6.15.13 Mixed Results

Aimee's surgery follow up was earlier this week. Pleasantly, unexpectedly, we have found that the strength of her cough has increased since surgery. Although this did not reduce the time of her most recent sickness (still right about 2 weeks), she did not battle dehydration nearly as much as she typically would and she did not lose very much weight. Also, since surgery, she has been able to breath through her nose and it was able to run during sickness. All really great.

However, the main reason we did the adenoid removal and turbinate reduction was to allow her tear ducts to open. At this point, we still can't tell if this has happened. It doesn't seem like it. The doctor said that it could just be that she is showing signs of allergies due to her nasal passage being suddenly bombarded with so many invaders that is has never dealt with in the past. This should resolve itself as her immune system calms. Then if she still has this much tearing/eye infections, we'll head back to the drawing board.

In other news, I am bummed to report that my attempts to wean Aimee off of her reflux medication by replacing with apple cider vinegar and pure aloe seem to be failing. We are only on week two of my reduction schedule, which means at this point we have decreased by 1ml. She has been having a significant increase in reflux this past 48 hours. I wish I had the experience to know if our supplement doses are appropriate or if there are better options. This reflux med is the one that is rumored to block nutrient absorption. It is also practically a challenge as it is compounded and thus has to be refrigerated. I wonder how that will work with our next trip to the therapy center.

On the exciting end of the news spectrum, I finally figured out how to change Aimee's diaper in her chair. This is a huge deal for me as I have been running into difficulty finding a safe, modest way to change her on days away from home. The floor of the van was my go to spot, but with the big pregnant belly it is nearly impossible to get her in and out of her chair in a cramped space. I can only imagine, as Aimee grows, we will need to invent new solutions to this challenge.

We are two days away from the estimated arrival of Aimee's little brother Elliot. Remembering how much she enjoyed Caleb as a small, crying infant and knowing how much she loves him now, makes me excited on her behalf. She will soon have two brothers to entertain her with their funny sounds!