Alright, let me preface this by saying I don't like poo. It's messy, it stinks, and it's difficult to get out of clothes and carpet. However I, like many others, don't mind going poo. So, when in our parenting we started actually making potty-training progress with Dylan, we were very excited at the prospect of not having to change his messy diapers anymore, and just worrying about poo logistics - what happens if we're out at a store when he has to go, for example - rather than wondering which of the boys was stinking up the house. Dylan was making great strides on our third attempt at getting him out of diapers for good. Then we hit the much feared proverbial brick wall. He HATED HATED HATED going poo. Anywhere. Would not do it in a car, would not do it near or far. Would not do it in a potty, would not do it nice or naughty, would not do it in a diaper, would not do it ... with something that rhymes with diaper. Toilet time was becoming battle royale on a daily, sometimes hourly basis. We were losing sleep over it by sitting in the bathroom with a very agitated and in-pain boy for hours on end, sometimes until 11:00 at night. We researched what we could find from both parents and physicians online. We were giving Dylan gentle stool softeners, increasing his fiber, encouraging, begging, bribing, fighting... nothing worked. So, we took him to the doctor.
That visit was possibly the single most unpleasant doctor's office visit I've been to. It had been 4+ days since Dylan had a bowel movement. He wasn't even trying to get it out, he would try as he had been for weeks to hold it in as long as he could. He would whimper and sometimes yell while he stood stiff-legged and butt-clenched trying to not go to the bathroom. Anyway, the doctor helped him with an initial cleaning (I am NEVER going to the doctor for that visit, I don't care what's going on), and prescribed a pediatric laxative to help get Dyl into the habit of actually going #2. Fast forward five more days. Dylan had gone once since the doctor's office visit, with the help of a laxative, and had miraculously managed to overpower a laxative three days later (that's some gol-durn strong willpower in my opinion). Our bribes had become even more lucrative but not any more enticing for little Mr. Stubborn. He had gone right back into the pattern of holding it in until the urge passed, repeated over days.
Brenda and I had reached the end of the rope. I was falling even farther behind in my studies, there was constant battling going on in the house, and we weren't getting sleep. Sunday afternoon we were waiting for a visit from our Home Teachers and we decided to give Dylan a blessing. The thought our home teachers shared with us was about the Savior not only atoning for our sins in the Garden of Gethsemane, but that He took upon Himself all of our temptations, our pains physical and emotional, and experienced everything any human could possibly experience over any lifetime... and all over the course of His suffering in one evening. We also talked about the Lord's soft heart for little children - He especially does not want them to suffer. After we gave Dylan a blessing, the home teachers left and another battle started with Dylan still struggling to hold in what wanted to come out, although both Brenda and I had our Parental Patience reserve recharged by the HT visit. We gave up fairly quickly in favor of getting Dylan to bed. We put a diaper on him as is common practice until the night wetting improves, and sent him to bed. At about midnight he woke up distressed again, and I braced myself for another round. Instead of having to worry about that Dylan told me "I pushed the poo into my diaper." Indeed he had, and it was pretty impressive (as gross as that sounds). Since that night, we have had only short periods of time when Dylan fought the urge to go. For the second day in a row he has gone, and once on his own (without a proclamation to the world).
Brenda and I are extremely grateful for the tangible blessings that the Gospel and the Priesthood bring into our family! At this Christmas season we wish all of our family and friends a Merry Christmas, and encourage everyone to remember that Christ is the heart, soul and spirit of true giving and service. God bless you all, see you soon!
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