Reflux and Colic and Thrush...Oh, My!!!

Long time no see (or, should I say no post?). This last month Jackson's health has been my main priority, and the blog had to be put on hold for a while. The little man has been pretty unhappy. I happen to be his favorite person for TLC, so I have been busy taking care of him. With so many things causing him pain, it's hard to say what is really bothering him most. We have been to the doctor so many times (more than Charlie has been in 2 years), and I am trying not to get discouraged. I have to admit that I have been very down and have shed many tears about Jackson. Watching him cry and not being able to console him is the worst feeling in the world. What's even worse is the guilt that I feel for losing my patience with him. I know he is in pain, but it has been hard at times to keep my composure. I know that most of what ails him will just take time to pass, and I am so grateful that he does not have anything seriously wrong with him. I honestly do not know how parents of severely sick children cope. My heart goes out to all of them.

The main issues that we are still dealing with are reflux, thrush, and colic. I have seen improvements in all areas, and I am truly hopeful that in a month or so this will all be a bad memory. Here is the breakdown of where we stand with each one:

Thrush - Jackson and I can't seem to kick this nasty yeast infection. He was on a 10 day course of one med and then a 7 day course of a stronger med. Simultaneously, I was treated for 28 days with one med and then 5 days with a nasty solution that turned every article of clothing I wore and Jackson's lips purple. Even after all of that, I still had it. My doctor told me the next step was to take a break from nursing and to aggressively treat my infection for a week. So, Jackson had to learn to like a bottle and take formula in a day's time. It was a struggle at first, and he would only drink an ounce at each feeding. But he eventually gave in and did very well with bottles and formula. In fact, he slept 7 hours straight the first night. I treated myself with the nasty purple solution and pumped each time Jackson ate in order to keep my milk supply up. By day 6, I was in so much pain that I had to stop. I then spent the next 5 days healing from my treatment. By day 11 of not nursing, my supply was so low. I could not tell if the infection was truly gone, but I was scared that if I did not start nursing, I might not be able to ever again. So, I made the decision to resume nursing last Friday. I have felt much better, but I am still experiencing some discomfort. Jackson is not showing any symptoms.

Colic - Shortly after he turned one month, Jackson started freaking out at night. 5 o'clock was the dreaded time in our house. He would cry uncontrollably and for no apparent reason. It usually started after I fed him or if he woke up around that time. His fussiness would last until 8 or 9 o'clock when he would fall asleep swaddled tightly with the hair dryer blasting. I am happy to say that our nights have gotten much better in the last two weeks. But, Jackson has become fussy during the day. He will be smiling and playful one minute and crying hysterically the next. It's sad because there is no way to predict what will set him off, and it is so hard to calm him down. He pushes away if you hold him close and gets so worked up that he starts choking and gagging on his saliva.

Reflux - We saw immediate results once we were started Jackson on his third prescription of antacid. But, his symptoms never completely went away. The last three days he has been fussier than normal. Today, he cried so much and so intensely that I thought something serious had to be wrong. I was so scared after he cried for basically 4 hours straight that I called Children's Healthcare of Atlanta to see if they thought I should bring him in. The nurse on the advice line heard Jackson screaming in the background and told me that I definitely needed to bring him in. So, off we went to spend two and a half hours at CHOA urgent care. Based on his symptoms, the doctor there told me that I should take Jackson into a GI specialist. His reflux is just not under control, and we need to figure out why and what to do next. I don't want to go to the specialist because I am fearful of what types of tests they will run on my little man. I don't want to put him through anything that isn't necessary, but watching him suffer the way he did today was awful. We have to go to our pediatrician on Monday to get a referral to the specialist. Hopefully, we will be able to get an appointment some time next week so that we can get this reflux in check.

So, that is where we are...getting better in some areas and having some setbacks in others. Please keep little Jackson in your thoughts and prayers. I know that underneath all of this illness, there is a happy, smiley little baby who can't wait to feel better.