The above photo was Isabella one week before she became sick and had to be hospitalized at Mary Bridge for GI issues. It is amazing what can happen in a week!
Our 4th of July went well. Kirk's dad came out and it was a great distraction from our worries about Isabella. We did not have to call the doctor and Isabella's stomach was feeling better. However, this week the honeymoon phase ended and she has been having some more stomach pain so we called her doctor and we increased her medication which provided some relief, but not complete relief. Our goal is to continue to keep her stable until we see the GI doctor next week. My friend, who is a nurse suggested to start cutting out the gluten out of her diet. I have been slowly doing this and I think it has helped her tummy feel better. Bella is my veggie and fruit eater so this whole thing perplexes me a little bit. It is funny how one moment she can be happy and running through a sprinkler and then a few hours later crying because she is in pain. The challenging part in all of this is she is only five years old and I'm sure she does not have the understanding why she has go through all of this. I have been trying to prepare her for this upcoming GI visit by telling her that this lady doctor is going to help her tummy feel better, but at the same time I know that they will be poking and prodding with blood tests and even scopes. Each time she is experiencing some bad stomach pain I personally fear her vomiting because I now know what this means for Bella. A trip to the doctor's office or ER for a clean out by means of enemas, drinking "Go Lightly" or a NG tube like last time. Each day Kirk and I literally pray for no vomit and that she can go to the bathroom. We are keeping our fingers crossed that they are able to quickly discover why this is happening with her and are able to offer a treatment plan that will work for her. In the mean time, we are taking it day by day and making sure that she is given plenty of opportunities to play like running through the sprinkler when her stomach is not hurting. I will update again after our GI visit.
