48 answers

My 15 Yr Old Daughter Hurts to Much for Nothing to Be Wrong.

I have a 15 yr old daughter who is severely visually impaired, She has a rare eye condition called Achromotopsia, Her 3 yr sister has also inherited it and it has left her nearly completely blind in daylight.. My question or concern is my 15 yr old. At the tender age of 2 she began complaining about her legs aching, doctor after doctor .. we have been given several diagnosis from mild MS to Muscular Skeletol Disorder..with several second and even 3rd opinions ruling out the first diagnosis?? ok now im confused, WHAT IS IT? through the years it has gotten worse, Back in March she tore a cartilage in her wrist.. her wrist constantly swells, she was put in a wrist cast and Ibuprofen for swelling, I took her back to the Doctor a couple weeks ago after listening to my daughters complaints and was a little..well alot concerned, Her arm still has not healed, she has bad flare ups leaving her wrist to swell, Her legs and arms, neck,She has a large knot at the top of her spine,"Im told this isnt normal but again no explanation because an xray came back normal" huh? How? Her shoulders ache constatly sometimes to the point where she struggles just to get out of bed in the mornings, She gets headaches.. I took her to the Dr and demanded some answers, I cant sit back and watch my daughter go through this any more.. The Dr said she suspected Cushings Syndrome and did bloodwork on her, Her cortisol level came back normal today but she wants to see her Monday because her cholosterol level was to high, So now were back to where we started from, Im getting very frusterated because I feel like I am bothering the Dr and as a parent i shouldnt feel this way, But I know something isnt right here, She has even been hospitilized in the past for running a fever of 103 for 11 days straight with again no known cause, Has anyone ever heard of this or can give me pointers, Im determined as a mother to figure this out, Im not over protective and Im not crazy, ok well maybe I am a bit of both :0) I just want to help my daughter and will continue to beat the doors down until I get some answers.. am I wrong for doing this?

What can I do next?

So What Happened?™

I wanted to Thank all of you have responded to me and to let you all know I am reading each and every responce.. To answer a few of yall's questions, I have taken her to a Neurologist a couple times.. She was also referred once for having a grandma seizure when she was 7 ( I think) we had no explanation for it and it was the only one she has ever had to date, We also took her 2 years ago when she lost her complete vision for nearly a week, The school called me one morning telling me she was bumping into the walls and riding the walls as she walked, "well hello she was already visually impaired it didnt take a spoon full of common sence to figure that one out, so I immediately rushed to the school and we took her to the Neuro.. Again no explanation.Since then she continues to have blackouts lasting 30 seconds to a min, sometimes, it has become a part of her life at this point. I thank you all for your encouragement and rest assure I will not give up, I have health problems of my own that I struggle with and If it takes my last breath I will not give up trying to figure this out or advocating for her.. Im learning alot from the responces so please keep thenmm comming..

Featured Answers

It could be Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.
You can call me at ###-###-#### and I will tell you details about this disorder because I have it.Doctors don't know much of it.
S. Vilig

K.,
My heart goes out to you!
I would recommend that you try Texas Scottish Rite hospital.
Their services are free.
V.

K.,
This is terrible. Have you tried an alternative doctor? Could she be allergic to something she is eating? We have been going to a homeopath for years and he has done wonders with my son with autism. If you are interested , email me and I will give you his name. he is a medical doc too.
L.

More Answers

Hi K. -

You are doing the right thing as far as trying to get answers for your daughter. Don't stop until you get her the help she needs.

I was in a similar situation as your daughter, although not as severe. I had the fever over a long period of time, then weight gain and then the loss of the use of my legs/hips/hands/wrists. I struggled to get out of bed on my own due to the pain and lack of strength. Doctor after doctor could not identify the true cause. I was told lupus and rheumatoid arthritis while still living in Chicago. Once I moved to Texas, I met with Dr. Kheshgi. She was WONDERFUL in helping me find the cause to my issue. I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia. This may not be what your daughter has, but I feel meeting with Dr. Kheshgi may bring you some answers.

I would like to give you her information as I think her knowledge and bedside manner is superior.

Good luck with your daughters and don't give up your fight!

Here is her information from the united healthcare listing of doctors.

Kheshgi, Talat J, MD

ID #: 00001763807 03


5939 HARRY HINES BLVD STE 400
DALLAS, TX 75235
###-###-####

RHEUMATOLOGY

Board Certified

Rheumatology

Graduation Date: 11/30/1983
Gender: Female
Education: RAWALPINDI MEDICAL COLLEGE; RAWALPINDI, PAKISTAN
Hospital Affiliation: Baylor Medical Center at Irving, Baylor Regional Medical Center at Grapevine, Medical Center of Plano, Methodist Charlton Medical Center, Methodist Dallas Medical Center

2 moms found this helpful

Years ago I suffered from some symptoms and I went to doctor after doctor looking for a reason. After trying on and off for about 5 years, I finally saw a very caring neurologist who diagnosed my problem and I had surgery on my spinal cord to correct the problem within a few months. That was 11 years ago. What I learned from my experience is to be persistent. Keep going to to doctors for 2nd, 3rd, 4th, etc opinions until you get an answer and treatment that helps. I, also, learned that even though some doctors cared and wanted to help, they just didn't have the knowledge or expertise to help me. You are the only advocate your daughter has and she is counting on you, so continue to help her any way you can. Good luck!

1 mom found this helpful

K.,
I don't blame you one bit for being frustrated. A Mom's job is to protect their kids and that's hard when you don't know what is going on.

Are you sticking with the same doctor? I have to assume you have seen some specialists, but it sounds like another opinion is in order. How about a rheumatologist?

I'm betting you are NOT over-protective, and absolutely you are NOT bothering the doctor. Intellectually you know the doctor is employed by you. Try to keep that in mind.

And NO, you are NOT wrong....I'd suggest you keep knocking on those doors until you feel like you are getting somewhere. You just haven't found the right doctor yet.

Last, you are helping your daughter just by being her advocate and loving her. Do your best, but know some things are out of our control. Your love is the most important thing your daughter needs and it sounds like she has it.

Hang in there!
P.

1 mom found this helpful

NO, YOU ARE NOT WRONG!!! YOU, no one else, is the advocate for your child!! I lost my beautiful special needs son a little over 8 years ago and I fought for him tooth and nail from the day he was born to the day he died! I pissed off people, docs included but I could have cared less. I will never forget the day he spent crying and screaming which prompted another trip to the ER (there were many in the 3 1/2 years he was alive). The ER doc was a total JERK and when he couldn't figure why he crying the way he was (and he NEVER cried) he sarcastically said "What, do you want me to x-ray his whole body?" So, I looked him in the eye and said, "Yes, get started." I told him if that's what it would take to solve why my child was in pain then so be it. The most aggravating moment is when that jerk came back in a couple of hours later looking like he had swallowed something bitter and said that we have a problem. My sweet boy had a current fracture of his femur and multiple old fractures in his ribs, wrist and arm. I almost attacked that man for acting the way he did to us. He was born severly disabled, due to a prenatal CMV infection, and by this point we were suspecting he had developed Cushings Syndrome, also but hadn't been able to get into the endocrinologist yet. He was eventually diagnosed with Cushing's and unfortunately that is what led to his decline and eventually death, but only because his brain was already so severely injured due to the CMV. I am NOT saying any of this to scare you! Cushings in an otherwise developmentally, healthy person is pretty easy to treat. I know this response was long but my point is that you should NEVER feel guilty for doing what is necessary for your child, for wanting and DESERVING answers because she wants them and deserves them, too. You keep going until someone gives you the correct diagnosis. All of those symptoms have to mean something and eventually someone is going to figure it all out. In the meantime, you demand that she be kept comfortable. If that means some pain medicine at night so she can sleep and not be so sore in the morning then thats what they need to. You can do this! You are her mother and no one loves her more than you do. You'll find the inner strength to take care of her and even when you are exhausted and frustrated you will find a way to keep going because in the end, no one else will! I wish you both the very best of luck and blessings. Keep us posted here on the site as to how she is doing, esp. to let us know once you get a diagnosis. Take care!
M.
P.S. Has anyone mentioned testing her the vast number of autoimmune disorders such as Fibromyalgia, Lupus, Rheumatoid Arthritis, etc.. I myself have Fibromyalgia and some days my joints hurt so bad and my skin burns and is very sensitive to the slightest touch. I sprained my ankle many years ago and the cartilidge never healed correctly and at random times I can be walking along and have severe pain in that ankle. One other thing I thought of is having her checked for Lymes Disease, it can cause a vast number of problems/symptoms. Just a few suggestions....

1 mom found this helpful

I may be way off base here, but has she been tested for autoimmune diseases like fibromyalgia or Lupus? The fact that she has swelling and inflamation sounds like something in that family.

Also, sometimes you can get a negative test with symptoms only to come up positive later. My sister has rumetoid (sp?) arthritis and this happened to her.

Stay diligent Mom!! You are doing the right thing!! I'll keep y'all in my prayers!

1 mom found this helpful

K.,

You are not over-reacting. You and your daughter deserves answers. Has her vitamin-D levels been checked? Very important for bone/muscle/immunity. Most, about 85% of Americans are severely deficient,with the most being in the young population. They are even seeing an increased incidence of rickets lately! Also Magnesium is very important. Vitamin D3 is what she should be taking. If she is severely deficient, 5000mg/day for 2 weeks, then down to 2000/day thru the Month of March will be sufficient to get her levels up. The form of Magnesium I recommend is called Natural Calm and you can get it at Whole Foods, Sprouts or the Vitamin Shoppe. I would recommend the one with Calcium. As for her high cholesterol, don't be alarmed. High cholesterol in children shows that there is some injury the body is trying to repair. Cholesterol is the first hormone to the site. If she gets proper nutrition, is not over-weight, this is a very healthy response by the body. But, you have to find out what the underlying cause of injury is. Has she recently (past 3 months)had any vaccinations? Sometimes with the immune response they illicit it can cause the immune system to go into over-drive and cause swelling in joints, fever, etc. As for her spine, it needs to be evaluated by a specialist in the area--a chiropractor. I'm not sure where you live, but I have an office in Plano. I specialize in upper cervical care (www.upcspine.com). The website is a patient run site so you can get a layman's view on the technique I practice. If my office isn't convenient to you, I would be happy to refer you to someone closer to you. I am also able to get bloodwork done if you would prefer everything done at one office. Please contact me directly for any further questions: ____@____.com God Bless and I hope this helps!

1 mom found this helpful

It could be Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.
You can call me at ###-###-#### and I will tell you details about this disorder because I have it.Doctors don't know much of it.
S. Vilig

Hi K., I'm sorry for my late response but I think she should see a rheumatologist. I was experiencing simmular symptoms & was diagnosed with fibromyalgia, Osteo arthritis as well as rheumatoid arthritis. It is extremely painful & until I learned how to live with it I was unable to get up & down from my chair, bed or anywhere without help. I actually went down for several months. I'm am now on total disability but After several months of steroids I realized that it is something I have to live with but was able to get back to a fairly normal life. I know several little children & young people that suffer with these deseases I pray that it isn't what she has but there is help with medication. Take her medical records with you. They can find this with blood test. They may be able to tell from the ones she has already had. If you are in Denton or close, Dr. Johnathan Reyes is wonderful. I went to several others but he is so caring and compasinate much more than anyone else I found. I pray that isn't what she has but you should give him a try. ###-###-#### 4308 Mesa Dr. Suite A Denton

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