Still needs the broncoscopy :(

lookin' good in the hospital gown

Yesterday we had Ben's "swallow test" to try to figure out why his breathing is abnormal. The technical name for the procedure Ben had yesterday is an "upper GI series." He did not want to drink the barium substance in their little bottle, but luckily I had a clean, empty bottle in the diaper bag, and once in a familiar bottle Ben obligingly polished off the chalky white liquid.

on the screen behind me is an x-ray of Ben's stomach (filled with barium)

It was amazing to get to see the x-ray "video" in real time as Ben was drinking: we could watch every swallow as what looked like garden slugs glugged down his esophagus and into his stomach. Once his stomach was filled with what appeared on the tv screen to be black liquid (see pic), the radiologist kept seeing what she called "spiking" where tiny amounts of liquid went back up his esophagus. Finally, after getting him to drink a bit more barium, we all saw a huge spike of liquid come back up his esophagus from his stomach. This confirmed what the radiologist suspected: he has reflux. As an infant, Ben did spit up a lot, but he hardly spits up at all now, so I was very surprised.

However, after speaking with the pulmonologist's office today, the reflux finding doesn't really explain Ben's strange breathing so it doesn't negate the need to do the broncoscopy on Friday. I am NOT excited about having to go back to the hospital on Friday (nor about Ben having to fast for 6 hours), but it will be good to have all the information possible.

snuggin'

Ben being entertained by his "Auntie N" at the hospital

I am so so lucky to have my amazing sister, Nic, staying with me right now. She was awesome yesterday at the hospital. We had arrived at the hospital 45 minutes early, but she kept Ben entertained (even though he was hungry and cranky). Then during the Upper GI Series, while he had to lay still in the machine for 15 or 20 minutes, she stood to the side and kept him happy. Last night she even got up and fed him at 1:00 when he started crying. So wonderful!

Mother's Day kisses

                                                             yooooogurt!