Okham's Razor is a theory which suggests that the simplest solution is
more often than not the correct one. Now, this was suggested to me a
few months back as we were first trying to figure out what was going on
with Rosemarie. A very good friend sent an email reminding me that when
you hear hoofbeats you should think of horses not zebras. He wondered
at that time why we were looking so hard for answers when the simplest
thing hadn't even been considered. He suggested a horse... He wondered,
had I ever thought that maybe I'm just a really bad mother? It was a
very funny email!!!
This one will not be a funny email! But read it anyway.
Well, it seems it WAS a horse and not a zebra, at least the eating part
of her life... Because of all of her other difficulties, and the fact
that she had NO symptoms at all of reflux, no one thought she could
possibly just have this most common of baby problems. And as it turns
out, she does. (thanks in advance for not saying "well, of course it
was reflux, how could you not have known that" or "why didn't you look
for this sooner" or saying ANYTHING like that, even if you think it) I
am certainly asking myself that enough these days, and also feeling
tremendously sad that Rosemarie was having pain all these months that
she couldn't tell me about. She never even looked uncomfortable or even
cranky. But the whole time, she wasn't eating much because it just hurt
her to eat. She never complained, she just didn't eat so it wouldn't
hurt. Poor baby...
The good news is that we figured it out and have her on a new drug. I
have always understood the phrases "miracle drug" and "the miracles of
modern medicine". Now, however, I believe that these are literal and
not just figurative expressions. Rosemarie has only been on the drug
for 4 days, but she is already eating enough not only to maintain but to
catch up. It is truly a miracle, and the answer to all of our (and
your!) prayers. We cannot tell you the relief that we are feeling.
While she still has some other difficulties that are completely
unrelated to this one, the eating thing was clearly the most serious.
And now that this part is solved, the rest, while still important, is so
much less worrisome.
I will certainly let you know when we get the rest of this all figured
out, but for now, I can think of nothing but to be grateful! I thank
God for this miracle drug. I thank God for Gretchen, the speech
pathologist at St. Joseph's hospital who quite aggressively said "you
really shouldn't get a tube until you at least TRY this medicine" and
then proceeded to get the head of the feeding clinic at St. Joe's to
call the GI doctor before our tube appointment which all resulted in our
trying this one last thing before we tubed the baby (and that thing
worked!) I thank God for Rosemarie's other doctors and therapists. I
thank God for all of you and for Peter, Sam and Joshua. And of course,
today, more than anything, I thank God for sending Rosemarie to me.
I thank you AGAIN for all of your tremendous love and support... for
your prayers and kind words... for your advice and suggestions...
See, I told you it wasn't going to be funny. Maybe next time.
Jeanne