Mary Beth saw the gastro doc yesterday - **all good news**

amymom wrote: Mary Beth had her follow up with the gastroenterologist yesterday. He is (as I am too) very pleased with her progress. She has gained weight!! (10lbs since Nov.) She looks healthier!! She is totally off all GERD medicine. She has not had any tums since Jan. And we are so happy. He (along with a few other people) mentioned that the dark circles under her eyes have gone away. He reviewed all the results of her biopsies with me, and the ph probe. He feels that she had some damage from the untreated GERD for 10 years. GERD mostly caused by lactose intollerance. He thinks that the 7 months of Prilosec helped control the symptoms so her body could heal itself.

AND he told MB to keep on the lactose free (reduced) diet, to follow up with her pediatrician AND to have a great life, because he didn't want to see her anymore . (He did say of course if we needed him to come back!) We drove 3 1/2 hours each way, saw him for about 10 mins. But we did get some shopping done and had a nice day away from school and work. We left here at 9am yesterday morning and between, shopping, doctors eating lunch and dinner we got home at 7pm. Long day but to have a healthy, happy kid it is so worth it.

gr33n3y3z replied: That is GREAT news I'm so happy for MB

cameragirl21 replied: that's wonderful, Anne Marie, and what a relief for MB!

Calimama replied: Awesome!

DansMom replied: That's wonderful news!!

punkeemunkee'smom replied: Oh Anne Marie I am sooooo happy for you and MB! I know this has been such a concern for you and I am doiong the happy dance that things seem to be healed!!!!

amymom replied: Thanks everyone! It really is a burden lifted, has been for a few months now. But she needs all new clothes, Because is growing again! Last summer she had been wearing out her clothes before growing out of them.

It really is a bit odd to listen to someone tell your ten year old: "Have a good life" and you know that he is thinking I am not seeing this little girl ever again. Weird, but happy thoughts given his 'job'.

ediep replied: thats great news!

I was wondering, is she able to eat the Lactaid products...like the milk, ice cream, cottage cheese? I am also lactose intolerant, but it came on as an adult, so I buy lactaid mlilk for my cereal and I take the lactaid pills for other dairy products.

amymom replied:
She doesn't like the lactaid milk. (and she is not usually a picky eater). She produces almost no lactase, so she can not tolerate more than 8-12 ozs of dairy per day. So she limits it to sometimes milk with cereal. She really likes pepperoni and bologna, so she uses her lactaid pills with the processed meat. She doesn't miss the cheese or milk. Once in a while (maybe once per month) she will have pizza. We haven't experimented with the lactose free products too much. She is hoping to have ice cream again, but we have stayed away from it. I haven't tried the lactaid ice cream, my local grocer does not carry it, and we plan to try it sometime soon. We also bought a ice cream maker at a garage sale in the fall and plan to break that out soon, with lactaid products.

Her diet has always been low in milk products, except what I forced on her for the 'goodness' of it. Didn't know any better. She kind of self monitored, that's why she was never too, too sick. She now gets her calcium from veggies and fortified oj and other juices. Plus we are going to supplement with tums for the calcium.

Which lactaid products do you like best?

boyohboyohboy replied: OH anne marie, I am so happy for you and mb. I hope to some day be in your shoes...
I think she deserves a whole new outfit

mysweetpeasWil&Wes replied: Great news!!!

kimberley replied: that's great! wishing her continued success!

MoonMama replied: That is wonderful news. I'm so thrilled for Mary Beth.