Clinic & Photos

I had to start this post off with some pictures of my energetic boy!

This guy has been keeping us on our toes lately. He’s full of energy, attitude and a zest for life. I think Ryan said it best the other day- we can’t wait for him to get up in the morning and we can’t wait for him to go to bed at night. He’s such a joy but exhausting!

Our full 12-week clinic visit was yesterday, down in the Bay Area. It went pretty well, Ben’s lungs are clear but he has not gained any weight in over 2 months so that concerns his doctors. He did grow over 2 inches in height so I’m not as worried as they are, however, we have decided to switch his enzymes from Creon 12 to Zenpep 15. His diapers have been a bit loose lately so we’re hoping the enzyme switch will improve his stools and weight gain.

But I wouldn’t be surprised if this kid is burning off all the calories he intakes. He just loves to run and wrestle with his Dad. Our nutritionist talked about adding some more high-calorie foods into his diet and I cringed when the words “McDonalds” came up. She encouraged us to let Ben eat there more often but I have some issues with that. He gets Mickey D’s, as a treat, about once a week if not less and while I understand the need for high-calorie foods, I have an issue with feeding him junk food. In my opinion there is a difference between food that is high-calorie and junk food. I understand in extreme cases, CFer’s need to eat fast food a lot but we just aren’t there. Ben is still in the top 70th percentile (a big drop from his 90th status for over a year) and is in the top 90th percentile for height. I just can’t validate Ben eating fast food anymore then he does. He needs to develop healthy eating habits and those don’t include microwaveable meals or fast food. I just believe there are other “healthier” ways to add calories to his diet.

We will be adding Carnation Instant Breakfast into his milk, eating more peanut butter, and adding a bit more butter to his waffles in the morning. This, combined with his new enzymes, will hopefully help him put back on some weight. If anybody has anymore suggestions, I’d love to hear them.

They cultured Ben before we left and the results will be in next Tuesday to Wednesday. This is the big if culture for him. If the this culture comes back clear, we will officially be declared Pseudomonas free. Fingers, toes, and other appendages crossed, this happens. I’ll let everybody know when the results come in ASAP.