Crohn's Disease Support Group

My name is Jolene and I am wanting to find anyone who has a child with Crohns, I am so frustrated with the emotional part of this..to get him to eat is a real problem and fighting this everyday is so hard on all of us,can anyone relate?

Hi Jolene, my son was recently diagnosed with crohn's but the food battle has been raging for about two years.(he's 4 1/2) Before he was diagnosed he was litteraly living off of crackers, two kinds of dry cereal and milk with Ovaltine in it. We were lucky on the days he ate that. Offering a food he didn't ask for was met with crying and then refusal to eat anything. He told us that those foods hurt his belly but we, in ignorance, thought it was just an excuse. Sadly it wasn't. Since he's been on the meds he's added chicken nuggets and grill cheese, even tried strawberries yesterday.

Post diagnoses, I decided that if food hurt my belly, I wouldn't eat it either so we don't push so hard anymore. We have finally gotten him to the point now that he paticpates at meal time. He knows he doesn't have to eat which seems to be allowing him to be more curious.(that's how the chicken nuggets happened) I make sure the foods he will eat are in the house, and always available and hope as he feels better he will add more. Just keep offering and know that you're doing the best you can.

Oh my gosh!!! If you knew how that made my day just to hear that I am not the only one who goes through that on a daily basis!!! That is about all my son will eat as well and he will eat that almost everyday until he is sick of that then we have to start all over!! But sometimes I just want someone to relate to.. I get so tired of family and friends thinking that I am doing it all wrong! Thank you

I know exactly what you mean. We've been rounding that cycle for two years now... every day. I received a lot of suggestions too, from friends and family. They mean well so I just started to smile and say 'maybe I'll try that'. (as if I hadn't tried everything already!) It seems to make them feel better and we can move on to other subjects. I know that they speak out of ignorance so I don't hold it against them. I used to treat it as a defiant behavior too before we knew it was crohn's, so that makes it easier to let it go.

Nobody really knows what you're going though till they've walked in your shoes. So don't doubt yourself, keep letting him eat what his body will tolerate, encourage him to try other things, take his vitamins and meds. At the end of the day know that what matters is that you are doing all you can, and that's doing it right!

Hi Jolene. My sister's son was just diagnosed with Crohn's. She is very distraught. Her son is trying Boost drinks to get the vitamins in. Has your child gone on any medications?

I am curious - how were they able to diagnose at such a young age? My 21 year old daughter was diagnosed last year but I suspect that my 8 year old may have Crohns too. She is almost 10 and weighs 40 lbs. She wears a 5/6. Her doctor checked her growth hormones and they are fine. She has a sensitive stomach and we can always count on Grace ending up in the restroom for extended periods of time if we go out to eat. She is a very picky eater. We always thought that her small stature was due to her being a preemie but she should have caught up by now. Did the doctors run tests of some kind or was it a colonoscopy?

My nephew had a colonoscopy and I believe some blood tests as well. But he also had other symptoms such as acute diarehha, low grade fever, weightloss. Most stories I have read are of older individuals but it can be had at any age. I think they had taken my nephew to a gastreontologist and that is where the final diagnosis was made.

We were sent to a pediatric GI and they did a Colo and endo test and blood work and that is when they found it!! He now has a GI tube in his belly to help suuplement for nutrition... Thank heavens!!!! He is also on meds..We just take one day at a time.. And pray that the next will be better!! If you have any other questions feel free to ask!!

My 13 yr old son was just diagnosed with with Chrons and they did a colonoscopy and blood work, they just have him now on Boost and gatorade.. I think Im taking this harder then he is and he is the one in pain.. =[

was your son on any antibiotics prior to his initial crohn's symptoms? mine started after taking cephalexin for 10 days. i guess it kills the good and bad bacteria. i never knew to eat yogurt to replace the good bacteria. just wish i had known.