Smarty's First Hospital Stay

So I recently posted about Sweety's first hospital stay, and I was thinking I ought to document Smarty's first hospital stay also.

About June, 2006, a mysterious illness seemed to be slowly draining the life force out of our precious baby. Over a period of 2 or 3 weeks, Smarty grew more and more lifeless and less and less interested in food or drink of any kind. We went back and forth between the doctor and the hospital lab for tests, but we just couldn't figure out what was wrong.

I'll never forget that first round of testing. The first time I had to allow someone to inflict pain upon my non understanding child. It was horrid! (Smarty didn't like it much either!) Is there anything more difficult? I found it hard to recover; I was pretty rattled.

After it was over, I obviously should have waited to leave until I could focus properly, but I didn't. I crashed the truck into a bollard in the parking lot. Ben was pretty pleased about that. Now we have a lovely curved indentation just above the right front tire. Trust me, it doesn't really improve the look of the truck at all.

Just like Sweety, Smarty was a challenge to stick too. Not that he had difficult veins or anything, he was just insanely strong! They had to strap him to the backboard and then 3 people held his limb down while a 4th person fished and fished under his skin. Even then, he knew just the right moment to jerk and cause problems.

At any rate, eventually Smarty got sick enough that he was hospitalized. We were there for a week without a clue or a lead. The doctors and nurses all had to wear special gowns and masks and gloves when they came in to see us for fear of catching or spreading whatever the heck it was. They tested him for all kinds of scary stuff, Celiac disease, Cystic Fibrosis, and lots of other intimidating things, but no dice.

Our pediatrician, her colleague, and the resident pediatrician were great brain stormers. They worked really hard. Eventually a googling session led our pediatrician to an unlikely little condition, but she threw it in with the next round of tests anyway, and it ended up being our answer.

What was the culprit? A zinc deficiency! Apparently large amounts of antibiotics, (used to treat his dozens of ear infections) coupled with Smarty's vegetarian lifestyle, will do that. The best part is it's a condition easily cured with the administration of vitamins and Pediasure. ( Ah Pediasure... we think it smells like horse vomit, but luckily Smarty just loves it)

After all of the terrifying things that Smarty was tested for, this seems so silly! I remember trying to prepare myself for all of the uncomfortable adjustments I knew I was going to have to make and for the possibility that Smarty could die by age thirty. And really all I have to do is pop him a couple of vitamins and some foul smelling health drink! And he's fine. Thank heaven for an easy fix! I have counted my blessings every day since.