Stomach Stuff

[Juliebove]

My daughter is 13. She does not have celiac but does have a wheat allery and is also allergic to some other foods.

Last week on Thu., she came down with the big D. I kept her home from school. There was no school on Fri. I had a Drs. appointment in another city so I took her with me. We were there for long enough that she missed dance class. She didn't appear to be sick that evening. In fact I had to insist that she use the toilet. We had gone to lunch earlier with my parents and I knew she hadn't used the toilet in 5 hours! This hasn't been a big issue lately but it sure was when she was younger. The mere fact that I would tell her to use the toilet would make her not use it. It was a control thing. And she wound up with UTI's and bladder irritation because of it. As it turned out she did need to go. But there was no D.

We went grocery shopping in still another city. Came home. Had dinner. She had a salad that was going to expire that day. Perhaps not the best choice but her stomach seemed okay then.

Next day we celebrated my brother's birthday. We ate at the same place where we had lunch the day before. We eat there at least once a week and they are very careful with our food. We have never had any issues eating there, ever. We also do not order exactly as is from the menu. They make food special for us, no matter the issue. My mom has been on some wacky diets over the years. If all she can eat is chicken and spinach, they will make her that.

On the way out of that restaurant, we stopped into Garlic Jim's. Asked if their Taco Pizza could be made gluten-free. We were told that it could but that they couldn't put the nacho chips on the top because they contained gluten. So I went ahead and ordered one. We have had their pizza several tims before with no problems. Daughter even commented on how happy she was that they were being so careful with our pizza. We sat in there while they made it and the gluten-free part was mentioned severals times. We took it home to eat the next day. I now will not recommend this because they do put lettuce on it and it gets a bit wilted. Better to have it fresh. Anyway...

Sunday we did our usual shopping. Costco then Target. We did have a sample at Costco. It was Boursin cheese spread on gluten-free rice crackers. We bought a box of the crackers. At Target we had an order of French Fries (they're baked), nachos and popcorn. All things we've eaten before with no problem. And we didn't eat all of it. Just a little taste of each thing. Works out better when my husband is with us because he'll eat what we don't.

Came home and ate the pizza but quite late for us because we really weren't hungry.

Around bedtime, daughter began complaining of loud noises coming from her stomach. I couldn't hear it but she said it was bad. Then she grabbed the pukey bowl thinking she might puke. She didn't. Instead it came out the other way. She said it was the worst D she had ever had. Only then did she tell me that she had in fact had some D on Fri. and Sat. but it had been minor.

She moaned and groaned all night and said her stomach hurt. I kept her home from school on Mon. But I had to go for a mammogram. I took her in there with me and then we went downstairs to the Walk In Clinic.

Dr. there diagnosed gastroenteritis and said from the sounds of her stomach she was about to have D again soon. Which she did. Also said it was unlikely she could go to school the next day but she should be fine by Wed. If not she needed a followup with her pediatrician.

She thought she was better on Tues. Had a normal bowel movement. So we ate the rest of the pizza. But then 2 hours later she had D again! Part of me thought maybe it was the pizza but it would have had to be cross contamination because we were both sure the crust was the gluten-free one. But that wouldn't explain the D on Thu. because she didn't eat the pizza then.

I sent her to school on Wed. even though she wasn't feeling well. She had a math test to make up and the end of the semester had gotten changed due to a week of snow and subsequent school closeure. But then the math teacher had to go break her arm and need an operation so she wasn't there. The teacher's aid said Angela could take the test on Fri., tomorrow. I had told Angela if she got sick in school to go to the nurse and then call me to come home. Well she did get sick but didn't call me! She continued to have D all night.

And now today? More D. all day. I did call and try to get an appointment with the pediatrician but he can't see her till Mon.

She is still suffering. Complaining of stomach pain and nothing seems to help. The printout given to me by the Dr. said to have her eat her normal diet, perhaps adding starches if she wanted them. I looked on the Internet and they are no longer recommending the BRAT diet because it causes zinc deficiency. There was mention of something called CRAM. Similar but with added cereal. But most sources said to eat the normal diet, just avoid fried foods, spicy foods and foods with a lot of sugar. The Dr. did tell her to drink Pedialyte and the paperworkd she gave us said to drink watered down Gatorade.

So I am frustrated. She doesn't want to eat. Not anything. She is drinking. She is overweight and if this causes some weight loss, it's fine from that aspect. But she looks so horrible. Black around the eyes and pale skin. And she feels miserable.

So what would you do if you were me? Keep her home and then take her to the Dr. on Monday? At this point I don't even care about the math test. I just want her better. My mom said I should take her back to the Walk In clinic tomorrow but I'm afraid if I do that they might wind up getting mad at me for not doing what they said.

I don't know what to think that it is at this point. She was in contact with my eldery parents, my brother and SIL, their son and his girlfriend. The only one of us who has had D is my dad but he has additional medical issues and my mom said he isn't eating what he is supposed to. Or taking his meds like he is supposed to. And when he fouls those things up, he gets D. I am used to that with him. So I don't think his is related. I am thinking if it were gastroenteritis or food poisoning, someone else in the family would have gotten it.

What to do? What to do?

[Skylark]

Poor kiddo. I vote for the walk-in clinic tomorrow. She may be dehydrated with bad diarrhea going so long. Don't let the directions from earlier keep you from bringing her in for care. You can't feed a kid who is refusing food so it's not as if you could follow the printout. Even if they think you maybe should have done something different, they will look at her carefully and see if they can sort out what's going on.

[Juliebove]

Poor kiddo. I vote for the walk-in clinic tomorrow. She may be dehydrated with bad diarrhea going so long. Don't let the directions from earlier keep you from bringing her in for care. You can't feed a kid who is refusing food so it's not as if you could follow the printout. Even if they think you maybe should have done something different, they will look at her carefully and see if they can sort out what's going on.

Okay. Thanks!

[Juliebove]

Well now today she seems fine. So we didn't go to the Dr. She ate a frozen meal. Chicken with BBQ sauce and rice pilaf. gluten-free and organic. So far so good. We're going to make a quick trip to the grocery store then have turkey breast and mashed potatoes for dinner.

The Walk In Clinic is open on the weekend so if it comes back we will go. And we will keep the Monday appointment just in case.

[Skylark]

Great. I'm glad to hear she's feeling better.