Pediatric GI visit
Jun. 17th, 2008 08:44 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
sethrakWe got squeezed into Dr. Tuft's schedule at 11:30 yesterday.
I liked him. It's nice to deal with a person who actually seems to be paying attention and remembering the answers to questions that've already been asked.
Mark didn't like him so much, but that was to be expected. Getting your tummy and rump palpated, when you have no idea what's going on or why Mommy is holding your arms down, cannot be fun for any toddler.
Dr. Tuft decided it was either a parasitic infection called Giardia, which is common in toddlers, or else Mark's managed to get so constipated that the only stuff that can work its way out is the liquid he's been producing. So he sent me to the lab to get a fecal sample kit, and then to Radiology to get an abdominal x-ray for Mark. He told me to return after one o'clock to get the x-ray results.
The lab receptionist I dealt with this time got me a proper fecal sample kit, and didn't even have to be asked to add gloves to the paper bag full of stuff. I like dealing with competent people. ^_^
X-ray didn't go so well. I couldn't stay in the room to hold him down, obviously, and even if I had, poor Mark freaked out the second he saw the x-ray machine. I helped the tech partially undress Mark, who was screaming and flailing the whole time, and then stepped out. Oh, the shrieking that followed me out the door. ;_; I nearly cried. It was over fast. I spent more time trying to get him calm enough to let me redress him than he spent getting x-rayed. Once we got out of the room, he calmed down fast.
Then we went home for lunch.
When we got back to the pediatric clinic, the nurse we'd spoken to before said we had to go back to x-ray because they hadn't gotten a good enough scan for Dr. Tuft to see what he needed. >_< I assume this was because Mark was fighting the tech holding him down.
Mark really did not like being brought back to Radiology. MUCH more screaming. But this time they were able to pin him down well enough to get a few good scans in. I promised Mark he'd get a very yummy dinner to make up for it.
We went back to Pediatrics to wait for Dr. Tuft.
Turns out Mark's entire large intestine is clogged with firm feces. I saw it on the x-ray - even behind the air bubble in his upper abdomen caused by his screaming during the scan.
To clear that out, Dr. Tuft prescribed a two day course of suppositories, and two large bottles of Miralax. Two 17 gram doses a day for the first two days, and then 8.5 grams once a day after that, til it's done. If his diarrhea gets excessive or seems to be causing him weight loss or other such problems, we're to stop and call his regular pediatrician.
We're also supposed to turn in the sample kit, just to double check for the other potential problems. If it *is* Giardia, there's an antibiotic his regular doctor can give us. There's also an order for a leukocyte test. I'm not sure what that is; I'm going to google in a minute. After this, Dr. Tuft says we should be able to handle any further treatment with Mark's regular pediatrician.
Did the sample kit today with his first diaper of the morning. ::gags:: It's easier with the proper tools, but still revolting. Gave him his first dose of Miralax mixed with some pedialyte a little while ago. He drank it a little slower than he usually drinks his pedialyte, but I'm not sure if that means he noticed the change in taste or not. I await the results of the Miralax with great trepidation. o_o
Dropping the kit off at the lab when I go to my prenatal appt this afternoon. Here's hoping this stuff works.
Edit: Leukocytes are white blood cells. I thought I recognized the name. Not sure why they're doing a fecal test for them; it strikes me as worrisome. But I'm not going to worry about it until and unless we get a positive test result.
Edit 2: Ah! It's part of a fecal pH test to check for bacterial gastroenteritis. That's not so worrisome, as long as we treat it promptly and properly. Via wikipedia: http://www.emedicine.com/med/fulltopic/topic855.htm#section~Differentials
I liked him. It's nice to deal with a person who actually seems to be paying attention and remembering the answers to questions that've already been asked.
Mark didn't like him so much, but that was to be expected. Getting your tummy and rump palpated, when you have no idea what's going on or why Mommy is holding your arms down, cannot be fun for any toddler.
Dr. Tuft decided it was either a parasitic infection called Giardia, which is common in toddlers, or else Mark's managed to get so constipated that the only stuff that can work its way out is the liquid he's been producing. So he sent me to the lab to get a fecal sample kit, and then to Radiology to get an abdominal x-ray for Mark. He told me to return after one o'clock to get the x-ray results.
The lab receptionist I dealt with this time got me a proper fecal sample kit, and didn't even have to be asked to add gloves to the paper bag full of stuff. I like dealing with competent people. ^_^
X-ray didn't go so well. I couldn't stay in the room to hold him down, obviously, and even if I had, poor Mark freaked out the second he saw the x-ray machine. I helped the tech partially undress Mark, who was screaming and flailing the whole time, and then stepped out. Oh, the shrieking that followed me out the door. ;_; I nearly cried. It was over fast. I spent more time trying to get him calm enough to let me redress him than he spent getting x-rayed. Once we got out of the room, he calmed down fast.
Then we went home for lunch.
When we got back to the pediatric clinic, the nurse we'd spoken to before said we had to go back to x-ray because they hadn't gotten a good enough scan for Dr. Tuft to see what he needed. >_< I assume this was because Mark was fighting the tech holding him down.
Mark really did not like being brought back to Radiology. MUCH more screaming. But this time they were able to pin him down well enough to get a few good scans in. I promised Mark he'd get a very yummy dinner to make up for it.
We went back to Pediatrics to wait for Dr. Tuft.
Turns out Mark's entire large intestine is clogged with firm feces. I saw it on the x-ray - even behind the air bubble in his upper abdomen caused by his screaming during the scan.
To clear that out, Dr. Tuft prescribed a two day course of suppositories, and two large bottles of Miralax. Two 17 gram doses a day for the first two days, and then 8.5 grams once a day after that, til it's done. If his diarrhea gets excessive or seems to be causing him weight loss or other such problems, we're to stop and call his regular pediatrician.
We're also supposed to turn in the sample kit, just to double check for the other potential problems. If it *is* Giardia, there's an antibiotic his regular doctor can give us. There's also an order for a leukocyte test. I'm not sure what that is; I'm going to google in a minute. After this, Dr. Tuft says we should be able to handle any further treatment with Mark's regular pediatrician.
Did the sample kit today with his first diaper of the morning. ::gags:: It's easier with the proper tools, but still revolting. Gave him his first dose of Miralax mixed with some pedialyte a little while ago. He drank it a little slower than he usually drinks his pedialyte, but I'm not sure if that means he noticed the change in taste or not. I await the results of the Miralax with great trepidation. o_o
Dropping the kit off at the lab when I go to my prenatal appt this afternoon. Here's hoping this stuff works.
Edit: Leukocytes are white blood cells. I thought I recognized the name. Not sure why they're doing a fecal test for them; it strikes me as worrisome. But I'm not going to worry about it until and unless we get a positive test result.
Edit 2: Ah! It's part of a fecal pH test to check for bacterial gastroenteritis. That's not so worrisome, as long as we treat it promptly and properly. Via wikipedia: http://www.emedicine.com/med/fulltopic/topic855.htm#section~Differentials
