I'm just kidding. We are at The Ronald McDonald House. We just finished cleaning our room and thought it would be a good time to hurry and write a blog. We were able to meet with Dr. Pittock this morning. Things went really well. She said that as Dr. Mack, the Neurologist, said her head aches were called Chronic Daily Headaches. They are a type of Migraine that typically manifests in teenage girls. But they are starting to see it manifest in younger girls if they have had a severe illness. Plus with my history of Migraines, that is another strike against her. They are going to put her on Nortiptoline. It is a medicine that is a pain inhibitor and also helps with sleep. The stomach pain is caused from her intestines. The GI Doctor said the as she digests food and her intestines are moving the food through, her body is reading that as something that should be painful and the pain receptors are firing. This is because she has been in pain for so long that they don't know when they should and shouldn't be firing. The Nortriptoline will also help inhibit that pain. She has also been taught some different pain management techniques. She has been taught some different breathing and relaxing techniques that should help. She will also use the TENS unit to help "retrain" her pain receptors. On a side note Amy asked about the Esophagus, and they told us the good thing with the Esophagus is that it heals with the right medication and time. They put her back on prilosec and want her to take it to help with that process.
So the diagnosis is good, there is nothing seriously wrong with her. The MRI was normal as was the Echo, and Ultrasounds. They want her to start taking Vitamin D and Iron so we are going to give her a multivitamin everyday, and start having her drink more lactose free milk and eat cheeses instead of Soy Milk to help with the Vitamin D problem. All her hormone levels are where they should be for a healthy 7 year old. It's amazing how all this started with strep throat.
We are so thankful that we had the opportunity to come up here and meet with these wonderful Doctors and the different staff we were able to interact with. They were wonderful and very willing to help and assist where ever needed. Now we at least know what the problem is and can now start doing things to fix the problem instead of just treating the symptoms. We will now be able to let her be a 7 year old again.
Thank you all again for the love and support you have given us. We can't tell you enough how each of you have helped us make it through this. We appreciate each and everyone of you.
Much Love and Appreciation,
Mike, Karin, Joseph, and Makayla
6 comments:
That is so wonderful that nothing serious is wrong! We are so glad that you got to go up there and get some concrete answers. We are so happy for that. Hopefully these meds will help her feel normal again. Love you guys!
That's great! I hope that she steadily grows stronger each day! I highly recomend liquid iron, it absorbs Much easier! You can get it online. Good luck with everything! Don't stop blogging!!;) Let's keep in touch. Love you!
Yaa... thats good news. You will have to update us on her recovery. I bet she is happy to have cheese :) Oh Kevin and I were wondering what the TENS unit is? I'm with Lena.....Don't stop blogging :)
If you have ever been to the chiropactor and had the little electrode muscle pulser thingy ma jigger put on you, that is a TENS unit only bigger. It sends electric pulses into the muscles to help relax them and this will help "retrain" the pain receptors to not fire off unless there is actual pain. We posted a photo of her with the TENS unit on her belly.
Oh yeah! I love that you have a direction.. Sounds like she will have problems with some stuff her whole life but once she gets a handle on it she will feel a lot better. She is so blessed to have such wonderful and aware parents. Love you guys!
What great news!! It sounds like everything is treatable and that is what we wanted to hear. Prilosec is a wonder drug for GI problems so that will be great - you should see good results within the first 14 days. Good luck with everything else - the TENS unit should help to... I hear good things about those. Love you guys!
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