Some answers...and then more questions

Caleb had his first appointment with the GI doctor on March 6 at Dell Children's Medical Center. I had already started a food diary and was tracking his weight. At this point he had lost 15 pounds in less than two months and it seemed like all food triggered his symptoms.   

His doctor came in, asked him a million questions, felt around, looked in his mouth, and said, "I think it is Inflammatory Bowel Disease but we need more tests to be sure." I could tell she was very concerned for him. She said we would schedule an upper GI endoscopy and a colonoscopy as soon as possible. She also gave me a list of signs to look for. If I saw any of these signs, I needed to take him to Dell Emergency as soon as possible. These are things we still need to take him to the ER for if they develop. 

She said the blood work from the February 17 ER visit showed he is anemic so he needed to start taking iron. She wanted to run another blood panel to make sure nothing had gotten worse.  We scheduled his endoscopy/colonoscopy for March 13 before we even left and then headed downstairs for blood work. Caleb and I both agreed that we loved this doctor. She was caring yet professionally strong. It was obvious that she knew her shit. (Pun intended!) She would later tell me, she was very close to admitting him to the hospital on that first visit. 

I felt some relief walking out Dell that day and I could tell Caleb did as well. We were starting to make progress and that was good. But the stress and overwhelming concern for my sweet kid comes in waves and I knew we still had a long way to go. I went home that day and immediately starting researching.  

Here are some questions I had or that other people asked me after that first visit. I hope it helps readers with questions they may have.

What is Inflammatory Bowl Disease? 

IBD is a chronic (lifelong) disease of the intestinal tract that causes inflammation. The two main types are Crohn's Disease and Ulcerative Colitis. We do not know which one Caleb has but more test are in his future to determine that. 

Oh, so it is another name for IBS.

No. They both share a few of the same symptoms but are very different. I found this Venn diagram very helpful. 

Isn't he too young to have this?

IBD is mostly diagnosed between the ages of 15-30 but can be diagnosed at any age. 

What caused it?

Nobody really knows what causes IBD. Many people think food does. Some foods may trigger symptoms, especially during a flareup, but a person's diet doesn't causes IBD. 

Are there risks?

People with IBD can develop complications that require emergency care and hospitalizations. IBD can also affect the eyes, joints, mouth, skin, bones, liver, and kidneys. There is also a higher risk for developing colon cancer, blood clots, and liver disease. 

Is there a treatment?

IBD is lifelong and there is no cure. However, with treatments, Caleb will hopefully go into remission and we will be able to manage his disease better. I will post what we have learned about his treatment plan in a later post. 

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask. I really don't mind answering questions at all. 

Thanks for reading and thank you all for being so supportive.