[Victoria'smom]

My little boy is sick. I notice when we went up for the holidays. We went to the children's hospital. He was immediately admitted for a bunch of tests and medication. After a night / day of testing we were released with medication and 2 follow ups. It all was starting to look up. He was taken off the medication and we were cleared to go home at the second follow up.

Five days later he's sick again. He looks bad almost yellow, and is very tired and "clingy". He saw his area doctor today and he's being sent to a 4th specialist in less than a month. I was doing well up until tonight when he seemed yellow-ish.

My mind is seeming to wander to the worse case scenario even though it's most likely nothing. I'm trying to keep myself busy but all I want to do is go lay next to him and fall asleep. He doesn't realize he's sick we told him he's tried because he's probably growing.

What can I do to keep my mind off the worse case scenario when he looks ill?

[Trippin2.0]

What do the dr's say? Yellowish, did they say jaundice a possibility? Sorry to pry, I know how worried you must be. The worst case scenarios stress me out to no end (Jordan had a meningitus scare once) but when I hear the actual diagnosis and prognosis, it actually comes as a relief as opposed to more stress... I dont have any advice, but I empathize, and want to remindyou to take care of yourself, Miguel needs you, so try to live in the now I hope he gets better soon MM.

[BlueInanna]

Thinking of you and Miguel, I know how worried you must be. The yellowing skin tone is a fright, i remember that from when babies get jaundice. nathan had scarlet fever once, that was horrible. It's hard to find anything to get ur mind off worry when it involves the kids. I wish i could think of something to help. I hope you get answers soon. When is the next appointment? You're in my prayers. Sweets ur such a good mommy.

praying.

i hope he gets better soon

[sassymck]

Hi. Well, I first wanted to thank you for replying to my post since I'm new and that's always tough. Second, it's tough being a mom too--you worry. Third, I find being bipolar you imagine the worst--well I do. When I'm in that mode, I distract myself as much as possible by forcing my mind into things that really focus it, whatever that might be for you. I'm sorry your little one is sick as that is so tough. You and he will be in my thoughts. Please keep us posted. Whatever you do, keep him in the hands of doctors and don't try to diagnose him yourself by going on the internet. I always do that and have myself dying when it turns out to be a virus. All the best to you both.

[faerie_moon_x]

Well, when the baby was born he was fine then we went home for 2 days, which was the New Years holiday. Anyway, we live in a dark house, not a lot of windows. On the 2nd I took him out to go to his new baby visit at the doctor. He was so yellow! He was like pee yellow! (sorry to be gross, but I'm serious!) His jaundice level was so high! In the house he looked normal because the light is so dim. But outside....

Anyway, that first day after we got home I sat by one of the only windows and sang sunshine songs to him. Then I had a series of panic attacks thinking the jaundice was going to ruin his brain. That evening a light bed was delivered and he had to sleep in it for about 3 weeks. I have pictures of him sleeping in the blue light, he's like a little alien.

But, that cured him right up! Sunshine and the light bed! Even though he is a winter baby, I call himmy shunshine baby.

[Sheba976]

How old is he now? Jaundice is very common in babies. Sometimes it doesn't happen right a way. Jaundice is related to the liver. Any yellowing of the skin is something with the liver. But remember everything is connected. The liver filtrates waste products from the blood stream.elevated bilirubin is what causes the yellowish color of the skin. Bilirubin is a yellow waste product of cell function that the liver should get rid of through the bile duct. If there is an issue of the bile duct, it can back up the removal of the bilirubin, which causes the elevated levels, causing the yellowing of the skin.

Are you breast feeding? I've read that jaundice can persist if your breast feeding. I'm not sure why though. It isn't usually dangerous as long as he is eating enough. I would definitely ask your doc about this.

Please don't worry or go reading on the Internet. If you do stick to sites like emedicine or webmd. If he is not vomiting or in any pain, that is a great sign!
That means there is nothing wrong with the bile duct, which could be serious.

Stay calm and listen to the docs.

[Clinte89]

I defiantly say be careful Internet diagnosis those always show the worse my dad though he had a brain tumor once lol. But ill keep you and him in my thoughts. Ill hope the best for you.

[faerie_moon_x]

Oh I remember I was also yellow when I was in the hospital. It was my gall bladder and gall stones, and it effected my liver. I don't know if kids get that.

but I agree, don't go surfing for answers. It only makes you panic!

[BlueInanna]

MM - how's he doing today? any changes? how are you holding up?
much love.

[~Christina]

Oh hugs to you all ! just take care of you and him. Love and good thoughts your way.

[Victoria'smom]

Thank-you guys. It was really nice to come home and see this. He's been really tired and varying from yellowish to clammy pale. He sleep through his last 2 classes today. Best case scenario he has a thyroglossal cyst worse case lymphoma. He had a GP appointment yesterday and an appointment with an ENT surgeon tomorrow.

I'm sure tomorrow will come with tons more blood work, and scans.

[spoiltmom]

Big ((hugs)) Hun.
Hopefully it is just a cyst. He is your baby, if it makes you feel better to curl up with him then do it. That might be helpfull for both of you.

[faerie_moon_x]

If cyst is the best case, then that's what I'm hoping he has going on. Keeping you all in my thoughts through this.

[Victoria'smom]

Good Update:

It looks like a cyst that is growing again. It will have to be removed along with part of a bone that holds the voice box and skin around it, usually it's non-cancerous. I did not like the ENT or the surgical center. So he'll be visiting a new pediatric ENT 3 hrs away on the 22nd.

His out of state oncologist is willing to stay connected via email with his new team so if the biopsy is abnormal transferring back around family will be easier. However, doesn't sound like that will be needed.

He's still extremely tired and asking questions about why but he's not believing my answers.

[spoiltmom]

That's good news Hun!! I hope his surgery goes smoothly and he starts to bounce back soon

[Victoria'smom]

Just wanted to let everyone know the ENT was great. Miguel gets the cyst out the Feb. 8th, it looks Benin. However, his tonsils have to go too. We are so relieved. It still has to be biopsied, his tonsils will be biopsied just in case. We're relieved for now but waiting for biopsy results will be hell. Hopefully we'll be to busy to notice really. Thank-you guys for so much support through this.

[~Christina]

Great News ! I am sure you are relieved

[hamster-bamster]

I have not dealt with removing the tonsils but have dealt with removing the adenoids, with success. Wishing the same to you!

[Br0k3nW1ng3d]

That is excellent news! Thoughts and prayers sent your way!

[BlackPup]

Removing tonsils is quite painful for a week after. My niece just had hers out and children's neurofen (ibuprofen) was her best friend. It worked better than the OxyContin that they gave her.

[Victoria'smom]

Shhh.... don't tell him. We promised him an ice cream diet after. He's really scared of surgery. Hopefully his high pain tolerance helps him. They told us most say it's worse then natural child birth.

[Anika.]

I had my tonsils removed when I was 11 MM, I was quite painful, tho nothing near childbirth... no way. However I hadn't been through childbirth at that point.. so I would have said that too! Now the removal of the cyst and some bone, I think that would be a lot more painful than tonsils..specially the bone and the healing time. Poor guy! I really hope this will all work out very well for him and you.

I did hurt for about 2 weeks or so, I had some severe damage to my tonsils tho. The one thing I remember MM from that surgery, and it was my first.. is that I was really scared, as most kids would be. When I woke up in my room no one was there, my parents were not at the hospital either, we lived in a different town. I felt so confused and out of it from the medications. I got out of my bed and fell flat on my face. A nurse got me back in bed, took out my IV. I got up to go to the bathroom and blood literally started spurting out of my hand from the IV, it was unreal like a bad movie. At that point I was so freaked out I nearly fainted.

I got very panicky and kept trying to call my parents, took me a while to get a hold of them. When he does wake up after try to be near by or there in case he is feeling confused or scared. Those meds really mix you up, and that itself can be very scary.

It sounds like he is in good hands. I will keep your family in my thoughts that everything turns out really well and that his health is restored. I know that waiting period will be really hard, just try to remain positive.

Hehe I was promised ice cream diet too, they gave me popcicles at the hospital as you can't really eat, thing is I could barely eat those either. It is pretty raw feeling especially for the first few days. I don't remember what I was given for pain, I suspect it was tylonal 3.