BARF

So my kid barfs. 

I know, I know, all kids do from time-to-time.  But my kid barfs, I mean, he really projectile vomits.  And he does it once or twice a day on good days, and three or four or more on bad ones, of which there have been many recently. 

When he was still in the hospital we were assured that most children outgrow these messy mouth eruptions after about a year of age.  But he's approaching two and things seem to be getting worse instead of better. 

None of his doctors have been able to pinpoint a specific cause for the vomiting.  The consensus seems to be that there's probably several reasons for all the spewing, such as:

• GERD, or Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease, which is caused by stomach acid coming up from the stomach into the esophagus.
• Delayed stomach empty emptying, which results in his earlier feedings filling up his stomach until there's not room for more.
• Bowel movements, believe it or not, some think he may be straining so hard to poop that it causes him to get sick (which is better than when he was a baby and stopped breathing when he pooped).
• Secretions, which when not suctioned fast enough makes him gag and eventually vomit.
• Tracheostomy tube, which may move in his trachea and make him choke and gag.

I think it's probably a combination of all these things.  He was on one medicine for the acid and one to speed his intestinal motility but they didn't work so well so we stopped them a while ago.  We thought it was better to have him vomit and not take all the pills, which have other side effects of course, than vomit and take them, and deal with their impact.  At one point, one of his doctors told us we should either discontinue the meds or double them.  Talk about confusing. 

The worst part about it isn't all the laundry (of which there is a lot) or the fact that our house smells like vomit (which it does) but the toll it is taking on him, both physically and psychologically.  It breaks our hearts to hear him wretch and know how scared and uncomfortably he is.  Makes you want to cry sometimes.  And all the vomit, along with all the antibiotics he received while in the hospital, have turned his teeth brownish-yellow and started wearing away at their enamel.

But there's no end in sight right now.  Some days are better than others.  And some are really, really, bad.  But he's such a trooper and soldiers on without missing a beat.  I wonder whether he thinks this is normal or whether he knows this shouldn't be happening?