We have taken Eli back to see his ENT, Dr. Potocki. After being so sick and on so many steroids and antibiotics from November to February, we decided that something else needed to be done. Dr. Potocki agreed that Eli has been too sick too much. He wanted to try Nasonex nose spray for a while. We gave it a try and it seemed to help with Eli's drainage, but made his nose so bloody.... we haven't used it in a while. Dr. P also suggested putting tubes in Eli's ears, removing his adenoids and flushing out his nasal passages. After his follow-up appointment this morning, we decided that is the best route. Dr. P said that we are getting to the time of year that "illness" is subsiding and kids aren't getting sick so much right now; yet Eli just finished another 14-day round of antibiotics. So, Eli is on the schedule to have the procedures done next Friday, May 10. We are really hopeful that going ahead with these procedures will help Eli avoid being so sick in the future. We ask that everyone keep Eli in your prayers next Friday. Even though it is a minor procedure, Eli has had so many procedures in his little life and it still isn't any easier on him or us.
Eli has also had another regular appointment with his GI doctor, Dr. Osuntokun, at Cook Children's in Fort Worth. All we introduced since his last appointment and scope/biopsy was cow's milk. It was one of the higher allergens, but we were really out of any other options. We were so hopeful that cow's milk would be ok, but it was anything but. Within a day of eating a little bit of yogurt, Eli's allergy shiners came back, he began coughing and his hands broke out with HORRIBLE eczema, to the point of his knuckles cracking and bleeding. Since that was the only new food we trialed and he had an obvious reaction, Dr. O decided to not do a scope or biopsy this time around. He has told us that he would like us to have a follow-up with his allergist/immunologist Dr. Mamlok to retest all of his allergens. Dr. O is hoping that, since he hasn't had some of these foods in a while, his body will no longer have such a bad reaction to them. We've scheduled that appointment with Dr. M for early June, then we will return to Cook Children's to see Dr. O for another appointment and scope/biopsy in late June. We will not reintroduce any new foods between now and then. We're definitely anxious to see what the results of the allergy testing show.
In the meantime, we're continuing with his feeding therapy, working on his chewing and strengthening his jaw muscles. Eli is really working hard and we're so proud of him! Now we just need to wait and see what the next few months hold following his ENT procedures and allergy testing!! I continue to be amazed by Eli's strength through all these procedures and tests! He's such a trooper!
