My poor Clown

Alright, I had promised to talk about Clown's tummy issues, so here we go. Wow, I just finished writing this and wanted to warn you all it is longer and more longwinded than I had intended. SORRY!

About six weeks ago, I took Clown to a store after the kids' Monday morning class that they go to. On the way, he was saying he felt a bit sick. It had been a few hours since breakfast and he can seldom eat much first thing in the morning on Mondays anyway. He is very nervous every Monday morning before class. Being as introverted as he is, it is very hard for him to leave the house and attend this class. I can't remember if I have posted about this before or not?? Anyway, I thought he needed something to eat and it was partly nerves as well.

As we got out of the car to go into the store, he was walking slowly and swallowed a few times. I asked him if we should go home. He insisted that he was fine.

Then he puked. All over the parking lot! Well, not ALL OVER, but a large area. I am talking projectile!! I was standing there, watching and thinking, "WHAT THE HECK!?!? Where did this come from??"

Yes, I know it came from his stomach. You all know what I mean.

In fact, there was nothing much but fluid. He insisted he was fine, as he continued to leave a trail of stomach acid on the pavement. We would just think he was finished and then more would spew forth. My poor baby!!!

He assured me all was well as we walked into the store!?!? I was rubbing his back and asking if he wanted something to drink to take the taste away. It was honestly just a fountain of liquid erupting from him. I had no idea such a small little guy's tummy could hold so much liquid!!

I finally convinced him to walk back to the car. We got him settled, I told Jock (who was waiting in the car) what happened and I said I needed to go into the store quickly to at least alert the people what was in the parking lot. I got Clown a drink and some napkins to wipe his face and told the people what happened and showed them so they could clean it up.

By the time I got back to the car, Clown insisted we could carry on with our errands and said he needed some pizza to eat! So we went into the store and got him some pizza from the lunch counter. He ate almost all of it!

Over the next few weeks, he was constantly nauseous and threw up a few more times. Mornings were always worst. One of the docs jokingly asked if he was pregnant!??! LOL He didn't have a fever and it did not affect him in any other way.

I took him to the doctor, who thought it might be GERD and gave him meds that didn't work. I was sure it was not GERD, since Cryptic had it and needed surgery. I told the Doc as much, but of course they know best and we mothers don't know our kids, right?? Right.

He missed one of his Monday classes and missed going to our Science class a few Friday mornings. Jock and Cryptic take Science with our HSing group on Friday mornings. This Amazing Man makes it SO FUN for the kids. Clown and Princess to not attend his classes yet, but they play with friends while their older brothers are in class. Clown was so sad to miss a few weeks and stay here with his Dad because he felt so horrible and was always afraid he may vomit.

I assured the people at Monday morning class that the reason he had a "barf bowl" with him each week was in case he threw up. Explained we did not know what it was but there was no fever, it had lasted for weeks and none of the rest of the family had it. They still would not let their children sit near him, which really hurt his feelings. I was not impressed. Like I was going to bring a sick contagious child to class!?!? They had seen him this way three weeks in a row, I had talked to all of them about it! ARG!!!

The teacher called me and wanted to check things out and told me some parents had been concerned seeing him in there with this bowl. Sometimes he would leave class with me and we would go for some fresh air outside and it would make him feel better. Then we would come back inside and he would be in class more. He could even speak up a few times and answered some questions. Sometimes they pray aloud about orphans and kids in other countries (it is a geography class) and I am proud of him that as shy as he is, he speaks up and prays sometimes!! He did not want to miss any of these classes!! Nervous as he gets, he truly just loves it. I hated for him to miss class at the off chance that he vomit. I was sure he was not going to (he never did) and we pay for the classes and he loves them and doesn't want to miss anymore. He had already missed once because of this mystery illness. He really has to get himself psyched up to go and it takes a lot for him, but he is always glad he goes and just thoroughly enjoys the class!

So the Doc wanted to put him on stronger meds and I refused. I said they are not doing anything, I want him tested for food allergies. All his siblings have many allergies, he has never been tested. I looked into it a bit and found that they can suddenly aggravate a person.

Meantime, they did a tummy ultrasound. He thought that was pretty cool! We were wondering about ulcers, since he is such a nervous little twerp:) Then the allergy testing a week or so ago confirmed a slight wheat allergy...he LOVES his wheat toast with peanut butter almost every morning. So we are going to watch that. While there, the allergist (this is the man who has discovered everything that has ever been wrong with Cryptic. We ADORE THIS MAN!) said he bets it is sinus drainage.

DUH! I felt like SUCH A DORK. This was what had upset Cryptic many times in years past. He has had such impacted sinuses before and they have been talking about surgery off and on for a few years, but then we get him cleaned out with a sauna, meds, steroids, etc. He IS having sinus surgery on the 23rd of this month, but not for being impacted.

So about Clown. I slapped my forehead and yelled something about how I should have thought of that. Doc is so sweet. He looked at me and said, "Why should you have known that sinus drainage is irritating him and making him feel sick??"

I said maybe it was because Cryptic had the same thing before and you have helped me with it many times over the years!?! He just laughed and said not to be so hard on myself, I have a lot going on. At one point he told Clown, "I have known your mother for many years. I trust her judgement. If she says you can play video games to make your tummy settle down and you feel better, then I think she knows what she is doing, right??" Or something along those lines, I can't remember. Clown had been explaining how he is not sure why, but if he lays on the futon to play video games, soon his tummy feels better.

So he gave him steroids and said if after a week he is not better, we know it is not allergy junk bothering him and he will need another CT scan. He loves to get those! It has been a few years, but even when he was three or four he enjoys being in the "donut" and getting spun around and almost upside down.

Yes, you read correctly. My eight year old son has had multiple CT Scans for sinus issues and I am TOO STUPID to have thought about what was going on?? Guess what else? When I picked up the files and all Cryptic's CT Scan CDs for the surgeon to have before Cyrptic's surgery, I flipped through and saw that Cryptic tested positive for being allergic to MILK AND EGGS!?!? I FORGOT THAT MY SON IS ALLERGIC TO MILK AND EGGS!?!?!? He eats both EVERY DAY pretty much!!

Wow, maybe that is why he has such horrid eczema and sinus issues!?!?!? With my kids' allergies, that is how they present themselves. Not with swelling throats or lips or anything like that, they get sinus infections that stay for years at a time and I get so used to it that I block it out completely. I remember Cryptic being tested at three years old and we knew he had those allergies. We took those foods from his diet for a few months and then slowly starting allowing them back in cause he missed them and hated rice or soy milk!?!? Man, what an awesome mother I am!

So I am taking Clown for a CT tomorrow, most likely to discover he is pretty full. he HAS been feeling better, and when they tested him we discovered many tress in the area that he is allergic to. So perhaps they are not bothering him anymore and his drainage is not...draining anymore. :) When the allergist first saw him, he said he has allergy shiners, but is not mouth breathing. Cryptic has been mouth breathing since he was about two. You would think I would know the drill. We have taken Cryptic so many times and had him on so many six month regimens of four different antibiotics, standing in the shower to clear things out, nasal sprays, saunas, etc. All three boys are supposed to use the sauna for their noses twice day but have not for about two years. Why you ask?? Because I got sick of forcing them and fighting with them about it.

See? GREAT MOTHER! YEAH!! GO ME!!!!

We have had a friend who is 2 weeks older than Clown staying today and will take him tomorrow to Science class to meet up with his mother and brother. They have had a lovely time and my poor darling Clown hurt himself today trying to make something pretty for me.


I was in the process of writing an e-mail to my SIL in SC about my niece's upcoming 6th birthday. I heard Clown crying and ran outside to see a very scraped up knee. He was so excited to make me whatever my surprise was, that he tripped while running into our backyard.

He was so enthralled that he bled in such a way so that the blood ran down his leg that he said, while wiping his tears, "Wait until I wipe these stupid tears and then take a picture and I will smile, ok??"





He of course recovered quickly and over the course of a few hours, with a break for supper, much giggling and whispering, this is some of what I overheard~

"Do you think she will like it??"

"Are you kidding!??! She will LOVE IT!"

"Wait, we need more yellow ones!"

"Do you have any blue ones??"

"This is the best day of my life!"

"Do you think she will think it is so pretty that she will cry?? Does your mother cry when she is Happy, D?? Our's does sometimes!"

"Don't let her see it. Princess, you will lead her down the stairs with her eyes closed, while Clown and I wait here and present it to her, ok??"

I know you want to see what it was, right??

Ok, this is what they made for me and put so much work and love and time into. It is SO SWEET and pretty:)




D's wee feet in yellow, then Princess (DUH!) and then Clown.

Aren't kids awesome??