Gabriel's Well-Check

Okay, so Gabriel had his two-year well check-up today, and in case anyone was wondering, here is the breakdown of what went on.

As most of you know, we have had some concerns regarding Gabriel prior to the visit that we needed to discuss with the pediatrician. The main points were:

1. Pica, or eating things that he should not be eating--chalk, paper, cardboard, crayons, litter rocks, mud, dirt...you get the idea.

2. Poor sleep habits.

3. Speech very delayed--he doesn't say any words at all, and only does minimal hand signs.

4. Hearing, because that could cause speech delays.

and 5. Allergies, because of chronic sinus infections.

Dr. Stripling is a cautious doctor, which we appreciate, but he doesn't get overly worried over every little thing. During the visit, this is what we came up with:

*Gabriel has large and slightly reddened tonsils, which could mean that his adenoids are big too. This could cause problems and may need to be removed, which is a minor surgery.

*We got three referrals. One to a Ear, Nose, and Throat doctor to discuss the tonsils and to check his hearing. There are some indicators that he might not be hearing, and some that he is hearing fine--it is good to get checked. The ENT will check also Gabriel's sinuses and make sure that they are physically well-formed and not causing problems.

*The second referral is to an allergist. The allergist will make sure there is no partial hearing loss related to his bad allergies, and to run an allergy panel so that we can either eliminate the problem or start an antihistamine regimen to prevent such frequent illness.

*The third and final referral is to a developmental pediatrician. There is one here in Lubbock, but if she doesn't take our insurance, we may have to make a road-trip out to Dallas to see one out there. The developmental pediatrician will assess Gabriel's progress against 2 year olds, and try to decide if his delay is normal or should be a cause for concern; then to recommend how we can get him up to the level we would like him to be at.

During the visit, Dr. Stripling noticed Gabriel tugging his hair, which is something we have all seen him do--heck, I was relieved that he was self-soothing instead of ripping out my hair whenever he was stressed. Unfortunately, this too is a cause for concern, as it could be Trichotillomania, the compulsive pulling of hair. It could be a sign of anxiety or point toward a social/developmental disorder.

The pica (eating stuff he isn't supposed to) could point to a nutritional deficiency such as anemia or low iron. That was tested by a simple finger prick at the lab earlier. Once again, Pica could be a sign of a social/developmental disorder.

As for the poor sleeping, that's a non-issue. All behavioral, all modified by changing his habits at home.

So that is the long and short of it. Gabriel might need surgery; he might have anxiety, or need a dietary supplement, or need some allergy control; or he could have an underlying something more serious and sinister that will have long term ramifications for us. Right now, we are just making appointments with other experts and playing the wait-and-see game.

We'll keep you posted!