Hopeful and frustrated

[Guest guest]

We have been dealing with what was very obviously Encopresis for at least two

years. Although the first year we didn't really realize it because our son potty

trained late. This last year it has become increasingly obvious. Both of the

peds we have seen have not recommended seeing a specialist as they said he

wasn't compacted enough and all the specialist would recommend anyways would be

Miralax. I have tried various things with diet and Natural Calm--this has worked

the best and keeps him pooping regularly but always in his pants.

Finally I decided on my own it was time to see a specialist. She was really good

and compassionate about my concerns about Miralax. I do feel hopeful after

seeing her as we are going to work together to help my son.

Here is what she prescribed though after finding out that he is severely

impacted:

2 Mineral Oil enemas, spaced 12 hours apart

Magnesium Citrate once a day

Mineral Oil once a day

We do the enemas for just one day and keep up the other stuff for 3 days. After

that we go only to Mineral Oil or Miralax. On Monday we go back and if the

impaction still exists she hospitalizes him. I am very fearful of a

hospitalization. Yesterday we could definitely feel the impaction but today his

stomach feels soft. Although he has only passed watery stools and I thought he

would pass a firmer stool (the actual plug). I am afraid if we don't see that we

are facing hospitalization. She is willing to let us try Mineral Oil over

Miralax to start to see what kind of results we get. She expects us to be giving

it to him for at least a year to get his colon down to normal size so he can

actually feel a bowel movement. This is going to be a long process (and has been

long) and I just hope we can do it without hospitalization.

Has anyone experienced hospitalization and how was that? What did they do for an

impaction?

Has anyone did the mineral oil enemas or the mineral oil by itself? What was

your experience?

Any other suggestions for me?

Although we have done so many diet things and supplements, she said at this

point it doesn't matter because he is so stretched out and can't feel bowel

movements and his body has lost the ability to poop basically.

She also said that mineral oil had some potential harmful side effects. And she

thinks Miralax is great and she has seen no adverse side effects. She did say

she was interested in seeing information about harmful side effects. Is there

anything I can share with her--any documents so she can be aware of it? I just

hope we don't have to go the Miralax route. I am at the end of the my rope

though as far as just wanting to get this taken care of and to help my son.

Thanks for any ideas/thoughts!

Sommer