Tummy troubles

Wood Sprite has had some stomach issues off and on over the years. Even when she seems to be eating okay, sometimes she has trouble with the elimination process. When we first started looking into this, she ended up in urgent care with x-rays, suppositories and way too much discomfort. I vowed to never let that happen again, since I thought it was because she wasn’t getting enough fiber.

This is a child who eats broccoli high-fiber cereal every day, though. She snacks on fiber bars. On paper, she’s really getting enough. That made me think that it was just a preemie thing she had gone through, even though it’s been many years since babyhood. Maybe it’s just because she was so small, I thought.

But now that I’ve spoken with many other parents about this issue, it seems to be pretty common. Some kids actually hold it in because they don’t want to have a bowel movement. Others seem to have troubles that are even more complex. I’m left wondering how this can be, though; how did kids in the past survive with all of these issues? Are they a modern construct due to our lifestyles and diets? Or did kids just grow out of it in the past?

The biggest issue with Sprite is the pain. Sometimes she gets nauseous as well, but I can’t stand to see her in tears because it’s so painful. Sometimes it’s for moments at a time, and sometimes it just scares her to pieces. She’s even said, “I don’t want to die, don’t let me die!” It’s heart-breaking! What can you do?

We got in to see the doctor on Monday and she’s taking some powdered medicine to help with the stomach issues, and so far she’s been better today—but at the same time, I want to know what I can do to stop this from happening again. Any tips from parents with similar issues would be greatly appreciated! In the meantime, we go back for a follow-up next week and I’m going to ask more about preventative care. This week’s visit was very emotionally taxing for her and I didn’t get a chance to ask.

Photo courtesy of Wikipedia