Does anyone have "sickly" kids???

[sjams]

I am just so purplexed by my dd(9). She has been so sickly the past few years it is amazing. I, as a child was never sick. My dh said he was never sick. My dd seems to get sick at the drop of a hat. A month ago she ran a fever of 103* and her white count was thru the roof and her ped's doc could not figure out what was wrong. Then 24 hours later she was fine. Over Christmas she had a cold and now she woke up making herself throw up, nothing came out. She says her stomach hurts but then wants to eat. I am not a heartless mom who ignores her, but I also don't coddle her. I think some of her "illnesses" could be passed off if she just forgot about them, like today's episode. I just don't understand how someone can catch everything if indeed that is the problem. She never got sick as a baby, only ear infections with every molar but other than that not much else. My ds(5) gets very little. Could this be a mental thing? I am probably just over thinking this and worry way too much but I am just wondering if anyone else has this problem?

 

[kandeebunny]

does she have any other symptoms?

"double jointed" weird reactions to some foods, complaints after certain foods?

perhaps an auto-immune disorder?

Everyone in my family is always healthy and I get EVERYTHING. After years and years of getting sick I got sent to a specalist and I have 2 seperate auto immune disorders. By body attacks itself and I catch everything.

 

[sjams]

She has severe allergies to ragweed, a plant that blooms in the fall around here and I read that if someone is allergic to that then they usually are allergic to melons. Why the coorelation, I have no idea. She is ultra thin, only 58 lbs at 9 years and is 4'4" tall.
Have not noticed anything else but ya know after the last huge fever episode I was wondering if she should be tested for other things, like auto-immune stuff. Where do I go for that???
How do you deal with auto-immune problems??

 

[mjkacmom]

My children were always sick as babies and infants - throwing up one week, wheezing the next. It was rare that we'd be illness-free for more than a few days from October - May. Even though I'm a SAHM, and they weren't in daycare, I had them in a lot of activities and playgroups, and since there are 5 of them, close in age, they picked up every virus around. However, now that the 3 older ones are in school (kindy, 3rd, and 5th grade), they never get sick. I don't think they've missed school more than once or twice in years. There are so many viruses out there - we're going to catch them eventually - mine have just been exposed to so much, I believe, that they are immune to many. Maybe she's getting sick now because she wasn't sick when she was younger.

 

[tw1nsmom]

Has she been tested for food allergies/intolerances? Could she have problems digesting dairy or wheat/gluten? Talk to your doctor. It may be worth it to do an experiment and cut out both or one for a while to see if it improves things. You could then add both in one at a time to see if the symptoms return.

 

[minkydog]

DD13 went through a weird period around age 9-10. She had low grade fevers, extreme fatigue, and joint pains. Some days she could barely get out of bed. If she hadn't been homeschooled, she would have failed 4th grade. We were convinced she had rheumatoid arthritis but her testing always came up normal. The rheumatologist finally decided it had to be a virus and said it would last 9 months to a year, just give her motrin, rest and heat. We put her in a warm pool once a week and took her to make sure she wasn't depressed(she wasn't.) Sure enough, around 9 months later she began to recover and by summer was back to normal. We never did have a name for her illness and she still gets arthritis-like joint pain from time to time, but has never had such an episode again.

 

[sjams]

No she hasn't been tested for food or any other allergies for that matter. When she was younger she was seeing an allergiest because she was just miserable with the sneezing, runny nose, etc. and we opted not to have her tested at her young age...3 I think. So maybe now is the time to do that? Might not hurt to try that route huh?
It is just frustrating because we can't plan anything for fear of her getting sick or we have to cancel at the last minute because she has gotten sick. She didn't have her bday until almost 2 months after her actual day because she was sick so much inbetween and then had to plan the week of...too much info I know...I am just a worn out mommy!!!

 

[The Mystery Machine]

If you have allergies you are never "well"...ever...There is never a day you feel 100%....never, never, never....

If she is allergic to ragweed she is probably allergic to MOLD...that is my killer and why I feel like crap for the past 3 days.

Also ears....how are they?

And reflux...I have realized that part of my drainage, headaches, ear itchiness can be attributed to acid reflux. Not to mention the chest pains and bad breath, headaches in the morning.
The drainage protects the throat from the acid.
Really sounds like a possibility from her symptoms.

PS...I see you are from Texas....DFW here...mold is killing me and my dd's right now.

 

[sjams]

DD13 went through a weird period around age 9-10. She had low grade fevers, extreme fatigue, and joint pains. Some days she could barely get out of bed. If she hadn't been homeschooled, she would have failed 4th grade. We were convinced she had rheumatoid arthritis but her testing always came up normal. The rheumatologist finally decided it had to be a virus and said it would last 9 months to a year, just give her motrin, rest and heat. We put her in a warm pool once a week and took her to make sure she wasn't depressed(she wasn't.) Sure enough, around 9 months later she began to recover and by summer was back to normal. We never did have a name for her illness and she still gets arthritis-like joint pain from time to time, but has never had such an episode again.

That's scary! Some of the things you mentioned she has...the low grade fever and tired all the time. I haven't asked her about the joint pain, but I am going to now. I think the extremely high white count right after Tday really freaked us all out including the doc. He still has no reasoning why that happened. She had all the regular tests like strep, flu, urinanalysis, you name it she had it and they all came out normal except the white count. Of course I think the worst...cancer???

 

[sjams]

If you have allergies you are never "well"...ever...There is never a day you feel 100%....never, never, never....

If she is allergic to ragweed she is probably allergic to MOLD...that is my killer and why I feel like crap for the past 3 days.

Also ears....how are they?

And reflux...I have realized that part of my drainage, headaches, ear itchiness can be attributed to acid reflux. Not to mention the chest pains and bad breath, headaches in the morning.
The drainage protects the throat from the acid.
Really sounds like a possibility from her symptoms.

PS...I see you are from Texas....DFW here...mold is killing me and my dd's right now.

She never complains of her ears...
Mold is my nemisis but she has never had that problem. Could be developing that.
What part of DFW? Arlington for us...

 

[The Mystery Machine]

Flower Mound....mold is pretty bad with all the rain right now.

 

[JoyG]

I have one sickly child...not so much with colds, but he's the one with severe asthma, peanut allergies, and had open heart surgery when he was 4...he still has a leaky bicuspid valve.

By the time I realized how "sick" he was, I was already pregant with my third.

But after I realized how sick he was, I definitely knew I couldn't have anymore kids. I only have so much "worry" to go around. Thank God the other two haven't had anything major going on.

 

[ImMarcik]

MY DD is 13 now and although she has outgrown some she still gets sick a LOT. She catches Strep 3, 4 times a year and has asthma, and allergies. She also was hopsitalized once for a very bad kidney infection. She's had tubes, tonsillectomy & sinus surgery. It pretty much goes down to what someone else said for her, if you have allergies you are never fully well. Earlier this year, one day she just totally passed out and fell on the floor in the kitchen, we brought her to the emergency room and they did extensive testing and just ruled it to her asthma, & sinus. Anything that anyone in her classes at school has she will catch. They did test her for the auto immune disorders when she was around 3 but she tested negative.

As for the aching virus that lasts a year or so. That sounds like what you get with Mono. I had that about 10 years ago. I just wasn't getting well at all with major throat pain and finally they tested me for mono. They told me that Mono causes the chronic fatigue virus that usually lasts a year. And, it was true, somewhere around a year I started getting more energy and less aching. That virus still shows up in my blood today.

Good luck with your DD.

 

[milkabum]

I'm not sure, to be honest. I'll be 13 in June, and I only get the occasional cold. I have only gotten strep once, I did get bronchitis once, and the "24 hour flu" a couple of times. But I'd have to say I don't get sick more than 2 times each year.

When you say her stomach hurts, but she wants to eat, I don't see that should be too much of a problem. I feel like that often as well. Mostly after I eat too much or eat things that don't exactly co-operate in my stomach. Good luck on finding out what it is, I doubt it will be anything too big.

 

[ImMarcik]

Speaking of, I am not kidding, my DD just walked in from her Dad's. She's been there since Christmas night and she says her throat hurts bad like strep throat.

 

[Stepht5]

She never complains of her ears...
Mold is my nemisis but she has never had that problem. Could be developing that.
What part of DFW? Arlington for us...

I don't have any great ideas but, I had to say...we're in Arlington, also!

Out of our 5 children there are 2 with allergies -- me, too! This area has one of the highest rates of allergens. I can't reemmber where I read that information. But, some of the problems you mentioned can be allergies. 15dd used to wake up every morning and throw up from drainage during the night.
We can't use any candles with scents or other *room fresheners* because 8ds will get a terrible headache.

 

[bevtoy]

DD13 went through a weird period around age 9-10. She had low grade fevers, extreme fatigue, and joint pains. Some days she could barely get out of bed. If she hadn't been homeschooled, she would have failed 4th grade. We were convinced she had rheumatoid arthritis but her testing always came up normal. The rheumatologist finally decided it had to be a virus and said it would last 9 months to a year, just give her motrin, rest and heat. We put her in a warm pool once a week and took her to make sure she wasn't depressed(she wasn't.) Sure enough, around 9 months later she began to recover and by summer was back to normal. We never did have a name for her illness and she still gets arthritis-like joint pain from time to time, but has never had such an episode again.

Chronic Fatigue syndrome! My DD has that and is still recuperating from it.

 

[SeeDisney]

When I read your thread and you mentioned your DD's weight is ultra thin and her height, I thought of wheat/gluten allergy. I read many a time, that children who are very thin and short may have this condition. Please do get it check it out.

But *I never heard of the wheat/gluten allergy connecting with the white blood cells and fever issue.

By the way, for 58 pounds, my DD is 8 1/2 and 50" talls and she is 58 pounds too. Can't think of the math conversion of 50" and 4'4" tall though just now.

Good luck to you.

 

[rie'smom]

One huge problem with allergies is once one has developed,the person has a greater likelihood of new allergies.

 

[kandeebunny]

as everyone has said wheat/gluten allergies is a good possibility you feel like crap all the time. this is called celiac's which you would need to see a GI dr for. it is VERY common now, and is in itself an auto immune disorder. I've found since I cut out gluten (and in my case corn too) I don't get sick AS often, though I still do. I am 23 5'2 and 90lbs (can't gain weight to save my life ESPECIALLY on this diet!) A good clue for this is also the amount of cavities she has had (teeth decay because you can't digest the food properly)

also if shes got the achy joints can't rule out lyme disease or jra (junior rheumatoid arthritis) *as a side not you can have a type of this with no blood marker* lyme and jra mimic each other very much

mono is an option

with chronic fatigue you don't get the constant crappy feeling just the constant i need to sleep

I'd take her if your insurance allows to the local childrens hospital to a general practitioner and ask them "why does dd get sick ALL the time?" present the symptoms and go from there. There are so many possibilities.