Growth after small bowel resection

[waytoosmall]

Hi, I just had a small bowel resection on August 16th. I'm 15y/o girl and I still haven't hit puberty thanks to a late diagnosis and an aggressive disease. I'm starting school (grade 10) right away and I'm getting pretty stressed out. I'm SO much smaller and shorter than everyone, even the kids 2 grades bellow me. I just want to know when (if you've been in my shoes) did you start to grow? Was it fast, how many weeks/months? And how much?

I've been out of the hospital since yesterday morning and the pain is barely there, most of the time.

I'm in desperate need of answers,
Thanks

 

[my little penguin]

Going to tag a couple of the moms who have older teens
They may be able to help you
Dusty
Tesscom
Mehita
Clash
Maya142
Jmrogers

If I remember correctly it was within 6 months of surgery the kids took off in the studies I read
Hugs it will get better

 

[Maya142]

My kiddo is small too but so is her sister (who does not have IBD). However, she was very underweight for a long time.

Do you drink supplemental shakes? My daughter has needed them to stay at a healthy weight and they are easier for the gut to absorb. My daughter drank Peptamen Jr for a while and is now on Neocate. You could also try something like Ensure or Boost.

She was VERY underweight before we got her on formula (in addition to food) and now looks like a normal teen and has gained about 25 lbs.

 

[Clash]

My son has been unable to achieve remission(even after surgery) so his weight and growth hasn't been great. He's probably 5'8.6"(but was shorter before surgery so there was some growth even though he hasn't reached remission) his weight is always really low.

If you can maintain remission it will give your body time to catch up.

 

[DustyKat]

Hi waytoosmall and welcome to the forum. :hug:

I’m so sorry to hear of what you have been through.

My daughter was diagnosed at 14 1/2 years and like you went undiagnosed for a long period of time and ended up with aggressive. She too had a small bowel resection and it was in the July of 2006, so the time frames I give will fit well with your recovery.

I imagine you are like my daughter and have been left in a none too good physical state, and at the time of her surgery she had not even looked like going through puberty too. I gave my daughter until about Christmas to get back to 100%, so 6 months, and this was pretty accurate, but she did reach about 80% at the 3 month mark post op. IIRC it took about another 3 months, March, for puberty to kick in, but once it started it took off like wildfire. She saw the GI at the start of May and then again in May the following year and the difference was astounding. I think she did 3 years growing in 1!

You will find it will take your body a bit of time to adjust to getting back to normal and then a little further settling to getting down to the business of doing what it is supposed to do, that being growth and puberty but it will happen hun.

As a side note, my daughter has been in remission since her surgery 10 years ago and I hope with all my heart you have the same outcome. Good luck!

 

[Brad P]

I was diagnosed as 12. A year later it was determined I didn't grow at all. I was put on tube feeds, 2L of high calorie and nutrients a day (2000 calories) for 3-4 years on and off, 12 hrs a day. I also ate lunch and supper but the tube feeds helped my bowel rest and made me grow like a weed. I'm 6' even now. I was a late bloomer too, not sure if that was natural or Crohn's related.

What do you normally eat in a round of a day?

 

[Mehita]

My son had a small bowel resection when he was 12 years old. He was like you and about the size of kids two grades younger than him. He had surgery in January and by April was a good 15 pounds heavier and at least one inch if I remember correctly.

Unfortunately, he wasn't on the right meds and flared again in May, which set him back a little, but once he started Remicade later that year, he really took off. Like MLP said earlier, it takes about 6 months. Your intestine needs to heal and your body needs to adjust. With my son, while the resection helped, it was the correct meds that really, really helped.

Good luck, sweetie!

 

[Jmrogers4]

Sorry, super late to the discussion. We have not had small bowel resection however lots of small bowel inflammation and once we were able to finally get that under control we saw growth. First came weight and just a couple of inches the first 6 months but then everything hit hard and fast. About 3 years of puberty and growth happened over the span of a year after the first initial 4-5 months. He went from looking about 10-11 years old to looking like a normal 15-16 year old. He is now 17, a senior in high school and is amongst the tallest of his friends at just a touch over 6 foot. (He started sophomore year, 15 years old at 5'4"). When he started remicade and had all the small bowel inflammation at 14 1/2 he was 5'1" and weighed 89 pounds.
It is completely shocking to people who have not seen him in a while.
Hope you are already growing and this is a completely moot response.