Re: 5yr old with severe constipation! Help!

How can you get a picky 5 yr. old to eat and drink that stuff? My daughter has been having problems since she was 1 yr. old. We have tried mineral oil, didn't like it because her stools were still too hard for her to push out and she would tear her rectum. Then we tried Mirilax, it works but we don't want her dependant on meds her whole life. We have also tried changing her diet. Whole wheat pasta, bread, and cutting dairy. She almost starved. Now if we miss 1 day of her meds she is plugged up. She has been poked on so much that an enema is out of the question. She has never been tested for any kind of disorder. If she catches a virus at school and is ill, it starts all over. She can't go for about 4 to 7 days. Unless her stool is basically runny, she can't go. Her doctor finally wants to do tests because she said she wasn't old enough yet. They want to put a balloon in her rectum and retrain her. Have you heard of this? If so, can you explain itr to me so we can be ready for it. How can I make my daughter understand that it will be for her own good so that we can find out what is wrong and fix it? Please help. We have been going through this for 4 years. We are tired and I know that our daughter is too. She hardly eats anyway unless it is something she really likes. She is picky when it comes to food. I breastfed for 2 months when she was born. I had to stop because my breasts couldn't take it. I know that when I was pregnant she had hickups constantly and when she was an infant she did too. I also took alot of Tums and Maylox for severe heartburn. My doctor said it was ok. So I took them. Could that have anything to do with it? Again, Please help.