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For the next eleven years he would be plagued with problems. Usually the doctors prescribe Miralax for a week and tell him he needs to eat more fruits and vegetables. The problem? He is without a doubt one of the pickiest (not to mention weirdest!) eaters ever. I'd say 9 times out of 10 he puts whatever he's eating in some sort of bread product. Well the past few years his poop manages to clog the toilets no matter where we live. Florida toilets? Clogged. Georgia toilets? Clogged. Ohio toilets? Clogged. He has gas that can clear the room. Heaven forbid you ever get stuck in a car with him. Noxious I tell you. Last YEAR I brought this to the attention of his PCM (Primary Care Manager) and she lectured him on eating better. We tried Miralax. After a few months she finally ordered an x-ray of his abdomen. I got a call from the nurse - His entire colon was completely full. She must have asked me at least half a dozen times if I was sure he wasn't in any pain because based on the x-ray he should have been in intense pain. Plan of attack: Three day Miralax cleanse. Miralax 4 times a day before noon. Lots of water. Be sure not to go too far from home. Stock on on toilet paper. Be sure he has reading material in the bathroom. Coordinate with school so he has unrestricted bathroom privileges because he would need to stay on the Miralax indefinitely. If his problems have been around since he was two there is a chance his colon will take about ten years to shrink back to normal size. Follow up x-ray in 6 weeks.
Six weeks later we report to the hospital for his follow up x-ray and appointment with his PCM. Everyone is shocked that his colon is STILL full. PCM is not sure what else to do so we are referred to the Gastroenterology department at Dayton Children's Hospital. Luckily we don't have to wait long for an appointment. So I grab him and his x-rays and we head for his appointment there. They review it, they talk to him, they put him on a "colonoscopy cleanse" - 8 capfuls of Miralax with 64 ounces of Gatorade along with two doses of Dulcolax followed by daily doses of Miralax and sennasides until his follow up in six weeks. They also ordered labwork to check for thyroid problems and Celiac disease. We head on down to the lab, they take his blood, and we head home.
A few days later I get a call - the blood tests came back positive for Celiac. They are referring him to the Pediatric Gastroenterologist for an EGD to obtain samples for a biopsy to confirm diagnosis. According to WebMD:
A small intestinal biopsy is performed with an esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD). During an EGD, the doctor inserts a long, flexible viewing endoscope through the mouth and into the duodenum (the first part of the small intestine, which is connected to the stomach). A long, flexible biopsy instrument then can be passed through a small channel in the endoscope to obtain samples of the intestinal lining of the duodenum. A pathologist evaluates the tissue samples for loss of villi and other characteristics of celiac disease, such as an increased number of lymphocytes.
Once again we are able to schedule the appointment quickly and we wind up back at Dayton Children's later the following week. The day after his 14th birthday to be exact. I didn't want him freaking out so I just told him that they needed to check his stomach because they suspect he might be sensitive to gluten. The procedure goes fine and the doctor gives me photos and tells me that based on what he saw, he will be shocked if the biopsy does NOT confirm a Celiac diagnosis.
About 5 days later the phone call came and it was confirmed - Celiac Disease.
We will be meeting with the doctor and a nutritionist later this week. My mind is already spinning at what this means. While going gluten-free is a huge undertaking, I am so hopeful at the thought that this might help with so many of his problems. His moodiness, his ADHD, skin/nail problems, sleep issues, headaches, and so much more.
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| Infographic courtesy of GlutenDude.com |
