First, Rachel your forum ROCKS!

We went to my niece's 1st birthday yesterday and I felt like I was in the twilight zone. Sam was not in a good mood. He DOES NOT like social events. Everyone asked how he was. They are all great and concerned , but it's hard to talk about it with them.

Here are a couple conversation ex.:

MIL (at the food table) "what would happen if Sam ate just one?" (bite of cake) FYI w/ gluten ,eggs, milk

Friend: "how is Sam"
me: "good" (as I'm making his bottle)
Friend: "he's eating?"
me: "yes, he eats purees and started drinking from a cup" :yahoo:
Friend: "That's great! So, he doesn't need the tube thing?"

Overheard dh w/ friend

friend: "how's Sam?"
dh: "good, he'll be off the tube in like 6 months"

I love my family and friends, but my IRD family is so understanding. I NEVER get a "I know what you mean" response from the others. Sometimes that's all you need to feel better is to hear someone say "I know what you mean" and really know what you mean.

I agree. It's so easy for others to dismiss reflux as colic and treat you as if you're overreacting to it all. My coworkers (all except one that went through the same thing and those that Brenna has puked on) act like GERD in infants is no big deal. You would expect medically trained people to get it at least. Here, we find people that really DO get it. No one blows you off or acts like you're doing all of the testing, etc just for attention. I have gained so much knowledge here at IRD. I know Brenna wouldn't be doing nearly as well as she it without IRD. I have a great physician, but thanks to all of the ladies here, I can be really informed when I discuss these matters with him. I'm so thankful to have found IRD. I feel I have formed some really lasting friendships as a cozy little side effect as well!:hug:
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Yes, I love IRD. I'm not sure what I'd do without it. This was one of the first places I came when Aubrey started screaming and refusing bottles back in May of last year (seems soo long ago :sad5: ). The symptoms listed on the site made me bring them to the ped and demand that she had AR.

No one knows what it's like to be at a social event, standing in the corner, other room or away from the "party" to try and get your baby to take at least 3 ounces. This was me last summer with Aubrey. She didn't start getting better until August. She would never want to eat in "publc" even though she was hungry. Thankfully, Aubrey is a million times better now, but I'm not sure I could have gotten through it without the advice and tips I found on IRD! I'm also thankful for all the great friendships I've made. It's a great place to be, even when your kiddos are doing well.

IRD also means that I get nothing done when Aubrey is napping (or while at work, LOL)

:houseworkird:

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I totally agree

I get sick of making other people feel better about Dominic! People always look to me to reassure them that he's going to be ok and it's nothing serious! I love that here you can just say it how it is!

thank god for IRD thanks Roni and everyone else because you all truely care
plus where else can you talk about puke poop and whatever else without judgement or critisism

my old boss said to me you give her meds for that i would never use drugs for my son... well i would rather be proactive help my child for now and the future ( hello can cause cancer if not treated )

IRD is just great. I agree wholeheartedly with you....i really would be in a mess if i didn't find you, not to mention Naomi, where would she be??! Thanks so much for all your support and i will be here for a long time to come.

this site has kept me from being completely nuts lol.. When hannah was diagnosed with turners and then they told me that wasnt why she woudlnt eat i freaked out.. its been awful to go a year of her life without an answer to why she is how she is..and its been the most reassuring thing to find that there are other children out there with feeding issues and its not just "my baby" my own family doesnt understand all that i go through with her and somedays are just exhausting mentally.. yalls' words and advice have been very helpful and much appreciated. So i'll stick around for a while ;)

It was really awful in the beginning when we didn't know what was wrong with Shae-Lynne. For those of you that don't know I went to the newspaper, etc with our story (without Roni's knowledge). I also went door to door handing our flyers and asking people to post them around. I had never heard of a baby that refused to eat and that vomited so much. The drs were no help then.

That opened so many doors, we found an entire world of refluxers. Very sad but there still was just not enough knowledge out there.

I am so thankful, that Roni has the drive and ambition to learn and try to help others. That she will work for 18 hours a day to update a website.

I am so thankful that we decided to write the book (which I know was incredibly hard for Ron since she was living it daily).

:ird:

I am thrilled at the privelge of meeting so many wonderful people on this site.

:ird1: :addict: :smilies-21099: :houseworkird: :GS_0a3c547694d790cf

And I love our new smiley's

Thank you Kerry :hug:

I totally know what you mean, to be in company of people who get it is priceless. The times I have been with other IRD members in person have been such a reassurring thing. I remember when Em was over and something came up and I think Chris (Em's dh) was saying something about Jack when he was refusing bottles and I could see Dan sympathising with him, I basically saw his shudder at the thought, I couldn't belelive it, cause although we talk, Dan actually had someone he could relate to KWIM?

I too don't even try to explain it on how hard it is...put it this way, Daniel used to regularly attend Karate, and since Parker hasn't been, I have just needed that extra help and he was just unable to commit that he would be there every week, well he finally went back last night. Basically 2 and a half years it took us to look at being able to resume our 'normal' life. Other people just don't get it.

Kerry, great thread to start.

It has saved my sanity. Although Jack is now better, I don't know what I would do w/out it.

Jean, you and Roni's book and I don't know how you both kept your sanity. I had it way better than she did, but I thought I was going nuts.

Anyway, it has brought me friendships and support. How funny Rach, that our dh's could relate as well, Chris can't talk to anyone at his work about when Jack was refluxing, they still don't get it. :sad3:

IRD members get it... every one of us, even those who aren't online, meaning, spouses. :party0049:

I love IRD!
When you have a child that refuses to eat totally you think, and even some other people make you feel as if you're doing something wrong. Atleast we know that other people have these issues too, and they understand how much it impacts on your whole life.
I'm so glad to be able to relate to so many people on here, and i thank Roni and Jean SO much for creating this site and writing the book! :-)

words cant realy express what IRD and all of you guys mean to me, you have all helped me a great deal with miki and it will never be forgoten i feel i have formed some wonderful friendships on here over the past year and I hope to be a member of IRD for a long time after miki gets better

:grouphug: IRD is the first place I log on to when I get online. You girls have helped me with suggestions for carsons meds, and made a huge turn around a month after I joined IRD.
IRD is like a family!:grouphug:

Other people just don't get it.



But, I keep trying to make them get it!

Brochures anyone?

BTW, Roni reminded me the other day. Brochures can be downloaded from this site at any time.

I think Minnie summed it up best the other day:

:hug: I love you guys, and I wish that none of you understood anything that I just typed, but you do, and I'm so grateful for that.

I've found that people assume (hope?) that "no news is good news", so if they haven't gotten an "update" from me in a while they figure things must be hunky-dory. Which can be annoying. It rarely occurs to them that they might not have heard from me because I'm so overwhelmed dealing with a sick kid along with EVERYTHING ELSE life (DH, Jack, my job) throws my way.

And of course, everyone who sees Michael NOW is surprised when I tell them that he's still getting medicine twice a day and still PUKES (not just "spits up") numerous times EVERY day and that I'm still doing AT LEAST one load of laundry JUST FOR HIM EVERY day. And that all we can do is continue HOPING that he'll *outgrow* the reflux by age 1, or at some point thereafter. Then you just get the "deer in the headlights" stare. But I always say...DON'T ASK IF YOU DON'T REALLY WANT TO KNOW...

Oh yeah, now that I'm done RANTING, I LOOOOOOVE IRD, too!

And I also have to agree with the posters who said that they feel their child(ren) was able to get better treatment because of everything they learned on IRD! It's sad and scary to think about what kind of state we and Michael would probably be in today if we had not found IRD!

IRD was my sanity saver when Keegan just wasn't responding to the reflux treatment protocol that had worked so well for his brother Dylan. It was particularly frustrating b/c when Keegan's reflux began he didn't spit up really and had been gaining weight at a phenomenal rate after being born 5 weeks early and diagnosed in the hospital as a poor feeder. I was so proud of how well they both started eating at home and then GERD hit our household at 6 and 8 weeks. Initially he seemed to respond to treatment but as he neared what I know now is the dreaded 4-6 mos. peak things went from bad to worse. I searched online endlessly for information about what was going on with him. I remember finding IRD and reading through the information page and printing the list of symptoms and taking it to the dr. I didn't join the boards till about a month later when I searched out the site again through google (I couldn't remember where I had found the info but found the paper in my diaper bag w/the symptom checklist and that got me back). I joined the boards, desperate to get some advice from moms who seemed to know what I was experiencing.

I have made so many great friends, shared many laughs and tears and "virtual" hugs w/the wonderful ladies of IRD. It is for the reason that I will remain an active IRD'er for a long time to come, even now as my boys are med free and just a few weeks shy of becoming GERD grads!

Thanks to everyone for all the great work you do on this site. And especially Roni, of course, you have created a place that has saved the sanity of many moms who's children are suffering from GER/GERD.

I would not have made it though the past 10 months without the advice and support from here. I wish I got to post more...but when I have a minute I cannot wait to come and see how everyone is doing. This place makes me feel not so alone. Yup, I am one of those moms who hides in the corner since I really do not want to talk one more minute of how "my baby has reflux....she cried all night...." I wish people really got what it's like and the implications.

This site allows me to brag about Emerson gaining half a pound and get cheers when others still comment on his little demeanor.

Oh and for the brochures!!! yup I printed some at work and keep them on my desk!!!!

But, I keep trying to make them get it!

Brochures anyone?

BTW, Roni reminded me the other day. Brochures can be downloaded from this site at any time.

Jean did you get my pm?