10 year old dealing with tummy pains

[Beth99]

My 10 year old goes in the morning for a bowel scan, not sure what to expect. She has been through so much in her 10 years. Open heart surgery Aortic valve repair,galbladder removed and now she has bad tummy pains, lower right side mostly. Can anyone give me more information please.

What do we need to expect if this is Crohn's? :confused I have heard it is uncommon in 10 year olds, however so is gallbladder removed, I think we have distingushed she is not a normal little 10 year old.

 

[crohnsinct]

Poor pumpkin! While it surely isn't common for a 10 year old to be diagnosed with Crohn's there are plenty of kids who are diagnosed and the incidence rate is climbing. My daughter was diagnosed at 12.

Have they given you any indication that IBD is what they are suspecting? Have they done blood tests that are pointing in that direction? Fecal testing? How long has her tummy pain been going on? Any other symptoms? Some could be low weight or loss of weight, slow or stalled growth, joint pain, nausea, diarrhea or constipation.....

You have surely been through a lot and my advice at this point would be to sit tight and wait to hear exactly what the docs have to say. Don't borrow trouble. If the diagnosis does turn out to be IBD or even if it is indeterminate and you are starting on a long journey to get a dx we will be hear for you to answer any questions and share our experiences and give you support.

Good luck! I hope more than anything that today gives you clear answers and your girl can find relief!

 

[Cupkatemom]

Mine 10 year old was just diagnosed! Our major symptoms were diarrhea, weight loss and anemia. It's been a roller coaster of emotion, but thankful for the support of our wonderful doctors and the Crohn's community.

Best wishes with your testing!

 

[Devynnsmom]

My daughter was diagnosed at 8 years old. Best of luck with the tests!

 

[Jmrogers4]

My son was diagnosed at 10 symptoms included, weight loss, no growth, stomach pains, fatigue, anemia and eczema.
Hope you find out quickly what is going on but as crohnsinct says don't borrow trouble, we are here if you need us. Good luck!

 

[my little penguin]

My son was dx at age 7. Constipation , failure to gain weight , rectal prolapse , stomach pains and lack of appetite here.
All of his intiAl tests and scans were normal only biopsies showed the damage .

Good luck

 

[Mehita]

My son was 8 at dx. Failure to grow, lots of stomach aches and diarrhea. I think when they say it's uncommon, they just mean its uncommon for kids to be dx'd... but there are a ton of parents here who can testify firsthand that it does happen.

What to expect with Crohn's? It's different for everyone, but most end up having scopes done with biopsies. Our dx was confirmed with biopsy. There may be follow up tests like fecal cal, labs, MRE or CT scans. After dx, then treatment can begin and usually starts with exclusive enteral nutrition (no food, just special nutrition drinks) or prednisone followed by a maintenance medication. Until a cure comes along, there will always likely be a maintenance medication.

Maintenance meds can be frustrating until you find the right one that works for your kiddo. Lots of trial and error, but hopefully you come across something that works well. Then you get to enjoy seeing your child happy and healthy again.

Let us know how it goes...

 

[Farmwife]

Grace was almost four. Constipation, abdominal cramping, joint pains, pain passing stool and blood in the stool.

 

[CrohnsKidMom]

Sorry your daughter is having such difficulty. My son was dx'd last March at age 8. His symptoms were night sweats and fevers, rash, mouth ulcers, back pain, abdominal pain around his navel that would worsen after eating, and extreme fatigue. He was starting to lose weight and was anemic. Bloodwork, stool test, MRE, ultrasound, and scopes were done. Our initial treatment choices were either EEN with NG tube for 3 mos, or prednisone for 3 mos. We chose prednisone and he is now doing well on MTX as his maintenance med. I hope you get some answers soon and your daughter starts feeling better. Take care!