So, we drove an hour each way to essentially have the doctor tell us, in that lovely way she has, that Beanie is just fine….
Mostly.
All the scary tests came back completely clean. Nothing is wrong with her liver or kidneys; she’s got no discernible sensitivities to things like wheat or lactose; there’s no sign of cancer or anything that would cause us to lose sleep at night. That’s not to say that she passed everything with flying colors, though; just that the tests that she did pass with flying colors were the really, really important ones.
It turns out that her bones think she’s about 6 and a half when, according to the calendar, she’s really up against 9. If we look at some of her tests, specifically those for the presence of certain chemicals and hormones in her blood, as if she’s a 9-year-old, then she tanked. I forget the numbers, but if the range were somewhere, say, from 120-21o for a 9-year-old, she got, say, an 89. If we look at the same range for a 6-year-old, though, it’s more like 87-168 (you know I’m making these numbers up, right? The doctor kind of lost me after “we didn’t find anything that gives me immediate concern.”). For the 6-year-old range, she passes the test with her 89, but just barely. Kinda like one of my students getting a 64 on a test instead of a 63. That one little point is the difference between a D- and an F.
The determination of Beanie’s doctor (who I like more and more every time I see her) is that Beanie will take the next three months to focus in on improving her diet. Bean and Doctor Lady had a nice long chat about what good protein sources are, and Beanie conceded that she could do better with her eating habits. There’s a certain growth pattern that can be expected of children with deficiencies in these specific chemicals and hormones, and if Beanie is following those patterns, than the doc. sees no problem in letting her take her own path. If she comes back in April, though, and we find that she’s NOT following those patterns, we get to do more in-depth tests in a hospital another hour and a half out from this place - if we end up having to go that way, we’ll have to get a hotel room. “Given that you’re not the worrying type,” the doctor said to me, “I don’t see a need to give her this test right now. Let’s wait it out and see where it goes.”
Works for me.
So, the next three months will be spent gently nudging Beanie toward more healthy eating habits. Snacks will be things like fruits and yogurt. She promises to drink all her milk and to not leave her drinkable yogurts in her lunchbox to go all skunky. I’ll likely start scrambling eggs in the morning. I’m going to let her decide what we eat for several dinners a week - dinners that she knows are good for her and that she feels like eating - and I suspect she’ll be my grocery shopping buddy from here on out.
I’m so glad it’s not cancer…..
I knew she was fine, meaning nothing major is going on. Aunties know stuff like that. As far as the eating, just make sure you are not giving her too much food. She has the body of a 6 year old. I always see parents giving their kids way too much food. People have no concept of portion sizes and often give their kids adult portions and make them sit there until it’s gone..Not good. My two cents.
Whew!
Good news indeed.
Auntie, you’ve been with us at mealtimes - you know that Beanie’s not getting too much. When she won’t eat seven green beans, though, that’s a problem. I’ve been thinking about it since last night (well, I’ve been thinking about it for a lot longer than that, but you know what I mean) and I’ve decided to let her take responsibility. She’ll get to choose what we have for dinner, and I’ll let her make up her own plate from now on. We’ll see how it goes.
Yes, Gerry; good news. Though, when we sat down in front of the doctor yesterday, her first words were “Well, we’ve got a lot to talk about here” and my insides turned to goo (because, of course, there’s always the thought in the back of the mind that even though I instinctively knew she was fine, I could be just kidding myself). Now we see how well she can manage her diet…
Your last line there verbalized a fear you were hiding, I think. I, too, am very glad it is not cancer. And, if it is a condition that can be improved with nutrition (nature’s way), all the better! Congratulations on the positives; and, good for you for having a kid who is so willing to work on her own behalf. That is half the battle.
Oh, thank the Universe and everything for this news. Whew. There’s nothing like the fear of something being amiss with your child. happy (hugs)!
OK I had blissfully not even CONSIDERED cancer. So thanks for THAT!
Isn’t it interesting that, after all the conversations we’ve had and that we hear about growth hormones in food and people getting larger and all that the Bean doesn’t have enough of them.
Ice cream, every night! Full fat! Must have calcium for those bones.
Very glad the news is good and that she’s being made mindful of her control over changing.
Whew!
And some good reinforcement for her to update her eating habits. Keep up the hard work, Beanie!
As the mama to an “itty bitty”, I feel for you. We’ve never really worried too much about her size, and since you know my mother-in-law, you know why. But it’s good that you had a doctor who was willing to stop and take the time to be sure it wasn’t anything you should be worrrying about. That’s why we trust them with our children.
Kizz, if we can find ice cream with extra protein added, I’d be all for that. It’s not so much that she’s not getting enough calories (though the doctor said she could stand more than she gets), it’s that she’s not getting enough of the right kinds of protein. Doc. Bibey, correct me if I’m wrong here, but my understanding is that she need certain proteins to trigger certain receptors to make (accept?) the hormone that she IS producing. The way I heard it is that she’s GOT the stuff, she’s just not able to USE the stuff.
Anyway, no drugs, no special foods, nothing dire or life threatening; just a little kid who needs to suck it up and start eating a little better than she currently does.
mrschili,
Glad Beanie is O.K. All this brings back memories of my boy. He was a touch early (about two weeks) and at first he was a little on the small size.
I am 6′3” and he took after my wife a bit (he wound up 5′11′) and now he is a paramedic and hits a golf ball 300+. (no exaggeration) I shoulda held back on the Enfamil or Wheaties. (Actually he was breast fed.)
I remember bringing him home from the hospital. I was a young doc, and though I was real smart. We laid him on the bed, and he promptly peed all over over it. I turned to my wife and said, “What are we gonna do with this guy?”
I had a lot of book learning, but no idea how to raise him. Thank God for his mama.
Dr. B
Thank goodness it’s not cancer! I can’t imagine the worry and stress you’ve been under. Best of luck with the nutritional changes.
You know what, Doc? I’m betting that Mama didn’t know, either - we all just make this stuff up as we go. There’s no secret Mommy book or anything; it’s all good luck and instinct.
Honestly, Everyone; I had no idea I was really worried that there was anything seriously wrong with her until I was assured that there isn’t. For me, this has been a lesson in trusting my intuition. I’ve had senses about medical issues before - a friend came to me soon after finding a lump in her breast - but before the tests came back - and I told her that she was fine - I just KNEW it. She was, and this sort of thing - intuitively knowing about something I shouldn’t really know - has happened several times since. I guess I just didn’t trust that I could be right about someone so close to me. I was afraid, though I didn’t admit it to myself until yesterday, that I was NOT seeing something that WAS there.
SO glad I was wrong about that.
Oh my Lord. I had no idea cancer was even a concern!
If you need help worrying, I’m here for you. I’m really good at it.
Chili, I’m so happy to hear you can fully let that breath OUT. Clearly your intuition is working just fine with your little one.
Letting her plan diners and be your shopping buddy will be a great step toward her recognizing her relationship with food and protein in particular and what she needs to do to grow.
So much yay.
Oh that is good news. And how great to have a doctor, and not her mother, tell her to eat better. She might even listen.
I can’t tell you how relieved I am! I know that many kids go through a stage with food…at least girls. I will email you a story about my niece when she was ’round Beanie’s age. It might help you feel better. I really think turning a bit of the responsibility on her will help. Let her know that she has this chance to improve on her terms…then if she can’t handle it, you and the docs step in.
I’m right here if you need anything.
Great news! I’m glad for you, and I’ve no doubt that Beanie will rise to the challenge.
Congratulations! I’m so happy for you both.
Very glad to hear everything is copacetic. Good luck with the nutrition boost.