A "crappy" night

Tonight didn't really go as planned. It was going to be a nice family-night-in: a nice home cooked meal, maybe some Wii sports, and spending time together before Derek leaves for a 3 day drill tomorrow. Instead, it turned out to be a kinda crappy night... in every sense of the word.

Now, before I go on, I first want to address that I have contemplated sharing this so openly, especially considering this is Jackson's story. Being as you're actually reading, it means I chose to actually share for a few reasons. Mostly, it's because Jackson thinks it's humorous and he's kind of proud.... if he was embarrassed and shy about it, I would keep it quiet. The other consideration is that our doctor was adamant that this sort of thing happens ALL THE TIME, yet we consulted two doctors before this thought was considered. Most of my readers are mothers of young kids, so maybe this might be helpful to some.

Okay, moving on.

So, it's no surprise that Jackson has continued to be sick for quiet some time. Bug after bug after bug. Well, the latest issue has been 11 days of daily throwing up, sometimes multiple times a day. I called our primary care doctor on day 4 who suggested it was just a virus and to eat bland foods. So, we fed Jackson bread and crackers for a few days.... and he still threw up bread and crackers. Day 8 we visited his allergy doctor who was sure it was reflux and so we started him on some meds. We waited the three days for the meds to start working... and he was still throwing up. So today is day 11 and Derek is off to drill tomorrow. We went to the emergency room tonight, not because it was truly a life or death emergency-- but because I needed some sort of answer about what on earth was going on before Derek was gone and I was left to deal with this alone. (To "deal with this alone" isn't about the mess or hassle... it's about the heartache of seeing my little guy SO sick and miserable whenever it happens).

So... we went to Children's Mercy. We saw our doctor in less than 30 minutes from arriving. She suggested an x-ray....

It confirmed what she had been thinking... Jackson was full of poop. His face when she shared the news was priceless. He found it kind of funny and he boasted a certain amount of pride regarding the whole issue. ..... Boys .... Basically, there was too much poop that his stomach didn't have room for food, so his body was throwing it up. It can also be related to his very small appetite lately and also the issue with night-time bedwetting that appeared out of nowhere recently. We hadn't tied all of those things together, but now it's easy to see how it's all related!

The game plan was to empty out his system while we were there and then we'll utilize some over the counter meds to make him more regular and to keep him empty. He wasn't a fan of the process used in the hospital, but I wouldn't have been either. But he took it like a champ and was feeling better within just a few minutes. And then... he was really proud to tell the nurses that he pooped A LOT. 

He got his much anticipated gatorade after the ordeal and eventually fell asleep on the way home.

Like I mentioned before, the doctor was sure to remind us that this happens a lot in children. Even if they are going number 2 even daily, they may be too busy to take the time to actually get it all out. As she was explaining this to me, it did remind me of a friend who dealt with the same issue and I immediately started texting her! The purpose of me sharing is so that if you ever realize this is the deal with your kiddo (with the help of a doctor, of course) then you can remember that we did too! :)

I am so glad to finally have an answer that will hopefully solve several of the issues poor Jackson has been facing. My poor Mama-heart was just broken into pieces seeing him so uncomfortable. I am so grateful that it wasn't something more serious and that we were able to start getting it fixed. So even thought it was a "crappy"  night and not quite what we expected, I am very pleased with how it all worked out. 

If I thought my son liked to talk about poop before, I can only imagine what the conversations will be like in the next couple of days!! :)