Belly Aches and Bribes

Age: 2 years 7 months

Weight: 33.5 pounds

We have about four weeks left until the end of Zane's pork food trial when he has his endoscopy in Switzerland. It started off really well with Zane asking for it all the time. There were a few days when he would scarf down four strips of bacon - which is a lot for Zane. Early satiety has always been a problem for Zane and so I've never seen him really eat a large portion of anything. I once went to visit a friend of mine and was astonished when I watched her two year old son eat 2 1/2 bowls of pasta. I could never get Zane to eat but a few bites of anything.

I think deep down I know that he is probably allergic to pork - but I'll do the endoscopy anyway. Is that wrong? Many people have told me that they can't believe that I am forcing my son to frequently undergo such a harsh procedure. But, for now, those endoscopies (or scopes) are all I have. I hold on to hope upon hope that my gut feeling is wrong and that Zane really isn't allergic and all those belly aches are due to the heavy dose of ibuprofen that he takes for his arthritis. Those belly aches are becoming more and more severe and much more frequently. Last week I took Zane out for a walk and he hunched down on the ground and winced in pain and grunted under his breath that his tummy was hurting him. I had to carry him home.

This month I started acupuncture therapy for Zane. It is another attempt to help him try to win an endoscopy so that we can find foods for him to eat a bit faster. I wasn't a believer in stuff like that previously. I thought it was nothing more than Eastern medicinal b.s. until I had it done myself while I was pregnant. My gyno told the acupuncturist when she wanted me to deliver and I did! On that very date (October 19th). So, I am hoping we can have the same accuracy with Zane. He's a real trooper about it as well. I bring our portable DVD player and there is a statue of a Chinese man with all his acupressure points marked and labeled. He sits next to it watching Buzz Lightyear with lasers strapped all over him. I'll try almost anything to help my son get better at this point. I've even considered taking him to see the Pope in Rome.

And I have been trying damn near everything . . . For months now I've been trying to get Zane to drink his Elecare from a cup to no avail. He simply will not do it and will only drink it from his bottle. My big fear is that if I take the bottle away he will stop drinking and I will have to resort to a feeding tube - one of my big fears. I purchased a few cases of Neocate's E028 Splash but Zane wouldn't even take a sip from the juice box it comes in. So, I took full advantage of the holiday season and told him that Santa and the bottle ferry were watching. I told him that they would bring him a present for every E028 box that he drinks. I went out and purchased a plethora of gifts, had them wrapped and placed them where he could see them but not reach them. I pretended to speak to Santa and the Ferry on the phone and out in the front yard (the neighbors probably think I'm nuts talking to myself out there). I would tell Santa and the Ferry that Zane would drink his juice box - "I promise." It worked. He now drinks about 3 - 4 of those boxes a day and we allow him his bottle of Elecare right before he naps and goes to bed for the evening. What did Zane get for drinking those boxes of E028 Splash? A razor scooter, Mater the Tow Truck Car, Lighting McQueen lego set, Sally the Sports Car car, a puzzle and some other stuff.

Yup. I went there. I totally resorted to bribery of the worst kind. I will unashamedly admit it too. I'm desperate, people. I need Zane to be able to drink this formula. This disease is hard enough as it is to deal with on a daily basis. I sometimes fear that the feeding tube will be the one thing that puts me over the edge. It just might break me. I'm not as strong as my son is to have to endure a life without food and a barrage of medical procedures. He is my inspiration though and I have to remember to be tough for him.

Please keep your fingers crossed that Zane will pass his pork food trial. Think: No eosinophils. No eosinophils.

Be well.