The Puddles

We went to the pediatrician’s office today to hopefully get Ben on some reflux medicine to help with his heart burn (of which he has not mentioned anything to us, but announces it to the cardiologist at our last appointment).  This has happened before with Ben and it usually taken care of by medicine.  I just want Ben to not hurt.  I thought this would be a quick in and out.  But of course, we were there for over an hour.

Trapped in a tiny exam room with three kids in daunting, but my three are super (and well trained).  There are games that we play together as a family only in the pediatrician’s office. Like . . . I Spy, Quiet Water Still Water, I’m Thinking Of.  And of course, we like to sing (although done quietly).  So we managed to entertain ourselves for awhile. During which various medical staff would come in and ask us a variety of questions.  Finally our doc came in and starting talking to Ben trying to figure out what the problem was.  Well . . . she just opened the door to Ben’s skillful delivery of information.  His descriptions of heart burn was ingenious.  He may not know all of the words, but he understood what he was feeling and did an awesome job of telling the doctor.

The end result is that we are going to see a gastro—— doctor (I swear I can’t pronounce or spell the word).  Because of Ben’s history of having these reflux issues over the years, she wants Ben to see a specialist.  She recommended that we see the doctor that her son goes too.  She called him and spoke to him on the phone and he is willing to see Ben in the next few weeks.  Seriously in specialist world this has never happened that we were able to get in quickly.  We’ll find out tomorrow.

The saddest part of this entire visit was that he told the doctor he was worried because he heard you can die from heart burn.  Seriously, I am not making this up.  Poor guy.  He’s heard enough from tv commercials and other sources to have completely convinced himself of this fact.  He was totally serious when he told the doctor and then proceeded to explain himself.  Our doctor really spent time on this issue to make sure that he understood that he was not going to die.  I think he connected his heart issue with the burning that he was feeling and heart attacks and everything else horribly related to hearts.  Poor guy.  He must have been scared.  And he just didn’t want to worry us so that’s why he didn’t tell us.  Sweet boy.

In the meantime, he is to start taking Prevacid in the evenings. We are to eat milder foods. And the hardest rule . . . we have to eat dinner 2 hours before he goes to bed.  That means I have to feed him at 5:30pm!  At least three days a week we are at our afternoon activity at that time.  I think we will be eating a lot of sandwiches in the evenings or at least something that I can pack in a lunchbox.  I don’t know what to do.  I’m going to have to get creative.  Food prep is not my forte.

All of this is on top of still trying to figure out Ainsley’s tummy issues.  What am I going to do when I receive a new set of rules for her to eat by?  I’m going to have to learn to cook better.  And I really like meatloaf too.

We can just add all of this to my never-ending list of responsibilities.  Only this time if I mess up, it will just cause my children misery.  No pressure.