You guys,
When I face any difficulties as a parent I err on the side of, “What we’re experiencing is normal, our son is fine, and everything will be okay.”
So I dismissed Sam’s concerns that George didn’t seem to be swallowing any of his food. I insisted, "He's doing great. He must be swallowing some of his food.”
But just to be sure, we took George to the feeding clinic (because that’s a thing). I assumed they would tell us everything was fine and send us home with tips and tools to help George with his eating.
But everything was not fine.
A team of specialists informed us that George had stopped gaining weight and would need to have a procedure done in which they’d knock him unconscious for seven minutes while they stuck a scope down his throat to see what was wrong. And it needed to happen soon.
I was unprepared for this news.
It was an emotional few days. I didn’t want to leave George’s side. Once the shock and fear and guilt subsided, I felt relieved there might be a reason why our little babe has been so angry and upset during many of his waking hours.
It’s only been a few days since we switched George from milk to a formula that provides all the nutrition he needs and his mood has noticeably improved. We continue to speak to doctors and specialists to understand exactly what’s going on and our options moving forward.
The image of my son unconscious on a table is not one I like to think about, but neither is thinking about how he’s been hungry and uncomfortable for quite some time.
It’s scary. But Sam and I are no longer alone, asking each other questions we don’t have answers to. We have help. And no matter what it is, we’ll figure it out.
Essay of the Week
This is my 81st week publishing an essay and sending out a newsletter.
The only way I’ve been able to sustain the habit is by writing what I’ve coined Fun Size Ideas (I was inspired by the Costco bag of Halloween candy bars I’ve been plowing through for the past two weeks).
What are Fun Size Ideas? [Read the post to find out.]
Too Soon?
I was out for a stroll with George when we passed this sign:
It was daylight, but I could see the Christmas lights wrapped tightly to perfection around a tree in the front yard and lining the roof of my neighbor’s house.
“I would NEVER hire someone to hang my own Christmas lights,” I thought to myself as I passed the sign. But then I back peddled and snapped a photo, just in case.
Two days later Sam pulled out his phone to show me a photo of the same sign he had stumbled across on his walk with George.
We remembered hanging Christmas lights last year. It took days to line the garage doors and wrap lights around our front banisters. And our second floor was dark. There was no chance either of us were climbing a ladder.
So we called the number.
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Until next week,
Charlie