My five year old son has been having diarrhoea, frequently with bright red blood in it, on and off for the past year. The hospital initially suspected an infection but after another episode of bad diarrhoea and blood lasting for a few weeks, admitted him this week for an endoscopy and colonoscopy (cameras down his throat and up his bottom into his bowel).
The consultant thinks it is probably ulcerative colitis although he won't know for sure for two weeks, when the biopsy results come back. Other possibilities are Crohn's Disease and allergic colitis but he thinks these are much less likely. He thinks my son has a mild to moderate case of it (and seemed to be erring towards the moderate). He said treatment was initially aspirin and steroids to control it but it can't be cured. He also said it wasn't related to diet at all.
Normally I would be on the internet googling it, but I just can't face it. I have read stuff about this before and have hazy memories of bowel removal and colostomy bags and it all getting worse as time goes on but don't want to have my fears realised. Has anyone else got experience of this condition and could you give me some hope? Are there any alternative treatments? Is diet really not implicated?
Please reply!