Ross' Results

So, Dr. Kushner called with Ross' preliminary results. He still has mild to moderate eosinophils, but the numbers went down from 245 to 26. That is huge improvement but the disease is still prevalent. He is going to continue his beef trial along with the formula until all of the the doctors (from U.C. and Cincy Children's) meet sometime in July. They will discuss his further treatment options and get back with us. He also still had eos in his small intestines as well as in his esophagus; so this may change his diagnosis a bit, but we will have to wait and see. Please be praying that they will continue letting him trail beef and the eos continue to deplete. I did point out to Dr. K that it took Abigail nine months on formula only to have a clean scope and he is definitely taking that into consideration with Ross.

Abigal's Results

I received a phone call from Dr. Putnum today. He said that Abigail's scope looked great! There were only minimal eosinophils; nothing to prevent food trials. However, because of Abigail's status with this disease and her age, he suggested that we wait another six months to a year to begin trialing foods. This is because most of the children like Abigail fail their food trials, especially at her age. Another big reason we are waiting is because Abigail shows little to no interest in food. She is curious about what certain foods are, but other than asking what it is and if you eat it, she shows no desires to consume it herself. If and when she shows an interest and we cannot put her off any longer, then we begin the trials. Unless of coarse, we reach close to the year mark at which point we will begin them either way. When we do begin, we will start with grapes. She will have to eat them for 3 months and then be re-scoped. Although this was a bit disappointing, I agree that this is in her best interest. I would hate to set her up for failure by beginning too soon. Plus, the Lord has perfect timing! Having a high-risk pregnany and a potentially very sick two year old would not be a good thing. By the time she is ready to begin trials, the baby will have already been born and we will all be in a better position to handle possible mishaps with the foods. Okay, I think I have rambled long enough. I will post Ross' results as soon as we have them.

Abigail's Scope and A Birthday

After an hour in recovery without us by her side, the aid of oxygen, and a little girl who did not want to wake up we got a sigh of relief. They gave Abigail a new medication to help with the nausea, and it knocked her out. She was fine, just a little sleeper than normal. Recovery usually takes about 20 minutes before we get to see her, so having to wait an hour was quite nerve-racking. Though, I would gladly wait an hour in order to prevent the vomiting that occurred last time. The medication worked and next time we will be prepared to wait longer before we see her. ;) Dr. Putnum said that her esophagus looked really good, and hopefully we will begin a food trial soon. We should have her pathology report next week. If her scope is clear and she begins a food trial then she will be scoped sometime in September.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ROSS!!! The girls made daddy birthday cards before we left and he got to read them this morning...it was really sweet having them. They also called this morning to sing him "Happy Birthday". They actually beat me to it! Ross got a new grill, grilling cookbook, and last but not least he ate STEAK (for the first time in 3 1/2 months) for his birthday. It was a crazy birthday, but totally fitting for our family! :)

Ross' Scope

Ross' scope went well. The doc said that he has scarring which may not ever go away, but visually there were some subtle improvements. We are all hoping and praying for clear pathology results. We will not know any real results until those pathology reports come in, but for now he can begin a beef trial. He will continue the formula diet as well until he has a well-rounded diet; this will take some time to develop. If his scope is indeed clean then he can continue the beef trial and add a new food about every 3-4 weeks; tracking his symptoms. He will do this until he has four foods and then will be re-scoped.

Abigail's scope is tomorrow at 12:20. We have to be there at 11 am and she cannot eat past 4:30 am. Please pray for her safety during the scope, that her last feeding at 4 am will sustain her until after the scope, and that her results also come back clear.

Another Day

I have decided that if you have children, your house should come with hotel darkening curtains (fashionable I know) and highway noise because Abigail has slept in every morning we have been here. Of coarse, we have to be up early in the morning for Ross' scope, but we have enjoyed getting some extra rest the past two mornings. We have to be at the office at 6:45 in the morning and his scope will be sometime between 7 and 7:30. Today was uneventful. We rested most of the day with a quick trip to the mall, and then Ross began his prep for the scope at 4 pm. I will post an update after the scope tomorrow.

Orthopedic Appointment

Abigail's appointment with the Orthopedist went really well today. The doctor spent at least 45 minutes with us drawing pictures and explaining everything to us. Abigail does have a twist in her tibia (the bone from the knee to the ankle) on the left leg, but she said that it is relatively mild and she expects it to correct itself as she ages. Now, the hips/femur are a different story. Her femur is definitely twisted inward in the hip socket. This is not something that will correct itself, but as long as she is functioning normally surgery will not be necessary. Even if we see a need for surgery it would not be done until she is 8 years old. At this point the doctor doesn't anticipate having to do surgery unless she doesn't progessly get a little better or if she is made fun of incessantly; becoming severely self-conscience about it. Her comment was she would rather see a child have a surgical scar verses a psychological scar. I was really impressed with this doctor and glad we got a third opinion. Having these answers and a doctor that was willing to sit down with us was an answer to prayer. So for now we wait, see the doctor in a year, and plan on having a sweet little girl with a little different walk. Thank you all for the prayers...they were answered.