Yesterday, my mom and I took James to Sacramento for a barium swallow test. The test showed that the muscles in his esophogus do not work properly to push the food down into his stomach, and he was diagnosed with a condition called "esophogeal dysmotility." This is the first solid answer that we have gotten as to why he vomits daily, and sometimes several times daily... The radiologist who performed the test said that there is really no way to treat dysmotility (which didn't surprise me, even though it's discouraging)... but James will have a follow up appointment with his GI doctor, and we will see what they say...
This new diagnosis has raised questions for me again about the cyst that he has along his spinal cord, and whether it could be causing the nerves that control the muscles in his esophogus to not work properly... I know that we sort of closed the door on considering an operation to drain the cyst (for now) after getting a third opinion at UCSF, but this new diagnosis is making me wonder about that again... I will need to ask his neurosurgeon if he thinks there could be a connection. If so, I am beginning to feel strongly that draining the cyst might be our best choice for James. He has vomited every day of his life, his entire life (two and a half YEARS) and he still can't sit without hand support because of such a WEAK trunk.... hmmm....
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