South Carolina - Dec. 2011

Day 1 - Monday, 12/12/11

We left home about 7:00 this morning, changed time zones, and arrived in Greenville, SC, around 1:00.  Our first stop was at the Ronald McDonald House (RMH) where we were fortunate to get a room for the week.

After unloading the van, we found our way to our first appointment with Dr. M, the GI doctor who sees a lot of kids with Eosinophilic disorders.  No pokes, just talking - so in Silas' mind, it was a GREAT visit.

We made a trip to Wal-Mart to get a few supplies for the week, and headed back to RMH for the evening.  Silas became friends with the son of one of the ladies who works at the RMH during our first visit.  He was thrilled to see his friend again this evening.  They enjoyed playing together in the toy room before we called it a day.

Day 2 - Tuesday, 12/13/11

We definitely took a turn for the worse today.  Dr. M had us start giving Silas the medications to start cleaning him out for Thursday's colonoscopy.  We also saw Dr. J, the allergist, for the first time today.

The allergist did 49 "pricks" before deciding on the items for the patch testing.  I haven't counted those yet.  They'll stay on his back until Thursday.  5-10 minutes after the pricks, Silas turned pale and started complaining of stomach pain.  He hasn't been well since.

So, we've spent the afternoon resting and washing sheets, towels, and soiled clothes.

Day 3 - Wednesday, 12/14/11

Silas perked back up just before bedtime last night.  This morning was the test for fructose malabsorption, so he couldn't eat or drink anything when he got up.

We arrived at Dr. M's office by 7:45.  He drank the cup of liquid the nurse gave him for the test, and about 15 minutes later, he threw it up all over the waiting room floor.  How lovely!

They tried again, this time with only half of the normal dose, and he was able to keep it down.  In the end, the test was positive for fructose malabsorption.  We'll have to wait for the results of the other tests before coming up with a definite plan.  The biggest problem is that the dietitian said we need to eliminate the chicken nuggets he's been eating.  You know, one of the THREE to FIVE foods he eats over and over again for pretty much every meal...  We need to completely eliminate wheat, and that was the only wheat he was eating.  We had already eliminated all other known sources of fructose.

After the visit, we walked around downtown Greenville before returning to RMH.  Right now, we're in the process of getting the rest of the medicine down him that he needs to take in preparation for the colonoscopy.  After throwing up the other liquid this morning, I'm not sure we're going to be able to get it in him.  He has, however, enjoyed eating Jello today.  Such a rare treat!

Janel