Friday, March 8, 2013

Olivia has struggled with eating all of her life. Lately it has gotten worse and she has started gagging after eating. It's frustrating as a mom who has always known of this difficulty and yet doctors shrug it off. So we wait until her weight gain starts to be distressing and then decide to do something. Anyway, she goes in for an upper GI X-ray on Tuesday. What I believe is that she has esophageal stricture, or a narrowing of the esophagus. This can actually be caused by scar tissue due to things like a ventilator and NG tube. This would explain why she can't swallow certain things like meat and carrots. An hour later, I always discover she is still chewing on things like that. It would also explain why she tells me that she has a froggy stuck in her throat after eating and her difficulty gaining weight. Add to that some oral aversions and the fact that she never put things in her mouth as a baby and no wonder she doesn't eat. I'm slowly learning to never underestimate a mother's intuition. And it doesn't hurt that we are switching to a new doctor who listens a little better. Please keep Olivia in your prayers so that we can help her eat better, grow and continue thriving!