On one of my recent posts about Olivia and her stomach issues, Cathyiowa asked if I got an answer from the doctor about Olivia's stomach pain. O's pain is in her rib area as well as in her stomach. I don't have a specific answer just yet, but we did talk to the endo about it yesterday, at length.

I told the endocrinologist that Olivia's pediatrician had ordered another celiac test in addition to a full blood workup. Once those results are in (March 3rd, if you're keeping score at home), I should have more information. The endo didn't seem overly worried, but she did want to know the results. She mentioned h. pylori as a possible culprit, but after telling us the symptoms (which are really quite disgusting), she didn't think that was the problem.

I just don't get this stomach thing. The pediatrician suggested I try Olivia on a course of Zantac and the endo agreed that that was a good idea. So I'm going to pick some up for her today. Maybe that is the only problem, maybe she just has a cheap stomach. Since most of this stomach stuff happens at school, I'm kind of inclined to think that stress might just be the culprit and that a course of Zantac may do the trick.

Now. This is probably going to sound kind of harsh to say about my own child, but here goes. Olivia kind of likes being sick. She makes very heavy weather of the slightest of injuries, putting ice packs on her ankles or bandaids on tiny cuts. I think she likes the attention. I'm not saying that I think she's faking this stomach thing - I don't think she'd go as far as making herself throw up, just for some attention. But I do know what she's like about other illnesses and injuries. I kind of wonder if she isn't making this stomach thing out as more than it is, just for a little more attention.

That said, she has always had a dodgy stomach. When she was little, she would throw up quite frequently, for no apparent reason. Her blood sugars weren't high, she didn't have ketones, she'd just puke for a day and that was it. This would happen on a pretty regular basis, so maybe I'm being too hard on her. Maybe this stomach thing is real and this will give me just one more thing to feel guilty over. I have NOT aired any of this to Olivia. I don't want her to think I doubt her and I always want to know when she's not feeling well. These little niggling doubts I've had have been strictly kept inside my head - I haven't even shared them with my husband.

Hopefully by next week we'll know if there is a real problem like celiac (oh good grief, I hope that's not the issue). And if it's not celiac, I hope a course of Zantac will stop this stomach thing in its tracks. She's missed quite a few days of school because of it and I'd like it to stop. Whatever it takes to knock it back and keep it at bay, I'll try.

Hopefully, Cathy, that helped a little. I don't have all the information yet, but as soon as I do, I'll be posting about it here.