An End to Poop Problems

Have you ever had a child with poop problems?

We have had many.

Poop smearing, skid marks, constipation, diarrhea from allergies, lactose or gluten issues, and so many more.   All of these issues are awful and embarrassing for parent and child.   Have you had a child who never seems to make it to the bathroom on time?

Today, we had a breakthrough!   Today we finally found out the source of our daughter’s issues she has suffered with her whole life.

When she was a toddler she was potty trained very early.   Peeing at 12 months.  She wanted to be just like her big brother.   Poop was a whole other story.   She knew what she had to do but getting to the potty on time seemed impossible for her.   Any parent who has been there knows how frustrating and exhausting and stinky it can be.   We went through sooooo many pairs of underwear!

By the time she entered school she was often complaining of stomach pain.   We started taking her to doctors when she was five and didn’t seem to be growing out of it.  Family doctor sent us to the children’s hospital to see a gastro specialist.   He didn’t have any real concerns and said she would grow out of it eventually.   No help there and the frustration continued for a few more years.   Years of tummy aches and skid marks.   She always had wipes and extra underwear in her back pack.

We tried chiropractor, allergy testing, food journals, and elimination diets time after time we thought we knew what irritated her tummy as it would get better but then it would get worse again.

When she was 14 we decided to home school for a while and started the doctor route again.   She was referred to a pediatrician who after listening to all her symptoms and years of tummy pain he decided her pain was all in her head and she had anxiety probably due to homeschooling!   After that she thought she had major mental health issues.   Thank you very much.   We had lots of work to do to convince her the doctor was wrong and that she was a wonderful, healthy child and her tummy really does have something wrong.

We continued to try elimination diets and she just lived with the random pain and sick feelings.   Then she went to university and found herself hospitalized for the stomach pain.   She was diagnosed with IBS.  We tried FODMAP diet, keto, paleo and nothing helped.   She had good days and bad days.  The hopeless feeling I had as a mom was huge.   It is so hard to see your baby go through these tummy issues her whole life.

She came home and met with a new family doctor.   She was determined to get to the bottom of her tummy issues.  She ended up at emergency room and was once again diagnosed with IBS.   Her family doctor sent her for ultrasounds, and blood work and told her to start taking “Align” probiotics and laxatives every few days.   She also made a referral for a colonoscopy.

If you don’t know anything about those, you don’t want to.     The day before the procedure,  she wasn’t allowed any food and had to drink a Jerry Can of fluid filled with laxative.  She spent hours in the bathroom until midnight.  I sat outside and we talked, cried and laughed together.   The next day she wasn’t allowed anything to eat or drink.   She had the scope done.

Today we got the results.

She has a kink in her bowl structure.   Her plumbing has twist and a u-turn.   Hallelujah!   An answer.   After almost 20 years of frustration, we finally know why she gets stomach pain!   We are both so relieved and also can’t believe we couldn’t figure this out sooner.   They said it didn’t show on any of the ultrasounds but her poop definitely gets stuck at times and causes great pain.   She needs to stay on the probiotics and take extra laxatives when she starts feeling full or pain or just hasn’t had any movement in a few days.

Crazy story but an important one.   For all those of you who suffer with unexplained pain, keep going until someone can figure it out.   Try probiotics!   They have helped four kids in our home who had poop issues.   For all those of you who have a child with poop problems, don’t give up until someone can help them feel better.   I feel like we should have got to the colonoscopy stage earlier and we would have saved her much pain and the medical system many hospital stays.   Mom guilt strikes again.  I am so happy for her and that we can now stop dieting and trying to cut out foods.   She can eat any healthy foods she wants and doesn’t have to fear tummy pain.

I hope this story helps someone else.   If you have a child with poop problems, leave me a comment.   You are not alone.

SD