We're Going to Cincinnati

I could hardly contain myself as I re-listened to the recorded voice on my answer machine for the third time: “Bryant Stanton Bennett has an appointment with Dr. Scott Pentiuk at the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital on November 11th at 1:00”. Twenty-eight days from today! Cincinnati Children’s is rated as the NUMBER 1 facility for pediatric digestive disorders. The hospital has over 25 Gastroenterologists. After a review of our faxed records, we have been matched with Dr. Pentiuk. He specializes in Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition and has published research about Eosinophilic Esophagitis in infants and toddlers with special interest in the dissociation between symptoms and the child’s histological severity in symptoms. 

Now that our plane tickets are purchased and the hotel has been booked, I’m nervous. Are we ready for this? Can we hope for an answer? Will we be disappointed? Is this too extreme? – after all, there are several children’s hospitals much closer that we haven’t tried…

As I watched Stanton’s all too familiar pattern play out this week….tasting foods at a meal, a day of chronic diarrhea, three days of constipation, refusing to eat/drink for a day combined with increased vomiting each day…our appointment in Cincinnati doesn’t seem so extreme.

After five days of wet only diapers, our appointment at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital is clearly not extreme. Having a two year who requires 2 adult doses of Miralax in a day simply to have a bowel movement is not normal.
 

I am again reminded while sitting at a local Mexican restaurant, amazed at Stanton’s curiosity with John’s guacamole. I watch Stanton take the tiniest of licks, then scream and cry in pain as he attempts to swallow. Within seconds, the vomiting begins…all over our table, drawing an audience from those seated around us.

At 11:30 last night, the gulping cries blare over the monitor. Holding Stanton over the toilet, the next 28 days seem like they can’t come soon enough.

Will we leave Cincinnati with answers? Will we feel like it was a wasted trip? Are we doing the right thing? I expressed all of this to my dear friend, Gianna, and she reminded me of Romans 5:5 “And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out His love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit…” Thanks Gianna! I needed to hear this and be reminded that God is guiding this journey.

 Continue to pray for us as we fight to help Stanton feel better.