a visit to the gastroenterologist

lunch!
Originally uploaded by Beckerbuns

Today we went to the gastroenterologist. Ricky gained several pounds! He is up over 90 pounds again! Go Ricky! However, he is the same height (and has been for three years now). So we discussed that a little bit. She felt a good bit of poop in his bowel, which has been a chronic problem, and encouraged me to give him mag citrate and an enema this weekend. Pooooor Ricky. But we don't want it to get worse because that can lead to a serious bowel obstruction, hospitalization, and even surgery. :(

It has also been four years since he had a DEXA scan (bone scan to check to make sure he is absorbing enough calcium and that the steroids he takes periodically haven't affected his bones) so he needs to do that, but they're not going to be able to put in the authorization until after we get the kids onto Healthy Families (a form of state-funded health insurance), since the kids lose their insurance at the end of this month.

I also told the doc about the divorce, and she seemed sorry to hear it. She has been Ricky's GI doc since he was in the NICU, so she has followed the whole darn saga of the past almost-13 years.

She gave me a lab slip for Ricky to get a bunch of blood tests. We'll have to try to do that before the end of the month.

We go back to see her in 3 months.