to go to A&e with my dd3 *pictures*

[littlemaemae]

My DD who is 3 has been having stomach/bowel problems for the last year. Diagnose as constipation. She can not pass a stool for weeks despite fantastic diet and laxatives and weeks is in severe pain most days. She is very petite and skinny but her stomach has swollen to look 9 months pregnant. Getting no where with doctors/hospital etc.
Aibu to think this is not how a heathy child's stomach should look.

You do need to take her to a & e now. Is there anyone who can have your older dd? Take an iPad until dh can get to you. Or ring consultant, tell them you want an urgent appointment today otherwise you will be going to a and e and refusing to move until she is seen. My dd had reflux as a baby, it took a couple of weeks but they finally admitted her at 7 weeks and got it under control. I've found the more of a pain you are the more you get seen too. Your poor dd. :(

Oh poor thing, just when it seemed you were getting somewhere

I'm fuming on your behalf.

I would go to the nearest big hospital with a decent reputation and sit in their a&e. She's in pain and distressed and needs some immediate treatment/relief if they turn you away fair enough but at least you've tried.

For what it's worth I'm sure a well equipped emergency room will be able to offer more than lactolose which is just sugar and water isn't it? Surely they'll be able to help.

Just say she's not been for x no of days, seen ooh, seen gp, been prescribed meds but she still can't go it's not budging you are worried there is a serious problem etc

I'd then follow up the private referral.

Bastards.

Dp's parents have offered to pay for private treatment

yes, yes and yes. Get her seen, and get a diagnosis

and then complain about that GP. there is nothing as depressing as a qualified GP who completely dismisses you, or worse tries to make out you are neurotic - it both aggravates the condition, and your MH, what a cxxt. when you are getting this addressed you should complain.

Oh bless you. I would go to a&e and tell them the gp has refused to refer for the X-ray which ooh said she needed.

I have a gp surgery who, apart from 1 GP, is brilliant. I refuse to see that GP as ds1 was hospitalised after vaccination when mummy instincts made me feel he was more ill than he seemed. He was and the hospital were horrified that vaccinations were done. I believe they wrote a strongly worded letter to the surgery and whilst I'm sure the same wouldn't happen again, I just can't shake my frustration that this dr ignored my own instincts at knowing my child.

Other gp's refer to hospital because they feel their skill as a GENERAL practitioner isn't enough. Sometimes these referrals take a little while (although admittedly none as long as waiting from now until August just for an initial view). Other times it's a case of them printing a letter and telling me to take that letter to a&e. I've only been asked to wait once in a&e, and that was for an ear injury. Clearly not life threatening but the GP phoned the hospital who asked us to go in. Every other time we've been taken either straight through to the children's ward or to Childrens assessment.

Given that you know your child and its not normal for a 3yo to be so bloated for such a prolonged period (we've had issues with constipation too but never this bad), I would be returning to a&e until someone does something at least to unblock her. I've known a teenager be admitted due to simile issues so I fail to see why a toddler wouldn't be a concern.

Gp has just called me and said the continence team will call me today and will start her on a proper disimpactment regime and provide more support.
I have been warned its going to be a significant amount of movicol. He has prescribed 60 for the next few days. How I get that in her is another matter.
So will be stocking up on kickers, towels and wet wipes. And plastic covers for our new furniture and cream carpets.

Trust this to happen during school holidays.
I'm going to see if I can call in some favours for my dd6 to go to friends and family for a few afternoons so she can try to have a bit of fun and attention bless her

Oh, and every time we've been, a&e have said they would sooner see a child slightly unwell and send them home well than not see them and end up with one who is seriously ill.

Your poor dd. Have you rung the private dr that was recommended? I bet they'd fit you in quickly under the circumstances. Sounds like appalling care you've had so far.

I just want her to get better I will do whatever it takes. I'm aware that looked like I couldn't be bothered with the movicol or that I didn't want to get my carpets dirty.
I am just frustrated that we go round in circles and it's not nice for her to go through given she is a proud little girl who likes to keep herself clean and tidy.

I haven't called yet, will get dp to deal with that when he gets a spare minute. As he is very confident on the phone and I just panic and embarrass myself

Please, go back to A&E.
I'm firmly in the "not A&E for a ongoing problem" camp, but the lack of care from your GP is leaving you with no option. This is why the NHS is in chaos. Primary care not working, leaving I'll people no choice but to reach out to emergency care.
Hope your daughter is feeling better soon.
Is it worth filming one of her periods of distress, so if she is having a good patch when you get there, you can show how much distress she is in?
Also: 3 weeks no BM, levels of movical, stopped eating and drinking, in distress are the bits idfocus on immediately. You need a report resolution NOW, and then work on the referal if they don't come as a result of sorting the immediate issue.

Oh glad you are getting the continence team. They will be able to help. (In my experience much better than a and e)

You can mix movicol with fruit juices, oh and it mixes into angel delight well!

But surely giving her more Movicol if she possibly has an issue with her bottom is just going to make her feel worse? I would complain about this GP for sure and not see him again. We have a dreadful one at our practice whom I've complained about but other doctors are ace so I've not changed surgeries. I just refuse to see the crap one and actually I think the others are more attentive because of the (justified) complaint.

I would take your DILs up on their offer tbh and get her seen asap. There is all sorts of current research now on how important gut health is for so much of our health and wellbeing (and that strikes me re her illness over xmas). Poor little mite. Stay strong.

If this was my child I would be going to a&me right now.

Do you have any school friends your other dd could go to for the day. If you don't just take her. Take an iPad, phone whatever.

You need to be admitted and to sort her out. Then you need to see the right consultant.

You can do this. You really can. Pull yourself together and go fight for your daughter. All these mums are telling you to go. We are all right. Several nurses have posted all telling you you are right. You can do it.

Ps. Not important now but if I read one more story about a gp ignoring mums! We need a national campaign mums know best. Gp sent me home 3 times when my ds had vvvv serious illness could have had heart problems for life. Grrrrr.

Try the private clinic, if you can get an appointment in the next few days then it will affect the rest of your decisions.
Deciding you need A&E then waiting until after 5pm is never a good idea. Pre 5pm you have all the ward doctors etx and can be referred to the assessment unit from A&E. Post 5pm you might have one junior doctor covering the wards, A&E admissions, GP admissions and also being called to all the births for poorly babies.
Fair enough if a child becomes ill at 7pm, but don't decide you need A&E then wait.

If you have to get her to take the movicol have you tried chocolate milk ?
With Ds I mixed up to 8 movicol sachets with the tiniest amount of water then a good squirt of Hershys chocolate syrup & lots of milk blended up & served with 2 straws,he didn't even realise it was in it.
He wouldn't take it if he knew what it was and noticed it in everything else.

Sheffield has an excellent Childrens Hospital with its own a&e if that is close to your family.

I also think that, once the current crisis is over, you need to seek answers as to why this is repeatedly happening.

If you are an hour from London the paeds gastro team at Chelsea and Westminster hospital are very good. Sheffield has a specialist team too, near to your family in South Yorkshire.

Littlemae you're doing brilliantly.

Also having contact with the continence team today will be great, and perhaps more use than A&E as they can sort things out and it's their field of expertise

Although I am hoping that the continence team will back you up & suggest that your Dd should be seen somewhere rather than be put through this.

Sounds awful and I don't have much to add that will help, apart from we found the youghurt drinks good for getting the movical down. We ended up gong up to 12 to get her to have a decent bowel movement and we found it was the only thing thick enough to cover the taste but runny enough to fit in her tummy.

We found that ds would only drink the chocolate flavoured movicol, not the fruity ones. You can ask especially for that flavour.