No, Cooper doesn't have cancer...it just feels like he does

We are currently 2/3 of the way through "appointment palooza."  Cooper had 2 appointments Friday, 2 today, and Semmes has 2 tomorrow.  Ugh.

Friday was Audiology and ENT.  They basically said the same thing they've been saying:  Cooper can hear; he just has a bunch of crud in his ears that is preventing him from doing it well.  So a third set of tubes is probably in his future.  Poor guy.

Today, we had GI and our first appointment with an eating specialist.  Now that Cooper is almost three, we're going to start reintroducing dairy.  I would really love to just be able to give him milk.  So, fingers crossed that our slow move back toward that goes well.

We also met with Dr. Watson, who is a child psychologist and eating specialist.  This has been a long time coming and I'm glad we got to see her.  When Cooper is on oxygen due to respiratory issues, he can't eat.  So he has regressed so much that he now refuses to eat.  It's miserable.  Apparently, the amount of stress the parent of a child with eating issues feels is the same as the parent of a child with cancer.  And I believe that.  I get it.  I'm in the middle of it.  I mean, it's eating.  Everyone does it.  You have to do it to live.  And Cooper just doesn't.  He can't.  It's SUPER stressful and not something anyone else can really understand.  

So we've got a plan.  At least for the next month.  We're going to be giving him an empty spoon.  We present it to him, tell him to "open your mouth" and if he opens it even a little, we praise and reward him.  We meet with her again in a month to discuss progress (hopefully there will be some).  He immediate goal is for him to be eating a "measurable amount" by Christmas, even if that is only an ounce.  We'll start here and see how it goes.  Pray for my sanity.