Hey Guys,

Haven't seen you around much. Just wondering how all our little ones are doing? Eli is doing really well. Hope everyone else is doing well too. Let me know when you guys get a chance, OK?

Chelsea is great in terms of not refluxing! Just to recap her last ph study was only 2 percent of the time (refluxing acid). Not bad, eh! Her initial score was 16 percent, so big difference. I guess in that regard, the fundo worked. Too bad there was something else going on all along!

So glad to hear that Eli is doing well. I want to commend you on your perspetive on fundos, I love how positive and reasonable you are!:wink:

Thanks Carla! And, your right, 2% seems not bad at all! So, that is something to be thankful for :wink:

I was reading in your sig "rapid emptying"... what kind of symptoms does she exhibit when this is happening, E has his episodes and this is what we assume it is, we actually were told to get a glucose monitor to start monitoring what his levels are when he acts strange.

Sam is doing good in the reflux department. Every now and then I can hear some refluxing---but not too often. He has had some retching episodes, but they do not happen much--maybe 1x per week. He is a much happier baby since the fundo.

Still tube fed 100%---he is very hypotonic which causes swallowing issues. Hopefully one day I will be able to write about what he is eating!

Amanda, that would be wonderful!! I look forward to hearing a post like that! I am glad to hear he is handling his feeds and feeling good! That is awesome! I think about these other little guys and wonder about them so thank you for the update :)

How long did your children have to keep their ng/g-tubes in place. I saw Sam still has his....

We're considering the fundo for our Noah and wanting to find all of the information we can before we decide.

Noah has apnea with aspiration as a result from the GERD. We've done an adenoidectomy to try to correc the apnea. The aspiration started about a month ago.

He's on Prevacid 15mg packs 2x a day, Reglan 2.5 ml 4x a day, Erithromyacin .5 ml 4x a day, and Zyrtec 2.5 ml 1x day.

Unlike most of the babies I've read about so far, he does not have a problem with weight...he's 25 lbs. He eats everything he sees. I guess that's all the more reason I'm fearful of the g-tube. He's really going to hate not being able to eat and he's stubborn and strong willed. I'm afraid he'll try to pull it out because when we had the pH probe done he was 6 months and he got the mittens they had taped up to his elbows off before we got down to x-ray. We had to put the mittens up to his shoulders and continuously re-tape....and that was at 6 months old. He pulls his binkie holder off...bibs off.

Also, what were the symptoms your children had to make you do the fundo. Did you all have FTT? Overall, Noah looks and acts so healthy, but we know he's really not.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Brandi

Hello and Welcome here!

Our son had the fundo without a tube placed. He was also heavy and never failure to thrive. He had the surgery because of low immune system, he was vomiting up to 30 times a day, which was spilling over into lungs, ears, nose, sinus ect, ear/nose/throat/sinus/lung infections. He was behind developmentally and just laid around with no energy :( He also had severe emptying problems as well that were corrected at the time so that added to it.

Eli was on prilosec, erythromyicin and bethanechol up until surgery. It is a big decision.

How old is your Noah? Wait as long as possible, we waited until E was 2 1/2. I really don't recommend the surgery because most children have more problems after than before. The fundo causes choking, difficulty swallowing if at all, they can not burp, the cannot vomit, and they experience alot of gas bloat pain. For us these things are worth it, there are many complications that can arise besides the givens I have just listed. Eli has some dumping sydrome because of the surgery, alot of kids have it worse than he does. Please just weigh these symptoms against what you are facing now. It also is a looong recover process, it took a good year for E to recover and then just now he is really starting to eat without difficulty. It has been a year and a half.

Please keep us posted, it is so hard to decide!

Thanks a lot for your insight! It is a HUGE decision...and troubling to say the very least---especially since our Noah acts and looks so normal. Noah just turned 1 on May 16.

We haven't been tested for the DGE yet, but you better believe I am going to mention it because I think it is something he may have a problem with as well. His bowels are very irregular. You know, we really wouldn't even come close to considering it if he weren't having the apnea and aspiration problems. I can deal with him throwing up...and it's not as severe as 30 times a day. I know he refluxes a lot, but as far as actual vomits he's having anywhere between none on a good day and then 7-10 or more on a bad day. It sounds to me like the surgery would change his life for the worst for sure. However, I'm concerned without the surgery there could be no life to change. I don't want him to end up dying because I didn't want to put him through this surgery. I'm just really praying for the answer and for peace with whatever I am supposed to do. It is good to talk to other people who have had the surgery though because I need to know what I'm in for. Was your child having apnea/aspiration problems. Noah is chronically congested and has a terrible cough. He has had a sinus infection, but knock on wood no ear/throat infections. We had adenoids that were enlarged removed in January, which helped a little.

So, with Eli, is he half the eater he was before? Has he gone from being a big boy to not so big because of the surgery. Noah LOVES to eat! The surgeon has already said he would have to have the g-tube.


Did you get a second opinion? We are at the Medical College of Georgia...which is supposed to be on the Best Doctors/Hospitals list...
Brandi

we did get a second opinion. And, Eli eats very well now, it was hard for a long time though, He is munching french fries right now! LOL

I know it is a tough decision. I see there was another thread of yours moved into the fundo section so I am off to read it!