5 year old has Lyme and possible emotional delay

[MaineLover]

My daughter turns five in two days time. She's currently in Pre-K, and has recently been diagnosed with Chronic lyme manifesting as arthritis of the knees.

She's been having a lot of problems for months now pooping her pants, sometimes up to four times in a day.

This seems to be interfering at school and causing a lot of frustration at home, as she was previously potty trained.

Today I had a one-on-one meeting with her teacher and the teacher suggested she may have some emotional delays or disturbances. The symptoms being: hitting herself in the head repeatedly when frustrated, shutting down completely when having her behavior corrected or when it's time to change tasks, hysterically laughing at inappropriate times in class.

She's my oldest child and I didn't realize this behavior wasn't normal, and now I'm second guessing everything I've ever done as a parent.

She is on a ketogenic diet to help with the Lyme, so she gets low carbs, no sugar or processed foods, no dyed foods, no grains.

I have called her pediatrician and scheduled an appointment to evaluate her, but thought I would ask here as well, because it'll be two weeks before they can see her.

Thoughts, insights? Anything specific ringing a belly that I should look deeper into? Is there a connection to children's emotions and lyme, or is this two separate issues?

[RockRose]

I agree with Sandman, and found this website on the possible side effects of the ketogenic diet.  It is apparently not to be used in the long term,  as it doesn't provide adequate nutrition for a growing child.  Side effects include hyperactivity,  irritability and constipation (which as Sandman noted can result in encopresis,  involuntarily soiling).  I'm also interested in your statement "she's just like me".  Meaning,  you also are very sensitive to stimulation and as a child acted out inappropriately?  

http://www.aboutkidshealth.ca/en/resourcecentres/epilepsy/treatmentofepilepsy/dietarytherapies/pages/ketogenic-diet.aspx

[Sandman2]

Constipation is a side effect of a Ketogenic diet.  If she has had severe constipation she could now have encopresis which might be causing the pooping problem.  Speaking of the Ketogenic diet - I can find nothing in medical literature or on this site - http://www.aldf.com/lyme-disease/#chronicLymeDisease
   which would suggest that the ketogenic diet is a way to treat lyme.  Granted, there is a lot out there from non medical sources.  So you might want to kind of check out that.
   In terms of her behavior, the lyme might be causing many of the problems.  But, did she have any of these problems before  the lyme disease?
   She does exhibit symptoms of Sensory Processing Disorder (which could have been started by the Lyme).   But, here is a link on SPD which also has some helpful ideas for helping the child.  http://www.additudemag.com/adhd/article/10596.html?utm_source=eletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=july
      And this is the best site on SPD, but it is a bit overwhelming.   http://www.sensory-processing-disorder.com/
    I hope this helps.  Let me know if you need more info on any of these topics.   Best wishes.

[MaineLover]

I'd so like to mention that she's incredibly defiant and impulsive, has been eating paper for a vote years now, and has to wear noise cancelling headphones several times a week because noises overwhelm her, even though qmwe live in the woods with very little load noise.

She's so smart, but very sensitive,  I just assumed this was all normal because she's just like me. I don't want her to struggle the way I have in order to fit in and cope with life.