DISCLAIMER –
1 – Easton is probably going to kill me for putting this info on the internet one day but if it might make another momma somewhere feel like she isn’t riding this crazy ride alone then he can get over it
2 – this blog is about poop….so stop reading if you aren’t interested :)
So we had our first trip to continence clinic a few weeks ago….That was an adventure!
And, I can say with confidence, that I hated potty training the twins but trying to get Easton potty trained just might send me to the nut farm!!
Cliff note version of the appointment:
Easton has a pretty significant issue with constipation – that I was pretty clueless about and after this appointment feel pretty bad about :(
The goal is bowel continence….and there are LOTS of options to help achieve that – we obviously want to start with the least invasive so essentially buckle your seat belt because potty training this guy is not going to be an exhausting weekend adventure….it’s going to be more like an exhausting year or two……
Sidenote – I’m not totally sure that he is really ready for potty training but I’m a “rule”/”instruction” follower so if they want me to try….then try I will.
We left the appointment with these instructions:
-First we must clean him out – essentially that means you give the poor boy miralax…and keep giving him miralax until his “bowels run clear” – YEP, that was as fun as it sounds! God bless this boy – he was his happy self the entire weekend!! Never complained and God love him….never stopped eating!!
-Step two…He gets a delicious concoction every morning that includes: 1 Tbsp of prunes, 1 Tbsp of apple sauce and 1 Tbsp of unprocessed bran. God bless this boy again – he eats it EVERY morning without complaint!
-Step three…..he sits on the potty after every meal and “before activity”
I will be honest, the obnoxious part of me wanted to say something like “You know we are taking about a two year old who doesn’t stop moving right?? What exactly constitutes ‘activity’” but I behaved myself and just said ok.
The goal – to achieve and maintain a soft consistency (avoid constipation) and begin working on a bowel program.
By definition a bowel program is what most people with spinal cord injuries use – the goal is to teach your body to go (number 2) 1x/day at a specific time.
So, I’ll be honest, it sounds a little constricting to me but it’s better than being a stinky kid who poops his pants so I’ll try anything!
So here is my update….I fail hardcore miserably at above mentioned bowel program :(
This poor boys poop consistency is ALL OVER THE MAP and impossible to keep tabs on. I have started a “journal” that includes what he eats and his poop habits, including consistency and time of day (I know you all are so jealous of all this fun) but to be very honest….the only person consistently keeping this journal is my babysitter because she is the bomb!! You can look though the book and breakfast and lunch….always written down….Dinner you only get about every 3 days L
Easton is doing great sitting on the potty (when I remember to put him there). He thinks it is quite fun to sing songs, read books etc. We have successfully gotten some poop and some pee pee in the potty – but not with any consistency.
As far as the pooping once a day….HA HA HA HA. We will just leave it at that…..
And so the fun continues……and I have a feeling if these last few weeks is any clue….this potty training thing might just do me in!! I’ll be honest with you when I say that I do a pretty good job sounding like an educated person when we see orthopedics or neurosurgery but when it comes to urology or GI…..I’m clueless!!
I can handle walkers and crutches. I can handle MRI’s with sedation….heck I’m not even freaking out about the plan for orthopedic surgery but this stuff…..
God bless you mommas and daddies who feel like this after every doctors appointment because you don’t have a medical background….God bless you!!
So we follow up with urodynamics in a few weeks – that is more about the pressures of his bladder than his bowels BUT the two clinics work very closely so Kim said she would check in with us then….
Until then….we continue the adventure....