I can't be stopped, people! I'm gonna talk about it AGAIN! That's right: Caroline's poop. (Be thankful I haven't yet resorted to posting a picture, folks.)
I've been off dairy for a week and four days. No improvement. The second round of stool cultures showed no cooties of the variety they test for. So I asked for next steps. My two pediatricians put their heads together and decided another round of tests were in order, in addition to a third round of cultures. I tried my best to gather samples, but when I brought them in yesterday it was nowhere near enough. But my main pediatrician did get to see the poop for the first time and was somewhat alarmed. She tested it there in the office for occult blood and said it was, "VERY positive for blood." Her emphasis, not mine.
She said we needed to see an GI specialist, but warned me that it may take four to six weeks to get in. Apparently the GI doc she wants me to see is swamped (ha!) right now because her two main colleagues are about to go on vacation, which means she's handling all pediatric GI situation for the whole city. The thought of watching my daughter poop blood for the next month, all while knowing she's apparently been pooping blood for a month and a half already, well it didn't make for restful sleep last night.
Nor did the new system we're trying for poop collection: any of you ever have to use the little adhesive baggies to get a urine sample from an infant? Well, we're trying that for poop. The first attempt last night was an utter failure. And now Caroline and I both have a cold, which I'm hoping isn't the same strand Hannah had last week, because that was awful.
But this morning, I was relieved when my doctor's office called to say they'd managed to get us in with the GI next week!! Huzzah!
In the meantime, we're going to try Zegrid. Anyone had that? My pediatrician feels that if we've tried Zantac, Prilosec, Maalox, and Zegrid, eliminated dairy, had an upper GI, and done three rounds of stool cultures - all to no avail - the GI will have a much better starting place for her diagnosis.
Needless to say, it's been a whole lot of fun around here lately, what with all the sickness and stool samples. I cannot wait to find out what's troubling Caroline so we can get her back to being the happy, bubbly baby she truly is. Even with all that's going on, you need only to utter a few high-pitched words and coos to get the most fabulous, gummy, beaming smile. She's such a trooper.
And not everything is poopy around here. Later I'll post about our trip to see Santa!
