Jake has been dressing Milo for the past week or so, but this morning I got him dressed and when I pulled off his shirt, I was shocked. His ribs are showing everywhere -- not just on the sides, but on the front of his chest, too. His shoulder blades are sticking out. His arms are a lot skinnier than Nora's, and that's saying something.
About a week ago Milo got sick and it was a stomach thing, with diarrhea, and fevers, so he hasn't been eating much all week. I thought he was mostly better but he still doesn't want to eat hardly anything. And of course now that I saw how emaciated he is, it's all I can think about. At what point does too skinny become dangerous? So today I made what I thought would be a delicious milkshake smoothie, with fruit and ice cream and cream, but he wasn't really into it. He wasn't interested in eating much of anything all day, and who knows if this is because his stomach is still off, or because I've ramped up the pressure (which I know is counterproductive) because I'm freaking out about him being too skinny. All day long he kept saying he had to go to the bathroom, but he was never able to poop, so that could be part of the problem too.
All I know is that it drives me crazy to see him so thin, and make all kinds of good fattening things for him, only to hear him say "My tummy is full" and "I don't want anything to eat" before the meal even begins. Just a few bites of things here and there, that's it. He didn't even want to eat his chocolate snowman after dinner.
Jake said, well, he's staying hydrated (he's had plenty of milk today), and he's not throwing up or anything, and his energy level seems okay. So I guess if he were getting too malnourished he'd probably show it in his behavior, I guess. I hope. I know I can't make him eat. Today proved that, because I tried my darndest and it just backfires every single time.
I don't know if I should call the doctor, or what. I mean, what can they really do other than hospitalize him and put a feeding tube in him? If his stomach feels yucky, then it just does, and I know what it's like to have no appetite. Maybe I'll take him in on Wednesday if he hasn't gotten better. The thing that makes this worse is that we're going to have to take them in for their 3-year check up soon and I'm dreading the weigh in, especially now that I can tell Milo has lost weight.
It's enough to drive a parent insane to have a kid who is way too skinny but then won't eat. Not even milkshakes, not even pancakes with syrup, not even chocolate for God's sake. Honestly, I'd feed him anything right now just to get some fat and calories into him.
1 comment:
Just know(which I'm sure you do on an intellectual level)that he WILL get his appetite back. Offering him small snacks/meals often as you have been doing is a good way to go-I'm thinking that maybe his stomach has shrunk a little and he does get full easily.
Post a Comment