Ugh, poor C.

[cleo29]

I think she has been having issues with chronic constipation. I think this contributes to her wetting her pants sometimes and she wet the bed earlier this week which never happens. Then the last two days she was not really pooping, but was bloated and uncomfortable. Finally, yesterday she had two big, loose poops. She perked up, ate a bit better. Then she woke up at 4 this morning and threw up a little.

She got sick one more time a little over an hour later, smaller and more mucus this time. when I was feeling her stomach earlier, I could feel a firm ridge there and then a hard little ball within the ridge.

I just hope she is ok. She does poop, but even a kid who poops can still be backed up. And a lot of time she will tell me her butt hurts after pooping.

Sorry, I'm just tired, concerned and needed to vent.

[kaybee85]

Poor baby

[cleo29]

I just feel so terrible for her. I have IBS and I know how uncomfortable it can be when things are not moving as they should. I was just reading symptoms of chronic constipation in children and it is her to a T.

[whitemerlot]

Poor thing! That's awful. My dd is much younger, but was having major issues with constipation. We talked to the doctor and she is now on a very small dose of Miralax and it's made things so much better. My dd is 18 months old and was crying and straining. It was so hard to watch.

[Moe]

Poor you

[whitemerlot]

Dec 15, 2013 8:11:33 GMT -5 cleo29 said:

I just feel so terrible for her. I have IBS and I know how uncomfortable it can be when things are not moving as they should. I was just reading symptoms of chronic constipation in children and it is her to a T.

I know how you feel. I had tried everything with diet and it hadn't helped.

[Deleted]

My kid has never (even as an infant) been a good pooper. He's been on probiotics for almost all of his 3 years. Is it something as simple as adding a probiotic or daily yogurt for her? More water? DS likes the Capri Sun Roarin' Water packs. Poor little poodle.

[cleo29]

Dec 15, 2013 8:25:33 GMT -5 @damnation said:

My kid has never (even as an infant) been a good pooper. He's been on probiotics for almost all of his 3 years. Is it something as simple as adding a probiotic or daily yogurt for her? More water? DS likes the Capri Sun Roarin' Water packs. Poor little poodle.

I don't think so. She has always pooped, which is why you wouldn't think constipation and eats a lot of fiber, gets lots of water, etc.  Lately though she is having accidents in her underwear, getting full quickly after eating, not wanting to eat much (which for C is a big deal lol). I am calling the doctor to see what we can do to get things cleared out and then keep her regular.

Digestive issues run in our families, so I am not totally surprised.

[penelope]

Ds1 has always had problems, and no food changes seemed to help. I found fiber for kids in the vitamin section. They are like gummy bears, so he didn't hate taking them. Now he's 10 and takes one on his own every morning because he says they really do make him feel better. I don't know how old your kid is, but they might help.

[cleo29]

Thanks penelope, I will look into that, especially as a measure to keep her regular.

[DotAndBuzz]

oh man, that sounds rough. I hope she gets some relief soon.

[cleo29]

Dec 15, 2013 9:03:27 GMT -5 DotAndBuzz said:

oh man, that sounds rough. I hope she gets some relief soon.

Thanks. After reading the symptoms, it make me feel terrible for giving her a hard time about wetting her pants. We thought she was just being lazy.

I hope the doctor will get back to me today.

[DotAndBuzz]

Don't beat yourself up. We all have those moments. Like the time I got snippy w/ N at bedtime because she was acting out, but it turns out she was sick - so sick I had to take her to the ER for fluids? Yeah, stellar "loving mom" moment right there.

I too hope the doctor gets back to you. Do they think it may be some sort of obstruction (like, more serious than "just" constipation)? the fact that you could feel a hard mass and she's pukey would concern me too. Is her abdomen tender at all? Fever? Ugh, I hate that you're going through this.

[cleo29]

Dec 15, 2013 9:15:13 GMT -5 DotAndBuzz said:

Don't beat yourself up. We all have those moments. Like the time I got snippy w/ N at bedtime because she was acting out, but it turns out she was sick - so sick I had to take her to the ER for fluids? Yeah, stellar "loving mom" moment right there.

I too hope the doctor gets back to you. Do they think it may be some sort of obstruction (like, more serious than "just" constipation)? the fact that you could feel a hard mass and she's pukey would concern me too. Is her abdomen tender at all? Fever? Ugh, I hate that you're going through this.

She had a fever this week, but no other symptoms. Then her appetite was on and off (usually she grazes all day), and getting bloated.  Her stomach was tender last night. The ridge and bump or nodule (that's what it felt like to me) alarmed me. I am worried that there is some kind of obstruction given the vomiting. Poor baby, she was so brave about it.

We are close to a great pediatric ER. if she is not getting better today or seems more uncomfortable, I might take her there.

[DotAndBuzz]

Did you talk to the pedi after you noticed the mass and tenderness? Belly obstructions are right up there for me with breathing issues in terms of stuff I don't mess around with (mostly because I saw a lot of worse case scenarios at work, even though those aren't usually what happens), so I'd err on the side of caution with that.

I'd give the pedi till 10 to call you back, then page them, and ask about taking her in. But like I said, I'm kind of paranoid about that kind of stuff. Poor little pumpkin, she does sound like she's putting on a very brave face.

[cleo29]

I just noticed the lump or whatever today. But after the fever on Thursday, her appetite was never great. Friday night she barely ate dinner. Again, this is unusual for her, though lately, I would say her meals can be hit or miss.

I will give them till 10. I definitely tend to worry, especially when I am feeling something that should not be there. Honestly, your in put always means a lot since you are a nurse and your H is a doctor.

[DotAndBuzz]

well, don't give it too much weight! I haven't worked in almost 6 years, and H doesn't really do this kind of stuff. He doesn't even like listening to our own kids, and is all "if you think there's a problem, take her to their own pedi!" He's useless.

[snickers]

Oh, what a sin

[nursewife]

I'm not sure if this is available in the states. At work we often advise parents to try peg powder. It can be bought over the counter at a pharmacy. It helps keeping them regular. It's like restoralax powder.

[cleo29]

Dec 15, 2013 9:39:45 GMT -5 DotAndBuzz said:

well, don't give it too much weight! I haven't worked in almost 6 years, and H doesn't really do this kind of stuff. He doesn't even like listening to our own kids, and is all "if you think there's a problem, take her to their own pedi!" He's useless.

Well, I spoke to a nurse and she's all, sounds like it might be a virus, with the diarrhea and vomiting and fever. I told her about the history of wetting her pants, the bed, sharts in her underwear, feeling full quickly, etc.

I don't know, I just don't think it's a bug.   I can feel a definitely nodule in her stomach, maybe another hernia, it feels similar to the one she has below her belly button.

Ugh, I hate not knowing. I am going to pick up mirilax today. Oh and she sharted again.   It is sad that this as become a trend with her.

[angelaa73]

Poor baby! I am worried about that mass you felt. That's weird. I would go in today

[angelaa73]

I'm thinking hernia?

[DotAndBuzz]

Go with your gut, about her gut. Go in.

((((hugs)))

[cleo29]

Dec 15, 2013 11:30:31 GMT -5 angelaa73 said:

I'm thinking hernia?

That's actually what I think it is. It feels the same as the small one she has in her lower abdomen and I can see it a little, it's about the size of a pea.

Could a hernia make a person vomit? 

In my heart I don't think it is a bug and H's mom did not mention a virus when we told her what was going on, but I am just being cautious with what I give her to eat and drink.

[polka]

Aww C I hope she feels better soon.  (((Cleo)))

[cleo29]

She is going to kill me.

C:I feel a little sick again.
me: like you did before?
C: Yes
Me: You do?
C: No, I feel fine.


ugh and now she has the hiccups again.

[cleo29]

Thanks, I plan on it. I am 99% sure she has a second hernia, this one between her breast bone and belly button. I am not sure if it is worth calling the doctor on call since she is not telling me that she is in great pain and is okay when I press on her stomach.


I'm just feeling tired, uncertain and honestly, I could cry. I just hate not knowing what is making my baby feel like this.

[WOT?*]

Poor poodle. I'd be wary about the Miralax as well. We give GD2 Miralax to make her poop when she's constipated (she has encopresis). If she's sharting, there may be a blockage that poop is getting around but if she's having runny poops that would negate the "sharting around a blockage." She'd be pooping out a chunk.  Streaks in underwear and sharting aren't uncommon with encopresis or blockage issues, nor is wetting.  Wait until you see the doc to confirm though.

One thing you might want to try, if you can and think there's a constipation-type blockage issue, is put her on the potty for an extended period. Have her feet on the ground or a stool so that her thighs are at 90-degrees; read a book and play with her, enough to relax her pelvic floor and to allow her rectum to relax (we have a ten-minute instruction from the urologist). The blockage, if it's organic (e.g. poop-stuff), may slide down a bit and hopefully she'll be able to poop it out. If it's been several days, however, it may be too big to slide out easily and she'll have to really *poop* it out and this little trick probably won't work.

I hope the doc has a quick, easy fix for her. Poor baby. Pooping issues are the worst.

[cleo29]

Dec 15, 2013 14:58:00 GMT -5 WOT?* said:

Poor poodle. I'd be wary about the Miralax as well. We give GD2 Miralax to make her poop when she's constipated (she has encopresis). If she's sharting, there may be a blockage that poop is getting around but if she's having runny poops that would negate the "sharting around a blockage." She'd be pooping out a chunk.  Streaks in underwear and sharting aren't uncommon with encopresis or blockage issues, nor is wetting.  Wait until you see the doc to confirm though.

One thing you might want to try, if you can and think there's a constipation-type blockage issue, is put her on the potty for an extended period. Have her feet on the ground or a stool so that her thighs are at 90-degrees; read a book and play with her, enough to relax her pelvic floor and to allow her rectum to relax (we have a ten-minute instruction from the urologist). The blockage, if it's organic (e.g. poop-stuff), may slide down a bit and hopefully she'll be able to poop it out. If it's been several days, however, it may be too big to slide out easily and she'll have to really *poop* it out and this little trick probably won't work.

I hope the doc has a quick, easy fix for her. Poor baby. Pooping issues are the worst.

Thank you! We do have a pediatric gastro that we took K to for reflux, so I might call her doc about seeing him for C.  The wetting herself has been going on for about a year and the bed wetting happens every once and a while, but it is a big deal because she was able to stay dry at night two weeks into potty training. She does wake up 1-3 times a night to pee. The sharting has been going on for a few months, but not as frequent as it has been the past three days.

Did your daughter ever vomit from being really backed up or having a blockage?  I definitely think there is a new hernia too which might be why she had the fever on Thursday.

[WOT?*]

cleo29 - Yes, she's had fevers and vomiting from blockages if they're really bad or if she's developed a bladder infection. She's had some issues with E.Coli in her urine as well as part of the encopresis/enuresis history.