Scary Medical Stuff

So last month Cash went in for his routine check up. The doctor was only slightly worried about the fact that he wasn't gaining a lot of weight (as I blogged about earlier). Because of that he requested a stool analysis (I know...lovely). Over the next couple of days I collected the goods and turned them into the lab. Then last Friday (almost 4 weeks later) I got a call from a nurse in the pediatrician's office advising me that there was a slight abnormality in one of the test results. Apparently he is running a little low on an enzyme, which is sometimes indicative of cystic fibrosis. He was referred to Loma Linda U for a sweat chloride test to (hopefully) rule out the presence of CF.

Great! So now I am panicked and hysterically worried over the potential that my son might have a life threatening condition. The test isn't scheduled for another month from now. Really??? I'm supposed to go an entire month wondering about a life threatening illness that my baby may or may not have. I have very limited experience with this condition, but I do have (awesome) friends, Dano & Beth, who have a six month old who has the condition. Here's what they told me: it is a genetic condition and both Shane and I have to be carriers in order for him to have it. As far as we both know, there is no history of this in either of our families. I also know that it is not a death sentence, but it can be if not detected early and treated properly. If he does have it, we are looking a lifetime of breathing treatments, enzyme supplements, and diligent prevention of other illnesses like the common cold. I have so much more to learn from Beth, as she is extremely well informed, but I am not going to dive too far into this until after the test.

In speaking with my other (amazing) friend, Emily (who is also a medical school student doing her residency), I learned that it is pretty common for pediatricians to request this test based on the drop in weight, the deficiency of the enzyme, and other common risk factors. My mom works with infants with a variety of medical problems, and she commonly sees babies referred for this test with very little to suggest that they actually have the disease. The vast majority of these tests come back negative.

The test is not invasive and should be relatively painless for Cash. They will attach two little bands around his arm to collect sweat, and the salt levels in his sweat will be measured. I told Shane to take him outside, run him around, and lick him to see if he tastes salty!

I'm hoping for the best. I believe that if you invest enough negative energy in something, you can will bad things to happen. I decided that I'm not going to obsess over internet articles all day long, and I'm not going to make myself sick with worry until after the test. It's a routine test and it's better to be safe than sorry. As much as it worries me, I am thankful that modern medicine allows us to test for these conditions at the slightest indication of a problem. I am thankful for a diligent pediatrician, and I am thankful for the health insurance coverage which affords us the chance to stay on top of our health.

Cash, otherwise, is wonderful. He seems to say and do a little more everyday. He is trying so hard to communicate with us. He has so much to say...it's as if he is going to open his mouth tomorrow and speak in full sentences. He is ridiculously fast and climbs everything in sight. I couldn't ask for a more wonderful kid! I just hope everything is okay!