*Note* My daughter's pediatrician is not the type of doctor that jumps up and immediately thinks something is wrong if there is not evidence. She does not perform tests or medicate unless she feels it is warranted.
That all being said, yesterday was a tad bit worrisome, but I am better today. I am not the type of parent who automatically thinks something really bad is happening. I am more the type of parent that people look at say, "Why can't she be more sympathetic?". From the time my children were little I tried to make sure my hubby and I didn't make a big deal about injuries, whether minor or major. Because of this my children tend to handle injuries and illness pretty well.
This incident has scared me and I would be lying if I stated otherwise. I hate making a big deal about a possible illness, but this just has me baffled.
We re-visited the doctor yesterday and blood was drawn. Because my daughter Chels already has an autoimmune disorder (Hashimoto's Thyroiditis) she is use to having her blood drawn.
Her symptoms
Painful muscles (leg and arms), swollen and stiff joints (fingers, toes, knees and neck), a few hot joints, severe headaches, no fever, no other signs of illness.
The pain has been so bad at times she cried for a couple of hours almost straight. Symptoms are at the worst in the morning, but last all throughout the day. She has had some other symptoms over the last six months that haven't made any sense, so hopefully all of this will shed some light on that too.
What the Doctor Says:
While we don't want to think the worst, her pediatrician has recommended for Chels to see a pediatric rheumatologist for possible Lupus or Rheumatoid Arthritis. The pediatrician is also having her blood tested for a varied list of viruses that can invade the body, but are not necessarily looked for in a typical office visit. Chels's pediatrician has recommended I give her high doses of anti-inflammatory medication such as Advil (she gave us a prescription for 800mg) and she has to take an antacid so the ibuprofen doesn't affect her stomach.
Where We Currently Stand:
Chels seems to be able to handle the swelling and stiffness a bit better with constant ingestion of ibuprofen. She is still having issues, they are just lessened with use of the medication.
We have received the results for some of the blood work, but nothing conclusive. Her CBC panel seems to be within normal ranges (so far), but her white cell count in on the low side of normal. The doctor told me that we really need to wait until all of the results come in so that it can be looked at as a whole. Ugh, I hate the waiting game.
Hopefully I will have more news tomorrow.
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