*Caution* This post is not for the easily-grossed-out reader!
The doc felt a sausage-sized poo stuck in her bowels. "Laxatives, laxatives, laxatives. We’re shooting for explosive diarrhea this weekend,” she added. “After the diarrhea, you’re to give her half-dose of laxative for TWO MONTHS.” Her intestines had been stretched out so much that her poo was getting stuck. “You want the consistency of peanut butter over the next couple months,” she added.
She’d been constipated for about two weeks at this point, pooping rocks every 2-3 days, grabbing her diaper and whining, “Momma, my popa [butt] huurrrrts. My stomach huuuurrrts. Ouch, ouch, OOOUUUUCH.” We’d given her a couple laxatives and stool softeners, we started avoiding dairy and increasing fiber, but we weren’t seeing progress.
So, we heeded the doc and shocked her digestive system with all these crazy crapping cures. Two hours after the laxatives AND a suppository, she was screaming and folding over in agony. I cried with her. Finally, another half hour, and a hard poop came out. Three more in two hours.
But, she was still crying in pain! “OUCH, MY POPA, MOOOMMM!!” The next day came and went with ZILCH poos and truckloads of laxatives. WTF?! Does she have some rapid-growing tumor that’s blocking the exit? An inflammation or infection? She must have poo water rolling around in her and nothing is coming out!
This morning came and went. We put another suppository in as she kicked and screamed. The bottle reads, “Bowel movement should occur within 15 min-1 hour. If it doesn’t, call your doctor as this might be an indication of a more serious condition.” Serious condition?! We waited hours. Afternoon came and went. “OW, OW, OW, OWWWIIIEEEE” all day. Crying and screaming and more laxatives. And more of nothing. I called the after hours line of her doctor. WHY IS SHE STILL NOT POOPING AFTER ALL THESE LAXATIVES and a FREAKING SUPPOSITORY!? He reassures, “It can take some kids 2-3 days for them to poop, even with the suppository.” I felt a tiny bit better, but she was still in miserable pain. We waited more. We walked, but she begged to be carried. We came home and she screamed and clinged to me for help. “MOOMMMYY! OWWWIIIEE!”
Finally. “POP” like a freaking champagne bottle, followed by a thunderous river of crap. Ohmygod, we’d never heard more wonderful sounds. The relief and gratitude that washed over us was immeasurable, people. But, the stench was the most horrid, stewing intestinal garbage you can imagine. This first evacuation was 5pm. Five more crap rivers followed in the next two hours. We knew we were on our way to a healthy intestinal track again. Hallelujah!
So, how did this happen?! She’d been eating well, taking in plenty of fluids, and getting plenty of exercise. The doctor suspects after just ONE painful poop, she became anxious about going and started holding it in. Holding it in stretches the intestines, creating more room for poo storage. The more poop that builds, the more abdominal and butt pain they experience, and the more fearful they are of passing it. The soft poos over the next couple months will hopefully help her forget the anxious poo experiences and give her bowels plenty of time to shrink.
I wanted to document this experience for a couple reasons. Firstly, it does make for a good, dramatic story. Second, though, I hope it reaches someone who has faced, or might eventually face - the constipation crisis with their kid and might be helpful in some way.
Needless to say, she's been in diapers full time the last couple weeks. She was showing great potty progress, though, so hopefully this won't set us back too much.
The doc felt a sausage-sized poo stuck in her bowels. "Laxatives, laxatives, laxatives. We’re shooting for explosive diarrhea this weekend,” she added. “After the diarrhea, you’re to give her half-dose of laxative for TWO MONTHS.” Her intestines had been stretched out so much that her poo was getting stuck. “You want the consistency of peanut butter over the next couple months,” she added.
She’d been constipated for about two weeks at this point, pooping rocks every 2-3 days, grabbing her diaper and whining, “Momma, my popa [butt] huurrrrts. My stomach huuuurrrts. Ouch, ouch, OOOUUUUCH.” We’d given her a couple laxatives and stool softeners, we started avoiding dairy and increasing fiber, but we weren’t seeing progress.
So, we heeded the doc and shocked her digestive system with all these crazy crapping cures. Two hours after the laxatives AND a suppository, she was screaming and folding over in agony. I cried with her. Finally, another half hour, and a hard poop came out. Three more in two hours.
But, she was still crying in pain! “OUCH, MY POPA, MOOOMMM!!” The next day came and went with ZILCH poos and truckloads of laxatives. WTF?! Does she have some rapid-growing tumor that’s blocking the exit? An inflammation or infection? She must have poo water rolling around in her and nothing is coming out!
This morning came and went. We put another suppository in as she kicked and screamed. The bottle reads, “Bowel movement should occur within 15 min-1 hour. If it doesn’t, call your doctor as this might be an indication of a more serious condition.” Serious condition?! We waited hours. Afternoon came and went. “OW, OW, OW, OWWWIIIEEEE” all day. Crying and screaming and more laxatives. And more of nothing. I called the after hours line of her doctor. WHY IS SHE STILL NOT POOPING AFTER ALL THESE LAXATIVES and a FREAKING SUPPOSITORY!? He reassures, “It can take some kids 2-3 days for them to poop, even with the suppository.” I felt a tiny bit better, but she was still in miserable pain. We waited more. We walked, but she begged to be carried. We came home and she screamed and clinged to me for help. “MOOMMMYY! OWWWIIIEE!”
Finally. “POP” like a freaking champagne bottle, followed by a thunderous river of crap. Ohmygod, we’d never heard more wonderful sounds. The relief and gratitude that washed over us was immeasurable, people. But, the stench was the most horrid, stewing intestinal garbage you can imagine. This first evacuation was 5pm. Five more crap rivers followed in the next two hours. We knew we were on our way to a healthy intestinal track again. Hallelujah!
So, how did this happen?! She’d been eating well, taking in plenty of fluids, and getting plenty of exercise. The doctor suspects after just ONE painful poop, she became anxious about going and started holding it in. Holding it in stretches the intestines, creating more room for poo storage. The more poop that builds, the more abdominal and butt pain they experience, and the more fearful they are of passing it. The soft poos over the next couple months will hopefully help her forget the anxious poo experiences and give her bowels plenty of time to shrink.
I wanted to document this experience for a couple reasons. Firstly, it does make for a good, dramatic story. Second, though, I hope it reaches someone who has faced, or might eventually face - the constipation crisis with their kid and might be helpful in some way.
Needless to say, she's been in diapers full time the last couple weeks. She was showing great potty progress, though, so hopefully this won't set us back too much.
