Hi, I am very worried about my daughter, and it is consuming my life. For the past 5/6 weeks she has seemed very tired. She has had 3 CBCs done since then and her lymphocytes are always elevated, indicating either a virus, mono, or leukemia.
Mono has been ruled out, and her drs say that leukemia would have other values off besides just lymphocytes. They are guessing she just has a "virus". Like I said, its been over a month and she is not getting an better. Im still worried about leukemi, but there is nothing more they can do besides a bone marrow aspiration, which seems a bit extreme, since they think its completely unnecessary.
I will add, this whole illness thing started with a double ear infection (which I was surprised to find out, she had never been sick at all before) and the bottoms of her feet were peeling, red and cracked. I dont lmow if these are all related, but the ear infection cleared up within 5 days of anybiotics, then this fatigue started. Anyone have any advice?
Have you had her tested for allergies? She could have a food allergy that is causing the fatigue and elevated levels.
Oh hon, you must be wreck. Please find comfort in knowing that the odds are in your favor of anything serious. When you mentioned peeling feet, it triggered this thought....
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Kawasaki disease is a condition that causes inflammation in the walls of small- and medium-sized arteries throughout the body, including the coronary arteries, which supply blood to the heart muscle. Kawasaki disease is also called mucocutaneous lymph node syndrome because it also affects lymph nodes, skin, and the mucous membranes inside the mouth, nose and throat.
Signs of Kawasaki disease, such as a high fever and peeling skin, can be frightening. The good news is that Kawasaki disease is usually treatable, and most children recover from Kawasaki disease without serious problems.
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I had the SAME exact senario. I would advise you take her to children's ER asap and ask for a hematology/ infectious disease consult. We DID the bone marrow aspiration. Our daughter turn out to have viral HLH (google it since I can't pronounce it). None of our drs could diagnose it. Only the specialists at CHLA were able to solve the mystery.
So sorry... I know that must be scary! My niece had similar symptoms when she was 18 months. She ended up having a bone marrow biopsy and they discovered it was "T.E.C." (transient something). Her bones were not making red blood cells. They said they thought it was caused by a virus she must have had before, and that there was no treatment, but that it would go away on its own. They continued to monitor her- she had to get blood work done every week or two- and said they may need to do a transfusion. They never did and she was over it after a couple of months. She is a perfectly healthy 6 year old now, and has had no lasting effects.
I pray whatever this is with your daughter passes quickly and easily.
We went through a similar scare with my son recently. His blood work showed some kind of infection but not the right levels for leukemia, although he had all the symptoms. Some ideas based on what we went thru:
- Have the looked into Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease?
- How are her lymph nodes? If you feel bumps on her neck (or a few larger ones) under the skin, the infection could be stemming from there. If you do feel them, head to an ENT for evaluation. They are more specialized in the lymphatic system than a regular pediatrician.
And -- I agree wholeheartedly with other mamas here -- if something doesn't feel right, definitely get a second opinion. Don't even hesitate or worry what your existing ped will think. Good luck.
Is there a 'teaching' University hospital near enough to you to take her to? If there is, get your records together, call them, get to the peds clinic there ASAP. This needs to be further looked at, I agree that when we 'feel' something is wrong with our child we are usually correct. She may not have something drastic such as Lukemia but whatever is wrong it needs to be further addressed & quickly.
Blessings, Mama
The only advice I can give you is to trust your "mother's instinct". If you're still worried go to a different doctor and keep "knocking on doors" until someone gives you the correct diagnosis!
Unfortunately often doctors blame a virus if they can't find a reason for the symptoms! You need to find someone who is willing to "think outside the box" and ask: "if it isn't a virus, what else could it be?" I heard the story of a little girl who nearly died because she was accidentally exposed to mercury. I'm not saying that your child was exposed to any heavy metals, just that it's something not normally tested for, just like toxic molds are not usually tested for.
I pray that your daughter recovers soon. Best wishes
Sending prayers your way.
Maybe you should ask for a second opinion, if for nothing else to set your mind at ease. Sometimes viruses can linger and linger. I hope you get the answers you need and want and that your baby feels better soon.
