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Is there any way to prepare her for this? UPDATE POST 22

1K views 25 replies 18 participants last post by  Smalls181 
#1 ·
Scarlett is 2.5, and has a real bad problem with warts. Oh no, not on her hands, or feet, like NORMAL people do, but on her chin and neck!! It started out with one that got big fast and then stayed that way for months. I thought it was a skin tag. Our ped wasn't sure and was SUPPOSE to be referring us, but didnt get around to it...
:

Then it spread down her neck and fast! She has nearly 20 tiny ones, and a few bigger ones that all came in within a matter of weeks. We are scheduled to get them removed on Friday of this week. She is already afraid of that stupid hospital because the lab there apparently doesn't know how to draw the right amount of blood the first time, so we had to go back for a repeat blood draw. Totally freaked her out.

They are going to apply a numbing cream to the effected area before doing the freezing or burning procedure (not sure which one he is going to do) but DD doesn't like to really be touched a lot, or held down. Of course I am going to hold her. Unfortunately, at the rate that these suckers are spreading, I do think it is important that we get them taken care of soon.

Any ways that I can help prepare her for this so isn't so traumatic? She is starting to get pretty verbal, but I am not sure HOW much she can really understand. I just really dont want to spring it on her last second.
 
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#2 ·
Gosh, that's a tough one! I would maybe start talking about it to her and maybe practice putting cream on her neck and pressing an icecube or something cold against the warts? Make it a game? So she has some experience with the sensation.

That's all I got!

V
 
#3 ·
I only have a second, but you might like to come over to the special needs forum for some suggestions. Us moms over there are doing this kind of thing a lot and I'm betting there's a bunch of advice to be gleaned in this area. (I know that your kiddo is typical, but I'm just suggesting it relative to the medically fragile kids we have over there.)

I think just being real upfront with her about every single thing that's going to happen is important - and don't tell her that it's not going to hurt, because then you'll have a betrayal of trust going on. At the same time, you don't have to tell her that it IS going to hurt, because it might not. I'd just say that it's kind of an ouchy.

I'd also counsel you to make sure that you don't say anything like "they're yucky" or anything because there's some chance she'll be dealing with them all her life.

Big
s to y'all.
 
#4 ·
Quote:

Originally Posted by kalkiwendy View Post
I only have a second, but you might like to come over to the special needs forum for some suggestions. Us moms over there are doing this kind of thing a lot and I'm betting there's a bunch of advice to be gleaned in this area. (I know that your kiddo is typical, but I'm just suggesting it relative to the medically fragile kids we have over there.)

I think just being real upfront with her about every single thing that's going to happen is important - and don't tell her that it's not going to hurt, because then you'll have a betrayal of trust going on. At the same time, you don't have to tell her that it IS going to hurt, because it might not. I'd just say that it's kind of an ouchy.

I'd also counsel you to make sure that you don't say anything like "they're yucky" or anything because there's some chance she'll be dealing with them all her life.

Big
s to y'all.
Thanks! I dealt with warts quite a bit when I was a kid. Luckily for me, though, my dad is a Dr and he was the one who removed them all, when that was needed.

I just talked to her about it, and she seemed very confused.
 
#6 ·
Quote:

Originally Posted by bumblebeeskies View Post
Is it possible for her to be asleep during the procedure? It sounds like too much for 2.5 yo to go through.
I didnt ask about that... if she isn't dealing well with the process then I will definitely make them stop and make arrangements for that, though.
 
#7 ·
I was going to same thing, is there some way she could be asleep or sedated? I think that would really freak out any kid, especially a toddler. Poor baby girl!
 
#8 ·
Would you consider just canceling the appointment altogether and waiting it out? I agree that that kind of procedure sounds like just too much for a 2.5 year old, and beyond that, it will be painful afterwards until she heals, and may not even eliminate the warts.

We deal with warts on and off in our family as well. My son went through a period (about the same age as your DD, I think) where he had lots of them on his hands and a couple on his legs. I get single ones occasionally, but my husband has also had 20 or more large ones at a time on his hands and arms. My husband is the only one who has ever tried to have them medically removed (same process you are describing for your DD). It was painful during and afterwards, and it didn't work. He ended up using duct tape on several of the larger ones, and after maybe 4-6 weeks, they all (even the ones he hadn't taped) disappeared within a week or so.

When my son had them, we tried using duct tape on one wart on his knee. That only lasted a day or two - he did NOT like the tape stuck to him! So we just used a "wait and see" approach. After several months, they all disappeared quickly and simultaneously, just like my husband's had but without the tape. He hasn't had any since.

I know they are unsightly, but your DD is probably young enough that they don't bother her in that way. Maybe just wait a few months and see if her body will fight them off on its own? I'm not in any way implying that you are making the wrong decision for your DD - just sharing our experience!
 
#9 ·
Quote:

Originally Posted by chamomeleon View Post
Would you consider just canceling the appointment altogether and waiting it out? I agree that that kind of procedure sounds like just too much for a 2.5 year old, and beyond that, it will be painful afterwards until she heals, and may not even eliminate the warts.
My concern is on how fast they are spreading! Its seems like every day there are more and they are getting bigger. If we dont do it now, it will only get worse, and then what? At 3 she has to have 50 removed? Im not even exaggerating here. They are sprouting up at an alarming rate. Its not so much the look of it that bothers me. Its how fast they are spreading.

We will see how she does with it. Like I said, the area will be numbed. And I can give her motrin if needed.
 
#11 ·
Wow! Poor thing! That sounds tough for you BOTH! I'm sure that leaving them there would be difficult...becuase they are spreading so quickly, and because her shirts probably irritate them, or will.

I think I would play the "doctor game" with her so it's not totally foreign to her what is going to happen, and I'd be honest about the pain side. Actually, I just wouldn't mention it one way or the other. If she asks, I'd just say that it might hurt a bit, but mamas take care of their little girls and you will take care of her.

If you see any more, though, I wanted to suggest Vitamin A. It works very, very well. My dh had quite a few removed from his feet (quite painfully!) several times with several different methods as a boy. And it usually didn't work very well. When he was older his mom heard about Vitamin A. They applied it several times a day and it doesn't take long at all for it to go away. DD had a few around 1 year old. We put the Vitamin A on them and they went away...maybe 2 or 3 weeks? It goes faster if you soak a bandaid in vitamin A and then just change the bandaid several times a day, rather than just applying it a few times daily. We bought vitamin A in gel caplets, and then we poke a hole in it with a needle and squeeze it out to apply it. Also, we noticed that dd would get them/the ones she had would get larger when her immune system was down. So, I'd be sure she was getting plenty of Vitamin C, and did the other basic immune boosting things. Just a thought, if you are interesting in looking into it at all!
 
#12 ·
My DS had to have a fairly large and fast-growing mole removed from his leg when he was 2.5. We explained the entire procedure to him ahead of time - that we would put medicine on it first to make it numb so he wouldn't feel anything, that the doctor would use a tool to cut the mole out, that she would stitch up the hole with thick black thread, and that we would have to take very good care of the area afterward to make sure he didn't get an infection. I told him that I would need his help to wash it, put ointment on it, and change the bandage twice a day, and he actually kind of got excited about that (he loves putting on band-aids). He did ask a lot of questions, primarily because my husband has a large mole in the same place, and DS didn't understand why his dad was getting to keep his mole. We just kept explaining that the doctor thought it was important to remove his mole so that it didn't get any bigger or make him sick, and we answered any questions he had about any stage of the procedure. By the time we went in, he was totally ok with it.

The following helped during the procedure:

- The doctor had me apply the numbing creme in advance, so that it would be easier on DS and the area would definitely be fully numb.
- I held DS on my lap, and the doctor gave us a "Where's Waldo" book to look at while she was doing the procedure.

My plan if DS had seemed freaked out was to try to nurse him during the procedure. He was totally calm, though, so there was no need.
 
#13 ·
Quote:

Originally Posted by Smalls181 View Post
My concern is on how fast they are spreading! Its seems like every day there are more and they are getting bigger. If we dont do it now, it will only get worse, and then what? At 3 she has to have 50 removed? Im not even exaggerating here. They are sprouting up at an alarming rate. Its not so much the look of it that bothers me. Its how fast they are spreading.

We will see how she does with it. Like I said, the area will be numbed. And I can give her motrin if needed.
Have the doctor's tested her to see what the problem might be? Rapidly growing warts like that is often an indication of a compromised immune system. People with severe wart growth have been successfully treated by enhancing their immune system so that the warts don't come back (existing ones have to be removed, though).
 
#14 ·
When I was a child I went under general to have a wart removed off my finger. Lol, it was some wart! Apparently they had to remove roots etc. I was out for maybe 1/2 hr. I actually had fun - I remember it is as exciting, not painful or scary.

Anyway, I don't normally like anesthetic for little ones but if your little one has 20 or so warts that need to be burned off, that's a lot of warts. It only has to hurt on the first one (and lets be honest, burning off warts can hurt) and then you're going to have an upset and wiggly little monkey. Not pleasant for anyone.

If they give her a local injection to numb her neck you might be fine - but its still going to take a while. I like the pp suggestion of rubbing ice and cream into her neck to practice being still.

Good luck!
 
#15 ·
Be thinking on "the hold" how exactly will you do it. Can you hold no matter what? Do you have it in you? If you can do it, then do not let the Dr's or nurses tell you that you cannot hold, that they have to be the ones doing it... bull crud. I would try to have her physically sitting on you or you perched on the table with her, not her lying prone on the table with folks coming in from all sides to do the procedure. You be her rock. You be the one that does the in her face type holding, if the nurses think they need to be in there fine, but you be the one to hold the main part of her body.

I would think they will want her head tipped back and so she might very well need to lay back, possibly on your lap... can anyone else that she knows be there to help hold?

I might even call or go in and talk to them toask how exactly they will want her positioned so you can think up ideas now. Did they mention a pappose board for her? Find out if they do that and if you are willing to let them do it, it's difficult to make those types of descisons as it's hapening.

I would ask if there is any knock out/woozy medication she can be given.

Good luck mama!
 
#16 ·
Ask her doctor about Vit A. Back in college, I had a bunch of little warts on my hand and leg that had to be burned off, and I still have the scars. They came back 6 months later, and I went to a different doctor. She gave me some prescription Vit A (oral), and they went away for good.

If they must be burned off, definitely look into general anesthesia. It was very painful, and I was an adult. I don't take general anesthesia lightly, but this sounds like it would be warranted.
 
#17 ·
DS just went through having two warts removed from his hands. I will not lie, he hated it and it was painful for him. He's very sensitive to pain, and really has a hard time with the touching thing.

She did do a neat little trick, where she took one of those plastic cone things from the eye/nose/ear scope, put it upside down over the wart, and then sprayed inside the cone. That way, there's no spray outside the wart and DS didn't feel a thing.

It will hurt afterwards for a few minutes, so maybe give her some motrin or tylenol before going to help take the edge off.

I would also ask if there's a way to break up the treatments. 20 warts seems like an awful lot to have treated all at once.
 
#18 ·
Quote:

Originally Posted by crazydiamond View Post
Have the doctor's tested her to see what the problem might be? Rapidly growing warts like that is often an indication of a compromised immune system. People with severe wart growth have been successfully treated by enhancing their immune system so that the warts don't come back (existing ones have to be removed, though).
: I was just coming in here to post that suggestion. After watching a show on the discovery channel about a man who was totally covered with warts they found the reason to be a compromised immune system and if that is what is going on with your LO then they will just come back if removed.
 
#19 ·
Oh my goodness! Poor girl.

We are so "over" having doctors freeze or burn warts. It is possible to remove them permanently with an Irish over the counter preparation called DuoFilm. If it is not available where you live, try online. Or perhaps someone who lives abroad could get it for you. (PM me if you need to.) There is also an herb called Celandine that has a yellow juice that removes warts, but you have to be patient and continue applying it. Since winter is coming, this may not be the best option.
 
#20 ·
Quote:

Originally Posted by BohoMama View Post
Oh my goodness! Poor girl.

We are so "over" having doctors freeze or burn warts. It is possible to remove them permanently with an Irish over the counter preparation called DuoFilm. If it is not available where you live, try online. Or perhaps someone who lives abroad could get it for you. (PM me if you need to.) There is also an herb called Celandine that has a yellow juice that removes warts, but you have to be patient and continue applying it. Since winter is coming, this may not be the best option.
I used duofilm when I was a kid, for most of my warts, and it worked quite well. I also had some burned/froze off and they never came back. I didnt think duofilm was still around because I havent seen it in stores anymore.

I will definitely talk to the Dr about looking into a compromised immune system.
 
#21 ·
i had issues with some on my hands a few years ago, and tried to get them frozen off- hurt like heck- first theyd cut them down to the roots til they bled then freeze them. it didnt work, i think i tried it like 5 times and every time after a week or so theyd be back. they finally gave me some drops, and it worked like a charm. i had another one show up a couple of years later, and i just bought the drops otc
 
#22 ·
Well, believe it or not, she did SO GOOD! The two docs and the PA both raved about how well she did. She didnt much care for the gauze that went on her neck to keep the cream on, but I distracted her with songs until she forgot about it.

Then we went down to the family doc who was doing the procedure with her ped. I basically swaddled her in a blanket, which she wasnt happy about, but got over it once I cuddled with her. Of course I held her. They never questioned that.

Dr O used a scraping method. The cream must have really worked because she didnt even flinch! The ped held her head back and talked to her about the animal pictures that were on the ceiling. She started to fight it for the last 3, but it was so fast. Maybe 10 seconds at most.

After that, she wasnt happy about everybody trying to clean her up (some spots were bleeding bad) so I got her to lie down with me and nurse while they cleaned her and put bandaids on.

After that, she was perfectly fine! Other than just being crabby as it was getting past nap time, she was back to her regular self. We got her a special treat and now she is napping.

I asked about a possible immune system issue, but they said it wasnt a concern at this time. He figures that 1) she is more genetically prone to them, because I had many as a kid as well and 2) she scratched the big one, which caused it to spread.

If he missed any, or if more show up, I am going to try to treat with Vit A as others have suggested.

Thanks so much for your help and advice, everybody!
 
#26 ·
Tonight I am going to change her band aids. Most of the spots seem to healing well. The big one is my biggest concern. She and I will take a nice warm shower, after she has taken a good nap, and then I will put on a movie for her so she is nice and distracted.


Thanks again, for every bodies thoughts and advice.
 
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