Yesterday we were in Denver for Maddie's stomach emptying study and Areodigestive clinic...I knew Maddie's stomach does not empty "normal" so I was not surprised that it came back affirmative for slow emptying of the stomach...this is due to nerves to the stomach that are damaged or not working properly...so this can cause bloating, nausea, vomiting, or feeling full after eating a small amount of food...Maddie was diagnosed with this at birth...and she was on medication for it for 3 years and then we took her off...because the drug to treat this can be unsafe.."but not really" as the doctors say...they say that it really should not have a black box warning...but here is where it gets good! They do not want to treat it because Maddie is obese...yes you read that right! Maddie is 99% for weight and 50% for height on the Ds chart and has been put on a low fat diet...at the ripe age of 4! WHAT...I was not as pleasant as I should have been with this news...I am pissed...first because 4 months ago she was to little and scrawny as they put it...to now she is obese! (Gained 5 pounds in 4 months!) I have a food diary I have to fill out and send to the doctor...I have a calorie counter for her and sample meal plans! For real...Maddie is 4 years old...I know that Down syndrome kiddos can have issues with weight...hell I have issues with weight...but my eating disorder happened in high school not preschool! Sometimes I wish people would stop putting Maddie under a microscope...We go to this clinic to see GI, Pulmonary, ENT, Speech, Feeding, OT and now a dietician...I really only signed up for the ENT, Pulmonary and GI...the others just tagged along making suggestions along the way...I really would stop going to the doctors if Maddie didn't have the lung and esophagus issues...but now here we are and I know it is my fault...that is what pisses me off the most...I am really not pissed at them for telling me the truth...I am mad at myself for not doing better at feeding Maddie...I know that I am the one; the only one that provides her food...and the weight she has gained is because I have let her have an opinion on what she will eat and when she eats...I let her lead me...because for the first 3.5 years of life she was on baby food and Greek yogurt...I am mad because I have created this and I hope I am not to late to change it! Oh well maybe at the end of this Maddie can be the new spokesperson for weight watchers! (I am only kidding!)
Thursday, September 12, 2013
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I totally get this...Sutter is not proportionate either! 50% height and 90% weight on the typical chart and he totally takes after my side of the family - short and stocky! I'm 4'10" and until recently have struggled with my weight since I was in 5th grade! I like to eat, I like sweets and carbs and high fatty food...so does Sutter! He will eat a ton if I let him...no kidding the boy would eat 4 eggs for breakfast with a bowl of cereal and a smoothie if I'd let him. After his last check up and I got the stats I have made a few changes w/o putting him on a diet (dr didn't mention it but I decided to do it now rather than later). I now do 1 egg w/2 egg whites scrambled instead of two eggs, sherbert or frozen yogurt instead of ice cream after dinner, 1 glass of oj a day after that it's water, more fruit instead of crackers/processed carbs...he hasn't lost weight but he's held steady at 39lbs and had an increase in height. I'm trying to think of it as teaching healthy habits and portion control now rather than when he's a teen!
ReplyDeleteYou're doing a great job and Maddie is perfect just as she is! After not eating or being able to eat the girl should get to enjoy some yummy food!!!
Really, this actually sounds a little extreme to me. But what do I know? I would have been kind of upset at this as well. Sometimes the medical world is so harsh and black and white. Just one more thing you needed on your plate, right? Hang in there...and try to find that balance for her because she still needs to be a kid and eat kid fun food! :)
ReplyDeleteThis diagnosis doesn't sound right to me. How can a child go from too skinny to obese in just a few months? Have you thought about getting a second opinion?
ReplyDeleteI hope her health improves soon!
I agree. You can't classify someone as obese off of a chart, did they even look at her sitting there? And you are doing the right thing letting her make choices. She will be responsible for what she eats as she gets older and by providing healthy choices you can help but ultimately she will decide what and when she eats. Unless total dependence on you is the aim here (just joking). Keep on keeping on, sister.
DeleteHa Owey is another 50% height 90% weight kid.
ReplyDeleteI worry slightly, I would like to reduce the amount of wheat/carbs he eats but he is so active, swimming, riding, gym, parks every week, I am exhausted !
Loathe diet sounds pretty extreme - have they check her thyroid levels ?
Obese??!!! That's a bit of a stretch I think, it sounds a little extreme. And what a pain in the ass to have to write everything down and count calories for a four year old!
ReplyDeleteThis does make me think though...I know I don't feed Russell as good as I should maybe. I just get so excited when he eats anything that I allow him to lead the way and eat whatever he wants. Maybe that is not a good habit to get him into. And hey, don't beat yourself up over the way you have fed Maddie in the past...We all do the best we can. It's not to late to change things! I'm glad you posted on this.
Oh wow, I am just catching up! Lucas is a big boy, 80% for weight. I try to limit what he eats but I could do a better job. It's so hard when you have other kids who can eat just as much or more without gaining weight. Hope it's going well.
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