After the three weeks of limiting or eliminating foods we decided to reintroduce foods. On July 23rd, we gave him a cup of milk in the morning. He did great. July 24th one cup of milk in the morning and he was fine. On July 25th, we got daring and gave him a cup of milk in the morning and one at lunch. One of the tips for acid reflux/heartburn is to keep the no-no foods to the daytime so we were happy to honor that. We had intention of bringing it to a full three cups of milk to really feel like we could rule out dairy as an acid reflux cause. The next day - same thing. On Wednesday the 26th, I gave him the cup of milk in the morning, and then decided to substitute a grilled cheese sandwich for the cup of milk in the afternoon....
We had a terrible night on Wednesday, which was the first bad night in almost a month. When you see him at night, and then you see him in the day, it's like a Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde story. Jayden is FINE in the daytime, but crying, and retching, and burping at night. All night. He doesn't settle down until after 2:00 AM. On Thursday, we had another bad night. (Bad is the wrong word...maybe horrible/terrible/frightening are better words for it.) On Friday, we went to the doctor and she started us on a medicine that was suppose to even out the acid in Jayden's stomach. The biggest problem is that Jayden is a child and there are a lot of medicines out there for adults but not many for children.
And then Saturday happened. Again, Jayden was fine in the day, but at night, now FOUR days since the dreaded cheese sandwich, Jayden had the worst episode he has ever had. He felt so horrible, he said he thought he was going to die. DIE. Parents can't handle hearing things like that. I think that will mess me up for a long time to come. I would have taken him in to the ER but I looked on the internet and all over, in people's personal stories were statements like, " the pain was so bad, I thought I was going to die." I certainly am the first to admit that I had no idea that heartburn or acid reflux could be so serious.
Although, I fully believe that this started because of the Advil, I certainly can't ignore the obvious terror created by a single cheese sandwich. Of course, we immediately returned him to the previous diet without any dairy in it. I have been up and down the Internet, I started looking up food allergies to dairy and wheat, and to cures of acid reflux. The worst realization has been that any reintroduction of food comes with a consequence. That consequence, like the milk, was positive. The consequence, like the cheese sandwich, came at a great price. A great price to my little boy. One cheese sandwich on a Wednesday lunch was now destroying our family's mental and emotional well being, and Jayden's physical well being. I don't really see any way out of these consequences in the long-term future. If it truly is the Advil, my thinking is that at some point he will be able to return to the foods he once ate with no difficulties...shouldn't he??
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