We're all finally ready to fly to Melbourne for the ph probe test and endoscopy. Hubby has time off work, kids are all packed off, Miller is off all meds and we're finally going to get some thing on paper. Yet yesterday was Miller's best day ever (could his system be maturing). He actually napped for an hour and ten mins instead of 30mins. Unbelievable!!! Anyway they told me he would have to sleep flat whilst having the probe in and I tried that today and of course he was crotchety so I know we still need the tests but it would be just my luck if things aren't as severe now I finally have the doctor investigating. The only thing that worries me now is I got a phone call from the children's hospital today and the nurse said we will have to stay a whole week. I told her that was impossible as we already were told 3 days and we have booked flights and organised work and kids. I asked why the extra time was needed and she said the GI had booked us in for 3 visits with the child health nurse. Why are we seeing the child health nurse I asked? What does she specialise in ???? PSYCHOLOGY was the reply!!! Have they already decided what the problem is before we even do the test? Why do we have to fly interstate to see a child health nurse when we have one here is Tassie? I've only ever spoken to the GI once and I showed him the footage of Miller screaming whilst trying to drink which he watched with a smirk on his face and now I have to see a psychologist 3 times in the space of a few days. Has anyone else ever experienced this during testing in the hospital. What is going on?

Oh boy. I'd be pretty upset if I were in your shoes--they KNOW you're flying there, taking time off work, etc., so I can't believe the GI would book you for 3 extra days just to see the the child health nurse.

It *could* be that they just want to make sure you have all the resources you need to help with Miller; however, even here in the states, my docs have told me ad nauseum that if we're travelling and have to go to a walk-in clinic or take B to the ER, we MUST give the staff a detailed historyof B's GI issues and explain her weight/feeding issues so that they don't immediately suspect neglect. I carry multiple copies of my ped's, GI's and feeding specialist's business cards in my wallet so that if, God forbid, B gets sick while we're travelling, a medical professional can get ahold of one of her docs to verify her story.

In your case, I SO HOPE that they get the testing done first and see that there's really something to Miller's issues BEFORE they send you to the public health nurse. I don't know what the laws are there, but I would assume that since you've already booked your flights, etc. they can't make you stay for the extra 3 days. If they insist upon this or deny care, try calling your local news station and get this story aired--if you have issues, I'm sure others have, too. Nothing gets results like being a squeaky wheel!

I'm sending you {{{big hugs}}} and I really do hope Miller gets some help.

When are you due to fly into Melbourne? That is Melbourne, Florida??? I only ask because we are expecting some tropical/hurricane weather here w/in the n ext day or so and I HOPE that's not when you're supposed to fly in.
As Mary said, I don't see how they can force you to stay if you've already got your flight booked. Have you spoken to the GI regarding this situation? Are the nurse visits scheduled for the end of the visit? I've never had to have any kind of testing for our son (thankfully) so I'm a bit ignorant to the whole thing, forgive me. :oops:
I hope they can work something out so you're travel plans are not compromised.

Wow! I would be pretty mad as well. I would just tell they when you get if you can and like you have that you only have the threwe days that you were told by of having to travel there and work reasons...hopefully they would listen to you and not do the three day of child nurse visits.:hug: I hope that it works out for you!

Sara, I think Millersmum is in Australia. :)

I would be upset too, the dr. had no right to schedule you with a psychologist without first telling you why. I would let him know that you want the reflux addressed first and then if necessary you can see the psych., I know that our GI seems to think that Keegan's aversion to the bottle is "in his head". That's why we are seeing a new GI, someone who hopefully will take us seriously.

LOL Sara!!!

It is not standard practise in Australia to do that after the pH probe.

I would not worry about the test, have you been taken off the meds? You should be off them for at least 5 days before the test, I really hope they told you that. The test is really quite simple and I don't know why they said he had to sleep flat. We had it done and were allowed to go home and maintain normal activity. I mean what is the point in getting his reading flat if he always sleeps elevated?

With the child health nurse, you do not need to see her, and if you do, I can't see why you can't just have an extended visit. They can not make you see her as she isn't a Dr. You can say that you have to go home and that is that. If it was a recommendation to see a Dr though I think that you would have to stay.

Good luck with the testing, I hope everything works out well for you. Please try not to worry, just because he had a good sleep does not mean that the reflux has disappeared. On the day of our probe, I actually thought that I was mad to have it done cause my son was so good that day, but the test showed a lot of reflux.

During Daniel's ph probe, we just went about his normal daily activities -- and the probe results showed that he refluxed the most when he got up (as in upright) in the morning!

Also, to ease your mind about the psychologist, the best feeding therapist we've encountered was trained as a psychologist. She took a whole body approach -- she had a ped, GI, and multiple therapists on her team, and I felt like she was the first person who actually understood Daniel's issues. Everyone else just weighed him, saw he was growing, and told us we were doing fine.

That said, it really stinks that you weren't told about this person so you could accommodate your appointments into your trip. Maybe you can arrange to see the psych once and then talk further by phone?

Oh wow, what a wrench in your plans! Maybe they could let you see the nurse at home in Tassie? I hope you get some answers for Miller! Good luck, and definitely keep us posted!

Wow.....I would explain you are there for 3 days, and 3 days only, since you are coming from tasmania, they cant expect you to find and PAY for extra accomodation, and change flights etc.....so dont feel bad.....do what you can in the 3 days, then go home.

I am leaving for Adelaide tomorrow evening as Brooke is booked in for a pg probe on Thursday at the womens and childrens...so for us it is an 8 hour drive....we have to stay until MOnday as that is when she goes back to the GI...I have actually changed my mind about getting the probe done 10 times in the past 2 weeks, but have decided to go through with it.....as I need to know why she grizzles all day...and if I dont get it done now (she is 6 1/2 months old) the older she gets the more chance of her pulling the probe out of her nose.

Good Luck....hope you get the answers you need, as do I hope it answers our questions too.

Please do an update when youu get back about how it went, and the results :)

Thanks guys. I just wish Miller wasn't drinking better at the moment. The drs already think we're nuts!!!! I know he still has issues but I do think he has slightly improved over the last 2 weeks. Will let you all know on Saturday how things went.

I'm so sorry that you're going through such a frustrating experience! Most people think that I'm totally nuts when I tell them about Hailey's feeding problems. They just look at her and think that she must be fine as he hasn't been diagnosed as FTT. Hailey had a full blown feeding aversion, and from the time she was 2 months old until she was almost a year she could only be fed when asleep, and even that was a battle. But we were still sent to a child psychiatrist to discuss the feeding. We had to give our whole life histories, they watched us play with her, they analyzed everything we said, and in the end blamed me for Hailey's feeding problems saying that it was an interaction problem and that I was "projecting problems from my childhood and difficult pregnancy onto Hailey and caused her aversion". Anyhow, I told the doc to shove it up his a**, and that my daughter didn't eat because she had acid burning her throat all day and night, and we never went back. I then blasted my ped who referred us in the first place.
Anyhow, sorry for the long ramble. I guess my point is that (while I don't know what your health care system is like), In Canada, they can't force you to see anyone who you don't want to even if it's a doctor. You have the choice whether to accept or decline treatment, and they can't withold testing from you just because you don't agree to do everything that they suggest. As I said, I don't know what it's like where you live, but it doesn't sound right that they could make you stay after you've already set up flight plans just to see a nurse. I would hope that it was just an oversight. Here you can even leave the hospital any time, but you have to sign yourself out against doctors orders. I do hear what Mary's saying though about having to worry about neglect. These docs really make me MAD!!!!
Anyhow, good luck with the tests. Please keep us posted.