Endoscopy Results and what's next?

Biopsy results from the endoscopy came back clear. Actually, the term was, "Unremarkable." I guess this time that just means nothing to remark on. ;) So since that all looked great, we can now say that Westin definitely does not have Eosinophilic Esophagitis! Yeah!  But we still don't know what is causing his stomach burning. 

The gastro sent us home from the hospital with a prescription for Carafate.   Westin is to take it three times a day before meals.  Westin has still had the constant burning but has not had any attacks.  He has been careful about what he eats but each day he is getting a bit more daring.  Although, he did pass on steak last night.  Carafate is used to treat ulcers (it serves as a protective coating to let the ulcer heal) so I don't know how long they will keep him on it. 

While on the phone with the nurse practitioner from the gastro's office, she said that the doctor would like to have an abdominal x-ray taken.  So yesterday afternoon we got that taken care of.  While checking in I noticed the order said, "Check fecal load"...so I don't know if he is thinking there could be a blockage or slow emptying?  I have called but haven't yet heard the results of the x-ray.

Homeschooling in Radiology

Yesterday Westin was scheduled for an Upper G.I.  This is a procedure where the patient first drinks a fizzy concoction that puts a lot of air on the stomach.  Then you drink a barium mixture that coats the esophagus and the stomach.  This drink I like to call "the cement mixer" as it is heavy!  I was shocked how heavy the Styrofoam cup was that contained it.  Once you drink that you lay on an x-ray table and roll around to fully coat your stomach.  Then you drink another mixture and as you swallow it an x-ray machine is used to watch it slide down your esophagus and enter your stomach.  Pictures are taken at various points for later viewing.  But the procedure is done by a doctor and it is real time.  I was able to watch my son's procedure and it was quite interesting.  The wanna be medical professional really found it interesting.  My son, on the other hand, thought it was kind of gross.  He was able to watch it too at the point where he was laying on his stomach and the doctor moved the monitor so he could view it too.  I don't think he watched very long.

Westin has been struggling with chronic burning in his stomach for months.  This Upper G.I. was really just a pre-op procedure to ensure that there was no narrowing that could cause problems for the upcoming endoscopy.


While these times can be negative experiences, Westin handles them quite well.  He makes me very proud.  What he doesn't realize is that these are great learning opportunities.  The opportunities to learn from life.  Who can say if this will influence him in the future.  Maybe he will want to go into Radiology, you just never know.  But he has seen how it works and that is half the battle of finding your interest.  If you don't see it, you don't know if you are interested.  I know that I love all these new experiences.  Sure, I wish they weren't needed for my son's sake, but I do enjoy experiencing new things, especially in the medical world.  I really should have gone to medical school!  Too bad it wasn't on my radar when I was younger! 

Good Friday Wrap-Up

Well, Westin's swallowing problems have held steady this week. When I ask how his swallowing is on a scale of 1 to 10, 10 being perfect, he gives it an 8. That works for me. I imagine we will continue on the dairy free diet for another week and maybe stop the proventil to see if that changes. I will give the gastro a call on Tuesday.

The vacation is still in the works but Jason seems to think that my idea is a bit too much. He thinks we should get our feet wet a little closer to home. So if I had to pick a place a little closer to home than say Arizona, I think it would be South Dakota. I have so many fond memories of South Dakota from my trip as a kid. Mt Rushmore, Crazy Horse, Wind Cave, etc. It is a great place. The only reason we wouldn't do that trip is if we are granted a scholarship to the childrenwithdiabetes.com Friends for Life Conference in Walt Disney World, Florida. That would be a dream come true and it would be "the vacation" this summer. It is in July and is a huge diabetes conference. I have always wanted to go but the timing has always been hard as it is a busy time of year for business.

Speaking of business, the shop is officially closed and cleaned out. We have a mess at home to sort out but I think it will free us up to do more of what we would like to do...live life! Jason will be returning to working out of a trailer and just part time. The goal is to make enough to live off of but to have time to explore other interest and eventually get out of the business all together or at least manage it from afar. We will see where it takes us. I guess I should start a master calendar with all of our dr appointments and such so we can plan ahead a little farther. Maybe we could squeeze in both the trip to South Dakota and FFL if we were chosen? I really just strive for great learning and teaching opportunities with my boys and myself. :)