So we went to LA today to have an upper GI endoscopy for Mia. After discussing with the doctors, they decided to also look at her colon from her bottom. We hadn't prepared for this (you are supposed to get cleaned out), but they said if her stool is loose enough, they can push it aside/wash it out and still get a good picture of what is happening down there. Overall Mia did really great, she wasn't even too fussy without food, but by the time they were ready, closer to 2, I believe, she was no longer having fun. Brad got to stay with her while they gave her some gas to put her to sleep, which was much better for her than being around complete strangers, I was grateful that it worked out that way.
After looking at her throat, stomach, small intestine, and colon, the impression is that everything looks great and she has no inflamation. They still took some biopsies and will look very closely at everything, but we are anticipating that to come back normal. So that would mean she has no malabsorption issues and definitely no Celiac disease. That would be a huge blessing for us.
So, what is going on with our little girl. His thought is that she should have an evacuation study done with a barium enema, to see exactly how she evacuates her stool and that when she is 4 or 5 they can do another study (if we are still having issues then) to see exactly how much pressure she feels down there.
His other thought is that her extreme anemia is causing her to not eat enough (something we have continually struggled with), which is resulting in her poor weight gain. He said with all of her surgeries, she may have depleted her iron and then with not eating well, never replenished it. So, we are going to add an extra iron supplement in addition to what she already gets and push lots of spinach on the little girl. He thinks that as her iron gets back to normal, she will also then want to eat more. I sure pray that is the answer.
We thought it was a really good day, we are pleased with so much good information. We feel that this was so worthwhile to push us in the right direction with Mia, now we will focus on her nutrition and not worry so much about allergies. We will continue to pray that she figures out how to use her muscles in her bottom to gain control of her bowel movements. Praise God for lots of good information! Thank you for praying for our little pumpkin.
5 comments:
Good to hear that the biopsies came back clear. Did you mention to the doctor that Mia has been eating gluten-free, because from what I have learned, not having gluten in your system can heal the inflammation, something to think about if you are going back to regular food.
I took Noah to the GI doc the other day and he is thinking Polyps and wants an immediate Colonoscopy! UGH! I think we are going to head to Sansum Clinic for a second opinion and I will also be seeing a doctor there for myself, to get more answers abotu this Celiac stuff.
I pray that Mia's iron gets back up there. Low iron can cause so many problems, poor thing! Praying for you guys, you amaze me with everything you face. My your weekend be blessed!
Hi Kara! That doesn't sound like fun with Noah! It never hurts to get a second opinion, you are smart mom!
We reintroduced gluten and dairy a few weeks ago and he knew she had been on a gluten free diet for awhile before that, but his thought is that it takes at least 6 months to heal your intestines, you'll see improvements before then, but it takes quite awhile to heal them.
Anyway, so we are going to try working on her iron to see if it makes any difference.
We'll be praying for y'all and wisdom about Noah! If you do have to clean him out I recommend you ask to do it with Miralax because it is so much gentler on their tummies.
Thanks for the tips! I am calling Monday and am just looking forward to more answers and a more helpful doctor! :)
Good info about the intestines healing. What a blessing that you don't have to be so selective with food.
I am praying for quick healing for the anemia! Blessings!
What a brave little girl you have!! She can teach me a thing or two. =) If you need ideas for getting more spinach in her diet, here's one. I add raw spinach to my smoothies. It changes the color a bit, but the taste isn't affected. I throw frozen fruit (thawed a bit in the micro), plain yogurt, fresh banana, a splas of liquid (I like o.j.) and a handful of spinach into the blender...blend and eat. My two year old loves them!!
I'm glad to hear that the studies themselves went well. You know, with the iron supplement, it might make her stools more solid. It has a habit of causing constipation in adults, so maybe that would be an added benefit?
Post a Comment