Game Plan?

Its only January 4th and we've already started with doctor's appointments this year. I just looked at the calendar and there at least one doctor's appointment for Carter each week, if not more than one. Oh, and throw in a dentist appointment in there for Aiden just for kicks. I'm praying Aiden stays healthy, well because I just want him to be healthy and also because I don't want to add in any more trips to the doctors.

Ok, so the appointment today was for Carter. He had his follow-up appointment with his GI this morning. It was a good visit, but not great. I always want to go to the doctor and come out with everything solved. And well, that just doesn't happen. I really wanted to come out with a game plan or a timeline of sorts. I'm not really sure that happened, but nonetheless, we have a pseudo game plan, I think. Carter had been doing great this past week eating from the bottle, he had gotten up to 1.5 ounces, but then over the weekend started to refuse eating again. He had gone from a happy baby to a baby who pretty much screamed when he was awake or was sleeping. So we talked about how much Carter was drinking, going, etc. After spending over an hour with us and trying to feed Carter the bottle himself, we left with a list of "things to try" and see what happens. We have been given another way to feed him through the feeding tube instead of using the pump (basically you put the formula in a large syringe attached to the tube and hold it up over his head and let gravity pull it down into his stomach). This is supposed to be easier on his stomach and not force it in, like the pump, but home health hasn't delivered the syringes, so we haven't been able to try it yet. Carter is also going to see a speech therapist to make sure it isn't a latching problem and that he is able to drink it how he's supposed to. And then she also changed his medication for his constipation. He seems to stop eating when he is backed up, so hopefully, if we get that taken care of, then he'll eat more from the bottle.

As for the big question, "how long will the tube be in?", well that is uncertain. I think it will be in for a while, just because that is what I think. The doctor did say that Carter will have to drink purely from a bottle for a week before she can take it out. I'm thinking that might take a while, but praying it doesn't.

That is where we stand. Just plugging along, trying to find Carter's "normal" if there is such a thing.