Test Results of Probe

(Background note: During the test, every time we thought Bryce was in pain, we had to hit a button that recorded our observations.)

Dr. Noel called Andy today and gave him the test results of the probe. First thing he said to Andy was "Bryce just keeps getting more interesting as we go. It wasn't what any of us thought it was."

Dr. Noel said that the first thing he looked at was the PH levels. It showed that the acid is adequately suppressed by medicine. Next thing he looked at was reflux events. He found that the reflux events were all within normal limits. Also, there was no correlation between when we hit the pain button and reflux events. Bottom line: acid and/or reflux is NOT what is bothering Bryce.

Here's the interesting part: Dr. Noel said there is a 80% correlation between when we hit the pain button and swallowing events. For some reason, Bryce is feeling pain whenever he swallows. Dr. Noel said he is going to consult with his colleagues and get back to us on what to do next.

It's interesting that swallowing is causing Bryce pain. When Bryce was young, I certainly had a lot of problems with him nursing which involves a lot of swallowing action. Now, he drinks pretty well from his bottle but often needs to be distracted to drink. Sometimes, we can ONLY get him to drink with the TV on (often Seseme Street).

As a parent, I'm glad we have some definitive data that tells us Bryce is really in pain when we think he is uncomfortable. Now, if only we could fix it and allow him to feel better. I have a feeling that we may still be at the beginning of this journey though. In the mean time, I'm thankful that Bryce continues to grow and develop normally and has a happy soul!