1bassoon Posted January 18, 2015 Share Posted January 18, 2015 Looking for advice, especially from those who have btdt. My 14yo has been complaining of abdominal pain around her belly button off and on since Thursday night. No fever, no vomiting, maybe a little nausea. She was just sick with a nausea/exhaustion/abdominal pain bug that lasted for 7 days, but as of Tuesday I thought she was better. Thursday night=pain. Friday nothing. Last night, more pain. This morning, a little better, but still there. Here's the thing: my husband's having outpatient surgery in the morning. I really, REALLY want to wait until he comes home (lunchtime-ish) before calling the pediatrician. Thoughts? Can I wait? (My dh's father almost died from a ruptured appendix, so dh is understandably a little freaked out.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seasider Posted January 18, 2015 Share Posted January 18, 2015 Why don't you call the after hours number today and, depending on what the triage nurse/dr thinks, schedule an appointment for late tomorrow afternoon? Is her pain simply lingering/recurring, or is it intensifying? Do you have a friend of family member that can be "on call" for your dd tomorrow morning, in case she gets suddenly worse and needs go to the ER? It's frustrating when things like this happen - like how kids get high fevers at 4:30pm on Fridays. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gingersmom Posted January 18, 2015 Share Posted January 18, 2015 I type this sitting in a hospital room with my 15 year old- I would go to urgent care or ER They can rule out appendicitis fairly quickly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
countrygal Posted January 18, 2015 Share Posted January 18, 2015 To differentiate between appendicitis and other causes of pain they would draw blood to check her white blood cell count. That's pretty cut and dry. I have had stomach bugs that give me pain off and on for a couple weeks afterwards though. BUT I don't have much faith that things such as an appendicitis are always 'textbook' in their presentation. For peace of mind you could go in and get the lab draw at an urgent care or clinic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1bassoon Posted January 18, 2015 Author Share Posted January 18, 2015 Yeah, more lingering/recurring. Not getting worse in intensity - but this is my kid with a high pain tolerance. Ugh. 3 options: 1. Call my friend/neighbor who's a pediatrician, ask if I can bring her over for a rebound/pain test. 2. Hope it doesn't get worse, bring her in tomorrow afternoon. 3. Call after hours, they'll likely send me to the ER. Ugh. Again! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beth S Posted January 19, 2015 Share Posted January 19, 2015 We've been through this twice. Yes. First one ruptured, second one we caught. Pretty much the only thing that causes SEVERE abdominal pain in young people is appendicitis. Maybe by now you've gotten some clarity! Hope you can update soon that she's in the recovery room. :-) Our 2nd one was only 24 hours in the hospital. Friends will help at times like this! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DianeW88 Posted January 19, 2015 Share Posted January 19, 2015 Does she have an appetite? Kids with appendicitis will not eat. Can she jump up and down? Kids with appendicitis can't do that. They tend to stand hunched over. When she's lying down, if you press on her abdomen, does it hurt more when you let go? Rebound pain is typical of appendicitis. By the time you are a teen, your symptoms tend to be more typical. Pain should settle in the lower right quadrant, with tenderness over the "McBurney's point" area (you can google where that is).Sometimes the only way to diagnose it for sure is surgery. The doctor will perform tests to rule out ovarian cysts or torsion, lower lung pneumonia, gastroenteritis, and several other conditions that can mimic appendicitis. If your child has moderate to severe abdominal pain, please take her in. A doctor is the only one who can make an accurate diagnosis. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TechWife Posted January 19, 2015 Share Posted January 19, 2015 Given that your husband is scheduled for surgery, in your shoes I'd call your pediatrician friend. IMO, that isn't taking advantage, it's trying to make the most out of a tough situation. I mean, how do you choose between taking care of your husband and taking care of your daughter? Now, if you were in the practice of calling your pediatrician friend for every little thing instead of going to your own doctor or seeing her in her office, then that's another story entirely, but it doesn't sound like that's your habit, so go ahead and call your friend. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1bassoon Posted January 19, 2015 Author Share Posted January 19, 2015 Thanks, everyone. We spent nine hours at children's hospital, after blood tests and ct scan, no cause was found. Th doc was quite puzzled, she said that her symptoms were classic appendicitis, but her exams were negative. Got home with enough time to sleep for a few hours. Oldest daughter took hubby in for his procedure (he popped a dvt post surgery last month, and needed an ivc filter) today they removed the filter successfully! So I'm here with dh now, should be home soon. Thankfully, my parents were in town anyways last night, so they are helping with my other patient at home. I'm not on the boards much anymore, read occasionally, but I'm so thankful I could post here and get some good thoughts, thank you all! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinder Posted January 19, 2015 Share Posted January 19, 2015 Thanks, everyone. We spent nine hours at children's hospital, after blood tests and ct scan, no cause was found. Th doc was quite puzzled, she said that her symptoms were classic appendicitis, but her exams were negative. I had my appendix out at 18yo and am convinced that I had a couple episodes prior that sound like what happened with your dd. I had horrible stomach pains and threw up with one episode but all I could do was sleep. I felt fine after I woke up. Didn't go to the doctor or anything at the time. It wasn't until a year or so later that I had The Big One and ended up in the operating room the next morning. Thankfully mine didn't rupture. Recently ds1 had a similar episode and I told him my story. He now knows that if he gets those pains again he needs to go to the ER--he lives away from us. (Interestingly my dad had appendicitis around the same age I did and ds1 is now about that same age.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catwoman Posted January 19, 2015 Share Posted January 19, 2015 Thanks, everyone. We spent nine hours at children's hospital, after blood tests and ct scan, no cause was found. Th doc was quite puzzled, she said that her symptoms were classic appendicitis, but her exams were negative. Got home with enough time to sleep for a few hours. Oldest daughter took hubby in for his procedure (he popped a dvt post surgery last month, and needed an ivc filter) today they removed the filter successfully! So I'm here with dh now, should be home soon. Thankfully, my parents were in town anyways last night, so they are helping with my other patient at home. I'm not on the boards much anymore, read occasionally, but I'm so thankful I could post here and get some good thoughts, thank you all! Thank you for the update! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1bassoon Posted January 19, 2015 Author Share Posted January 19, 2015 I had my appendix out at 18yo and am convinced that I had a couple episodes prior that sound like what happened with your dd. I'm honestly convinced that this is the beginning of appendicitis. Hopefully going in to see her pedi this week, to discuss. She's still having pain today, same location, not quite as severe. She got morphine in the hospital around midnight, she's still a little loopy. Gosh, I'm just SO GLAD to be home!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ausmumof3 Posted January 19, 2015 Share Posted January 19, 2015 Sounds like a long stressful day for you all. Hope she is ok Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1bassoon Posted January 19, 2015 Author Share Posted January 19, 2015 Ugh. Y'all. She's in tears again, with the pain. 400mg of motrin won't touch it. Cant see her regular pedi until Wednesday morning, so we're going to try to go to after hours - if I can get them to call me back. I wonder, can appendicitis pain intensify in the evenings? This is the same time of day she was hurting so bad yesterday. She's shaking in pain :( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ewe Mama Posted January 19, 2015 Share Posted January 19, 2015 Honestly, if she is in that much pain, I'd take her back to the ER. :grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seasider Posted January 19, 2015 Share Posted January 19, 2015 Did they look at her gall bladder? It's not unheard of for teens to have troublesome ones, and for it to be tricky to diagnose. Poor kid. So frustrating to feel so bad and not have anyone be able to pinpoint the cause. I hope you get a good diagnosis soon. Something's definitely going on. ETA I was just over on Jenny's gall bladder thread and saw your dd had hers removed. Same dd from this thread? Could she possibly be having some type of IBS? Crohn's? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JFSinIL Posted January 19, 2015 Share Posted January 19, 2015 If she has had her gall bladder removed....could it be pain from scar tissue? I have had it, and it is horrendous pain, when scar tissue or whatever organ(s) it is stuck to gets pulled or whatever. Or, as others have noted, could still be that appendix plotting to give trouble. Or something else entirely. But they need to 1. figure out what is going on and 2. medicate to relieve her pain. Go SuperMom on them if you have to. If she still has a gall bladder, then she needs a scan to see if she has a malformed gall bladder or if it is being blocked by a gallstone. My teen had hers removed for both reasons. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
livetoread Posted January 19, 2015 Share Posted January 19, 2015 I took my teen dd to the ER for severe stomach pains and she was diagnosed with constipation, even though she had had a bowel movement that day. It's pretty easy to see with an x-ray, so I'm assuming they already ruled that out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tap Posted January 20, 2015 Share Posted January 20, 2015 Ugh. Y'all. She's in tears again, with the pain. 400mg of motrin won't touch it. Cant see her regular pedi until Wednesday morning, so we're going to try to go to after hours - if I can get them to call me back. I wonder, can appendicitis pain intensify in the evenings? This is the same time of day she was hurting so bad yesterday. She's shaking in pain :( I would take her back. Sorry. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TranquilMind Posted January 20, 2015 Share Posted January 20, 2015 Looking for advice, especially from those who have btdt. My 14yo has been complaining of abdominal pain around her belly button off and on since Thursday night. No fever, no vomiting, maybe a little nausea. She was just sick with a nausea/exhaustion/abdominal pain bug that lasted for 7 days, but as of Tuesday I thought she was better. Thursday night=pain. Friday nothing. Last night, more pain. This morning, a little better, but still there. Here's the thing: my husband's having outpatient surgery in the morning. I really, REALLY want to wait until he comes home (lunchtime-ish) before calling the pediatrician. Thoughts? Can I wait? (My dh's father almost died from a ruptured appendix, so dh is understandably a little freaked out.) She would have fever. I was one who stayed home 3 days with a burst appendix, because I thought I had the flu. I think she should be seen. Had I been seen earlier, maybe we could have gotten it before it burst, and I could have avoided an IV infusion for 10 days. The ER doc told me the go-to test was to push down on the abdomen. If that doesn't hurt, but the release DOES hurt...it is the appendix. Try it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beth S Posted January 20, 2015 Share Posted January 20, 2015 Yes, you should be doing that press down & release test. (Google it, if need be.) However, our ds' appendix was behind his belly button, so I was busy pressing & release all day long . . . just not in the right spot. IMO it seems like appendix pain. Writhing on the floor in severe pain . . . but absolutely NOT continuously, yes. I think you'd prefer going in now, rather than at 3am. If it ruptures, she will suddenly be at peace. Sadly. Again, it's a routine operation. Three small incisions (less than 1"). With the one that did NOT rupture, we were home within 24 hours of admission (as soon as he passed a little gas, they released him). They did a barium X-ray with our dd's ruptured one 15 years ago. Last year, they did a CAT scan for ds--it all was very quick (within an hour or so of admission). Everyone knows you are uncertain as a parent, but I would take her back to the ER. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unsinkable Posted January 20, 2015 Share Posted January 20, 2015 (((Heather and DD and DH))) I hope you're getting some help/answers and your DD is getting some relief. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1bassoon Posted January 20, 2015 Author Share Posted January 20, 2015 Ok, back at ER. This dd still has her gallbladder (for fun: my 10yo is obsessed with making sure that she takes after dad, not mom. She wants to keep her gallbladder.) Exam hurt worse than yesterday. We saw a resident, she's going to check with attending and get back with us. Dd says: 1. Exam hurt worse than yesterday 2. Hurts to sit up 3. Hurts to rest her hands on her stomach I say: what are the chances that her appendix is in a strange spot and not visible? But no fever, no vomiting? Press and release test is negative. Someone close to me suggested maybe emotional stress? But I'm not buying it. Grasping at straws, here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tap Posted January 20, 2015 Share Posted January 20, 2015 Ok, back at ER. This dd still has her gallbladder (for fun: my 10yo is obsessed with making sure that she takes after dad, not mom. She wants to keep her gallbladder.) Exam hurt worse than yesterday. We saw a resident, she's going to check with attending and get back with us. Dd says: 1. Exam hurt worse than yesterday 2. Hurts to sit up 3. Hurts to rest her hands on her stomach I say: what are the chances that her appendix is in a strange spot and not visible? But no fever, no vomiting? Press and release test is negative. Someone close to me suggested maybe emotional stress? But I'm not buying it. Grasping at straws, here. Can they do a cat scan on her? Seems like there is something going on that they aren't seeing....maybe a peek inside will help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bethben Posted January 20, 2015 Share Posted January 20, 2015 My 9 year old son at the time had what I thought to be the flu. No big deal. The next morning he woke with severe abdominal pain. His fever went from normal to 104 (with aspirin) in less than 3 hours. He had elevated white blood cell counts. Turns out, the thing burst the day before (he claims he didn't feel a lot of pain) and had infected his entire abdominal cavity. The only reason I thought appendicitis was because my dh had his out the year before and we knew what little tricks to do to find out if that was the problem. Fun times... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1bassoon Posted January 20, 2015 Author Share Posted January 20, 2015 Can they do a cat scan on her? Seems like there is something going on that they aren't seeing....maybe a peek inside will help. They did a ct scan,, it read as normal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unsinkable Posted January 20, 2015 Share Posted January 20, 2015 Does she take any medication or vitamins in the afternoon or evening that can be causing problems? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1bassoon Posted January 20, 2015 Author Share Posted January 20, 2015 No vitamins or meds, but good thoughts. They did see her appendix, it looked totally normal. Saw a very small ovarian cyst, but that seems unlikely. Testing CBC panel one more time, and giving her a stronger NSAID to see if it helps. Then. . . Who knows? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1bassoon Posted January 20, 2015 Author Share Posted January 20, 2015 Ovarian cyst is what my suggestion is was going to be, although this seems pretty intense if they only see a small one. We have a friend who's an ob/gyn, we may follow up with him. It does just seem very intense and long lasting for that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tap Posted January 20, 2015 Share Posted January 20, 2015 Could she just be having really bad menstrual cramps? Have you tried a heat pack on her belly? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1bassoon Posted January 20, 2015 Author Share Posted January 20, 2015 Could she just be having really bad menstrual cramps? Have you tried a heat pack on her belly? Her period was last week. Heat made it worse! We are home, just keeping pain at bay and seeing how she does. They ruled out all the bad, scary stuff. Now, sleep! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seasider Posted January 20, 2015 Share Posted January 20, 2015 Wishing you all a restful night! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catwoman Posted January 20, 2015 Share Posted January 20, 2015 I hope she feels back to normal again very soon, Heather! :grouphug: It has been so nice to see you here on the forum again, although I wish it had been for happier reasons! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tap Posted January 20, 2015 Share Posted January 20, 2015 Her period was last week. Heat made it worse! We are home, just keeping pain at bay and seeing how she does. They ruled out all the bad, scary stuff. Now, sleep! Yes, you all deserve some sleep. What a crazy week for you! DD16 used to get abdominal migraines, have they ruled those out? The are no longer centered around her stomach, but are now traditional migraines. She gets them when she pushes herself too hard physically. It is like an extreme form of exhaustion for her. She takes 2 of the 220 strength aleve (or 1 500mg prescription strength naproxen) and a zofran (prescription nausea med) and goes to sleep. It seems to be the magic combo for her. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinder Posted January 20, 2015 Share Posted January 20, 2015 :grouphug: Hope you all were able to get some good healing rest! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xixstar Posted January 20, 2015 Share Posted January 20, 2015 The reoccurrence in the evenings has me thinking about the gallbladder as someone mentioned. I have had a simmilar string of attacks before and have a very high pain tolerance and general dislike of seeing a doctor and was one more night from going in because it was excruciating. It stopped as suddenly as it had began. I focused my diet on liver and gallbladder supportive foods for a bit afterwards. Just did a quick glance at google and first link (webMD) talks about how diet doesn't matter for gallbladder issues, really?? I strongly disagree and feel the gallbladder is extremely important to support and keep - removal can cause issues with absorption of fat soluble vitamins and essential fatty acids that our bodies need. But that's a whole different topic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elfgivas Posted January 20, 2015 Share Posted January 20, 2015 grasping at straws here, but have they checked kidney stones or colitis/crohns? i had weeks of crazy severe pain before any other signs of colitis showed up. and it was the worst after meals, esp. dinner. and for my first kidney stone, my whole abdomen hurt - it took a while for me to be able to narrow down where it was. and it only hurt when it moved. crohns/colitis wouldn't necessarily show u on a ct scan, and for kidney stones, i have had them "hide" from everything except an ultrasound. one way for you to get more into to share with the doctors might be for her to have only soup or to fast for dinner and see if it is linked to food intake. poor thing! and poor you..... that's a lot all at once. :grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1bassoon Posted January 20, 2015 Author Share Posted January 20, 2015 Sill in pain this morning, managing with Motrin until we see the pedi tomorrow. Annnnnnnd my 16yo has nasty looking tonsils. Yay! :D But seriously, thanks for all the ideas. I'm going to list them, and go over with pedi one by one tomorrow and take notes. This'll be biology for the day, then. ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seasider Posted January 20, 2015 Share Posted January 20, 2015 The reoccurrence in the evenings has me thinking about the gallbladder as someone mentioned. I have had a simmilar string of attacks before and have a very high pain tolerance and general dislike of seeing a doctor and was one more night from going in because it was excruciating. It stopped as suddenly as it had began. I focused my diet on liver and gallbladder supportive foods for a bit afterwards. Just did a quick glance at google and first link (webMD) talks about how diet doesn't matter for gallbladder issues, really?? I strongly disagree and feel the gallbladder is extremely important to support and keep - removal can cause issues with absorption of fat soluble vitamins and essential fatty acids that our bodies need. But that's a whole different topic. Would you please recommend a book or website for further info on gallbladder supportive foods? Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luckymama Posted January 20, 2015 Share Posted January 20, 2015 My older dd's soy allergy manifested as intense, writhing-on-the-floor, abdominal pain, usually in the evenings or shortly after bedtime. It took a freaking year of symptoms until she was diagnosed. :grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wapiti Posted January 20, 2015 Share Posted January 20, 2015 Would you please recommend a book or website for further info on gallbladder supportive foods? Thanks! For gallbladder, what comes to my mind is chlorophyll. (When I first started eating LCHF, I would occasionally get what seemed to be gall pain and chlorophyll would fix it.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tsuga Posted January 20, 2015 Share Posted January 20, 2015 Does she have an appetite? Kids with appendicitis will not eat. Can she jump up and down? Kids with appendicitis can't do that. They tend to stand hunched over. No! That advice could cost a life. It basically implies that children who have a high pain tolerance don't get appendicitis. It is why both me and my step-son ended up in the ER with ruptured appendices on the operating tables. I was in an urban area at the time and the doctors said my mom almost killed me... because she listened to this advice. My partner was male and therefore questioned the advice of a lazy doctor who asked his son to jump up and down (said child did... a full 30 minutes before his appendix ruptured on the operating table). His son got to the operating room sooner than I did, but not much. Appendicitis is preventable. Go to the doctor's and rule it out with a real test. It is worth it. (I know OP did... this is for anyone on the Internet who stumbles upon this thread.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gingersmom Posted January 20, 2015 Share Posted January 20, 2015 Did they take a stool sample and test for all kinds of things? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1bassoon Posted January 20, 2015 Author Share Posted January 20, 2015 Did they take a stool sample and test for all kinds of things? No, not that. Guessing the pedi will start that route tomorrow. Poor thing, she's been on the sofa all day, just feeling yucky. (At least the 16yo doesn't have strep - just viral sore throat) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1bassoon Posted January 20, 2015 Author Share Posted January 20, 2015 My older dd's soy allergy manifested as intense, writhing-on-the-floor, abdominal pain, usually in the evenings or shortly after bedtime. It took a freaking year of symptoms until she was diagnosed. :grouphug: Hm. OK, so how do they go about testing for this, can I ask? Her pain has been all day, and constant, but I'm willing to look into food allergies or ANYTHING at this point! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luckymama Posted January 20, 2015 Share Posted January 20, 2015 Hm. OK, so how do they go about testing for this, can I ask? Her pain has been all day, and constant, but I'm willing to look into food allergies or ANYTHING at this point! Dd had the skin prick testing in the doctor's office. When several tests showed positive, she went directly to the lab for blood testing. No antihistamines can be taken in the previous three (four? five?) days before skin pricy testing. Everything thinks of milk, wheat, peanut, and nut allergies and gluten and lactose intolerances when faced with odd reactions. We never imagined soy! :grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gingersmom Posted January 20, 2015 Share Posted January 20, 2015 No, not that. Guessing the pedi will start that route tomorrow. Poor thing, she's been on the sofa all day, just feeling yucky. (At least the 16yo doesn't have strep - just viral sore throat) She could be dealing with a parasite, etc and that is the only way to tell. That was a test that was just run on my son in addition to ct scan and blood. You might also get a referral to a gastroenterologist. Hope she gets some relief soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seasider Posted January 20, 2015 Share Posted January 20, 2015 Dd had the skin prick testing in the doctor's office. When several tests showed positive, she went directly to the lab for blood testing. No antihistamines can be taken in the previous three (four? five?) days before skin pricy testing. Everything thinks of milk, wheat, peanut, and nut allergies and gluten and lactose intolerances when faced with odd reactions. We never imagined soy! :grouphug: The Virgin Diet is an elimination diet that leaves out soy, plus the 6 other most common food allergens. IIRC, it eliminates soy, dairy, wheat/gluten, corn, nuts, eggs and... I can never remember the last one. The book by JJ Virgin is likely available at your local library. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1bassoon Posted January 20, 2015 Author Share Posted January 20, 2015 OB/GYN friend is kicking around the idea of an ovarion torsion. Not likely, but as he said, "It might be the zebra in the room". But usually it's associated with a larger ovarian cyst, which she doesn't have. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seasider Posted January 21, 2015 Share Posted January 21, 2015 Oh, a friend of mine had that when she was a senior in high school. She lost the ovary. Hope your ped is aggressively proactive and gets things figured up quickly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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