lauren's hospital adventure :: part 1

So I started writing a 9 month post about Lauren this week, and I was planning on posting it after we went to her nine month check-up and had her most recent stats. But then we went to the appointment and the stats weren't good. She had lost weight and currently weighs less than she did when she was 4 months.


I had a feeling she had a dairy allergy. On several different occasions when I had given Lauren food to eat, I had noticed what looked to be hives. Every time this happened a dairy product was involved. I am not a doctor and have never had hives myself, so I wasn't really sure what to make of it. I figured we would just stick to a diet that didn't include dairy until her next well-child visit, because she is nursing, so she was getting milk from me.
 
Obviously, that wasn't enough. Our pediatrician sent us to get some of Lauren's blood drawn so she could run some tests to determine if she did have food allergies and/or other issues that could be preventing her growth. 

Some of her hormone levels were off, and the endocrinologist at Children's Mercy requested that she be admitted to the hospital downtown for further testing and observation. The first day we were here was pretty awful, for various reasons. Luckily today has been better. We have been getting some answers and thankfully most of the scary stuff has been ruled out. She is nutritionally deficient and has several food allergies, but those are things we can work with and fix.


I probably sound like a broken record because when I talk about Lauren I usually say something about how she brightens up the room with her smile and that she is always happy. But now I know it's true, so I don't feel guilty for struggling to find better words to describe her.  This past week she has been under the weather and we have missed her bright smiles and happy babbles. She hasn't been difficult, just sleepy and lethargic.


I was so frustrated because the first 12 hours we were here she was being weighed and poked and picked up over and over by various doctors and nurses and all she wanted to do was sleep. Today she got to catch up on her sleep a bit, but she was still not quite her sunny self. I got all choked up when Will visited and she instantly perked up. She kicked her legs and smiled the biggest smile I have seen in days when he rolled down the hallway. 

I'm glad they have each other. And Will has been telling people he is Doctor Will and he is going to fix Lojo so, you know, there's no reason to worry. :)