6 year old had barium swallow now I'm absolutely cacking it help please.

[overmyhead]

Went to a private gastro paediatrician because of my ds's tummy pain and occasional vomiting. I thought we'd talk about food intolerances or something but he ordered an abdominal x ray straight away, which I wasn't happy about but went along with it, and then he rang and said my ds urgently needed a barium swallow the next day as he suspected a malrotation in the gut. I immediately wanted a 2nd opinion, but short of going to A&E, didn't seem to have much time to lose, so against my better judgement went along with it. It was inconclusive, when it should have been conclusive, and now it seems he has to have a laparoscopy.

I have convinced myself my son is going to get leukemia from this barium swallow and two abdominal x rays. I am absolutely beside myself with worry about it. I am so angry with myself for going private and not going to the NHS.

I don't really know if anyone can help, but I am absolutely miserable with worry about leukemia. Don't know what to do.

Overmyhead, I don't think that going private means doing more tests - I think that what another poster suggested is that if you go private they will do them quicker than on the NHS. With my ds2 we quite often wait months for him to have the few tests he has had done. We are always told that if his condition worsens then they will speed things up, but the only time they did anything quickly is when they though his bowel was septic. Sometimes I wonder whether the consultant's wait and see approach may be down to not wanted to lengthen his waiting lists if he doesn't have to.

Sometimes when ds2 is having a bad episode I do consider going private, but have no idea how to go about it.

I always panic when ds2 vomits as that was the first sign of the bowel blockage he had as a baby.

Really hope you start feeling better about your decisions. At least at 6 your ds must be able to explain quite well how he is feeling which should help the dr's diagnose him.

Thanks Pixie and tutu.

I think you've hit the nail on the head Pixie - I did expect him to say it was a food intolerance or something, and the speed with which the tests were ordered did not give us time to think,we were suddenly presented with a potentially serious problem and just did what the doctor said. And now over christmas ds has been great [touch wood] and no tummy pain, so thinking about doing a laparoscopy sounds an awful thing if he is well. But they say he ought to have it. So difficult and confusing.

tutu that all sounds very scary, I hope you get the right advice. We went private because I had bad experiences on the NHS as a child, but to be honest I think the NHS now is pretty good with children, maybe better than private.

I'm not sure if it was my post that suggested private doctors order more tests. To clarify I think our experience is that they are quicker to do tests. DS was in hospital with pneumonia twice and NHS didn't even think that warranted an outpatient follow up . Our consultant saw him several times and did standard tests which showed nothing while he remained ill which was why he then suggested tests for less common conditions.

I also say suggest too because he was happy to explain and discuss with us. He suggested one test which sounded very invasive and distressing for DS and we chatted through whether it was necessary and decided (with consultant's consensus) that we would not do it. We said we would revisit if necessary and it hasn't been.

One thing that comes across from your posts is that you feel angry with yourself, like somehow you have done the wrong thing. I do think that doctors can be intimidating, especially if you hear something you are not expecting. I now try to think through in advance what we will be covering and what I need to ask. That helps for me, ie DS is about to have tonsils out. I knew that it was going to be recommended so I knew I wanted to ask if it was necessary, when it needed to be done, whether there was any merit in waiting 6 months and reassessing etc. I found that helpful because I had felt guilty for raising the issue, and wanted to make sure that this is necessary and I have weighed up the risks fully.

Sorry that's long but I hope it helps. I do think you are being hard on yourself.

If its any comfort, children who do have leukaemia often have endless xrays and radiation as part of their treatment process and no-one suggests this should not be done because of relapse risk. Medecine is nearly always about weighing up risk/benefit and drs always go for the greatest benefit over the greatest risk (private or not!)
HTH

Two things:

1. More tests - I am sure private drs arrange far more tests. The barrier to ordering lots of tests in the nhs is finances. If someone else is paying ...there is no barrier. Speed is great when you are anxious...but any diagnostician will tell you that many tests throw up results that are inconclusive and lead to further tests. Hence the reason for selecting tests which help you reach a diagnosis/answer a question rather than provide more questions or small irregularities to worry over. I think you are questioning whether your DC's symptoms warranted the barium.

2)I've been very anxious this week myself about a health condition so I'm using the term anxious as a normal response state not an insult btw. Sometimes it gets out of control and then it's not good nor helpful.If my child were sick I'd be out of my mind with worry.

oh 3 things :)

3. X-rays need limiting in the same way that antibiotics need restricting. But the restriction is so that those who need them are safe. If your DC needed it....they needed it. Only the Dr can answer that one and since they made the decision to request a Ba ... I think that is your answer

Yes it seems that way Victoria. I still feel sick in my stomach about allowing the barium swallow. Somehow I've got to come to terms with it but just not sure how at present.

Overmyhead, tbh you don't have to agree to anything, even any drastic treatment - unless you want to/agree to.

I also noticed that it helps to go to dr with a specific agenda, ie maybe if you asked for food intolerances to be investigated first, he may have considered that. Annoying thing is that some drs look for structural rather then biochemical/metabolic/digestive issues as a preference and of course if you are prepared to pay, then they will carry on. And whilst they are barking up the wrong tree, the food intolerance issues (if these are a potential problem) continue.
There is nothing to stop you looking for a 2nd oppinion elsewhere, including a nutritionist.
The problem with many invasive tests is that x-ray will not kill you on the spot and even if there is a longer-term risk, it will never get linked to any future illness. My ds is at v high risk of x-ray damage due to impaired DNA repair so I would do anything not to allow it (unless life or death scenario). He also now doesn't want to have any blood tests and we try to work around that using non-invasive tests.
As for investigating food intolerances, there is always a food diary, it would be my preference.

Well that makes me feel worse though I know you don't mean it to nightcat. I was told by the gastro paed, when I expressed concerns about the barium swallow, that I had no choice. I wanted to go to A&E to get a second opinion and I didn't, and I will always regret that.

Can you tell me more about why your dd ha impaiared dna repair and if there is anything one can do to increase dna repair?

hi overmyhead, apologies I made you feel worse, I meant to say that there is more than 1 way to approach it and also that some tests are invasive, but you don't have to agree.
My ds has a genetic neurological condition, diagnosed before he was 1 and had various tests then. For years we were led to believe that there was nothing that could be done except to avoid obvious carcinogens like smoking but no proactive advice was ever given - until I research it myself and decided to try nutritional approach, which has immensely helped despite very bleak prognosis scenario. I am sure this doesn't apply to your ds. My priority ever since has been good nutrition and minimal tests.
The research is moving rapidly and alsthough initially we weretold that x-rays were not a problem, my gut feeling has always been to err on the safe side, lo & behold, recent research does say that in my ds case x-rays should be avoided. Over the years we declined various invasive tests, inc mri.

meant to say, as you can't undo the past, you just have to move on and try less invasive stuff as well

Since you obviously have some issues connected to your childhood experiences, I think it might be a good idea to have an honest chat with the paediatrician, perhaps even speak to a therapist about your fears.

You are overreacting, but this is understandable given your personal negative experience.

The paediatrician should spend more time explaining the reasons behind his ordering certain invasive tests. Perhaps he suspects something or wanted to rule something out. If he does not do this, then go to a different doctor.

You need not just the expertise of his specialised medical advice but also a doc who can tell you exactly what he is thinking and what he plans.

I feel that you need information, and if you don't get it from the doc then you will fill that information void with worry - and google so much that you make yourself ill with fear.

Thanks Mme. The private paediatrician was very clear in why he ordered the tests - he suspected a very serious malrotation in the gut. That is why we went along with what he ordered. However the NHs consultant said he did not necessarily agree with his suspicions, furthermore he said the barium swallow had not been done properly and needed to be done again. So all rather nightmarish.

I hope I am overreacting. I'd rather be told that tbh.

I don't mean that you are being ridiculous. It is totally understandable that you are concerned about your DS, particularly given your personal history of health issues.

And it is so totally normal to panic google when our DC are ill, or to imagine the worst.

At the same time, it is important to take a deep breath, sit down and find out how likely the horror scenario that is running through your mind is.

From what others have posted on this thread, the risk of your DS developing leukemia from the barium swallow/x rays is non-existent.

You need to concentrate on the actual medical issues rather than allowing yourself to get tangled up in what might be.

That is a fair point Mme. Thankyou for talking sense. ~I think the problem is that no one knows the real risks of these kind of doses on children. I was determined to protect my child from what happened to me, and now I feel I have not. As my ds seems well at present, it seems the tests should not have been done.

I think I need to see a counsellor, though everyone away over Christmas. feel completely submerged in the worry.

Hi over my head, i just went thru this post because these days i m having they same fears n i hav the same regret feeling that y i didnt take a second opinion n went for so many x rays for my kids for just nothing , as i google radiation in kids it gives me bad feelings n i feel as i m the worst mother on this planet, i swear i hav the same feeling which u had, hope u r better,
My son had an abdominal xray at 2 yrs
Chest x ray at 2.4 yrs
4 mandible xrays at 4 yrs
U know how close thyroid is to the mandible
I m scared of all the malignancies like thyroid cancer lymphomas leukemias
But doctors they say x rays r bad but ur kid needed them, i wish i hadnt go to private doctors who just immidiately sent my kid for so many tests, google is killing me day by day.
I had my own ct scan abdomen n loads of x rays but i m above 30 yrs but my son hes so young just 5 year old
I wanted to get older moms to reply like the moms who had their kids xrayed decades back and now kids r grown up adults ,
May God keep our kids safe always.

I just realized its an old post but if u people can tell h r ur kids doing? And any parents who may assure me that xrays and barium swallow are nothing to be worried about.

Erm I think you are all massively overreacting. Your kids will be fine.

I had lots of x rays as a child, had a ct scan even, and now I’m 34 and never had any health problems.

X rays have been around for decades!!!

Onemoremommy thanku , i m bit relieved after reading ur reply, may i know y u had so many x rays and ct scan? Was ur neck irradiated ever? Sorry for bothering but if u can tell details it may make me totally fine coz i was never xrayed in my childhood i had my first x ray at age 25

I come from a country which has a very different approach to medicine. So I had x rays for lots of reasons but mostly whenever I had a bad cold / sinus etc 😂 the ct scan was for sinuses. So definitely near the neck area!!!!

The same is true for most of my compatriots 😂

Please stop googling, reading research papers etc!!

Please rest assured that the risks of x-rays are fully assessed before your child even goes near a radiology department. There are very very strict laws in place in this country that ensure that the clinical benefit always outweighs the radiation risk. The risk of not x-raying is greater than x-raying otherwise your child would not be allowed to be x-rayed.
If you really want to google then look at this document
www.sor.org/sites/default/files/document-versions/bfcr152_irmer.pdf
Or you could just take it from me a professional that you don't need to worry

twohearts xrays and barium swallow are nothing to worry about. I would say trivial risk of radiation induced cancer induction.

Thanku onemoremommy thanku for ur reply n reassurance , deaddeadgood u r rite it is and it should be weighed like in NHS but for my kid here in this country , the dr didnt weigh the risk n benefits ( may be he didnt know hes dealing with a small kid n xrays r not good for kids) and i m so dumb that i went n get him xrayed multiple images. I m one silly mother i went to ENT dr instead of going to a peads specialist. An ent being dr for adults just sent for xrays and after those useless series. i m just a dead lady walking, feeling to be the worst mother , i some days are unable to do house hold chores coz of my depression n guilt. I dont eat n i lose 2-3 kgs in a couple of days then i become normal for few days n it continues,when i look at my kid deep inside i say sorry my kid i m Not good though my kid thinks i m the best mother.