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Children's health

DS is ill *again*

13 replies

Bearfrills · 06/02/2013 20:20

Poor 3yo DS has had a run of colds, coughs and viruses since starting nursery in September (which I expected) and has been generally run down and not quite himself lately, nothing specific, just 'off' IYSWIM?

On Sunday we were at softplay and as I watched him he kept hunching over hugging his stomach and making a pained face. I asked if he was okay and he said he fell. I had him sit down for a bit then a little later he came to me crying and saying another boy had punched him in the stomach, he was hunching over and hugging himself again. We went home not long after and he seemed fine.

This afternoon he came over all whiney and clingy and had a rare-for-him nap. After his nap he just lay on the sofa, quite pale, and he felt warm to the touch. I gave him some Calpol and he perked up a little but when he was playing he kept hugging his tummy again. I tried to touch it and he wouldn't let me. Then he lay down again for a bit and seemed to perk up again afterwards. He's now in bed, happy enough but fast asleep before his story was even finished (again unheard of for him).

He's been off his food for weeks, not a picky toddler type of off, more of a he has three bites and he's full. My 18mo is eating more than he is. He doesn't seem to be losing weight though so he must be getting enough?

He drinks a lot but our GP did a dip a couple of weeks ago for UTI and sugar, both were normal.

I've had several people comment to me over the last couple of weeks about his face looking puffy around the jaw and chin, just today DM noticed it and said it's like his chin is a double chin because of swelling around his jaw.

Nursery told me today when I picked him up that he hasn't heard them on several occasions today, I thought they meant he was ignoring them but they said no, it was like he actually couldn't hear them. I saw it for myself when I picked him up and they had to call him name three times before he seemed to come to and hear them.

He's drooling and has been drooling since at least Christmas but he has all his teeth so isn't teething. He's constantly wiping his chin and making a 'fffffftttt' sucking back drool noise.

I've now got him booked at the GP tomorrow morning (again) but feel like I'm going in there with a list of vague, non-specific issues that don't seem to add up to much individually but overall are making my little PFB boy drained, pale and not himself :(

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dikkertjedap · 06/02/2013 20:50

I would call NHS direct or OOH for advice. They may ask you to see a doctor tonight.

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Bearfrills · 06/02/2013 20:53

Really? He was happy enough when he went to bed and really had perked up, jumping on the bed and singing songs. He's fast asleep now too and his temperature seems to have come right down.

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Dragonwoman · 06/02/2013 21:12

There is a horrid heavy cold/flu type virus going round my school atm. My kids have come down with it, off school, then perked up & seemed better, but relapsed, off school again. DC2 now high temp again only 1 week after seeming recovery.

I caught it myself & now in week 2 of it! Starts like a cold, but after you start to improve sinus pain kicks in & blocked ears. General ear, nose throat issues. Just cant seem to shift it. My temp is now normal, but I still feel tired & rough.

I'm told children have glands in their stomach as well as their neck that can hurt especially to the touch when fighting off infection.

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Bearfrills · 06/02/2013 21:19

That sounds quite like him Dragonwoman - he gets briefly better then seems to fall back again, then better, then back. Poor kid.

We did get a letter from the school saying that due to a nasty virus doing the rounds they're making allowances for attendance this half-term and will only issue letters for 85% or below instead of the usual 91%.

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justabowlofsteamformeplease · 06/02/2013 21:24

Hi Bear, I've just read ur post and could have written it myself about my 4 year old daughter, it's such a worry isn't it. She has a cold, but is in reception and is constantly catching them but this just seems different. She's very lethargic, no appetite, I kept her off school again on Monday but sent her back yesterday and, sure enough, the lunch bag came home virtually untouched. She's been to school today, not eaten all day again and went to bed exhausted at 6.30pm so I'm keeping her off again tomorrow. She was pointing to the roof if her mouth earlier saying it was sore, in hindsight I thinks she's so run down she might have mouth ulcers and that's putting her off eating. Like the other poster says you think theyre getting better than its back! Hope ur little one feels brighter tomorrow x

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lyndie · 06/02/2013 21:38

10-12 bugs per year is completely normal (but hideous!) in this age group. But do see GP again to get some reassurance.

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Bearfrills · 07/02/2013 15:28

Thanks for the responses :)

We saw the GP today and he couldn't feel/hear anything wrong with DS's tummy but did say about glands in the gut (like you said, Dragonwoman) and if he's a bit run down they could be paining him.

He knows it's been going on for weeks and did say that it could be down to any number of things but he doesn't want to start sticking him for blood tests unless he really has to so its a matter of giving it a couple more weeks to see if he gets better (yay!) or worse - if he gets worse he'll start looking at causes.

DS jumped all over in the waiting room though, typical Hmm yet when we left he wept all the way home - not crying or whining, literally exhausted weeping. Then he slept. I had to nip to the shop and he wept all the way there, wept all the way around the shop, and then wept when we left to the point that I had to get 18mo DD out of the pushchair to walk and DS got in the buggy. He ate a little bit lunch then wept until he feel asleep again, woke up and had some grapes, then wept then went back to sleep :(

Going to keep him home from nursery tomorrow to give him a day to rest then he's got the weekend too and will hopefully feel a bit more himself by Monday.

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cestlavielife · 07/02/2013 15:44

ask for his hearing to be properly checked if he isnt hearing you/nursery teachers

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Dragonwoman · 07/02/2013 18:43

If he has the same virus as I have, he probably can't hear you. I have one ear completely blocked atm & intermittent hearing in the other. From googling it seems that it can take up to 2 weeks after recovery for hearing to clear .

I feel like weeping too at times, just so run down with it, so I feel his pain...

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Bearfrills · 07/02/2013 18:49

He's on the waiting list for a hearing test and to see a speech therapist for an assessment as the nursery had some concerns about his inability with certain sounds, particularly 'st', 'sp', 'sc' 'ph', etc. They weren't sure if it's immaturity (he's the youngest in the class) or evidence of a problem.

You've reminded me I need to chase it up though cestlavielife :)

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Bearfrills · 07/02/2013 18:50

Meant to add, one of his friends seems to have come down poorly with the same bug so it's very likely he's got whatever it is that's doing the rounds.

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Bearfrills · 11/02/2013 09:12

DS is much, much better but has developed a productive cough. I took him to nursery today and his cough produced product all over his hands, the cloakroom floor and his coat. He actually coughed so hard his nose bled :(

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butterfingerz · 11/02/2013 13:06

Does he have multivitamins? particularly vitamin d as he might be low, its been such a long winter or it feels that way considering last summer was a washout! it might not stop him getting ill but lessen the effect it has on him. My dd was the same when she started preschool. It got better once spring come around and now shes in reception, shes not picked up too many bugs so it must build up their immunity... (in a gruelling boot camp sort of way!).

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