T throws a tantrum!

Yes, I know, not usually the kind of thing you celebrate - but, this is T we're talking about!

I was forced by necessity to take all 3 boys out lingerie shopping yesterday. I usually try to get rid of at least a couple of them so I can actually think and choose rather than just grabbing the first thing that I know will work! Anyway T was having a ball running around and swiping items off the stands. His wicked sense of humour has re-asserted itself - it's very hard to discipline a kid who is running up to padded bras and pushing the cups while going "Honk! Honk!"

It was great (although very disruptive!) to see his sense of fun and his higher energy levels in his running. However, especially since his energy is improving, it's essential to maintain control. The boys wanted to go to the Toy Department after I'd finished to drool over the toys they'd buy if only they had a spare $300. So W and N got to go - and T had to stay with me in the Baby Dept next door! He screamed, fought, cried, went rigid and generally packed a major hissy fit! When I went to the counter to buy something I had to put him down and he took off! I excused myself and fished him back - and he gave in after that and was very penitential and sad but knew exactly why it had happened. But it's really wonderful that he had the fire and energy to misbehave!

But while it's wonderful to revel in this we need to keep riding the wave and actually move towards actually sorting him out. His fluid intake seems to have increased and solids intake decreased since starting the Polycal - so on paper this is probably a failure. But if you make him decrease his fluid intake his solid intake doesn't increase and he needs the calories so what do you do?

I'm probably making a bigger feeding problem for us further down the track but right now the improvements in energy, exploration and development are clear indicators he's starting to get what he needs and I'm not going to do anything to stop that and so I'm not going to stop pushing the formula. He's always preferred to drink than eat and at least with the combination of nutritionally complete formula and Polycal he'll be getting a decent diet.

We've got a referral to another dietician who, being part of the hospital, should be able to work closely with the feeding therapist, but we can't see her until 30 Oct so I've got until then before someone throws a major hissy fit about his lack of solid food!
Currently no one has come up with an action plan on HOW we're actually going to get this child to eat enough to actually sustain him and no one is supporting us in the battle. My priority has to be his mental and physical development and the lack calories endangers that. We and he are the only ones who have to deal with the consequences of that and as far as I'm concerned we need to focus on the much bigger long term picture here. I'm sure he'll learn to eat eventually but you can never get back that time and brain development.

I have discovered that there is a clinical psych, SLT and I think dietician associated with the Child Development Unit that is alongside the hospital. I'm not sure if we've somehow got into the hospital system rather than that or if they are one and the same or what the issue is here.
When T goes to the GP for his weigh in tomorrow I'm going to ask which bit of the system we're in, if they are all the same and which might be best for T. He needs a concerted, sensible team approach if we are to get anywhere.
Wish me luck!