Update

Just a little update on what's been going on with Lucca these past few weeks...

A year ago he had an ultrasound done of his stomach because he was having alot of bloating and cramping, so they were looking for bowel obstructions/abnormalities.. Everything turned out ok, but as a fluke they found that his left kidney had some fluid on it. Nothing to be TOO concerned about but his doctors wanted us to get a follow up just to make sure it wasn't something small like he had to pee really bad and the fluid was just backed up.. So we had the follow-up done of just his kidneys and it showed that his left kidney has more fluid than the last one done, and his bladder was completely empty so we know it wasn't because he had to pee. The pediatric radiologist recommended that he have a procedure called a V.C.U.G. done (where they stick a catheter through his urethra into his bladder and inject contrast into his bladder to see if any urine is refluxing back up into his kidneys causing the fluid). Can you say PAINFUL!? Well we had that done yesterday and my big boy didn't cry AT ALL! He didn't even flinch! He did SO good that after the procedure was done the radiologist asked if I had given him medication to relax! lol She said she has NEVER had a kid be so good and not even cry! Such a big boy :) Well the test showed that there is NO reflux going back up into his kidneys, so that is GREAT news! Now we just don't know what is causing it.. lol But the fact that it isn't reflux and there aren't any stones is great.

Now the reflux... the devil that has been haunting my poor lil guy since birth... We have had Lucca on two of the strongest reflux medications out there that he is allowed to be on, and while they work slightly for a little bit, it's almost like his body becomes immune to them and they don't even begin to touch his puking.. His throat is so raw and he is constantly making weird noises that you can tell is because his throat burns :( I hate it! He can't keep anything down (fluids or solids), EVERY time he burps something comes up, even if it is HOURS later.. for example: he eats dinner around 6:30-7:00. The other morning around 3am he burped and stuff came up.. alot of times it isn't even digested. Stuff comes up while he is just sitting doing nothing. The sphincter where his esophagus and stomach meet doesn't work properly so it allows food to come back up just as easily as it goes down. It sucks. It is definitely hindering him physically because anytime he rolls onto his stomach or sits and it is putting pressure onto his stomach, stuff comes up.. all day every day.

So last year after Lucca had his endoscopy and everything came back with no abnormalities except his sphincter and that he just has severe reflux , the doctor recommended a surgery: Nissen Fundoplication. (where they take the top portion of his stomach and sew it around the bottom portion of his esophagus) Of course back then we were like, "heck no! if it is just severe reflux then he will grow out of it." Well, one year and ONE pound later...he hasn't grown out of it. Soo.. knowing this his reflux is possibly a trait of his condition, we aren't sure if he is ever going to grow out of it.. We decided to make an appointment with that GI doctor to discuss some other options on how to help him. Do I want him to have surgery? Of course not. What mom wants their kids to have surgery?! But we are starting to think that this might be the only thing that cures him of the constant throwing up. If it wasn't hindering his growth and his physical development it wouldn't be an issue..but it is. And his poor throat is so raw!

Anyway, this is where we are right now.. Appt on Monday to talk about possible options and to find out more information about this surgery. Will keep everyone updated on what we find out! Please keep us and Lucca in your prayers as this is a HUGE decision for us to make. I'm scared to make the wrong one..

Rough Weekend & Family Photos

This has been a pretty rough weekend...My poor lil Lucca Man has been feeling pretty irritable lately and little over a month ago he started to reflux again ALOT.. After every meal, when he sits up, when you pick him up, etc. Just like it used to be..On top of the vomitting, he has been SOOOO SUPER WHINEY.. I don't know if it is in conjunction with the vomitting and his throat and belly are hurting because of it, or if it is for some other reason and it stinks that he can't tell me what hurts.. :( It is so hard to go anywhere and do anything with a lil guy that is whining and puking constantly lol! Just the other night on our way home from dinner he puked 3 times in the car and it is so hard to clean up vomit while you are driving and hope he doesn't choke on his puke! He is already on the maximum doseage of Prevasid for his reflux and the next step is going to a medicine that isn't FDA approved for babies, which is kinda scary... But this puking after every meal multiple times is getting really rough and hard to handle considering he is almost 2 years old... He is definitely irritated by it too.. Anyway, I hate to sound like im complaining but I just hate seeing him in pain and I don't know what is hurting him.. Then we had family pictures planned for today and we get there and are waiting for our turn, but Lucca falls asleep and we can't get him to wake up...his eyes were all rolling back in his head like he was drugged up or something, so obviously he doesn't feel well and we decided to reschedule pictures for next week. Luckily my mom and dad took some for us when we got back to their house, so I have some "non-professional family pictures" to show :) Professional ones to come soon...depending on Lucca lol.


-Lucca & Daddy...aren't they so handsome!?-

-Me and my lil man-

-Lucca-Man-

-Making crazy noises-

-The McLendons...my little family-

Just some info...and venting...

It is common for infants to spit up after a meal, but frequent vomiting among infants may be caused by GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease), the upward movement of stomach content, including acid, into the esophagus and sometimes into or out of the mouth. Older children also can be affected.

What Causes GERD in Infants and Children?

Most of the time, reflux in infants is due to a poorly coordinated gastrointestinal tract. Many infants with the condition are otherwise healthy; however, some infants can have problems affecting their nerves, brain or muscles.



What Are the Symptoms of GERD in Infants and Children?

The most common symptoms are:

Frequent or recurrent vomiting
Frequent or persistent cough
Heartburn, gas, abdominal pain, or colicky behavior (frequent crying and fussiness)
Regurgitation and re-swallowing



For those of you who don't know (which I'm sure you all do) this is what we go through on a daily basis with Lucca....since birth. It seems like no matter WHAT we go to the doctor for, whatever is going on is being caused by his reflux.Reflux, reflux, reflux...
Because of his reflux we were not able to give him tummy time as an infant because he would constantly puke...he had to be upright at least 30 minutes after each meal, and had to sleep in his car seat until he was 4 months old. We started out on a single dose of Prevasid a day to help with the burning and irritation caused by the reflux. Instead of progressing and getting better as he SHOULD be..he is now on the maximum dose of Prevasid, which is 3 times a day.
He is now 10 months old, and still cannot sit up on his own or do adequate amount of tummy time without puking everywhere. It seems like this is never going to end. And yes I know "this too shall pass" but it is really discouraging to see babies everywhere that are 4 months old and 6 months old sitting up playing by themselves and crawling around and my son wants to SO VERY BAD and trys to all the time, but can't do it without puking over and over. Don't get me wrong, I am not mad about the other babies lol, I am glad that they are progressing. It just makes me sad that my son is experiencing this crap, because I want him to be able to grow and progress along with his fellow baby friends. Hopefully I can talk with his doctor about it and see if he suggests anything else. We do all the exercises he tells us to do that will strengthen Lucca's stomach muscles, but it not that they are weak and he isn't "able" to do it, he just cant do it without puking up his meal, even if it is 3-4 hours after he has eaten. *SIGH* And just so everyone knows..I am by NO MEANS complaining about my son. I love him more than anything in this world, i just wish that I could take all this pain and aggravation away from him so he can be a normal little baby, and enjoy babyhood lol.... there is my venting for the night. Please keep Lucca in your prayers that the Lord will heal his belly and allow him to progress as he should. Thank you! Love you all.