Well we went to the U of M this morning and talked to Dr. Laguna, who was a really cool doctor! She got Kirra’s history from us, since I have an exact recollection of what’s happened these past few months. She put our mind immediately at ease by telling us every newborn in the State of Minnesota is tested for CF (Cystic Fibrosis) and they have a very good way to test this on the newborns. So there is almost a zero % chance it could be CF. Plus the symptoms of CF at this age are more nutritional, than anything else… so Kirra’s symptoms don’t fit at all. She also said that since Kirra is gaining weight well, and acting normal most of the time, it’s probably nothing “SERIOUS”.
With that said, because of her signs and symptoms, and how it started etc…. there is a good chance it’s GERD. which stands for Gastro Esophygeal Reflux Disorder, which the stomach contents come up into your throat, and irritate it, so then she coughs. So we’re going to take prevacid again. Kirra was diagnosed with GERD when she was just 2 months old….we were on prevacid until she was about 4 months old, but she continued to spit up anyways, probably up until about a month ago.
Because the acidic contents can go back down into the lungs, and also because there was a very real possibility that Kirra had some infection or virus back in the fall that started all this coughing, that could have temporarily damaged her cilia which then makes anything get down in her lungs and irritate her.
So we’re also going to be on a steroid inhaler to help build up her lungs and make them strong again. We’re to take both medicines for 1 month. Even if she is 100% totally better in 2 weeks. Or even if it does nothing we do it for a month, and call the doctor in 1 month.
Kirra was taking Pulmicort via a nebulizer, but Kirra was highly irritable during and after her treatments, and the process took close to 10 minutes…. so Dr. Laguna prescribed Flovent via an inhaler with a spacer and mask so it only will take 10 seconds now! That makes us VERY HAPPY! I’m sure kirra will like it better too! She gets two puffs in the morning, and two puffs in the evening.
Little Blessed Life 