Apparently this is my week for unexpected challenges. Yesterday it was all about the boots. Today it was all about the poop. I know, I know, it’s indelicate and unladylike to discuss such things, especially throwing it out into the interwebs. There are so many other things to write about why write about this?
Well, I promised myself that I would always tell the truth about my life here in this space. This is daily life with a young adult with special needs. This is daily life with a daughter who cannot communicate her needs to the world. This is daily life with a suffering saint. This is the good, the bad and the poopy.
Putting on my happy face and diving in…
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| before the day went to the toilet… |
This morning Miss Courtney had a gastroenterology appointment as well as a G-tube clinic consult. She get’s weighed, sees the Nurse Practitioner who checks her G-tube site and goes over all her feeding needs. We meet with her dietician, check her G-tube formula to make sure she is getting all the nutrients she needs, make any tweaks we need to and discuss any feeding issues she may be having.
We did find a parking spot at this facility right away and it wasn’t raining. That was a nice way to start the day. Once we got all the paperwork done, Miss Courtney was weighed.
5’6″ and 96 pounds. Not good. Too thin.
She is losing muscle. Not good at all.
Once I get that news it’s into the exam room we go. We talk about how well she is doing in PT, how she has learned how to roll over since her last visit here and all the other good things happening. The NP starts her exam and all of a sudden it’s quiet. She poking and prodding and the conversation turns to constipation and a possible impacted bowel. Then we move onto a possible enlarged thyroid and this Mama’s heart begins to beat a little faster.
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| sonogram heaven… |
We make several changes to her G-tube formula to help with the constipation. We add in another dose of lactulose to assist with this as well. Then she listed the fun stuff. We had to have an X-ray, today. We needed to get a sonogram on her thyroid, today. We had to begin a “cleanse”, today.
There are times when being the mother of a special needs child who doesn’t walk and doesn’t speak is really challenging. Today was one of those days.
I wish Courtney could tell me her tummy is hurting and she needs to go potty. I wish she could walk so she could “work it out”. I wish she didn’t have such a high tolerance for pain so I would know to help sooner. It is THE most frustrating part of parenting a non verbal special one.
So what started as a 60 minute regularly scheduled check-up turned into a six hour hospital marathon.
We got the X-ray taken. No bowel obstruction (thank you Jesus) BUT she was way backed up. When I say my daughter is full of s***, I mean it literally. We moved onto the blood work. Thank goodness the technician was a good one and got the blood draw in one stick. That is always this Mama’s prayer with blood work. Get it in one. Thank you Blessed Mary, he did. Then we were off to have a sonogram on her thyroid. All clear. It’s deviated to the right side of her throat because of the way she holds her head but it looked “beautiful”. Thanks Doc. I like a beautiful thyroid.
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| hospital gown couture… |
Now comes the fun part. The “cleanse”. For the next 48 hours Miss Courtney will only have bone broth and homemade pedialyte while undergoing two Miralax bombs a day AND Exlax at night. This is how it’s done without taking the nasty stuff I have to drink before a colonoscopy. Sweet Molly McGee…my life has become a big poop party. BTW, she is on day number three of her monthly. Still two more left of that great gift.
Now this.
Can you hear my joy?
I mean seriously?
Dancing here? Bowel dancing for sure…
OK bad joke. Really bad joke. But we are talking poop here. I’ve got nothing.
Now, I can complain all I want but all I have to do is make her comfortable and clean up the results. My poor Courtney has to go through this lovely experience. I feel so bad for her. I suppose on the positive side she will feel ever so much better when it’s all done. At least I hope so.
So no PT again tomorrow. No dinner with friends on Thursday. It will be me and my daughter Courtney the Pooh.
Let the party begin.
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Aww, Mary. I will be praying for you and Courtney, though I have to say you have a way with words and put a smile on my face. (Which was desperately neeeded!)
Praying for you both!!
Ah Mary, I feel for ya. It can't be easy, cleaning up the results! It's got to be brutal going in for "routine" and finding out scary things are possible. I'm thanking Jesus with you, while knowing this is no picnic either.
I'm so impressed that you are managing to keep a happy face through it all! True, Courtney can't be feeling that good if she's so backed up, but being the one who has to clean the result is no fun either. Offering up tonight's heartburn for you! Keep smiling… Piglet? (Since Courtney is Pooh… my lame attempt at humour.)
on foot in front of the other, or is it one diaper after another? You encourage me so much. As a nurse, I totally understand what you are experiencing, over and over. I know the saying " this, too, shall pass" is sometimes trite and shallow and oh so appropriate to this instance, but it will pass and others will see that you do have passionate perseverance and they can know that it's possible for them, too, to have it in whatever they are going through in their lives too! You are a daughter of the High King, Mary and being His obedient servant in caring for Courtney whom He's entrusted to your care! May your day be filled with Joy today!
Hey Mary, just wanted to let you know I was praying for you and Courtney while I was walking around Machu Picchu yesterday. Not quite the same as lighting a candle, but I wanted you to know 🙂
I will be praying for you and Courtney vimax canada , though I have to say you have a way with words and put a smile on my face. (Which was desperately neeeded!)