Results from the UGI... not good.

Sadie had her Upper GI test done this morning (a test in which she had to swallow Barium and have an active x-ray taken of it's movement through the course of her GI tract). The pediatrician had ordered the test to see if she has reflux, since she's been spitting up a bit lately. The spit up has gotten to be worse and worse in the past week.

So, to the hospital we went... again. They strapped her onto a board and had to pull her arms over her head and tape her down for the test to be done. She was a trooper and cried only a little, and even took all of the barium through bottle feeding (which she normally hates). A doctor was present to read the video as it happened. He told me that there was little reflux, but that there was a problem with her esophagus. The food was collecting at the bottom of the esophagus and was not going into the stomach as quickly as it should. He said he would not speculate as to the cause of the problem, nor its treatment. That's when the first red flag went up.

The pediatrician finally called at 7:00 tonight with the results. She said that there was a problem with the mobility of the food through the esophagus, and that she didn't know the cause. I asked point-blank if she's seen this before (hoping she'd say it was common with kids), and she said she had not. The normal wait-time in this are to see a pediatric gastroentrologist is 3 months, which won't do - she's getting us in as soon as possible.

So, I've started searching the internet to try to figure out what the possibilities could be. None of the things I've come across are exactly wonderful. I'm scared. Many mention (ok, most) surgery. Jason told me not to get too worried yet, but I know what I saw in the test today, and I know how I was treated. The calm words, but no reassurance. I've been there and done that before.

I have to wait until Friday to find out when our GI appointment is. I hate waiting.

The worst is, in what I've read tongiht on the web, almost all espophageal abnormalities cause chest pain, and often back, shoulder and neck pain. So Sadie is likely to still be hurting. Could that be the underlying cause of all the crying? I think it's highly likely. She cried a ton again this evening - from about 4;30 - 9:30. I feel so helpless to relieve her discomfort/pain/whatever it is.

I just don't get it. Why does one little person have to go through so much? I really hope I'm overreacting and this is minor, but my mommy-senses are tingling again. Neither doctor I talked to today had answers, and we're being referred to a specialist with urgency. This is not good, and I just know it.