Byron's Newest Episode

We had a great 8th Anniversary on Tuesday. Joe took the kids during the day and Byron feel asleep in the car on the way home. Joe arranged for a babysitter and Byron slept for an hour and then all the way to the sitters. Byron was tired and lethargic at the sitters. Joe and I had a great dinner at Olive Garden. When we returned, the sitter reported that Byron had just laid around and didn't do much. In my mind I thought, "oh, with Byron's condition he's often lethargic." Then I stopped myself thinking, no, he's not like that normally only during an episode, he must be extra tired from playing at the park with Joe.
I carried Byron out of the car and although it was only 8:00 and he'd had a nap, he just wanted me to hold him. I did and about 20 minutes after we got home he refluxed. As I tried to hold him over a plastic container, he held the back of his head and screamed. This was normally what he did when having an episode. We went back through the last 24 hours and calculated that he had drunk a few ounces of Bright Beginnings that had been outside for a couple of hours and he'd eaten one mini-corn dog that did have whey in it.
I held Byron for a little longer until he refluxed again. This time, I put my fingers on his chest and neck and asked if he had any "owies" there. He said, "No, in my head." And touched the back of his head. I have noticed for the past year that he always grabs his head when he refluxes. But this is the first time Byron has verbalized the location of pain. I find it interesting that it is not where is esophagus is, but in the back of his head. Also, that he only grabs his head after refluxing.
Joe and I were discussing whether this was an "episode" or not. I was fairly sure it was. He did everything just as normal. Except, he didn't do the hacking cough and ear infection that normally go with it.
Don't worry, last night he woke up holding his ear. And although he had a physical Monday night and had been fine, he has an ear infection. I also find it interesting that the ear infection is on the same side as the pain in his head, the right side.
Byron just had an endoscopy two weeks ago and it did indicate that the EE count is back up. Byron went today down to Riley, he is going to participate in a study of children with EE. They are testing to see if Pulmacort is effective in clearing up the EE. Last fall he swallowed Flovent and it seemed to work. Now they are testing to see if swallowing Pulmacort makes a difference. Since it is a study, all related medical costs will be covered and Byron will get $575 to recuperate any other costs. The only draw back is that he has a 25% chance of being in the placebo group. But, as scientists, Joe and I couldn't very well not participate in furthering science as I know how hard it can be to get participants.