Need help for dd-constipation, pain, nothing works

[happyWImom]

My dd has had problems with constipation on and off for years, but starting last summer, she really began to have lots of intestinal pain/issues.  She had pains (stabbing) upper & lower GI, what she called "chest pains" and while she did have bowel movements, she never felt like everything came out, and what did was usually not soft.  (Sorry to get so graphic here, but I'm desperate)

 

Anyway, I took her to Urgent Care and was told "She's constipated, have her drink lots more water and eat more fruits and vegetables" :cursing:   This was a child who ate fruit at every meal and in between.  But, okay, we did it.  No change.  Finally, I took her to the ped. and I insisted on an X Ray.  Yes, they showed she was full of poop and gas.  His solution:  Myralax.  Which we did.  Not much change.  Finally, I insisted he refer us to a Ped. GI doctor.  First, because of the pain and because of the X Ray, they had her drink the Polyethelyne Glycol in 1 gallon of water to "clean her out".   They did X Rays, blood tests, stool tests.  Lots of things were ruled out.  Then, she was to drink 8-10 glasses of water a day (this is almost impossible for me to do, but for an 11 year old???) and have Myralax every day.  Also, increase the veggies and fruit.  We kept a "poop" journal for 3 months.  It seemed to be a little better (no more stabbing pains) but she was taking Myralax 2 times a day.  GI doc thought that was fine.  So, for the past 8 months she had been doing that, then had to increase to 3 times a day.  This, plus 8 glasses of water a day!  I did not think this was okay.  So, I found a local Naturopath who prescribed a bunch of different drops, digestive enzymes and probiiotics (which we were taking-because I thought it would be good, not on any recommendation by the GI Dr.).  We also have been gluten-free for the past 2.5 months.  The one good thing, is that dd is off Myralax, but she still doesn't have good bowel movements, and her pains are returning.  She feels so hopeless, and things nothing will work or help.  I feel so helpless, I'm not sure where to turn now.   :(   (We tried going off dairy at one time also, but that did nothing.  She drinks almond milk anyway)

 

I'm hoping someone here can point us in the right direction.

[speedmom4]

My son has cerebral palsy and suffered with debilitating constipation when he was younger. Our GI said to increase Miralax until it works. He said it was only a type of sugar that actually softens the stools. He said the worst thing that could happen is diarrhea. Also fibercon or Metamucil can help.

 

HTH,

 

Elise in NC

[barnwife]

Does she eat prunes? I'd make sure she is eating a couple a day. Fruit is good, ime, but prunes are better. I'd start with 2 a day in addition to fruit and see what happens.

I would not take something like Miralax long term. If I remember from what my MW said, eventually your body adjusts and you have to keep taking more and more.

[Joanne]

Have you do e anything with food journals to discover an allergy?

 

Dairy and/or wheat come to mind as immediate possibilities.

[happyWImom]

Does she eat prunes? I'd make sure she is eating a couple a day. Fruit is good, ime, but prunes are better. I'd start with 2 a day in addition to fruit and see what happens.

 

I would not take something like Miralax long term. If I remember from what my MW said, eventually your body adjusts and you have to keep taking more and more.

That's how I felt, I didn't want her taking it long term, because we just had to keep increasing it.  

[happyWImom]

We are also having her take natural fiber each day.  Nothing helps.

[shukriyya]

Have you tried mag citrate? This product works well for constipation and you might have to play around with the dosing to get it just right for her. It comes in various flavors if the plain version doesn't appeal which it likely won't for an 11 year old. I suggested it to a friend who'd had chronic constipation for years and it worked wonders for her.

[lil' maids in a row]

A magnesium supplement may help.

[Unicorn.]

Has her thyroid been tested?  Thyroid issues can cause constipation.  I would also use the food journal, and consider allergy testing.  

[happyWImom]

Has her thyroid been tested?  Thyroid issues can cause constipation.  I would also use the food journal, and consider allergy testing.  

I will have to check with the dreaded GI Dr. to see if that was one of the tests.

[Guest]

Have you tried mag citrate? This product works well for constipation and you might have to play around with the dosing to get it just right for her. It comes in various flavors if the plain version doesn't appeal which it likely won't for an 11 year old. I suggested it to a friend who'd had chronic constipation for years and it worked wonders for her.

Yes, i was also going to suggest increasing magnesium. When my dd was young, she was always having this problem and we kept giving her prune juice and metamucil crackers. The pediatrician rec'd increasing magnesium daily (nuts are very good sources) and that was the end of her problem.

 

Also, you could try adding Benefiber to her water. The easiest way to keep up with drinking water is to fill a water bottle and bring it everywhere, sipping all day long. This is what I do. I could never do it as fill-a-glass, drink it and then repeat eight more times a day. But sipping all day makes it simple.

[wapiti]

.

[happyWImom]

Have you tried mag citrate? This product works well for constipation and you might have to play around with the dosing to get it just right for her. It comes in various flavors if the plain version doesn't appeal which it likely won't for an 11 year old. I suggested it to a friend who'd had chronic constipation for years and it worked wonders for her.

I actually read about this not to long ago and was thinking of ordering it!

[Paige]

She sounds like my DD. We have no answers and DD seriously does not want to ever see another GI doctor. The best solution we have found is to completely avoid all dairy. If we make sure she has nothing with any cheese, milk, casein, whey, etc. then she is fine. It's really hard to avoid, though, and DD would rather feel sick and eat what she wants than cooperate. We also give her magnesium and it seems to help.

 

 

[Liz CA]

Get some castor oil from a drug store. Pour oil on old flannel rags or any absorbent rag. Put on her tummy for several hours. This is non-invasive and usually does the trick. You can do this for several days or several weeks. In your dd's case I'd leave it on all night (buy some sheets from Goodwill).

 

Warning: She needs to have old clothes on while having the rag on her tummy. The oil will ruin everything. I staple the rag to a plastic bag and then put the oily side on the belly. Wear loose clothing over it...and old undies.

 

Regular magnesium supplementation may help as well to avoid future incidents. ReMag is supposed to be well tolerated.

[catz]

I have IBS.  Avoiding white carbs, a high quality multi vitamin, having ground flax, and probiotics make a huge difference for me.  Is she anxious?  The gut and emotional issues can be tightly intertwined.  Is she active every day? 

[Ottakee]

Might be a shot in the dark but did they check for a tethered cord?  Often there is a "dimple" right where the butt cheeks come together.

[happyWImom]

I have IBS.  Avoiding white carbs, a high quality multi vitamin, having ground flax, and probiotics make a huge difference for me.  Is she anxious?  The gut and emotional issues can be tightly intertwined.  Is she active every day? 

Yes, to the anxiety.  She has anxiety & some OCD issues.  Active every day, not consistently.  

[Farrar]

Another vote for the mag citrates.

 

Eight glasses of water is a lot, but it doesn't seem crazy to me.  In fact, that's the standard recommendation for adults (though I have read things that say you should drink more or less).  Also, my understanding is that it really is okay to take Miralax regularly like that.  No, it's not ideal, but neither is the alternative.  I wouldn't take a child off it for the sake of "too much medicine" by itself.

 

And I'll say... sometimes this problem has a psychological component. Either it starts as as an anxiety issue and becomes a physical one because holding can change your body or it starts as a milder physical problem but becomes a partly psychological one as a child has trouble or feels pain during bowel movements. So I wouldn't ignore that end of it if it exists.

[gardenmom5]

couple suggestions.

 

a naturopath and possibly complete change in diet.  not just eating more fruit (prunes are much better than most general 'fruits') and drinking more water.

• no white flour/ avoid gluten (she may be intolerant)

 

 

I would also take her to a good chiropractor as just a slightly pinched nerve that serves the GI could affect this. I speak from experience with a child after lots and lots and lots of tests, ER runs, Rx etc with allopaths.

 

eta: I agree with woolysocks - a really good probiotic can help change her gut bacteria to work the way it is supposed to work.  and yoga - especially twisting postures. (Yoga will also help with the anxiety and ocd as well as the gut.)

[Okra]

We had serious issues with constipation for years.  My pediatrician finally recommended that 1) we increase the dosage a Miralax until it worked… along with making certain we had enough fiber.  Then, she told me something that shocked me at the time.  She told me to keep this dosage for a year, then wean him off.

 

She explained that when children are constipated for long periods of time, their colon kind of stretches out (to accommodate all the poop….)  This also makes getting constipated easier.  It takes a long time for the colon to get back to normal, and it is important to avoid constipation in the process.  

 

So, because I was also desperate, we did it.  And, guess what!  It was great!  Enough Miralax to make certain he wasn't constipated, and then continued it without decreasing for 10 months before we started weaning him off.  Worked great, and he never had any major problems after.  It wasn't a problem at all to get him off of miralax, we just went slowly, and he never had such serious problems again, and it has now been 7 years.

 

Every so often, he has some small issues.  Takes a dose or two of Miralax and solves it.

 

Good luck 

[happyWImom]

Might be a shot in the dark but did they check for a tethered cord?  Often there is a "dimple" right where the butt cheeks come together.

No.  I've not heard of this, so I looked it up.  Wouldn't there be more severe symptoms?  She has occasional back pain, but doesn't have problems with her feet, standing, etc...

[wapiti]

. 

 

[Farrar]

She explained that when children are constipated for long periods of time, their colon kind of stretches out (to accommodate all the poop….)  This also makes getting constipated easier.  It takes a long time for the colon to get back to normal, and it is important to avoid constipation in the process.  

 

:iagree:  That's my understanding too. I thought that point bore repeating. It takes time to really recover from having this problem over a long period.

[GinaPagnato]

Okay, here is the magic bullet for constipation problems, IMO.

 

250-750 mg of magnesium at night before bed (start with 250 and increase as needed)

PLUS

1/4 cup of chia seeds in yogurt, or as a porridge by mixing it in almond milk or rice milk every morning

 

This is MAGIC, I tell you...MAGIC!!!

 

Chia seeds plump up when mixed with liquids, but it takes about half an hour or so. Sprinkle the seeds in her yogurt or in a bowl of the almond milk, put the mixture back in the refrigerator, and wait 30 minutes. Take it out, stir it up and eat.

 

I am so happy with this magnesium/chia seed protocol. I can't even tell you how much it has helped. And I've recommended it to several friends who've had this problem and it has saved them, too. I hope your dd will try it and that she gets relief!

[Jasperstone]

This works as well-

 

Soak overnight in half a glass of juice, one tablespoon of psyllium husk and flax seeds.

 

Have it for breakfast. Its quite nice with chopped banana, frozen berries, and shredded coconut.

 

The reason people say psyllium husks don't work is that they don't soak them first etc...

[Lolly]

I almost hate to even post this. Dd's ped. looked at her fiber rich diet to help her constipation issues and told us to cut out the fiber. She was getting too much. I have never, never heard a dr give this advise before. It worked. She didn't/doesn't go often, but it isn't a problem. I was panicking because she didnt go often enough, but it was enough for her. Adding fiber to her slowish gut was not a good thing. Now, many years later, she only has a problem if she overdoes fibrous foods. A good friend (adult) had issues and wen to GI. They increased her fiber and water. And increased her fiber and water, and increase....  She ended up in the ER having surgery. Finally, a different GI suggested she was having a problem with too much fiber. Her body could not process it, and she backed up.  I know it is an odd idea, one that it seems would be medically negligent to try. I'm just putting it out there because of our experience. Not sure I would try it without a doctor on board. I am glad dd had a doctor who thought outside the box and realized that her fiber intake was definitely NOT the problem.

[swellmomma]

ds10 has encopresis, dd6 struggles with constipation.  We have not found all the triggers for them but the main one is dairy.  The dr's always said there was no way it was dairy but I tried an elimination diet and sure enough they started going.  Ds10 can easily go 2-3 weeks between bowel movements if he consumes dairy, he goes up 2 pants sizes in that time.  Without it he goes every 2-3 days.  Without dairy dd6 goes from only going once a week to going twice a day.  And when they gfet backed up they do epsom salt baths to help get things moving.  It used to get so bad for ds that he would actually ask for a suppository or enema just to clear out, and he smelled horrible all the time.  The dr's have been very surprised at the improvement since stopping dairy and the ped just keeps saying when we see him "it should be helping, dairy shouldn't have caused the issue" 

ETA: I see magnesium supplements were mentioned, that would be for he same reasons that I use epsom salt baths, magnesium helps

[ktgrok]

If she has stretched out her colon from the constipation you need to keep on the miralax for a long time, months, to let the colon shrink back down to normal size. Otherwise, if it is still enlarged, it won't get the signal to "go" until it is overly full again. That's why you end up with a recurring problem. Keep her on the miralax, it just adds water into the stool, it won't hurt anything. After say, 6 months, try weaning down. 

 

edited to add: i see another person said one year, she's probably right. 

[happyWImom]

Okay, here is the magic bullet for constipation problems, IMO.

 

250-750 mg of magnesium at night before bed (start with 250 and increase as needed)

PLUS

1/4 cup of chia seeds in yogurt, or as a porridge by mixing it in almond milk or rice milk every morning

 

This is MAGIC, I tell you...MAGIC!!!

 

Chia seeds plump up when mixed with liquids, but it takes about half an hour or so. Sprinkle the seeds in her yogurt or in a bowl of the almond milk, put the mixture back in the refrigerator, and wait 30 minutes. Take it out, stir it up and eat.

 

I am so happy with this magnesium/chia seed protocol. I can't even tell you how much it has helped. And I've recommended it to several friends who've had this problem and it has saved them, too. I hope your dd will try it and that she gets relief!

I will try this!  We have some Chia seeds, but haven't used them yet.  And, I just ordered the magnesium powder last night.

[happyWImom]

This works as well-

 

Soak overnight in half a glass of juice, one tablespoon of psyllium husk and flax seeds.

 

Have it for breakfast. Its quite nice with chopped banana, frozen berries, and shredded coconut.

 

The reason people say psyllium husks don't work is that they don't soak them first etc...

Where do you get the psyllium husk?

[happyWImom]

If she has stretched out her colon from the constipation you need to keep on the miralax for a long time, months, to let the colon shrink back down to normal size. Otherwise, if it is still enlarged, it won't get the signal to "go" until it is overly full again. That's why you end up with a recurring problem. Keep her on the miralax, it just adds water into the stool, it won't hurt anything. After say, 6 months, try weaning down. 

 

edited to add: i see another person said one year, she's probably right. 

I will have to double check, but she was on the Miralax for close to a year.  With us having to steadily increase the dose.  The naturopath who we saw (who is/was also an RN) has her on special drops that will help her heal her colon so that she is able to go on her own without the Miralax.  

[happyWImom]

I almost hate to even post this. Dd's ped. looked at her fiber rich diet to help her constipation issues and told us to cut out the fiber. She was getting too much. I have never, never heard a dr give this advise before. It worked. She didn't/doesn't go often, but it isn't a problem. I was panicking because she didnt go often enough, but it was enough for her. Adding fiber to her slowish gut was not a good thing. Now, many years later, she only has a problem if she overdoes fibrous foods. A good friend (adult) had issues and wen to GI. They increased her fiber and water. And increased her fiber and water, and increase....  She ended up in the ER having surgery. Finally, a different GI suggested she was having a problem with too much fiber. Her body could not process it, and she backed up.  I know it is an odd idea, one that it seems would be medically negligent to try. I'm just putting it out there because of our experience. Not sure I would try it without a doctor on board. I am glad dd had a doctor who thought outside the box and realized that her fiber intake was definitely NOT the problem.

I'm glad you did, because I am open to all options, since others haven't worked.  I wouldn't do this without checking without a Dr., but am curious as to how much fiber your dd eats now.  None even from fruit, or do you mean things like breads, etc....?  

 

My mom has gut issues and had to start a weird food combining diet.  She can't have any starches or carbs with her proteins but she can eat them separately.  The same with fruit, she has to eat it separately from her other foods.  I can't remember which book she got it from, but it is the one thing that has helped her.

[happyWImom]

ds10 has encopresis, dd6 struggles with constipation.  We have not found all the triggers for them but the main one is dairy.  The dr's always said there was no way it was dairy but I tried an elimination diet and sure enough they started going.  Ds10 can easily go 2-3 weeks between bowel movements if he consumes dairy, he goes up 2 pants sizes in that time.  Without it he goes every 2-3 days.  Without dairy dd6 goes from only going once a week to going twice a day.  And when they gfet backed up they do epsom salt baths to help get things moving.  It used to get so bad for ds that he would actually ask for a suppository or enema just to clear out, and he smelled horrible all the time.  The dr's have been very surprised at the improvement since stopping dairy and the ped just keeps saying when we see him "it should be helping, dairy shouldn't have caused the issue" 

 

ETA: I see magnesium supplements were mentioned, that would be for he same reasons that I use epsom salt baths, magnesium helps

How long after stopping dairy do you notice a difference?  We did try this last year, I just can't remember how long we did it for.  I know it was at least a month.

[Bootsie]

http://www.nationwidechildrens.org/constipation

 

I have a child who has suffered like this and know how frustrating it can be.  I think the best source of information for dealing with constipation is Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus, OH.  

[Okra]

I will have to double check, but she was on the Miralax for close to a year.  With us having to steadily increase the dose.  The naturopath who we saw (who is/was also an RN) has her on special drops that will help her heal her colon so that she is able to go on her own without the Miralax.  

 

 

First of all, I want to say that I am perfectly fine with however you are able to solve your problem.  I just wanted to be really clear about what helped us, just in case you might need this information ever.

 

My son had terrible constipation problems.  We would clean him out, put him on Miralax and when all was seemingly good, we would take him off Miralax.  But, this actually turned into a terrible cycle, as he would just become constipated again.  This happened again and again.

 

It wasn't until we First got him unconstipated, sometimes we had to use enemas, then Miralax because it was very bad.  It took a while before we found the correct dose.  THEN, WE CONTINUED THIS DOSE FOR ALMOST A YEAR WHEN HE WASN'T HAVING PROBLEMS.  The last part is the key. It was the only solution that worked long-term for us.

 

 He struggled seriously with constipation for about 3 years.  Now, looking back on things I wish I had known this sooner, that it was so very important to keep him unconstipated.  Then  maybe he wouldn't have had to struggle so much.  

 

I was in a situation similar to yours. I know you aren't fond of Miralax.  That's okay!  I just wanted to make it clear what worked us, Just in case you might ever want the information in the future.  Hopefully, you will find something that works for your daughter.

[Acadie]

Start counting the year on Miralax (or whatever protocol works) AFTER you reach the point where she is able to go every day.  It literally takes that long for the tissue and nerves to recover from being stretched and losing the ability to respond to the sensation of the lower bowel filling, then needing to go to the bathroom.  I'm sorry to say that a year of increasing the dose, where it's not quite working, would still be part of the over stretching cycle.

 

Like you, I wasn't crazy about having my kid on Miralax, or anything else, for a long time.  But it's the only thing worked to help her bowel recover and gain normal function.  And Miralax is a vast improvement over older alternatives like mineral oil (yuck) or having kids struggle for years and years with no relief.  

 

Looking into allergies and sensitivities is a good idea, along with searching for a protocol that works.  Given my experience, I don't think stool every 3 days is enough because that would still overstretch an enlarged bowel.  It needs to be just about every day.

 

Amy

[KrissiK]

We used mineral oil for my dd and it worked great.

[happyWImom]

Did any of your dc have the stabbing pains in the intestines?  They would constantly make her gasp, they were so bad.  I kept thinking it was spasms or something, but none of the doctors really seemed concerned, or addressed it!

[wapiti]

. 

 

[wapiti]

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[happyWImom]

couple suggestions.

 

a naturopath and possibly complete change in diet.  not just eating more fruit (prunes are much better than most general 'fruits') and drinking more water.

• no white flour/ avoid gluten (she may be intolerant)

 

 

I would also take her to a good chiropractor as just a slightly pinched nerve that serves the GI could affect this. I speak from experience with a child after lots and lots and lots of tests, ER runs, Rx etc with allopaths.

 

eta: I agree with woolysocks - a really good probiotic can help change her gut bacteria to work the way it is supposed to work.  and yoga - especially twisting postures. (Yoga will also help with the anxiety and ocd as well as the gut.)

She has been off of gluten for over 2 months now, and I do have her on a really good probiotic.  We have been seeing a naturopath, again for over 2 months.  She has another appt. with her tomorrow, so I want to get her take on things.  I understand changes don't happen overnight, but we were thinking she should notice something happening by now.

 

Yoga, I will for sure implement.  I wanted to schedule regular exercise in to our school day, so that it would break up the lessons.  The chiropractor is another good idea that I hadn't thought of.

[Lolly]

I'm glad you did, because I am open to all options, since others haven't worked.  I wouldn't do this without checking without a Dr., but am curious as to how much fiber your dd eats now.  None even from fruit, or do you mean things like breads, etc....?  

 

My mom has gut issues and had to start a weird food combining diet.  She can't have any starches or carbs with her proteins but she can eat them separately.  The same with fruit, she has to eat it separately from her other foods.  I can't remember which book she got it from, but it is the one thing that has helped her.

 

I have no idea! She can no longer eat any fresh fruits or vegetables (oral allergy syndrome) and is allergic to most of the in any form (did not have food allergies that showed up when she was younger). She is also allergic to most grains. When she does have grains, they tend to need to be very processed, the stuff that people consider to be unhealthy. IBS (which my son seems to have) tend to need the unhealthy grains too. She has had a tremendous yeast problem (throat and face that can be visibly seen and treated) come up this last year, so she mostly eats protein at this point. 

[Kari C in SC]

My son has struggled with encropresis forever. Finally, last year, I found where somebody suggested chewable probiotics. It fixed the problem! No more miralax. He takes 2 chewable probiotics and 2 fiber gummies at night. I remind him to go potty after dinner. No more problems. It was like a miracle.

[helena]

Epsom baths will give her magnesium and maybe relax her body from the anxiety. 

Hope you get some answers soon!

[happyWImom]

I have no idea! She can no longer eat any fresh fruits or vegetables (oral allergy syndrome) and is allergic to most of the in any form (did not have food allergies that showed up when she was younger). She is also allergic to most grains. When she does have grains, they tend to need to be very processed, the stuff that people consider to be unhealthy. IBS (which my son seems to have) tend to need the unhealthy grains too. She has had a tremendous yeast problem (throat and face that can be visibly seen and treated) come up this last year, so she mostly eats protein at this point. 

:grouphug:   Wow, you guys have it tough.  It's so hard to explain to them that they need to eat a certain way so that they can feel good.  My dd just does not get it.  Well, she does, but it is the end of the world to her to have to be gluten free.  She's mostly okay at home, but whenever we have to go to a function or eat out, she gets upset.  

[source of joy]

Our dd was developed severe constipation after I weaned her until about 6 or 7 years of age.  We tried prune juice(she couldn't eat prunes or any baby/pureed foods due to sensory issues), pear juice, pineapple juice etc....apparently many of the P starting fruits/juices are good for relieving constipation.....they helped somewhat but then stopped helping!

 

Finally I read a book on this issue in children(don't know what it was called anymore) which suggested that Lansoyl  http://www.walmart.ca/en/ip/lansoyl-raspberry-jelly-laxative/6000076440103 can be taken for as long as necessary to deal with constipation in children.  It was the miracle worker in our home...I gave it to her regularly at first....dd was able to relax.  She was soooo relieved to not have to worry about suppositories etc. anymore.  At some point she started to take responsibility for her own issue by letting me know that her stools were getting hard again and that she needed some Lansoyl.  Slowly but surely, she outgrew this issue. 

 

I hope your find what helps shortly...it's no fun when our children hurt.

[happyWImom]

FWIW, we have a big mess going on right now with these issues. I do think the messed up gut is involved though it gets pretty complicated (I have a rambling thread on LC board about this)

What's the title of your thread?  (Ever since the WTM changeover, I'm not good looking up threads by member name)

[JenneinCA]

My younger son is dealing with this too. He has been on a full dose of Miralax for a long time and usually it works well.

 

Then something happened last at week and he started having leaks. The first guess of his doctor was that the miralax dose was too high, so we reduced it by a teaspoon by Thursday we knew this was the wrong guess and he has been back at full dose since then. Unfortunately the leaks haven't stopped and everyone (most definitely including him) is tired of dealing with the leaks and messy underwear.

 

So any ideas for what to do now? He is taking a full dose of miralax in the morning and eating as much fiber as I can get into him. This morning he did poo on the toilet. He says it was a significant amount. But he also leaked and it is barely lunch time. Is he still constipated? Or is this miralax induced diarrhea?

 

More fiber? More miralax? Something else?

 

And is there a disposable underwear suitable for this purpose? He is willing to wear them in order to save embarrassment when out and save on the laundry, too.

[wapiti]

What's the title of your thread? (Ever since the WTM changeover, I'm not good looking up threads by member name)

the title says something about the immune system. Sorry I would link it but I am on my phone