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Ben update: x-ray this morning showed his bowels completely filled, right up to the stomach. I am not clear on how an impaction leads to diarrhea, or how those relate to each other*, but in any case the current plan is that the doc wrote a scrip for laxative powder plus suppositories. Those scrips are being filled right now, and we should start seeing results quickly. The game plan is to see how he does once he gets cleared out. Odds are everything else will improve. If not, then it's back to the doctor on Friday.
*Update: So, from reading WebMD I gather the following scenario happened. Ben got sick with a virus or infection of some sort, which caused exhaustion, diarrhea, and ultimately dehydration. As the virus or infection itself began to be resolved, he was still severely dehydrated. Dehydration causes constipation. He got re-hydrated in the ER, but already had the impaction at that point. Without the aid of laxatives, the impaction had no way to resolve itself. The lethargy and pain continued, and he continued to attempt to use the bathroom several times an hour but with no success. So the external symptoms of the initial illness remained the same, even though the underlying cause had shifted. Or at least, that's the theory. We'll see how he does in the next 24 hours.
*Update: So, from reading WebMD I gather the following scenario happened. Ben got sick with a virus or infection of some sort, which caused exhaustion, diarrhea, and ultimately dehydration. As the virus or infection itself began to be resolved, he was still severely dehydrated. Dehydration causes constipation. He got re-hydrated in the ER, but already had the impaction at that point. Without the aid of laxatives, the impaction had no way to resolve itself. The lethargy and pain continued, and he continued to attempt to use the bathroom several times an hour but with no success. So the external symptoms of the initial illness remained the same, even though the underlying cause had shifted. Or at least, that's the theory. We'll see how he does in the next 24 hours.
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