Simple Stomach Bug?

People probably think I’m crazy when I post on Facebook that I’m really worried about Wendy vomiting for a day and running a slight fever. And most people thought I shouldn’t switch to clear liquids so soon.

But here’s the deal… Wendy has intestinal malrotation. Her intestines and bowels didn’t form in the proper place while she was in utero. She has had a surgery to help her intestines from rotating and cutting off blood supply, but that surgery only reduces her risk, it doesn’t eliminate it. Therefore, I switched Wendy to Pedialyte immediately after I noticed she was vomiting and running a slight fever. If it was just a tummy bug, she should be able to tolerate clear liquids. If her intestines are twisted, she will vomit everything.


Intestinal malrotation itself doesn’t cause any problems. However, if tissue (Ladd’s bands) blocks the first part of the small intestine or if a condition called volvulus (bowel twists on itself) occurs, it could be life threatening if not treated. The longer your intestines go with out blood supply the more they will have to remove because without blood your intestines will turn into dead tissue.


During Wendy’s g tube surgery, her surgeon noticed the malrotation. So she went ahead and preformed a Ladd’s Procedure. In this surgery, the Ladd’s bands are divided, they widen the small intestine’s mesentery (what connects parts of the small intestine to the back wall of the abdomen), and they preform an appendectomy. But this is not a fix and we will always have to watch for symptoms of her intestines being twisted and we have to make sure every doctor knows she has intestinal malrotation.


I just wanted you all to understand why I worry so much about some things that may seem minute to other mothers. Wendy is different, so I parent in a very different way than most.