This week we took our sweet, sweet, little Sophie to a pediatric GI doctor. She has been having some issues over the past 5-6 weeks that are very concerning so we got the referral to the GI doc and had our appointment yesterday.

The concerns the doctor has are devastating! Sophie will go into the hospital on Friday morning to have a colonoscopy and blood work done to confirm a diagnosis of Crohn's disease. We have Crohn's disease in the family as well as other auto-immune diseases so I am not completely shocked but am hoping, praying, wishing, begging, pleading with God to let the results come back negative.


Crohn’s disease is a condition that affects the gastrointestinal tract. Symptoms are rough on children, and can range from vomiting, rectal bleeding, abdominal pain, fever, and fatigue, to relentless diarrhea.

We finished her stool study today and took all the poop to the lab for testing.  I am hoping we get those results back quickly so that we can move forward.  And for the record - - - NO ONE ever tells you before you have children that you may have to collect POOP in a poop catcher and spoon it into little vials and drive those little poop filled vials to a lab for testing.  ANYONE that ever says being a mom is EASY is delusional. Rewarding - yes!!  Easy - HELL NO!

All joking aside --- Jim and I are asking that you keep Sophie and our family in your thoughts and/or prayers while we are dealing with her symptoms, the testing and waiting for the final results from the procedure on Friday.

Thursday, June 3, 2010

Sophie Update

I spoke with the nurse from Sophie's GI doc's office several times today and unfortunately they did not get the stool study results back from the lab today.  So, we are in a holding pattern for now.  The doctor does not want to do the colonoscopy before absolutely ruling out a parasite or C. difficile.  Her symptoms have lasted longer than either of those would typically last but Jim and I are still hoping that it is one of the aforementioned culprits.  We are not doing the blood work until we do the colonoscopy so that they can do it while she is under anesthesia.  Like I said - HOLDING PATTERN. 


In the meantime Sophie's symptoms are about the same:
urgent diarrhea
large amount of pooling blood with each stool
8-10 bowel movements per day
tummy ache before BM


Yesterday while at swim practice Sophie became upset when she had to get out of the pool 2x to urgently go to the restroom.  She said "Mommy, I am tired of going doop (Sophie's word for poop) ALL OF THE TIME".  I don't blame her - it is not fun!  I think we are more than ready for some answers.


Thank you all for your kind words, good thoughts and many prayers.

Wednesday, June 9, 2010

Lab Results

Finally . . . the results came back today.

The bad news is the the lab results were good. We were hoping that they would find something in the stool study that would be causing Sophie's symptoms. Unfortunately, that was not the case so we are going forward with the colonoscopy and blood work on Friday.

She took her 1st dose of MiraLax tonight has 2 more doses tomorrow and is on a liquid diet starting at noon.

I am sure the scope will give us the answers we need but I'm a little overwhelmed at the thought of the diagnosis that we will receive.

I am praying - praying - praying! This old song comes to mind from Tim McGraw . . .

Take this very breath you gave me
Take the heart from my chest
I'll gladly take her place if you let me,
make this my last request

Please, please please - it's so damn unfair. I would so willingly take it all. Bring it on! I wish I could take it away from both Nate and Sophie.

Diabetes - I would take it from Nate in a heartbeat!

Crohn's Disease - please give it to me instead - I don't want my daughter to suffer any longer!

Please!

Friday, June 11, 2010

Ulcerative colitis

We are home and we are exhausted. I got about 2 hours of sleep last night and today has been pretty crazy. All 3 kids are sleeping so I am going to get horizontal ASAP.

The doctor confirmed that right now Sophie has ulcerative colitis with a possible later diagnosis of Chrohn's. We will have the biopsy and blood work results back mid to late next week.

I would like to thank all that have lifted our family up in prayer over the past week. Your love and support means more than I can express. Seriously, I am so thankful for all of the kind words, prayers and messages that we have received.



Now here is the description of Ulcerative Colitis for those who would like to know:

Copied from webmd.com

Ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease are the most common types of inflammatory bowel disease. Ulcerative colitis affects only the colon and rectum. Crohn’s can affect any part of the digestive tract. To learn more about Crohn’s disease, see the topic Crohn’s Disease.
What is ulcerative colitis?

Ulcerative colitis is a disease that causes inflammation and sores (ulcers) in the lining of the large intestine, or colon. It usually affects the lower section (sigmoid colon) and the rectum. But it can affect the entire colon. In general, the more of the colon that’s affected, the worse the symptoms will be.

Ulcerative colitis can affect people of any age, but most people who have it are diagnosed before the age of 30.
What causes ulcerative colitis?

Experts are not sure what causes ulcerative colitis. They think it might be caused by the immune system overreacting to normal bacteria in the digestive tract. Or other kinds of bacteria and viruses may cause the disease.

Ulcerative colitis is not caused by stress, as people thought in the past. But if you have ulcerative colitis, stress can make it worse.

You are more likely to get ulcerative colitis if other people in your family have it.
What are the symptoms?

The main symptoms are:

* Belly pain or cramps.
* Bloody diarrhea or an urgent need to have a bowel movement.
* Bleeding from the rectum.

Some people also may have a fever, may not feel hungry, and may lose weight. In severe cases, people may have diarrhea 10 to 20 times a day.

Ulcerative colitis can also cause other problems, such as joint pain, eye problems, or liver disease. But these symptoms are more common in people who have Crohn’s disease.

In most people, the symptoms come and go. Some people go for months or years without symptoms (remission). Then they will have a flare-up. About 5 to 10 out of 100 people with ulcerative colitis have symptoms all the time.

Ulcerative colitis sometimes leads to more serious problems. It can cause scarring of the bile duct. This can lead to liver damage. In rare cases, severe disease causes the colon to swell to many times its normal size (toxic megacolon). This can be deadly and needs emergency treatment.

People who have ulcerative colitis for 8 years or longer have a greater chance of getting colon cancer.2 Talk to your doctor about your need for cancer screening. Screening tests help find cancer early, when it is easier to treat.
How is ulcerative colitis diagnosed?

To diagnose ulcerative colitis, doctors ask about the symptoms, do a physical exam, and do a number of tests. Testing can help the doctor rule out other problems that can cause similar symptoms, such as Crohn’s disease, irritable bowel syndrome, or diverticulitis.

Tests that may be done include:

* A colonoscopy. In this test, a doctor uses a thin, lighted tool to look at the inside of your entire colon. At the same time, the doctor may take a sample (biopsy) of the lining of the colon.
* A barium enema X-ray or an X-ray of your belly to show pictures of the colon.
* Blood tests, which are done to look for infection or inflammation.
* Stool sample testing to look for blood, infection, and white blood cells.

How is it treated?

Ulcerative colitis affects everyone differently. Your doctor will help you find treatments that reduce your symptoms and help you avoid new flare-ups.


Doctors often prescribe medicines to reduce inflammation, such as:

* Steroid medicines. These can help reduce or stop symptoms. They are only used for short periods because they can cause side effects, such as bone thinning (osteoporosis).
* Aminosalicylates. These can be used to reduce or stop symptoms (sometimes at the same time as steroid medicines). After your symptoms are under control, you may take these medicines to help prevent flare-ups.
* Medicines that control the immune system (immunomodulators). You may need these if your disease is severe and aminosalicylates don't keep it from flaring up.

Some people find that certain foods make their symptoms worse. If this happens to you, it makes sense to not eat those foods. But be sure to eat a healthy, varied diet to keep your weight up and stay strong.

If you have severe symptoms and medicines don't help, you may need surgery to remove part or all of your colon. Removing the entire colon cures ulcerative colitis. It also prevents colon cancer. But it does have some serious risks. Still, most people who have surgery are glad they did.

How will ulcerative colitis affect your life?

Ulcerative colitis can be hard to live with. During a flare-up it may seem like you are always running to the bathroom. This can be embarrassing and can take a toll on how you feel about yourself. Not knowing when the disease will strike next can be stressful. Stress may actually make the problem worse.