Stool Withholding.
It is what is says, holding on to your stools for long periods of time, normally through fear, distress or pain. In Eva's case her's was triggered by a bout of constipation. Passing the hard stool caused a small cut on her anus known as a fissure. When going to the loo again that fissure would reopen causing her excruciating pain. The fissure took months actually heal but when it did it didn't stop the fear of it happening again. Her mind opening her bowels will hurt, that is fear enough to stop her actually going. I've read the longest someone normally holds it for is 2-4 days, Eva has this year been for a poo 3 times. Once last month and twice this month, I'm sure you can do the maths on that and work out that Eva holds it in for weeks.
Take your biggest fear, spiders, dogs, heights? What ever it is and imagine that you HAVE to face that fear everyday. You have to hold a spider, you have to touch a dog you have to stand on the roof of a building. How would you feel? I know that I can't even be in the same room as a spider without hyperventilating and that is how Eva feels every time she feels the "urge" to have a poo. Complete and utter terror.
Thankfully now I know what's going on and why I can do everything I can to actually help her. Honestly you have no idea how amazing that feels, up until a week or so ago I was lost, heart broken and reaching a point where I had no idea what to do next.
So what are we doing?
1. Each morning Eva wakes up and drinks her Movicol - a laxative - normally diluted in fresh orange juice as I find this is the best way to get her to drink it.
2. She wears what are known as "Pajama pants" under her knickers in case she soils herself - which she does do daily, without even knowing she's doing it - theses are for home. At school she wears a sort of training pad, kind of like panty liner that go in her pants.
3. Daily baths, after school every day she has a bath, this is keep her clean, stop her getting sore and also to stop the smells. Soiling herself everyday means she gets alot of nappy rashes.
4. Nappy cream for the nappy rashes.
5. Stickers. I have a year calender on the wall behind my computer, every time Eva goes to the loo we put a green sticker on it.
6. Toilet time. I got this from a book I read, a daily toilet time every day seemed like a good idea to me, so now before her bath after school she sits on the loo. She doesn't go, but it's will slowly build up her confidence.
7. Rewards. When Eva has a poo she gets a treat, normally a mag or some sweets depending on what she wants - yes she get's to choose.
How long will it take for her to be "cured"?
They say it takes the same amount of time to "cure" her that she's had it. So we are looking at possibly another year. But we are taking it one day at a time. I will get my Eva back even if it takes a life time.
Bean xo
