Sunday, May 17, 2009

Prayers for Braxton


OUR TOUGH LITTLE MAN!!!

There is not an easy way to start explaining things...so I will try and start from the beginning. When we first had Braxton, he was doing everything he was supposed to...eating great, burping with only one little tap on the back, pooping regularly, sleeping great...we were headed home 2 days later with this PERFECT little man! When we took him to his 1 week appointment, he had gained a half a pound and all checked out good. I did mention to the Dr that he seemed to be becoming a hard burper for me...but not for Brad. He told me to try putting him on my lap, this and that...and it was no big deal. The very next day (May 5th) he first 'spit up', which babies do. No big deal. I would put him over my shoulder, over my lap, bend down to the ground and back up, put him in the air, I did EVERYTHING to make him burp. Sometimes he would, sometimes he wouldn't. It seemed that the times he burped he was good, the times I couldn't get a burp out, he would tend to 'spit up' quite a bit. I wasn't too alarmed yet, just sad that I 'sucked' at burping my child. It continued on and off, maybe once a day he tended to 'spit up' and it got to be more and more coming out. On the 9th of May, we excitedly went to Great Grandma's to visit. After being there for a half hour he projectile vomitted all over himself, me, the floor, the rug...it was horrible! I was bawling trying to clean him up and not sure what to do. It wasn't the typical 'spit up' we were seeing prior. That afternoon I remember telling Brad for the first time, something is 'wrong'! Then, after that, it seemed like every other bottle he would 'projectile vomit'. Still, he wasn't doing it for Brad. It made us think that once again, I 'suck' at burping, but then the more we talked about it, I was the one feeding Braxton for the most part. It just happened that the times Brad fed him, he kept the bottle down. Then, we were noticing that we would feed him, and within the hour he would get a funny face and up came the formula...after every single bottle. I called the pediatrician, and they told me over and over that I was trying too hard to burp him and I was shaking things up in his belly...so now, I'm the one making him throw up. Every time I said 'throw up', they followed by correcting me with 'spit up'. I know the difference between 'spit up' and 'throw up' I kept telling them. Anyways, by the 11th of May it just got worse and worse. I continued to call in and they continued to tell me the typical 'you're a first time mom' and etc. ( NOT what I wanted to hear!) By Thursday, the 14th I called and demanded they see him. He hadn't had a bowel movement for a few days so I made them think that I thought he was constipated...because then I knew I could get in and hopefully get some questions answered. Well, we get there and Braxton filled and I mean FILLED a dirty diaper!!! So, of course the Dr is ready to send us on our way. He gained from 8lbs 4 oz to 9 lbs. Sounds great, but the nurse weighed him with him fully clothed, diapered, paci, and blanket...so, I'm telling the Dr I think something is wrong that he 'projectile vomits', again he corrects me with telling me 'spit up' ...so he gives us different formula to try and tells up to do some bottles of pedialyte and all will be well. SO, we head home, but first Braxton 'projectile vomits' on me as we are walking out the Dr's office. I seen no point in going back in to show him the puke, figured he would tell me again, that babies 'spit up'. So, we get home, I give him the bottle of pedialyte, he takes it, keeps it down...give him a bottle 4 hours later...he keeps it down, ready to give his next bottle and he 'projectile vomits' all over Grandma. (sorry grandma) By this time we KNOW something is wrong...I call over and over to the Dr office, leave message after message...no call back. I just didnt' think it was normal to throw up pedialyte...so as for thinking we needed to change formulas wasn't really an option in my mind. Thursday night I gave him a bottle at 11:30...he fell asleep on me til 1, gave him another bottle, he slept on me til 4, Brad gave him a bottle and he slept on him til 8am. So, now we are thinking, Oh My, he's better!!! Brad walks out the door to work and I start to give a bottle and BLAH!!! Here is the 'projectile vomit' again. I want to also add that from the day he started spitting up and vomitting, he never cried once! He didn't get fussy or crabby or anything! He was PERFECT!!! He is such a good baby we kept saying...but just felt the throwing up was not right...poor little guy! So, Brad comes back, I call the Dr AGAIN and DEMAND that the nurse tell him I WANT A CALL BACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! and he is PROJECTILE VOMITTING and NOT spitting up!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I swore if they corrected me one more time, I was going thru the phone!!!!!!!!!!!!!! So, 45 minutes later (which felt like hours) the dr calls back. In the mean time, I called a great client/friend of mine who helped us out SO much!!!!!!!! She told me how to word things and how to speak to the dr to get it across to him that I truly felt something was wrong! THANK YOU so much Kelsey!!! With out her telling me what to do, I feel like we would still be sitting at home and not being taken seriuos! So, I demanded I wanted tests done to rule things out...after some (not so nice words) I got thru to the dr that I wasn't settling till they did tests. By 11:30 we were in the hospital getting an upper G I test done...I think that's what it's called...by now they have done so many tests I can't recall what's what...anyways, it did show that he had pyloric stenosis. Which, the previous night, Grandma Sheri was up and researching in our books and on line and she actually made comments that this is what she thought he had, and all symptoms appeared and Brad and I were really believing this too. Now, we are aware that you don't believe everything you read on line, and what not, but we were so set that this is what it was! Yep...by noonish they had him diagnosed. What they did was had him drink a bottle of 'something starting with a b'..boram??? I don't recall, but, as he drank this dye type stuff, they did xrays and it showed it traveling thru the esaphagus, and down to the stomach, and from the stomach on, it should shoot thru an opening the size and width of your pinky finger...his did nothing...and when it finally did try and go, it was the size of a pinhead...so, by 2pm Friday he was in surgery. The surgery would consist of them going in about 2 inches above his belly button and a tad off to the side and making a 2 inch incision...they would then cut the muscle, and that would open up then to the size of the pinky finger like it should be, and that's it! All will be fine, we should head home Saturday with the perfect baby we knew we had. Well, not so much luck there...Friday at 11:30 pm he projectile vomits again...which we were not ready to see. So, by Saturday morning they had to put a tube down his nose thru his throat into his belly to suck out and fluids he may have. It appeared his stomach was compressed large. So, by using this tube, it would bring it back down to normal size. They have been keeping up with xrays and watching things closely. We are waiting for him to have a bowel movement as well. I never thought I would be praying for my child to go poop! Today is Sunday, and he still has the tube. He did take down an ounce yesterday afternoon, which is a great thing. But, this morning they discovered he has a touch of pneumonia now. They also informed us that he does have acid reflux and a heart murmur. With the touch of pneumonia, that will cause his bowels to slow down, and that is probably why there has been no bowel movement. So, as we are told over and over, have PATIENCE. As for all of you that know me, you very well know that Amanda DOES NOT have patience!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! So, this is very hard and stressful. Brad has been very strong thru this all, thank good ness because I am not the strong one. I cannot explain how hard it is to see my baby going thru so much. This is the worst feeling ever...but I have to keep telling myself it will get better. It's just been a long few weeks thru all this..... So, please keep Braxton in your prayers. I will try and update as often as I can. ~



4 comments:

  1. I hope your son get better soon. Kisses for little Braxton.

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  2. Braxton has been on our minds constantly and in our prayers!! We will continue to think of you guys!! We really can not wait for our new little nephew/cousin to be healthy and home! Give him lots of hugs and kisses for us!
    We love you all!

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  3. We are praying for little Braxton and you and Brad. Be strong and GOD will get you through this. Ivy had something similar to the heart issue. If you need to talk to someone I always have an ear to listen. I know how stressful this can be. Give him lots of kisses and hugs. Take care.
    Cora Korus

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  4. I feel so sorry for you guys that norfolk hospital is the worst place only go there if you want to die and that the truth. I hope everything keeps getting better he is tough little guy! When i read what norfolk did it made me cry i just cant understand how people can even work there knowing they are hurting people not making them better. Cj and i will be prayng for you guys and Braxton.

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