Pin Cushion

I am guessing that Ben is going to start feeling like a Pin Cushion, or at least a lab 'rat'. What with everything they have done, and want to do with him in the next little while...

Yesterday he went to the G.I. doctor, and we talked with the Nurse Practitioner. She wants to get to the bottom of Ben's challenges, and find out why he isn't gaining weight. And some possible underlying issues that we have missed.

Just today he got a blood draw (they drew 3 vials worth of blood) for like a CBC, Chem Pan, etc. He also had to 'pee in a cup'. I need to get a sample from the 'other end' too, but that is going to be a bit more difficult. Not sure how we are going to work that one out.

She also wants him to get a CT scan of his head, go to an endocrinologist to test his growth platelets, and such. When he was about 11 months old they did to 'sweat tests' on in...which tests for CF (cystic Fibrosis), both tests were inconclusive. So, we are hoping for better results when we get another one....'thirds a charm'.

I am sure there was more...oh, finding a speech therapist that works with feeding issues. Working more closely with a nutritionist. I could probably list more. Pheww..poor little one. I think after writing this all out, I'm leaning more toward 'Lab experiment' then 'Pin Cushion'...cause he's going to have so many tests and procedures and trials on him that he won't know what to do with himself.

It's sad when your 4 year old is finally getting to a point where he just 'puts up' with whatever he's dealt. Like today, he didn't fight NEAR as much as he has in the past, when they were drawing his blood. Before they started he just said, 'I don't want to hurt, I don't want to do it'...and he buried his head in my shoulder. The lady who draws the blood said 'it's not going to hurt', while at the same time I was saying 'it won't hurt that long, let's just get it over with'. I told the lady that he already knows it's going to hurt, so telling him that it won't just makes it worse. Well, he fought for the first part of getting poked by the needle, then he calmed down and whimpered, and kept his head turned away from where they were drawing the blood. Afterwards, he started looking around saying, 'I need a bandaid, I don't see any bandaids'. They wrapped a stretchy bandage around his elbow. Then he jumped down and said, 'I feel better now, thank you'. Then he stuck out his hand to shake the lady's hand. She thought he was so sweet and cute.