Warning: Long post ahead...
We finally have some news about Jacoby and what our next steps are going to be with him. I spoke with the endocrinologist Friday evening, and the results from Jacoby's growth hormone stimulation test indicate a growth hormone deficiency. Normal is a 10, and Jacoby's numbers ranged from 2-5. His IGF-1 level was also low again, which is what triggered this whole process in the first place. The doctor was so happy that our pediatrician had jumped on this because even though Jacoby isn't short, for the height of his parents he should be in the 75-90%-tile instead of the 25%. He said that most boys in Jacoby's circumstances don't get caught until they're between 5 and 7 years of age. So, that's good news that we're catching this early and the doctor felt like Jacoby will be right where he needs to be by the time he enters kindergarten.
So as far as next steps go, before Jacoby starts hormone treatment for the deficiency he has to go through more testing. He'll be doing a ACTH stimulation test (http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/003696.htm) which is done very similarly to the GHS test we did earlier. He'll also be getting an MRI of his brain (under sedation). Both of these will tell us if there are other hormone issues going on and/or if there is something else wrong with his pituatary gland. There's more information about the hormone therapy here: http://www.humatrope.com/index.jsp and http://www.magicfoundation.org/www.
We also met with the allergist this week, and as far as I'm concerned the food allergy situation continues to be a huge black hole that continues to get bigger and bigger. We are no closer to figuring out what's going on in Jacoby's system to be causing all of these allergies and sensitivities than we were when we started in December! Sorry for the rant, but sheesh some answers would be nice! Anyways, our next step with this is to see a gastroenterologist specializing in EE (eosinophilic esophagitis--you'll all receive a spelling test later) to determine if Jacoby needs an endoscopy. We're also supposed to see a nutritionist. Both of these will be at Children's Hospital in Denver. I won't even go into the list of food restrictions we're on now, but we still maintain a pretty normal menu despite our limited choices. He's definitely feeling better and has really come out of his shell at school. So, the mystery remains in the world of food allergies with this kid. I think most of our summer is going to be devoted to appointments with specialists, tests, and hopefully, treatment. That's the latest on this journey.
I'm writing this from beautiful Portland, OR. I love the northwest--the water, how green everything is, the warmth and the fact that it's not going to snow while I'm here since it apparently does year-round now in Colorado, the friendly people. I'm finally starting to feel like a somewhat "normal" (loosely defined here) person after battling an awful sinus infection this week while trying to finish up all the meeting details. We're looking forward to a good meeting, and I'll be a very happy camper if it all goes well and the months of planning come together.
The boys treated me to a wonderful Mother's Day last weekend. Justin made breakfast and dinner, and we enjoyed a picnic up in the mountains. I've become a huge fan of homemade cards from my little artists. The boys were enjoying themselves when I left this afternoon. They're excited for a visit from Aunt Megan on Monday. They're busy and into everything--there's not a single sacred space in the house and I'm amazed at what they get into and find! Morgan is busy learning his animal sounds and is just as cute as can be. Jacoby has entered the "trying 3s" and is intent on testing rules, boundaries, requests, etc. He's still very sweet and playful and is becoming more and more independent.
Watching the bunny in the yard
T-R-O-U-B-L-E
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