11 year old son being tested

[chazjordy]

Hi
Im very concerned as my son is being tested at the moment for crohns,ibd, and another one that i cant remember the name of.

His symptoms are urgent need to go for a poo,sometimes gets tummy pains, passing alot of mucus, and just recently tiny amounts of red blood on toilet paper which i think is due to him straining. Did anyone else start off with these symptoms

He still has an appetite,is not lethargic, hasnt ever past blood on his stools or in the mucus.

Today he has had a blood test done to test for inflammation,he is yet to do a stool sample and is also being sent to pediatric doctors

Im worried sick none of these things run in either my family or his fathers...the only thing i have is IBS but have never been tested for it. Some friends who i have spoken to have scared me more by saying if he has got crohns he will have to have a bag and cant lead a normal life as such.

If anyone can give advice etc i would be really gratefull

 

[Manzyb]

First off, I am so sorry that your son is going through this.

Secondly, your friends are seriously wrong telling you that he will need a bag and not lead a normal life if he has Crohn's. that is not true at all. Yes, some people do end up with colostomies, but not all. I've had Crohn's since I was 13, diagnosed at 15, and just now at 27 years old I had my first surgery that did NOT lead to having to have a bag.

I've been able to lead a somewhat normal life. It's a little more complicated than some other people's life, but I went to school graduated, went to college, got married and had a child.

Anyway, I really hope that he does not get diagnosed with an IBD, its not ideal, but he CAN lead a normal life. I really just wanted to make sure that you understood that. I hate that people are so uninformed about the illness and then go say things like that to a scared mother!!!

Hang in there, and keep us posted on how he is doing.

 

[Manzyb]

oh! and if he ever does have to have a "bag" people live completely normal lives with those too!!

 

[DustyKat]

Hi and :welcome:

Firstly I would like to say the everything Amanda I agree fully agree with. Some people with Crohn's do end up with a bag but it is so far removed from everyone and of those that do many are only temporary. For those that do have permanent stoma's it can either provide a cure if it is Ulcerative Colitis or for those with Crohn's be a life saving procedure and/or provide them with a quality of life that they haven't experienced in a very long time. Both of my children have Crohn's, they are in remission, have had surgery and neither has a bag.

The symptoms of IBD are many and varied so there is bound to be those that have similar symptoms to your son but that doesn't mean he has IBD and I hope he doesn't and it is something easily treated.

The waiting is the hardest of all because as you well know your mind and imagination is your worst enemy at this time. Please keep us posted on how the testing goes and if we can be of any further help to you please let us know.

Good luck!

Dusty. xxx

 

[Nancy McC]

My 13-year-old son was diagnosed with Crohn's when he was 8. His symptoms were very similar to your son's, and other than "bathroom issues" he was otherwise well (good appetite, no blood in stool, no problems with going to school, etc.). In fact, our pediatrician pooh-poohed (so to speak) all of my initial concerns about him spending so much time in the toilet, noting, after close examination, that he looked healthy. Seven weeks (and several visits later) he began to have a fluctuating low-grade fever and had lost 7 pounds. Turns out mother knows best. Our doc mea culpa'd and we were sent directly to Seattle Children's Hospital and hooked up with an exceptional GI doc who told us his guess was Crohn's. A colonoscopy/endoscopy/biopsy later, we got proof positive.

First of all, let me tell you that I was scared to death at first, worried that he'd never have a normal life. No one on my side of the family or my husband's has IBD and I have no idea "why" my boy does. Today he's doing exceptionally well, leads an extremely "normal" life and is a happy, mostly healthy young teen. Amazingly enough, I don't even worry about it (much) anymore. He never misses school, has lots of friends, doesn't run to the bathroom (though he spends long periods of time in there a couple times a day) and his biggest problems, healthwise, are some skin issues (psoriasis, not unsightly) related to the Crohn's drug he's taking.

Here's what happened after he was diagnosed: Within a several month period, we'd gone through many drug regimes, none working well and one (Imuran) making him vomit. Remicade (an infused drug) was the one that worked -- like a charm. He's been on it for over four years and his Crohn's is in complete remission, as it has been during all this time. Remicade is infused at the hospital every 7 weeks. Other than that, he's not taking any other drugs. In addition, he eats whatever he wants to eat, and has no restrictions on his diet. (Thanks, Remicade!)

If your son indeed has IBD, it sounds as if you've identified it early on, and did the right thing by getting help. We've met many young people with Crohn's and Colitis over the years and despite some problems that lay kids low, most of these children are leading what you would call a "normal" life. In my son's case, unless he told you (and he would, he's not shy about it), you'd have no idea he has Crohn's.

Try not to worry too much -- difficult though that may be -- and know that the medical care for IBD is far better than it was in generations past. If you haven't already, check out the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation website: http://www.ccfa.org/kidsteens/?LMI=9

Good luck!

 

[chazjordy]

Thanks for all the replies i noticed that he was spending alot of time in the bathroom in jan and took him to the doctors...she said it was nothing to worry about and that everyone has changes in their bowel movements...
When i took him in again on 8th march he has actually put on weight.
They also took some blood samples as i saw a different doctor and he seemed more concerned... he took them to see if there was any inflammation in his body which he said if i was a form of crohns their would be....and luckily they come back with no signs of inflammation so i really hope this is good news...the doctor was very happy with it....My son is still being sent to the pediatricians for more tests but the doctor said hes not as worried now since the bloods come back....just hoping and praying these are all positives that he doesnt have it