My Son’s Health Journey Since Birth

Not too long ago, I posted a picture on my personal Instagram account of my son right before undergoing anesthesia for an MRI brain scan. That day, I never felt so helpless, and it hit me, at that moment, how much my son had been through since birth. Yet, he continues to smile and play through it all like nothing is happening. This is one of the many life lessons he has taught me so far. Here is my son’s health journey since birth…

But first.. let’s rewind to the very beginning- when he was born.

The Beginning

If you’ve read my prior blog posts, especially My Second and Last Pregnancy Part 1 and Part 2, you might have a little preface about my son’s health journey.

A Quick Recap Before We Begin

My husband and I struggled to conceive for almost two years. When we finally decided to consult with a fertility specialist, hearing about the long, drawn-out process and testing that needed to be done to get things started made me decide if it weren’t going to happen naturally, it wasn’t going to happen at all. I wanted another child, but if having that child myself wasn’t an option, I didn’t want to put my body through tests and potential IVF.

We decided we would not continue with a fertility specialist and would give ourselves a little more time. If nothing came of it, we ultimately decided to adopt. A month after consulting with the fertility specialist, we discovered we naturally conceived! I cried, relieved because I felt “broken,” and seeing the pregnancy test show positive meant to me that I was not broken at all!

My pregnancy was not the easiest. Right off the bat, I had to take meds to combat hyperemesis gravidarum (severe morning sickness). I had this when I was pregnant with my daughter and unfortunately had it again when I became pregnant with my son.

Somehow I had an L4/L5 Disc Herniation after having my daughter. Three months into this new pregnancy, I had severe back pain that caused me to be hospitalized because I couldn’t sit, stand, or walk without being in enormous pain. I barely slept for days because laying down was unbearable. I managed to get through all that but ultimately landed in the hospital again, this time because of a thunderclap headache and high blood pressure that resulted in a preeclampsia diagnosis.

Delivery

My son was born at 35 weeks due to preeclampsia. The doctors said my blood pressure, protein in the urine, and elevated enzymes were at such a high level that they couldn’t risk the safety of both my son and I so they ordered an emergency induction.

My son was born the very next day. He came into this world with a literal splash! Before delivery, they told me since he was going to be premature, he might need to stay in the NICU. To my surprise, within 10 minutes, they rolled him back into the room and said he was cleared and did not require a NICU stay. My son was thriving from the moment he was born.

In the hospital

They transported us from the delivery room to the recovery room, where we would stay for the next few days. As the nurse introduced herself, she noticed my son’s face turn blue. He was choking on the formula he had drank over an hour ago. She quickly rushed to his side and patted his back, ensuring his airways were clear. I felt hopeless because I was on magnesium which left me exhausted, tired, and barely in my senses to hold and assist him.

Home Sweet Home

Due to my preeclampsia diagnosis, we remained in the hospital for three days. Once we were cleared, I was excited to bring him home and introduce him to his big sister and the rest of the family.

I noticed a few concerning things within the first few weeks and months. My son was nasally congested, stopped pooping, constantly threw up, and his eyes were continually crusting and had a puss. His pediatrician gave us a prescription for his eyes. He said the blocked tear duct was normal in premature babies but told us not to worry about the other concerns and didn’t seem too concerned. However, I was unsettled. Especially since his sister had GI issues as well when she was an infant. So I took matters into my own hands and scheduled a pediatric GI consult.

GI Consult

We learned that my son had acid reflux and milk protein sensitivity at the GI appointment. The GI doctor said there was blood in his stool and the congestion he was having (at this point for months) was a side effect of the protein allergy. They initially put him on a specialized formula called Elecare. However, a few months in, Elecare was recalled, forcing us to switch to another formula called Neocate (an amino-acid-based formula).

We were advised to give him a suppository as needed. At one point, I gave him a daily suppository for over a month because he would not go on his own.

Hospital Visit

I took my son to the children’s hospital because he was still excessively throwing up, and I didn’t know if it was pertaining to acid reflux anymore. They ran tests and did a sonogram of his stomach. One of the things they ruled out was Pyloric Stenosis, which is what I initially thought he had. According to Mayo Clinic, Pyloric Stenosis is when the stomach muscles block food from entering the small intestine, which can cause excessive or projectile vomiting. The doctor believed his excessive vomiting was still a result of acid reflux and mentioned he was probably still adjusting and developing due to being a premature baby.

COVID

My son was born in October 2021. Two months later, during my favorite time of year, Christmas!, we all came down with COVID. I was upset because my son was a premature baby, and his lungs were not fully developed to withstand a virus like COVID. However, my little guy was such a trooper and stayed happy and smiling even through the heavier-than-usual congestion and coughing he endured. We made it through, but that wouldn’t be our first run-in.

More Concerns

In the middle of dealing with my son’s GI issues and getting over COVID, I noticed the right side of his head was slightly bulging. He also drooled excessively and seemed stiff when I moved his arms and legs. During one of his checkup appointments, I mentioned this to his pediatrician, who again didn’t seem too concerned and dismissed me.

A few months later, when my husband took him to the pediatrician’s office, I asked him to raise the concerns again. This time, the doctor agreed and referred us to a Cranial Specialist and Neurologist.

COVID AGAIN!

We celebrated my daughter’s fifth birthday this past May and were immediately struck again with COVID a few days later. My little guy now had COVID twice in less than five months and was only seven months old! Just like everything else, he got through this like the tough guy he is. After this run-in, I scheduled his Cranial Specialist and Neurologist appointments.

Pediatric Neurologist

We visited the Pediatric Neurologist who diagnosed my son with hypertonia and ordered an MRI brain scan. Hypertonia is a condition where there is too much muscle tone causing stiffness and difficulty moving one's arms and legs. The neurologist wanted to rule out nothing was wrong that caused the bulge on the right side of his head, excessive drooling, and hypertonia. He was also referred to physical therapy for hypertonia.

MRI

My breaking point was taking my son to the children’s hospital and changing him into the infant hospital gown, then watching them wheel him off for anesthesia. He had already gone through so much and still kept smiling and playing as a normal baby does with all he had going on. He even had his eyes slightly open and was trying to babble and play hearing our voices when he came out of anesthesia. Luckily, the MRI brain scan was completely clear!

Children’s Hospital for MRI Brain Scan

Cranial Exam

We followed up with the Cranial Specialist. There we learned that the bulge on the right side was plagiocephaly with flattening on the left side of his head. They took images of his head and told us it was moderately to severely deformed. They recommended a helmet which we received a month later.

My Son Today

As of today, we continue to take my son to physical therapy for hypertonia. He has improved tremendously and doesn’t seem as stiff as before. He is also beginning to poop regularly, especially since we are now incorporating solids into his daily feedings.

We still deal with his milk protein sensitivity, acid reflux, and excessive drooling. He can soak a shirt or bib extremely fast with his excessive drooling. The number of outfit changes in a day is ridiculous! We continue to use the helmet and see it slowly improving his head shape.

What’s so amazing to see is how happy and playful he is through it all. He is also so adventurous and gets into everything now that he crawls! His physical therapist says he is meeting all his milestones for a nine-month-old and exceeding some milestones that ten and twelve-month-olds do!

Physical Therapy

His ability to weather the many storms he’s been through from the beginning gives me hope and strength to continue on days when I don’t feel I can do it anymore. He taught me so much in only nine months, and I am thankful God made me his mom. His relationship with his sister is also amazing, and I love how they interact and play with each other.

His future is bright as he is a charming, sweet, and adventurous little guy. We compare him to the Hulk and Hercules because he is an extraordinarily STRONG baby! I thought it was due to hypertonia and excessive muscle stiffness. It turns out I have an abnormally strong baby boy on my hands! 🙂