medical issues
Battling constipation with the physically and developmentally disabled
Okay, occasionally I am going to write about things that I know Quincy would rather I not share with the world. I have to apologize in advance to her for this. However, some of these sensitive issues make up the biggest challenges that parents and caregivers face in their daily care of the children. Constipation is a very real and very persistent issue. It has been the topic of numerous conversations amongst my friends who also have children similar to Quincy.
Children like Quincy do very little weight bearing activity and because they do not move their bodies as much, or in the same way, as other kids their systems suffer. The cocktail of medications they take can make this even worse. For Quincy we do several things on a daily basis to combat constipation. First, we try to always feed her meals that are high in fiber. I also use Miralax daily in her water. This product seems to be easiest to manage and isn’t fast-acting. Through trial and error we have learned what dosage to use to keep her regular without having any surprises. Finally, we will often give her an evening snack of a Pediasure with fiber to keep her regular and help with her other nutritional needs.
Even with all our efforts, sometimes she just gets backed up. I have no idea why this occurs. We are religious about being consistent with our efforts. And still, sometimes it just doesn’t work. We keep daily records on Q, to make sure we keep track of her meds and other important issues, so we know when it’s been a few days. At this point there isn’t much left to do but the ever-dreaded enema. They work. It is always a last-ditch option but there are times when there is simply no other option. Impacted bowels can be incredibly painful for our children and are a lot more miserable than an enema. So, keep a box or two of Fleets in your medicine cabinet. It’s not expensive and it is effective. Fighting the battle with constipation is worthwhile…Quincy sleeps better, eats better and feels better when her system is working properly.
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