Taking vitamins is a challenging change of routine
While one adjustment has gone well, another is ... in process
Routine is a huge part of the daily life of raising kids. They make the day go more smoothly, helping everyone know what to expect. When it comes to my son Finley, who’s 4 and has Alagille syndrome, he’s always known the routine of taking medicine in the morning and night. But recently we’ve had to alter that routine, and it’s proving to be a challenge for him.
Finley was diagnosed with Alagille at a couple months old. Ever since our initial stay in the neonatal intensive care unit, he’s been on medication. Over the past few years, there’s been little change. For the most part, we simply removed different vitamin supplementation from our routine. After that, Finley became accustomed to his couple of medications when waking up and going to bed.
But recently, following a round of labs, he’s been told to take vitamins D and E: two additions to the routine.
Maybe it’s because that’s all he’s known, but Finley is quite good at taking his own medicine, at least the ones he’s used to. Adding a new wrinkle to the equation has proven challenging, particularly when it comes to the dreaded “pink medicine,” aka amoxicillin, when he gets sick.
Needless to say, when we told him that he’d be taking some new medicine each day, he immediately showed concern. His first question was, “No pink medicine, right?”
Thankfully, we could answer that one with a kind, “No, not this time.”
Finley being adventurous at the park. (Photo by Jay Sandstrom)
He’s been on both vitamins D and E in the past. So we prepped him that they don’t really have a flavor, or at least, that’s how they used to taste for him.
Making adjustments
Vitamin E has been a breeze, as it’s basically unflavored; he takes it down like a champ. Vitamin D, on the other hand, is proving to be a bit more challenging. It is flavored, and he’s not adjusting super well to that addition. Despite his understanding that it’s like him taking “sunshine” to help him grow (our little terminology to help him out), he’s still not loving the taste.
I can’t blame him for that feeling. It’s a big change. Since taking this supplement is something he needs to do every day, I’m working on finding ways to get him comfortable with it.
Right now, we’re pairing the medicine with jelly beans and a movie on the tablet for distraction. He takes a little of the vitamin D, eats a jelly bean, then takes a little more. It’s been a bit of a battle, but just today he asked to take it himself. Now, he did end up spitting some of it out when he self-administered, but that’s still progress in the right direction. Over time we’ll wean him off the jelly beans and tablet distraction. I know we’ll get there.
I’m working hard to give Finley a ton of grace with this change. It can be quite the challenge to stay calm when he won’t cooperate. It’s a stressful experience, and I have to do my part not to add to his stress by contributing my own. My goal is to ease the transition to these new additions so they’re a comfortable change for him, even if I’m getting frustrated and keeping it to myself. I only have to give him the liquid; he has to be the one to take it. The easier I make it for him, the easier it’ll be for all of us in the long run.
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