know for addy and H both it was dairy and soy and addy also had beef problems. they both also seem to react to grains mostly gluten ones but rice and others arnt excluded from that. (dark circles under eyes and mood changes h gets tummy problems)
    with h she developed a dairy intolerence between formula and shots (as many are grown in milk protien, and she had major problems after each one that did) soy was from the formula was only able to use it for maybe a month before it made her sick too maybe less. look for hidden milk like baby "mum mums" has milk powder in it.

    addy was intolerent from just my milk she had no formula whatso ever. so i cut all three beef milk and soy form my diet and she got better. if i had any of the offending foods most of the milk for the day i would be wearing.

    im on a few biomedical forums and many parents with similar issues to this ended up doing a rotation diet or dairy glueten soy and corn free. some even go as far as grain free there is a diet called the specific carbohydrate diet designed to heal the gut and hopefully make it so you can reintroduce the foods that used to cause a problem. i would love to do that but my meat eating carb loveing husband would wither away if we ate like that.

    the enzymes i am getting for h are based on the same theory behind that diet but it gives the enzymes the person is lacking to fully digest the trouble foods. the best results are found with going to a very limited diet for 4-6 mo while the gut heals (while taking the enzymes probiotics and other supplements if needed) and most parents ive talked to whove used it have said the kids were entirely different children. some through doing other treatments were even able to stop treatment altogether after a while.

    i used to watch alot of autisim forums as h was delayed and had autistic traits and her gut issues were identical to the autistic kids. through working on getting her tummy healthy and getting her enough nutrients she does not qualify for a diagnosis! with ourwithout the lable she still has traits and the bad digestion and mood liability, here are some things I found helpful. there is much much more but I was overwhelmed enough with one kid when i was figureing this all out. I have much more i can give them to you in an email or something I also highly suggest a good naturopath preferably one with an MD or a very good one.

    ALSO REMEMBER... you live with the child you know her best do not let the dr's push you around RESEARCH and come prepared and hold your ground.it wears ya down but you are her voice. we all are here for you you are NOT ALONE!


    http://www.saras-autism-diet.freeservers.com/Diet/Saras_Diet_I.html
    http://www.internationallaw.no/gfcf_results/html/sara_s_diet.htm
    http://www.houston-enzymes.com/store/product.php?p=7&c=1
    http://www.danasview.net/phenol.htm
    http://www.nutraingredients-usa.com/Research
    http://www.houston-enzymes.com/learn/faq.php/Science-The-wider-impacts-of-gut-health

    ReplyDelete