Victoria underwent colonoscopy today.
Well, things started maybe about 6 months ago? or even longer? I can’t remember. She started having blood in her poo. Initially, we thought it was just constipation and slight rectal tear, because she had just started to “embargo” all vegetables, even though she does eat fruits. She eats pretty well.
But it wasn’t just slight staining when I wipe her bum, it was quite a lot of blood, staining the toilet bowl red, and some blood on the stools as well. We checked with our family GP, as well as Dr Yip, her PD. Both suggested that it was just constipation and rectal tear. Was given some Dufalac, to soften stools and some cream for the anal area.
After observing for a few weeks, it was still bloody, so we were given a referral to see Dr SC Cheah, a PD surgeon. Dr Cheah stuck his finger up her anus to check for growth around anus… nothing. He said if we were worried, we can do a colonoscopy to check for polyp, but he didn’t think it was necessary. And since the procedure is to be done under GA, we might want to weigh the pros and cons. So we were sent home, with the same medicine, and to watch for a few weeks.
Few weeks passed, still bloody.
So I posted my queries on the Asiaparents Forum, and one of the mummy, Shirin, was very kind to give me some advice. Apparently, her boy also had this issue, and she had seen most PD gastro specialists around, and she recommended Dr Marion Aw, at NUH. One of my concern was also the GA needed for colonoscopy, but she adviced me that GA was not necessary, but sedation instead.
Armed with that info, I asked Dr Yip again, and before I could suggest the doctor I wanted to be referred to, he also suggested to see Dr Marion Aw. Double confirmation. So off I went to see her.
2 things I dislike about NUH… parking and the long wait… sigh, but no choice.
Within the 1st visit and all the explanation of Victoria’s situation, Dr Aw suggested that, to be safe, we better do a colonoscopy. And we were scheduled for the following wednesday.
We were given several medicine for Toria to take the night before, to cleanse her intestines so that the docs can have a better view. But the medicine was ALOT and she couldn’t finish the liquid! She tried…to the point of almost wanting to throw up!
So on the morning of the procedure, we went to the clinic, they had to do insert a fleet enema for her, to clear her bowels. She was screaming away! There were still stools in her motion and the doc was concern that her internal would not be clean enough to have a clear look, and wanted us to consider postponing to the following week, and to stay in for 1 night in order for them to pour the medicine in, through a tube inserted into her nose… We decided against that. We didn’t really want Toria to go through it again, so decided to go ahead and hopefully it would be successful.
We went into the OT, and Toria sat chest to chest on my lap. Her arms were over my shoulder. I held her tight, talked to her, entertained her, while the nurses tried to insert the needle on her left hand. She was sobbing away… aiyoh, so heart pain.
When they finally put in the sedative, I could see Victoria’s face turning a little red, her eyes looked spaced and blurred. She looked up at me, and went “huh huh… huh huh…”, 2 soft laughter, and then she konked off. Her eyes were not entirely closed, so I didn’t realise that she was already sedated. I put her on the bed carefully, thinking that she was still awake! The doc told me that usually children has reaction to the sedation. Some turn violent, and some get very high. I guess Toria was high then…
They then adjusted her on the bed… I stood there, with Daddy, watching an unconscious Toria, being maneuvered around, all limp and helpless, really broke my heart. It was very impactful. We were asked to leave and wait outside. As we proceeded downstairs to the food court, I couldn’t control myself and started sobbing….
They called us when the procedure was over, and we went back to the waiting room. Toria was still unconscious and the nurse told us that children takes a little longer to wake up, need longer time for the medicine to wear off.
Dr Aw told us that they found a polyp at her sigmoid colon. Measuring about 1.5cm in diameter. And that was the cause of the bleeding. They had removed it and will be sending it for testing. 1.5cm polyp is actually quite big for a little 3 year old girl! No wonder she was bleeding for EACH bowel movement. Dr Aw asked us to come back for a review in 2 weeks time.
I promised Toria that I would be there the whole time, but I couldn’t keep my promise. 
 We waited for her to wake up until 12+pm, but I had to leave cos I had Parent Volunteer Work – Traffic Warden at NYPS at 1pm. Very unwilling, but I still had to leave her. Oma came to the hospital to help Daddy.
When I reached the school, a phone call came to tell me that Toria was awake. The first thing she asked Oma to do, was to adjust the tag on her wrist. Then she asked for me. When she heard that I was not there, she cried and cried, she said “Mummy promised….sob sob sob”. Then they called me, and she spoke to me over the phone, crying and crying… Mummy was so heartbroken.
We all reached home at about 230pm. Donald was still in school at that time. The moment Toria reached home, she did something very funny. She went straight to the toilet and looked behind the door. She then walked to the studyroom and looked behind that door. She practically looked behind every door (not that there were many doors lah!! 
). So I asked her what was she looking for? She said she was looking for Gor Gor… aiyoh.. so sweet. When together, they fight. When apart, they ask for each other.
After the op, she was much better. Totally no more bleeding when passing motion. And she didn’t have much side effects of the sedation. See.. she was so happy!
Oh! My heart goes out to you and Toria.
We had to put my no. 2 under sedation at NUH A&E when he was 2yo to stitch up his forehead so your description of the way she went under and your feelings of helplessness while she was being treated are so familiar. It’s so heartbreaking to see our babies like this and we can’t be there.
I’m so glad that Toria’s all better and the problem is solved. Thank God! Thank God!
Toria’s experience reminded me of Ee Zen’s GA experience at KKH after his battery-inside-nose incident 3 years ago. Didn’t know about this alternative with sedation then, or would have requested the doctor to do that instead of GA! I almost cried too, when Ee Zen was wheeled out and lying in bed for a couple of hours motionless. And I was around 4 months pregnant with Shan Ee then, so felt doubly helpless.