Our 5-year-old daughter, A, completed all three motility tests that the GI specialist ordered back in August. Read more about them on my post dated 8/26/17. The first was the SitzMarker test, which required her to swallow all of these circle "SitzMarkers" (see photos above). Since she can't swallow a whole pill, we had to empty them and put 1 - 2 markers in spoonful of yogurt until all 26 markers were swallowed. That was challenging, but she did it! Then on Day #5, which was August 30th, she had to get an abdominal x-ray to see if the markers were still in her system or if they had passed. None were seen on x-ray. I suspect that she passed them all the morning of the x-ray, since it was the first bowel movement since swallowing them. Next, on September 20th, she had the contrast enema. As you can probably guess, that was no fun at all. The technician and doctor had to insert the enema, deliver 1500 ml of contrast solution into her colon, and then take x-rays to study her anatomy. When they were done the contrast was drained and we were on our way. While it was a very challenging test for A, at least it was done quickly! On September 27th, she went to the local children's hospital for the third of three GI motility tests that were ordered, the anorectal manometry. The was an exam that not only required her to fast after midnight the night before, but we also had to administer 2 enemas at home. One was done the night before, and the other was done the next in the morning before we left for the hospital. I'll spare you the details, but I'm sure you can imagine how unpleasant that was for all involved. We were exhausted by the time we got in the car that morning at 8:45 am. After a dropping the other two girls off at school and a long drive in to the city, we arrived just in time for the test at 10:30 am. I was so glad we made it in time, but in the end, we waited 3 more hours for the test to actually begin! A was a trooper considering all she had to go through. They gave her a little Versed to sedate her enough to administer the test, but to keep her awake to participate when they needed her to answer their questions or to squeeze or relax her muscles. Thank goodness for the Versed and for the Child Life Specialist that sat with her throughout the entire test in the operating room while I couldn't be with her. She was a rock star and the test was successfully completed. In the recovery room, they monitored her while she drank some water and ate a popsicle. You can see in the photo above how happy she was about the orange popsicle and the toy they gave her. The doctor met with me briefly after the test. He said he would analyze the test further, but he observed that the muscles in her rectum weren't contracting and relaxing properly. This could be a piece of the puzzle and is also similar to the sphincter issues she has when urinating. We will find out more information and the next steps at her follow up appointment on October 11th. After each of the last two tests, A requested McDonald's french fries. How could I say no, especially after she had gone all day, both days, without eating? She deserved those fries and the Happy Meal prize. Look at that smile!
Stay tuned for more updates soon. Our 4-year-old daughter, C, had her two MRIs last week, and yesterday A finally had the long-awaited geneticist appointment! I'll be writing more as soon as I get a chance. Thanks for reading and all your support!
Karen F.
10/4/2017 09:34:05 am
A rock star - raising rock stars - just look at that smile! Thank you for sharing this journey, wishing you the best of the best each and every day.
Rebekah
10/7/2017 04:26:06 pm
Thanks for reading and for your kind response! Comments are closed.
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AuthorHi, I'm Rebekah! I'm a wife, architect, teacher and mother to 3 amazing daughters! Thanks for stopping by my blog, RAISING ZEBRAS! Archives
February 2018
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