My Six Year Old Son

[slingshot]

<DIV>Hello All,</DIV>
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<DIV>I was not aware that the site had been off line, I had actually stopped visiting because at some points I actually thought reading all these issues was making me even worse. With that being said, I am glad that the site is up, especially for those who are finding it useful. </DIV>
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<DIV>Now, to my issue. My son is six years old and he has had some SV* in his short lifetime, but nothing quite like what he had on Super Bowl Sunday. He got sick twice, once with just me around (who has this phobia - more a fear of catching it than cleaning it) and my 19 month old son. I was a parent on a mission. Helped my sick son, got the 19 month old distracted in the other room and cleaned up the mess. He got sick later, but that was with Mom (TG)</DIV>
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<DIV>That entire week, while actually going back to school one day he was home ill. Basically M (W=funeral) T, F. He had a great day on Friday - Grandma nursed him back to health and that night he had his first experience with the runs (which he now refers to as Rocket Poop). After that he seemed to be OK, but he seems to have issues with going to the bathroom now. </DIV>
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<DIV>This brings me to this week and that he has since Wednesday night been complaining (at least to my wife) about stomach pains. They were so bad (or we percieved them to be) we took him to the doctor. The doctor did every push test in the book and my son had no reaction what-so-ever. Within a couple of hours he was home and back to normal. Doctor did not doubt that maybe he feels something, but that his tolerance for pain is low. </DIV>
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<DIV>He was fine yesterday with (according to my wife) only an occasional mention of anything. </DIV>
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<DIV>Today is Saturday and it is a lazy day. Snow outside, rain in the air. He ate a normal breakfast and now seems content on saying he does not feel well and that he feels like he has to v* but doesn't have to. [img]smileys/smilies_12.gif[/img]</DIV>
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<DIV>So, I have him my assurance that he was OK and that he was going to be OK. I spoke to him about feeling nervous (which I have my own anxiety issues in general) without trying to freak him out. He was crying about pain, but then I started playing with the cat and he started laughing and playing along. </DIV>
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<DIV>Is he sick? Is he nervous? I am starting to think this is all in his head and he is beginning to get this fear. One that I developed in 3rd grade at age 8 and has plagued me much of my life. </DIV>
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<DIV>If there is a little bug going around that could make my son eat and be fine and then not be fine and then be fine, let me know. </DIV>
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<DIV>My wife is just dealing with it as it comes (she has her hands full with my own anxiety issues) but for me it comes down to ensuring I have done all I can for my son and I have to work with him from what I have gone through. </DIV>
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<DIV>Does this make sense? </DIV>

[susie_q]

I don't think he is sick and I don't know what is wrong with him. But the same thing kind of happened to my daughter when she got an sv when she was 8 (really the first that she can remember). She seemed fine after it was all over and was bragging about how many times she got sick. Then, shortly after that, she got sick with another virus (not sv), but felt sick. That's when she started to panic and remembered what the sv was like, and was scared of getting it again. Then, anytime she would get the slightest pain in her stomach she would think she was going to be sick. If this is what is going on with your son, hopefully it will pass as time goes by.

[slingshot]

<DIV>Maybe this is what is going on. I mean he says he feels it, but I don't really know what he feels and I am not sure he fully knows how to identify with it. I think after being sick for almost 5 days he probably is a little trigger shy. Not only did he V* but had the runs, which was an entire new experience. He still tries to get his mom to go in the bathroom with him.</DIV>
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<DIV>Maybe he truly is just freaked out, but I just feel so bad that he sits on the couch and seems to be worried. If I can distract him (i.e. playing with the cat, talking to him, etc) he seems fine. </DIV>
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<DIV>I so remember these days growing up. I went through a period in my life (8th grade) where I lived every day as if I might V* and would check the mirror all the time to see if I was pale. </DIV>
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<DIV>We'll just support him the best we can. </DIV>
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<DIV>Thanks for the info....it makes me feel a little better. </DIV>

[sage]

Anxiety is such a nasty thing, isn't it? Of course none of us can venture a diagnosis over the internet, but there is a huge possibility that your son is anxious. And that would be directly related to you being anxious. So if you can calm down (which perhaps he perceives is true when you're playing with the cat) then he calms down. If he sits and frets, are you fretting/worrying about him? Fret and worry are just mild forms of anxiety and this "energy" is communicated to your son whether you're saying anything or not. It's huge. So hopefully if you work on your own anxiety your son will just naturally get better.


Good luck!

[slingshot]

<DIV>Sage,</DIV>
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<DIV>Thanks! I do know that it is not soley around me, but seems to be a little more when I am around. </DIV>
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I have been dealing with a few things of my own and perhaps at times he has heard my wife and I discuss them. He seems to have the ears of a hawke. </DIV>
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<DIV>Ironically, one thing I had been dealing with for a few wks has been an on/off burning in my throat, but not in the normal area of a sore throat. This made me anxious causea guy at work had spoke of this and he wound up having open heart surgery (of course his was during excersid) Anyway! Now, no two people generally have the same symptoms (15yrs as an EMT would tell me that), but it is like this fear of V*. You hear things and start to associate and then panic, at least in my case. </DIV>
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<DIV>This burning I had a few people told me they have had and it is like a virus or something going around. I wonder if perhaps he has the same thing, cause as with me, my son seems to feel better when he eats. The stomach pain I think is in his head. </DIV>
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<DIV>My doctor gave me a quick once over and told me he felt it was my Acid Reflux since I have recently been diagnosed with mid-thoraic reflux (though 33yrs I never felt a thing - at least not knowingly). </DIV>
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<DIV>We'll see, I do have a consult and an endoscopy on the way. Nothing to be anxious about there. [img]smileys/smilies_05.gif[/img]</DIV>
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<DIV>At least in some small way, the v* thing has been the least of my worries, even after my son caught the bug. </DIV>
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[slingshot]

<DIV>Whelp, he had a little of these feelings yesterday and we went outside to play and we played for a couple of hours and nothing. No complaints. Came inside he had dinner, watched TV, etc. </DIV>
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<DIV>Before school this morning, same thing. I took him though. My wife says it will pass, most likely anxiety like his old man. That is what she says. </DIV>
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<DIV>She told me she is confident that we will not get a call from the nurse, I guess we'll see. </DIV>
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<DIV>Like Sage said above, don't show my anxiety and he was fine, though I did not feel I showed anything this morning, but I think something must be bothering him, whether it is his head or his stomach, I am not completely sure just yet. </DIV>
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<DIV>As for his feeling in his throat, I have had a feeling in mine for a month now. Like an on and off burning, I just wonder if we have a virus and are feeling the same thing. I can't say it feels like v*, but, who knows what it feels like to him. A friend of mine said he had something on and off - felt like a burning golf ball in the lower part of his thorat. [img]smileys/smilies_12.gif[/img]</DIV>Edited by: slingshot

[andee]

Hi Slingshot,
Sounds like anxiety to me. My phobia started that way. I got sick and then didn't want to go to school and be away from home. I felt sick (which was nerves and felt like "butterflies") and always went to the nurse at school. Felt better when she did send me home. It went all downhill from there. I was 10. Anyway, just be real positive and treat the illness very casually, like it was nothing. That's what I do with my kids now. Good luck...

[slingshot]

<DIV>Yes, I am not sure either. We were having an OK week, but yesterday at school he apparently had some issues at school with belly pain and they sent him to the nurse. The nurse said his temp was 100.4 (nothing really) and then it was 99.x??? </DIV>
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<DIV>When my wife got to him he was at after care and he was playing. Then he ate like normal last night. </DIV>
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<DIV>Then this morning he said he did not want to go. </DIV>
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<DIV>I mean, eveutually we will have to take him for testing, to make sure we are not dealing with something real. </DIV>
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<DIV>I have had anxiety since I was 8 or so and it started after a sv*. If you read the earlier posts you will find some other things, but, I am being strong for my son and not showing anxiety. Trying to show love and support, but also telling him we may have to see a doctor because stomach pain is not normal.</DIV>
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<DIV>He did speak to his mom about a couple of kids being mean sometimes, but other than that he seems pretty happy. My wife being a kindergarten teacher told him that always happens. </DIV>
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<DIV>The nurse was surprised to see him and that is why she called. </DIV>
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<DIV>I spoke to a friend of mine recently who said he just found out his daughter had been going to the nurse almost every day for 5-10 minutes then she'd go back to class. </DIV>
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<DIV>I cannot believe that anxiety could kick in this young. I mean, my son is eating normal and just watching TV. I actually think he might be playing with his marble set. </DIV>
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<DIV>I am just a concerned parent - whether it is his belly or his head. I grew up with anxiety and was really hoping my kids would not be like me. </DIV>

[kandykaye]

CJ, Sorry to hear you are having trouble with your son. YOu mentioned something that I was thinking about. When my brother was young (he is not an emet) he went through a time where he was always going to the office saying his stomach hurt or saying that he had been sick in the bathroom. My mom would go get him, take him home only to find out he was fine. Sometimes he would even say he had gotten sick at home, too. Turns out, he hated his teacher (and if I recall correctly, she didn't really care for him either). My mom started not going to get him. I don't remember all the details but she would tell him everyday he went to school was one less day he had to be in that class. It eventually stopped. Just a thought. It could be related to the sv* or it could just be an issue he is having at school with a teacher or with these kids that are picking on him. The easiet way to get out of that is to not be at school.


I hope things get better soon and good luck!

[slingshot]

<DIV>Thanks! We'll see. I tried speaking with him and he says everything is fine. As far as I know he loves his teacher and has some good friends in his class. This all started after the sv* so it is really hard for me to let that go. </DIV>
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<DIV>He did have a two out of three day episode in December around x-mas, but, he was eating a lot of junk and my wife said he had not gone #2 regularly, that went away and we were good until the sv*.</DIV>
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<DIV>My wife told him this morning, no fever, off to school tomorrow. So, see how that goes! </DIV>

[zane2673]

HI Slingshot, Both my children have gone through this after being s*. My daughter who is five now was really bad about it two years ago. She would be s* and then for weeks afterward she would complain about stomach aches and feeling ill and nothing happened. At first I reacted like any emet would asking how she was every five minutes and hovering. Eventually, I realized I was feeding the behavior. I started just telling her to go lay down and take a break and as hard as it was I wouldn't ask how she was. She may very well have had twinges of stomach pain we all have from gas, drinking to much juice, etc but she wasn't really ill.


My guess would be that if your son is complaining to your wife about it and not you he may be trying to illicit the same reaction he gets from you from her. My kids have tried it on my husband and he just tells to go in the bathroom and be s*. They get over it pretty quickly if they don't really feel ill.


He'll get over it with time, so don't sweat it to much. If he has developed emet, then at least he has you for support.

[slingshot]

<DIV>Thanks for the info.</DIV>
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<DIV>Ironically my wife spoke to a couple of women at work today who said they had a sv* recently and for almost 3 wks they had cramping, pain, and n* after eating, which subsided in about an hour and then they were fine. Never lost their appetitie or anything.</DIV>
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<DIV>There is some really scary stuff going on out there. </DIV>

[punchbuggy]

Maybe your son is just scared because of the last time he was sick ..I doubt that he is developing this phobia.. and I sure hope he isnt. You know how kids are sometimes they just get freaked out over things and they forget about them as time goes on. Let us know in the future how things work out.

[slingshot]

<DIV>Hello All,</DIV>
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<DIV>Well I am knocking on wood, but maybe he did have some lingering affects from the sv*. </DIV>
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<DIV>He came home last Wednesday as mentioned above. The nurse said he had had a fever (100.4) but my son never gets them. We kept him home on Thursday and things have been going well. </DIV>
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<DIV>I was also told that perhaps the yogurt that he was eating could have caused it too. His grandmother had given him Activia during the sv* and he said he felt better, however, my mother (his other grandmother) feels that the Activia (when he is healthy) could have been a bit much. </DIV>
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<DIV>Not sure, but he has been doing well. Thanks for all the support. It's been nice to have my son back. </DIV>