Miss Spits A Lot Update

I have been horrible in not keeping everyone up-to-date on our findings.  I wanted to wait until all testing was complete and until all results were in.  Without further audeu, the cause of Ellie's spitting up is. . . .

Nothing.

It is believed to be something she will outgrow.  Andrew and I are extremely relieved that all tests came back normal even though we are still rather puzzled by this new, sudden onset of Ellie's excessive spitting up.

Maybe if Ellie clicks her heels, the spitting up will go away.

Yes, Andrew still finds me sitting on the floor, washcloth in hand crying over Ellie's 'walk and spit' trail of nastiness.  Yet we have hope, that soon, this fountain of regurgitated food will soon be over and without too much damage to her poor esophagus.

Just a random Ellie photo from today :)

When I last left you, I shared beautiful photos of Ellie's upper GI endoscopy which showed no reflux.  After an in-depth discussion with Dr. B, we felt that keeping Ellie on her reflux medication of Zegerid would be beneficial as it is neutralizing the stomach acid and most likely keeping her esophageal tissue healthy.  We have stopped the low-dose erythromycin for slow gastric motility thinking it was causing nausea.  We have seen no difference.

I started keeping a spit-up/food diary again and so far can find any aggravating food or agent.

A pathologist reviewed the cells from the 7 endoscopy biopsies and found healthy tissue without any indication of infection or allergy.  Dr. B then personally looked at the slides to confirm.

Because children can have kidney issues that may create pressure on the GI organs or an infection that manifests by vomiting, an abdominal ultrasound was ordered.

Did somebody say 'no eating'?!

Here were the pre-Ultrasound directions:

1. Nothing by mouth for 3 hours prior to exam (aka starving the Ellie Bellie Bear)
2. Drink tons of water or Pedialyte in the parking lot just before exam.  Do not let her pee as she must have a full bladder for the first part of the ultrasound
3. Make her drink more water before returning to Dr. B's office for a urinary catheter (for culture & analysis)  Excuse me say what?  Cath?

Um, okay.  My daughter isn't even 2yo yet.  She does not have urinary sphincter control and therefore peeing is not yet voluntary.  It just happens.  Like a geyser.  Oh and she is a spitter.  As in she spits up especially with large quantities of fluids.  Good luck keeping enough fluid in her for a large bladder.

Oh wait, I forgot to mention that she has sensory motor cravings and I have mama bear anxiety.  I am sure that you can imagine just how this went down. Cue, Ellie Bear The Terror Toddler of Destruction.  I shall leave this up to your imagination, but let me just tell you that bringing our heavy-work cart did not help, nor did her toys, etc etc.  I fear we may be banned from the children's radiology clinic.

Can you believe this heavy-weighted stroller didn't occupy Ellie?  Yeah, me neither

She peed.  She had watered-down grape pedialyte all over her outfit and bib and me.  We had to wait for her bladder to refill for the catheter.  She started to scream like a poor tortured banshee the minute we laid her down on the table without her diaper.  We are traumatized.  She has petechiae around her eyes.  I am paranoid.

Miss Sass 

Results:
Normal urinanalysis
Negative urine culture
Normal liver and spleen seen on ultrasound
Small kidney's bilateral on ultrasound

Dr. B consulted nephrology to discusses the borderline atrophic kidneys.  Dr. Kidney wanted to check her BUN and creatinine (this looks at kidney function), but felt that given Ellie petiteness, her kidneys are an okay size.

We went off to perform a blood draw.  Bear takes it like a champ and gets a lollypop (which she threw on the floor). Mama Bear buys a cookie for herself.  Chocolate was needed.
BUN & Creatinine: normal

We are done testing.  We are done looking for answers.  As long as she doesn't lose weight, we are okay.

They are waiting for Andrew to come home

I am pretty sure these two turkeys are cooking up plans on new ways to destroy the house.

Check out her sandal-gap toe!  Flip-flops are needed.

*I had taken many lovely photos of Ellie in all her sassiness, but Andrew took the camera to Canada.  Guess who forgot to upload the Ellie photos?  Yep.  These were taken with my not-as-nice camera.