More testing...

Maya is still at the Connecticut Children's Medical Center (CCMC) in Hartford undergoing observation and tests. Victoria has spent 2 nights there and I have spent one keeping a 24/7 vigil with Maya. Deb (Victoria's Mom) has been a great help by caring for Brianna at home. Her first 2 nights there were bad, with some uncontrollable crying spells with back arching and consequent low oxygenation and/or turning blue. Also a few "blue spells" for no reason with good oxygenation. A main culprit is believed to be GERD or acid reflux. They started her on a minimal dose of Zantac with little/no effect which our primary pediatrician (Dr. Brown) prompty increased to the max dose. This appears to be working darn well, as she has had no crying spells of note since then.

To rule out other issues, Avon Pediatrics doctors Brown and Perks have ordered consultations by a cardiologist and a pulmonologist, as well as a sleep study and a barium swallow study. All visits/tests have been done with the exception of the barium study, to be done at 3 PM today. We hope Brianna will swallow the barium, as we are strongly opposed to the alternative of snaking a feeding tube down her nose to force it in.

The cardiologist sees no indications of issues arising from her PDA or PFO, and thinks they will close on their own, and wants us to set a follow-up appointment for 3 months from now. The pulmonologist thinks the GERD is responsible for closing off her airway intermittently, and has ordered a lengthening of the originally prescribed barium study by 20 minutes (why? I don't know). The sleep study results are unknown at this point as well. We are sure that when the results are in Avon Pediatrics will call us ASAP, as they have been doing all along.

GERD is not unexpected in her, as Brianna had it pretty bad for a few years and was also on max-dose Zantac. It eventually resolved on its own.

So hopefully Maya will be home later tonight or tomorrow at the latest.

-Chris