Brain Dump

I had one of those days where I got earlier than usual and then ran all around town in the heat AND I had to use my brain. To finish this day I had a margarita with dinner, so if this post makes no sense, I apologize in advance.

We went to see Charlie's pediatric physiatrist today. He wanted to see Charlie around his first birthday, so he could get some hip x-rays, and just to check-in.

We discussed his reflux: Charlie has lost some weight. It's difficult to know exactly how much since he's weighed at many different offices, but still. . . We have switched to the toddler formula and maybe we need to go back to the baby stuff. The doctor recommended trying Similac AR, which is thickened with rice cereal. Rice hasn't been great for his digestion, but I may go back to thickening his bottles full-strength and see if that help. I feel like it comes in waves--a few good days and then some bad. I've also ordered an herb called Slippery Elm, which is supposed to soothe the digestive system.

Tone: I've been seeing this happen over time, but no one ever told me that this could happen. Charlie's tone is getting looser and looser. This is strange because many children get tighter and tighter. I think that this loosening is part of the reason he's getting reflux now (he didn't have it when he was younger and I have the tests to prove it), and why he stopped prop sitting. The doctor even commented on it this time. He said the only thing that feels tight are his hamstrings and hip flexers. Everything else feels really loose. I'm glad he's not spastic, but I'm not sure what to do about being too floppy.

His Hips: His hips seemed fine to the doctor, but he ordered the x-ray as a precaution. We've been really pro-active with the hip stuff, so I hope we're OK. The doctor said he'd check out the x-way, and if anything concerned him, he would call.

Development: Charlie hasn't met any new developmental milestones since March. It's not like we're at a stand-still--he is making progress--but a lot of it in cognitive, social, and fine motor. He's still dramatically behind in gross motor. Why ARE all the "milestones" in gross-motor? I mean Charlie has been holding his own bottle for about a million years, but no one seems to care about that. They're all about the sitting up and the rolling.

Eye rubbing: He told me to try Zyrtec and if that doesn't work, than we can try some expensive eye drops.

The doctor congratulated me on my excellent home program and told me that he thinks I'm doing everything I can.

So, I'm doing everything I can in the traditional sphere of medicine and rehab. Now, I'm starting to wonder if their are alternative treatments I need to pursue. I've done a lot of research, and I think I know what I would go for, but money is always an issue. Oh, what to do? For now, I think I will lie on the couch and watch Friends until I fall asleep.