Post Surgery Results

First off:  Thank you so much for all of you who care for our baby and have followed his journey with us!  Your support and encouragement have been greatly appreciated!  I can't believe how many people have read this blog and followed it and commented/messaged me with encouraging words and "atta mom" statements!

On January 8th, baby had surgery.  The sole purpose was threefold.  One, help get those ears back to normal (ear drums were retracted) by placing tubes, remove adenoids (in hopes to rid constant infections/fevers) and the main reason, a sinus culture and sensitivity.  Surgery went well, he did great!  Doctors words, "His tubes are in place, his adenoids are out, his tonsils could stay, but his sinus cavity is green/gray, thick, and nasty."  No treatment was given to him upon discharge in hopes to wait for the cultures first.

Recovery started off smoothly.  You could literally see a relief in him, probably from the pressure in his ears being lifted.  On day 3 he started swelling making sleep rather difficult.  By day 7 we were back in the thick of things and he was miserable.  But the cultures were back and what was growing?  HIB.  Haemophilus Influenza.  Yup... the same strain that he had been vaccinated against at his 2 month, 4 month, and 6 month, appointments.  Or so the pediatrician says. 

Here is where I am now shaking my head with even MORE confusion.  The ENT office puts him on a high dose of Amox and says for me to give it for 2 weeks.  But he was on that for 25 days in November.  The pediatrician (the new one I love) calls me to share her concerns over this.  She thinks I need to call the immunologist and get in to talk to him about why he would have gotten this ... mind you that she was looking at the results in front of her when she called.  I did as she said, called the immunologist, but he seemed less than impressed and asked that we wait the 3 months anyway before the next follow-up.  Okay.....?  But then it happened again... FEVER.  8 days post surgery, 4 days on antibiotics, and baby spikes another fever of 103.  And keeps it, no matter what I try!  I call the ENT to report it, they say nothing impressive.  Just keep on doing what I am doing, administer motrin and Tylenol every 3 hours.  (YUCK!)  Why on earth would he get MORE fevers if we were properly treating this Hib disease?  Mama is MAD now.

I took the baby to the ENT today for a follow up.  I printed a list from the pharmacy showing ALL 16 antibiotics given to him for the past year.  Then he says this, "Well... he probably just caught a virus.  He probably just always catches viruses and you keep giving him unnecessary meds".  Hmmmm.... How do I explain the past 16 months to this doc in a 10 minute apt slot?  Doesn't he know that I went 12 days with temps in the 104's before I finally broke down and gave this poor baby meds?  Doesn't he know that countless tests and blood work has shown massive issues with his immune system and blood platelets?  Doesn't he understand that I came to see him as my LAST DITCH EFFORT?  I got quiet.  I could tell he wasn't in the place or mood to listen to my rants.  But I have now become the crazy mom of a sick baby.  I asked him if I should find a new pediatrician, since he was saying exactly opposite of what she said and this was his response, "Does she care for your child?  It sounds like she calls you at night, that she is on a first-name-basis with you, and that is very hard to find.  I would take a doctor who cares for your child over one that agrees with me."  Speechless. 

My Western Medicine attempts have left me a bit hopeless, helpless, confused, frustrated, and mostly, annoyed!  In a perfect world, in cases like this, doctors would call each other and discuss a plan of care.  Instead, it is entirely left up to me to figure out, to poke and prod, to plead.  So where does a mother go next? 

Natural Medicine is something I incorporate in to our family's life daily.  I use Young Living Essential Oils, we use a Nutri-bullet to juice and make smoothies, we eat healthy foods, only organic milks, we all take probiotics, I give my boys elderberry syrup, I use Hylands instead of chemical meds, etc.....  I have even taken my kids in for chiropractic treatment.  So I think I'm going to embark on this journey a bit further.  48 hours ago I got a recommendation to start a natural remedy for fevers, called Feverfew made by Nature's Sunshine.  Can be found here: Feverfew    Guess what?  Baby's temp has been down for the full 24 hours!  My husband and I can only shake our heads.  A year of toxic amounts of Motrin and Tylenol hurting his kidneys and liver... and there is a product to naturally lower a high temp?  This is definitely worth the effort moving forward. 

We shall certainly see where this road leads.  :)