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Regular
Posts: 97
Location: Dayton, OH | Can any of you tell me the signs of an obstructed bowel, besides the obvious (lack of poo)? In the last few days, something seems to be causing Ana to occassionally cry out for no apparent reason, she tells me in 18 month old jibberish that something is bothering her "down there," but I can't make heads or tails (no pun intended) of it. She seems more bloated on the right side than usual, she didn't poo today which is rarity, but I saw & heard her trying and even crying out like it hurt her. Then she seemed to get over it.
I will call the doc in the morning, but I'm asking you all because of your experience with organs that tend to shift with curvature changes.
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Expert
Posts: 3970
   
Location: Plymouth, Pennsylvania | DEAR MELANIE,
ZOE WAS FOUND TO HAVE MAL-ROTATION OF THE INTESTINES,
11 DAYS AFTER SHE HAD HER INITIAL TITANIUM RIB IMPLANTS...
SHE WAS TAKEN INTO SURGERY TO HAVE A PROCEDURE CALLED "LADDS"...
THIS MAL-ROTATION WAS AN ANOMOLIE THAT WENT UNDETECTED
FOR THE FIRST 2 1/2 YEARS OF HER LIFE, AND COULD HAVE TAKEN
HER LIFE AT ANY TIME, AND VERY QUICKLY...
WE WENT TO BOSTON, SEEKING A LIFE SAVING SURGERY, CALLED
"THE TITANIUM RIB" LITTLE DID WE KNOW THAT THEY WOULD ALSO
SAVE HER LIFE, IN MAKING THIS DISCOVERY....
AFTER THE "LADDS" SURGERY, THE SURGEONS IN BOSTON WARNED US
THAT THERE WAS A 5% CHANCE OF FAILURE OF THIS SURGERY, AND THE
SHE COULD "OBSTRUCT"....THE WARNING SIGNS WOULD BE
PAIN AND VOMITING, ESPECIALLY "GREEN VOMIT"...AND THE PAIN COULD
NOT BE MISTAKEN FOR HER APPENDIX BECAUSE THEY ALSO REMOVED THEM
AT THE TIME OF THIS SURGERY...
AND IF THESE SYMPTOMS WERE TO EVER HAPPEN, THE DOCS IN OUR AREA NEEDED TO DO
A BARIUM SWALLOW...THIS WOULD BE THE ONE AND ONLY TRUE TEST
(NOT XRAYS) THAT WOULD PROVE IF THERE WAS AN OBSTRUCTION....
6 WEEKS AFTER WE WERE HOME, ZOE WOKE FROM A NAP....SCREAMING IN INTENESE
PAIN, AND THE VOMITING FOLLOWED...WE, WITHIN HOURS, DROVE HER TO
OUR LOCAL CHILDRENS HOSPITAL, WHERE FOR 3 DAYS, THEY INSISTED ZOE HAD
CONSTIPATION....I BEGGED THEM FOR 3 DAYS TO DO THE BARIUM, AND ON THE
THIRD DAY, AS I WAS MAKING THE ARRANGEMENTS TO HAVE ZOE TRANSFERED
OUT, NOT KNOWING HOW MUCH TIME SHE HAD LEFT, AND AFTER CALLING
AND SPEAKING WITH THE DOCTOR IN BOSTON, THE LOCAL DOCS RELUCTENTLY, TOOK
ZOE DOWN FOR THE BARIUM....I WANTED SO MUCH FOR ME TO BE WRONG,
BUT WITHIN HOURS ZOE WAS IN EMERGENCY SURGERY, AS WE WAITED THE TORTOROUS
HOURS..KNOWING IT WAS A TERRIBLE MISTAKE OF JUDGEMENT BY THE DOCTORS WE SO
GREATLY HAD TRUSTED AT THAT TIME, AND NOT KNOWING WHAT IT WOULD COST ZOE...
BUT GOD WAS ON ZOES SIDE, AND THEY
WERE ABLE TO SAVE HER BOWELL....
I AM SORRY FOR TAKING THIS INTO DETAIL, BUT I AM PASSIONATE, ABOUT
MAKING SURE OUR KIDS WITH MANY ANOMOLIES, HAVE MAL-ROTATION RULED
OUT....AND JUST AS PASSIONATE, THAT WHEN WE FEEL THERE IS SOMETHING
WRONG, WE NEED TO MAKE THE DOCTOR LISTEN...
MY FAMILY TELLS ME, THIS INCIDENT WITH ZOE, THEY FEARED FOR MY SANITY....
ZOE WAS JUST SO ILL, AND SHE BEGGED ME IN PAIN TO HELP HER...AND I COULD NOT
GET THEM TO LISTEN TO JUST RUN A SIMPLY TEST....BUT I KNEW THAT NO
MATTER WHAT I WOULD NOT STOP UNTIL HER PAIN WENT AWAY...
WE SO THANKED THE DOCTORS IN BOSTON, THAT THEY DID NOT LET US LEAVE THAT
HOSPITAL WITHOUT FIRST TELLING US, ABOUT THE SIGNS OF ABSTRUCTION...
ALSO BEWARE, ZOE DID PASS STOOL, DURING THIS INCIDENT, BUT IT HAD TO BE FROM AFTER
THE OBSTRUCTION POINT, SO THAT IS NOT A GOOD NO INDICATION FOR OBSTRUCTION...
AND ALSO BEWARE OF THE GREEN VOMITING....
ALSO FOR ZOES 2 1/2 YEARS BEFORE WE KNEW ABOUT THE MAL-ROTATION, THERE
WERE MANY ER VISITS...PAIN BLOATING, EVEN ONCE HER INTESTINES PUSHING UP AGAINST
HER SKIN, BUT THEY ALWAYS TOLD US "CONSTIPATION" WRONG-WRONG-AND-WRONG...
AGAIN I APOLOGIZE, BUT I FEEL THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT....
GOD BLESS..... |
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Regular
Posts: 97
Location: Dayton, OH | Jobey,
Please don't apologize! I appreciate every single detail of your response & if somebody else minds they don't have to read it. I have had to fuss and fight & push for what Ana needs with so many docs & nurses & pharmacists(!) - THAT is EXACTLY why I put the question up on the forum!! I'll call Ana's pediatrician as soon as the ofc opens. This info is very helpful. I pray that what little Zoe has suffered is not what is wrong with Ana, but if it is - you just may have helped save another life! 
Thank you! God bless you, too.
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Expert
Posts: 3243
Location: Utah | Hi Melanie,
Its interesting to see how many of our kids have problems with constipation. You can be constipated and still have a daily bowel movement. Usually what does come out is the liquid stuff going around the hard stool. Is Ana on any medication to help her have a bowel movement? Her stools should be the consistancy of peanut butter (or pudding). Anything firmer can contribute to constipation in patients who don't have good motility. Anything softer or watery isn't good either.
Braydon's biggest post-op issue is getting his GI system back to whatever normal is for him. He had surgery one week ago today (expansion surgery) and he still isn't "back to normal" bowel-wise. We have to do the trial-and-error thing to keep him from getting backed up.
Has Ana had a flat plate xray? Has she seen a GI doc? Both would be a good idea, given her history.
Good luck.
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Regular
Posts: 97
Location: Dayton, OH | Hi Carmell et. al,
Ana's got an appt with gastro doc tomorrow and hopefully we'll get to the bottom of the problem (no pun intended). Thanks for the consistency info - it very much applies in our situation. I'll be sure to tell the doc about it tomorrow.
I don't know what a "flat plate" xray is unless it's a normal x-ray on the flat plate they stik in the drawer under her. I'll ask the doc tomorrow about a barium swallow and flat plate xray. Anything else I should know or ask for?
Thanks much! |
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Regular
Posts: 97
Location: Dayton, OH | Hi, we went to gastro doc today and she put Ana on Miralax once daily and twice daily if she didn't poo. She also increased Ana's Prevacid solutab to 30 mg a day. And because Ana's right kidney and liver are being scrunched and stretching out into whatever available space there is we ran liver function blood work. She is hopeful that it is constipation and not a malformation, but advised me on steps to take if the meds don't work. She also said that the malformation or obstruction would be something we needed to stay alert about because Ana's curve is rapidly progressive.
Thank you for your prayers, experience and your advise - I appreciate your time and energy.
Rom 8:28-39 |
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Expert
Posts: 3970
Location: Plymouth, Pennsylvania | DEAR MELANIE:
BIG HUGS FOR ANA...
MIRALAX, AND PREVACID, HAVE TRULY HELPED IMPROVE ZOES LIFE...
GOD BLESS YOU.... |
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Expert
Posts: 3243
Location: Utah | Thanks for the update Melanie. I hope the Miralax and upping the Prevacid helps so she can function better. How's she doing today? I know it can take a few days before you see "progress". Hopefully she'll be "moving" soon.
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Regular
Posts: 97
Location: Dayton, OH | We're celebrating POO!  |
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Expert
Posts: 1582
Location: Greenbush, Minnesota | Way to 'go' Ana! 
Janita |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 1127
Location: Vancouver, Canada | It's funny what we parents find exciting, isn't it?  |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 749
Location: Calgary, Alberta Canada | Hurray for poo!! Good Job Ana!!
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Regular
Posts: 97
Location: Dayton, OH | Ha! Who'd a-ever-thought we be all excited over baby poo! Thanks for helping me laugh! |
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Veteran
Posts: 195
Location: Wyoming | I know this is an old thread but I had to comment. Aschdon was consitpated for the first 3 years of his life and we didnt know it. he always had a bowel every day. they were not runny but they were hard as a rock but he had them every day a couple of times a day. We just happened to find out that he was so backed up when we went to get his lungs x-rayed and he was so backed up it was wrapped around in the colon. the doc at the time didnt care, when we went to Utah the doc there but him on Miralax and told us to just play with the dosage. We thought we were doing good until we went to get his bladder x-rayed to see why he cant tell when he has to pee and we saw it was still backed up and wrapped around we we had to up the dosage. I know the miralax has helped but we know that if we skip even one day it takes a good 3-4 if not more to get him back to pooping!! I felt so bad, last week I ran out, thought I had a spare one and didnt and he went with out it for 2 days and the poor kid pooped one that was so hard he bled!
Ok I know plenty of detail but I can totally understand the excitment of poo and the worry of no poo!!
Speaking of which I have to share a story. My son stayed the night over at grandmas (yes they took teh incentive and learned how to care for him  ) and I wrote down the instructions for his night feeds. Well grandma read 1/4 of a cup instead of 1/4 of a cap!! Well lets just say the next day he was really really cleaned out, all over grandma, their chair the floor. yep, I laughed and was so happy that it wasnt me that had to clean it up! |
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Expert
Posts: 3970
Location: Plymouth, Pennsylvania | THIS SUBJECT OF BOWEL OBSTRUCTION AND MAL-ROTATION IS A
SUBJECT AS MOST OF YOU KNOW, I TRY TO WARN PEOPLE ABOUT...
NOT MEANING TO FRIGHTEN ANYONE, BUT TO MAKE FAMILIES AWARE,
THAT OFTEN OBSTRUCTION MIMICS, CONSTIPATION...IT IS IN THE "RARE"
BUT IT DOES HAPPEN, AND IT HAS TO BE ADDRESSED QUICKLY...
ZOE NOT ONLY FIGHTS CHRONIC CONSTIPATION, HANDLED WITH MIRALAX, ECT.
BUT SHE HAS ALSO HAD MAL-ROTATION OF THE INTESTINES AND BOWEL OSTRUCTION,
WHICH NEARLY COST HER HER LIFE...
ONE OF THE REASON I FEEL SO STRONGLY ABOUT THIS IS THAT DOCTORS OFTEN MAKE THE WRONG CALL ON
THIS, USING X-RAYS TO RULE OUR OBSTRUCTION, WHEN JUST X-RAYS "CANNOT" VERIFY A TRUE
MECHANICAL OBSTRUCTION....THIS WAS THE MISTAKE, THAT GOT ZOE IN TROUBLE....
THEY WERE MAKING THEIR DECISION BASED ON AN "X-RAY" ....WHEN ALL ALONG IT WAS VERY
SIMPLE TO JUST DO A BARIUM SWALLOW....
MY HEART IS BROKE FOR LITTLE ALEX, AND MATT AND NICKI, HAVING TO GO THRU THIS...
BUT I AM SO RELIEVED THAT HIS DOCTORS DID THE RIGHT THINGS, AND GOT HIM HELP QUICKLY...
I AM SORRY THAT I OFTEN REPEAT ABOUT OBSTRUCTION, BUT I THINK THE SYMPTOMS ARE OFTEN A
FINE LINE....
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Expert
Posts: 2039
Location: Springfield, Mo. | Please don't appoligize it is worth repeating! We almost lost Hannah when she had an obstuction. We took her in on numerous occasions and they said not to worry about it that it was nothing. Finally we went to Texas for her rib surgery and she became so sick that she was admitted and within two days they found the obstruction. The doctor said that it could not have waited another day or we would have lost her. It was touch and go for some time the doctors were not sure she would pull through. She did and we are thankul to God for this miracle child. She spent a total of 6 weeks in the hospital and I am very cautious now when she has any bowel or stomach pain. It seems so hard for the doctors to diagnose it. Alex and his family ane deep in our thoughts and prayers. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 1079
Location: Brookfield, CT | Does anyone know why these kids get the bowel obstructions? Andrew is having a very big problem with "the bathroom".... (for a better wording...). He was put on colace three pills at a time, with no luck. Then we had to move to suppositories. Not a wonderful option for a boy of 18! The suppository works, but it is so harsh. He feels like he will pass out from pushing. After reading the board and hearing about Miralax, I asked his doc about that. She dropped some off to me last night and we will try that today.
Andrew has had a malrotation and 2 years ago he had another bowel obstruction. I worry so much about his gut. Becoming backed up worries me. It is so uncomfortable for him, not to mention dangerous.
My pediatrican thinks that he is on so much pain medication that it is slowing down the motility. Seeing that I can't take him off the pain meds, I am really hoping that this miralax does the trick. He is also having trouble eating. Things are getting really stuck. Since his motility in his bowel is effected, I am sure his motility in his esophagus is as well. Is this the reason your docs gave you for the bowel obstructions and back-up?????
As always... Alex, Nicki and Matt are in my prayers! Hang in there tough guy!!!!
Eileen |
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Veteran
Posts: 195
Location: Wyoming | Eileen,
Just to warn you, depends on how backed up he is it coudl take a couple of days to get him going but that is ok because once it starts working it will work great. biggest thing though is he needs to have lots of water. he needs to take the mirralx mixed in a full 8 ounce glass of water and he needs to drink his 8-10 glasses of water a day. the way the Miralx works is it helps the stoll retain water so it becomes soft and is then able to pass so much easier. |
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Expert
Posts: 3243
Location: Utah | Hi Eileen,
I hope the Miralax works for Andrew. It can be a wonder med for kids who have slow motility and chronic constipation issues. Like Kenya said, Miralax works by adding liquid to the stools to make it easier to void. If he's as constipated as he sounds, the first few days the Miralax starts working will be like having bowel blowouts (that's what Braydon calls them). Braydon doesn't like to take Miralax after surgery because of the blowouts. But sometimes it is very necessary to get his bowels "moving" again. You are right that until he is off the narcotics, he'll continue to have slow bowels. When your bowels are backed up, you don't want to eat. Vicious cycle. Good luck and I hope the Miralax works! It is also good because you can adjust doses (for maintainence) depending on diet and stool activity. Keep us posted (sorry Andrew, for talking about such personal things, but it is truly a serious deal and we ALL understand).
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Expert
Posts: 3970
Location: Plymouth, Pennsylvania | BOWEL MOVEMENTS AFTER SURGERY AND ALL THE PAIN MEDS ARE ALWAYS A
BIG CONCERN FOR ZOE....
ZOE IS ALLOWED TO TAKE UP TO 34 GRAMS A DAY OF MIRALAX....
BUT IF YOU GET BEHIND, LIKE AT TIMES WE DO, BECAUSE SOMETIMES,
JUST TO TRAVEL WE WILL BACK ZOE OFF THE MIRALAX TO ALLOW HER
THE FREEDOM OF CAR RIDING WITHOUT STOOLING....FOR ZOE, HER BOWELLS ARE
TOTALLY INCONTINENT...SHE HAS NO CONTROL....IF YOU DON'T GIVE HER THE MEDS...
THERE IS NO MOVEMENT, AND IF YOU DO, THERE IS NO SHUT OFF UNTIL EVERYTHING LEAVES
HER SYSTEM....
IT BECOMES A TOTAL BALANCING ACT, AND GOD FORBID, IF WE DO TRAVEL, AND SHE DOES GET BEHIND,
THEN IT BECOMES, CONSTIPATION, EMEMA'S, MANUAL DISIMPACTION....AND ZOE RETREATS TO HER BED,
TOTALLY DEFEATED....IT IS VERY HARD ON HER PHYSIQUE...
WE ARE HOPING WITHIN THE NEXT FEW YEARS THAT ZOES TEAM IN BOSTON, WILL DECIDE WHAT WILL SUIT ZOES
NEEDS THE BEST, BOTH FOR BOWEL AND BLADDER....BUT BECAUSE OF THE OBSTRUCTIONS, THEY HAVE
TO BE VERY CAUTIOUS, BECAUSE ONCE YOU HAVE AN OBSTRUCTION YOU DO GO INTO A HIGHER RISK
CATEGORY FOR MORE OBSTRUCTIONS....SO WHEN THEY DO IT, THEY HAVE TO MAKE SURE IT IS THE
RIGHT CHOOSE FOR HER....
THIS SURGERY, I REALLY HAD A HANDLE ON IT....WE GAVE HER 34 GRAMS THE DAY BEFORE SURGERY,
KNOWING THAT IT TAKES AT LEAST 24 TO 36 HOURS TO WORK THROUGH...THEN AS SOON AS SHE COULD DRINK,
WE OFFERED HER MORE...WELL, WORK IT DID!!!! LET JUST SAY IT WASN'T PRETTY....LOL....
BUT ALL KIDDING ASIDE, I WOULD MUCH PREFER MY SUFFERING WITH THE CLEAN UP, THAN HAVE ZOE SUFFER THROUGH
HORRIBLE CONTIPATIONS....
GOD BLESS EVERY.....
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 1079
Location: Brookfield, CT | Well the Miralax worked!!!!!!!! Andrew said to call the government because he could bottle it and send it over to Iraq! I spent a few minutes laughing.... after a very painful 1/2 hour.
Eileen |
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Expert
Posts: 3970
Location: Plymouth, Pennsylvania | YEAH!!!!
GO ANDREW!!!
AND I QUESS I MEAN THAT LITERALLY, AND FIGURATIVELY....LOL
BIG HUGS....
AND GOD BLESS... |
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Veteran
Posts: 195
Location: Wyoming | Thank goodness for Miralax uh? I love the stuff for my son and so glad it worded for andrew. By the way I love the Iraq comment. i told my husband and he laughed, he agrees with ya!! |
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| my daughter fya has something that showed up on her x-ray. At 4 in the morning, we brought her to e.r. something was not right. for about 2 days she could not hold anything down. she was puking and also having diahrea. now its been about a week and she has still had diahrea. At the hospital they took blood and an i.v and wanted to do an air enema,whatever that is? the i.v. was from her not holding anything down,to rehydrate. but after they poked and proded and x-rayed they said it was fine and said no big deal, so far. I dont know if this is bowell obstruction or inner-seception? does any one know any thing? She still has diahrea and her lips get blue sometimes. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 1079
Location: Brookfield, CT | I am so sorry to hear about your daughter's problem. I wish I could give you words of comfort, but the bowel issue stumps me! I hope that the air enema shows no obstruction.
Keep us informed as to what the doc's figure out. Praying that your daughter feels better soon!
Blessings,
Eileen
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Symptoms of obstructed bowel?
