medical problems

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long story short i've had trouble with constipation my whole life, my mom had to give me mineral oil when i was a baby. for 24 years i have dealt with this.

me and my mom thought i had an iron disease "that i can't spell" i went to the doctor and we told him everything from then till now, and he told me something that sounded far worse then a disease.

he told me i could have another disease or something where the nerves in the colon don't develop right and over time the colon becomes weak, and he said that in time the magnessium citrate that i'm taken now will stop working in time.

i have to go through 2 tests, one where i have to swallow some chalky crap, i've drank it before so know what to expect. the other scares me a bit, during the second one i have to take a pill and get x-rayed 3 times during a weeks period, the pill does something with rings, and if there are more the five by the last x-ray, i've got a serious problem. he's also taking a biopsy.

and the only option i have is major surgery to have my colon removed. i've never had major surgery before, so i'm terrified. but i'm going to go through with it i'm tired of being in constant pain.

also my diet has to change, mostly i need to drink more the 8 oz a day [not lying that's about all i drink on average] it's tough trying to beat this into my thick skull, but i'm trying [i may need a drill though].

so just keep me in your thoughts, i'm stubborn and strong willed but even that breaks down some days [it's not often but it happens].

I'm sorry for you. Are you sure that surgery is really necesary? I've heard a lot of Aspies have bowel problems. When I was young I was pretty irregular. I would go maybe o ce a week. When I was about 24 I started drinking water regularly and it helped a lot. I need to drink more than 8 onz water (water, not juice, soda or beverages) to keep it going. My Aspie daughter also have problems. Taking care of you diet (fruits, veggies, fiber) helps a lot, too. Wish you well.

a lady i know from animal work has a son who had his colon removed about a year ago. it was a big change for him but she says he is glad he had the surgery. just takes some getting used to.

hang in there ----- hope things go well for you.

Sorry to hear about that xemnasfan; I hope the investigations come back ok.

Hirschsprung's? That's probably what the biopsy would be to test for.

I had an idiopathic megacolon that resulted in me getting an ileostomy at age 14.

If there is only a small section of colon to remove, they can just snip it out and hook things back up. If they need to take out a large amount there are a lot of alternatives out there now with different types of internal pouches, so I would just make sure to get a few different opinions from different colorectal surgeons. Doctors tell me I'm not a good canidate for any of those as they would not expect them to work well with my problems.

An ostomy is the most extreme solution and many people freak out about the thought of it. But as long as I take care of it, I've had very few problems. My life with my ileostomy is a million times better than what I went through before I got it, so I am happy with it. I've had it 22 years now.

yep i make bad choices but at least i making them at my own choice.

I really would get a second opinion on this, perhaps from a doctor who has done some research into Autism and bowel related problems, because the two go hand in hand I assure you. IBS (irritable bowel syndrome) covers a wide range of intestinal issues people with ASDs often suffer with.

I've been lucky, but I went to an ASD specific school, and a good 40% of the kids there had these kinds of issues.

There HAS to be better ways to deal with the problem apart from having your colon removed, which will no doubt leave you with more problems. Unless the problem could lead to cancer, or is cancerous, I wouldn't recommend having it done at all. I think this major surgery could cause you more pain, and lead to you having to manage another disability. You may land up with a colostomy and having to live on a highly restrictive diet.

I would also think about seeing a diet specialist, because many gut problems can be treated or even eliminated via dietary measures.

If you eat a lot of dairy (milk, cheese etc) I would cut that right out as it is often a baddie for stomach issues, and also you could be gluten intolarant, no end of people with ASDs have problems with gluten, so it may also be worth looking into a gluten free diet as well.

You must drink water, but water can easily be disguised by adding something like a sugar free squash or even a quarter of a fruit juice like orange or apple juice, diluted with water. So this way you're still getting your daily amount of water, without having to manage the taste. I would make sure to use sugar free squash though, as the sugary ones are not good for teeth, and can help put on weight.