However, I am the "professional mother of Ethan". I say, without shame, that I know Ethan better than anyone. I put a lot of confidence in motherly intuition. Unfortunately, I'm also prone to second-guessing myself.
When it comes to healthcare, seeking the most natural and least intrusive solution has always been our goal...a solution which allows, supports and aids the body to heal itself. This is usually not the fastest or most convenient method; but, is usually the safest, most peaceful and least expensive.
For example, when it became evident that Ethan's oral motor function was not strong or coordinated enough to sustain him through breast feeding, I immediately found a lactation consultant. The result was a regimen of nursing, pumping and syringe feeding my baby boy around the clock. As needed, some of those syringe feedings (a tiny tube at the end of my finger, from which he sucked) were supplemented with fresh, raw goat's milk. He gained. And, gained. I charted every ounce. I charted input and output. And, Ethan gained and grew in strength until he was a self-sufficient nurser. I nursed him for over two years, until his baby brother was born.
"Standard Procedure" would have been to put him on a bottle. That's what the first doctor I saw said to do.
This isn't the end of his feeding history. As we introduced other foods, the challenges increased, partly due to his sensory processing disorder, and partly due to the cerebral palsy. For many years, it was not uncommon for each meal to take an hour and a half. I used an eyedropper to get liquids down him, because he would choke and sputter, otherwise. Even the smell of food would send him reeling with nausea, gagging, vomiting. I fed him on my lap until after he turned 16 years old, because I had better head control, and could adjust to his other athetoid movements, while dispensing little dollops of pureed food into his mouth. As of January of this year, (thankfully), he willingly (eagerly) sips his "smoothies" from a special, flexible straw, from the security of his wheelchair which tilts! Meals still take time and care and patience; but, for the most part, eating is no longer "a necessary evil" in his mind.
"Standard Procedure" would have been to put in a G-tube.
Just before his first birthday, Ethan began to shows signs of seizure activity, which rapidly became quite severe. By the time he was 5 years old, he was having 2 to 3-hour-long "sessions" of back-to-back grand mals, sometimes 2 to 3 times a day! Our neurologist worked hard those first five years, trying one medication, then another, some in combination. But, he respectfully chose medications that would not be so toxic, requiring constant blood work. Nothing helped. His seizure activity just got worse, until we wondered if Ethan might expire from exhaustion. In the meantime, I was studying, and praying, and trusting that there HAD TO BE an answer. The kind doctor had mentioned the Ketogenic Diet (for seizure control) several times during those early years, but always with a comment such as, "But, you probably wouldn't want to do that." I had read about the diet, and was interested. So, on a day of particularly scary seizures, I called him, and asked, "WHY WOULDN'T I WANT TO DO THAT?!?!" Really, the only hindrance, is that it requires quite the commitment. After many calculations have been made, food is measured to the tenth of a gram. Variations can cause breakthrough seizures. Long story short, it worked. We kept him on it for two years, weaning him off of it to a normal diet, as one would a medication. Ethan has been virtually seizure-free since then, with no medication. And, he hasn't had even one, little seizure for over 4 years, although puberty should have lowered his threshold.
"Standard Procedure" would have been to put him on the strongest of epileptic drugs.
(Special note: "Standard Procedure" for initiating this medical diet is admission to the hospital. We were not willing to do that. The good doctor backed us up. God bless him for that!)
By now, you may well be wondering what the point is for this post. What prompted me to say all of this? Am I boasting? NO! Am I judging others for their choices in healthcare that have differed from mine? NO! Not at all!!! In fact, I am so very humbled; and, full of gratitude for God's protection, provision, and grace. My insufficiency has never been so evident as it is right now.
We are facing a dilemma...
My fellow has an accumulation of hardened plaque on some of his teeth. So far, I've been told by three medical professionals that "Standard Procedure" (apparently) is to hospitalize him, put him completely "under", and intubate him. This seems to me to be an extreme, dangerous and possibly unnecessary method for a dental cleaning. As far as we know, he doesn't even have cavities! He's never been hospitalized for ANYthing. He only sees his doctors for WELL visits. He is just THAT HEALTHY! He went to a dentist for a thorough cleaning 5 years ago. It took a little more effort, a little more time...and, he did bite the hygienist just once, but, it was an accident. ;-) So, here I am again, saying to myself and praying to God, "THERE JUST MUST BE ANOTHER WAY!"
I will continue to prayerfully explore options. And, it may be that this time we must succumb to "Standard Procedure". But, my motherly intuition is telling me otherwise.
If you're reading this, will you whisper a little prayer for wisdom? Thank you.
