Gastric Reflux Test

We went this morning to Bryce’s gasterontologist to have a probe inserted into Bryce’s nose that goes into his esophagus and stomach. We know that something is still making Bryce uncomfortable but don’t know if it’s the eosinophils (allergy cells) in his stomach, reflux or something else entirely. The probe stays in until tomorrow afternoon, measuring liquid that goes down and comes back up.
Of course, inserting the tube didn’t make for a fun morning. Bryce did receive a little anasethia that made him punchy (he was so cute laughing and smiling at everyone!). However, most of it wore off by the time we did the insertion because Dr. Noel had trouble calibrating the machine (frustrating)! Then they taped the tube behind his ear and went to get an x-ray to ensure it was properly placed. Luckily, it was so we thought we were done and on our way home.

However, the tape was really bothering Bryce and before we even got to the car, he pulled the tube completely out! So, back into the hospital we went to have Dr. Noel reinsert it. Bryce was definitely not happy by this point. Thankfully, he finally fell asleep on the way home and is dealing pretty well with the wires now. We'll see how tonight goes!

Thankfully, we have lots of help during this test since it really does take two people to be with Bryce. Andy is taking off work. Our babysitter, Mandi, is helping (see picture below). In addition, Nanna and Bampa Huntoon flew in last night from Mentor, Ohio.

Explanation
The Gastric Reflux Test (Multichannel Intraluminal Impedance Test) is performed to detect and record the amount of stomach contents coming back up into the esophagus when a child cries, arches, coughs, gags, vomits, has chest pain, etc. It also determines if the contents are acidic or not, how long they stay in the esophagus as well as how often this occurs. A thin light wire with an acid sensor as well as six other sensors on it is inserted through the nose into the lower part of the esophagus. The procedure could be uncomfortable upon insertion but is generally painless. An Impedance probe (thin wire with sensors) could be inserted while the child is awake or under anesthesia if combined with another procedure.