and she explains .....

I started this blog off as if my readers (who will come, right?) were a part of the story all along.  Umm.  Duh on me  :-D

So allow me to explain the updates about girlchild.

Sunday night she started feeling bad and went to bed early.  She wasn't 'sick' ... no fever, no cough, just felt bad.  Monday morning she was pale, nauseous and still feeling bad.  I allowed her to stay home from school and she slept all day.   Tuesday was a repeat of Monday. 

Since she is anemic I thought her iron might be low and didn't take her to the doctor.  It is hard to get appointments w/o fevers, coughs, etc ...esp during flu season.

Wednesday she went to school but grew very tried and felt bad and left school early.

Thursday I went to her room to wake her up around 7am and it looked as if she had pink eye (btdt, too many times) so I told her to go back to sleep and we'd go to Urgent Care to get meds when she woke up.  

She woke up around 10 am and her eyes were even more swollen and red.  The right eye was much worse than the left.  The swelling included her cheek.  She said she had woke up at 3am and felt an intense pain in her right eye.  She was still in pain and due to that and the swelling, I gave her Motrin.

By the time we got to Urgent Care the swelling had decreased but she was still hurting.

The doctor first talked to us, listened to how her week had gone.  Looked at her throat, her ears ... listened to her chest.  Then he looked at her eyes.   After looking at her eyes he turns to me and says, "Mom, I have never seen anything like this.  I cannot treat her because I do not know what is wrong.  She needs to go see an eye specialist, today.  I am going to get you an appointment and I will be right back.".

Yes, my heart fell. 

It is at this time 12:00 pm.   I let my job know I would not be coming in for my shift.

As we gather the new doctor information (directions, etc) the nurse tells me to not let GC eat or drink until she sees the eye specialist, "just in case."   Yes, my heart fell some more.

We come home and she lays down and sleeps. 

Fast forward to the eye doctor.

The doctor reads the 'story' of GC's week, looks at her eyes and turns to me and asks, "Is there a history of autoimmune disorders in the family?".   I tell her there is not.

She continues the exam.   Apologizes  to GC for causing her pain :-(

After she is finished she tells me:  Both of her eyes are inflamed.  The right is worse than the left but it is also inflamed.   I am giving her two prescriptions to treat them but they are not the problem, I am only able to treat the symptoms  I suspect they are a symptom of a larger medical issue.  That is why I asked about autoimmune disorders in the family.  Inflammation can travel your body and settle anywhere ... including the eyes.  She needs to be tested and I am sending her to an RA for evaluation.

My heart plummeted.   I am torn.  I feel fear and ...... relief?  Relief?   Yes.  Because for 14 years, since she was 3, this child has had so many unexplained "episodes.".  Unexplained fevers, exhaustion, pains.   She's been seen by a Gastirologist, an Urologist ...... so many doctors.  Never an RA.  Will we finally get answers we've been looking for?