<p>Jym - the "rash with fever" is the petechiae that you read about - rash before fever or rash after fever, not as worrisome.
I know about those hard headed men! He needs to understand that a little rest and TLC this first week back will allow him to get through those 20 hours without totally screwing up his GPA.
Let us know how he does.</p>
<p>achat, bridie, cangel, liland-
Wow. I can hardly keep up with your quick responses and helpful info. I didn't know that he could still get malaria, even with the antimalarials! That's scary. I just received a PM (thank you!!), sharing with me that Chris Mathews, of MSNBC had been in the ICU after his malaria was initially misdiagnosed. Whew! this is all scary stuff. </p>
<p>I am going to be a pain in my s's a-s for the next few days to be sure he is taking proper care of himself and is doing all the appropriate follow-up care. He will take the chest films back to college with him. As the trip to Nicaragua was a college sponsored activity, I believe they have a vested interest in being sure he is o.k.</p>
<p>He drives to/from campus, but the parking lot is way far away - by the football staduim, so he has a hike to get to classes from the lot. I will suggest that he see if he can get a temporary. parking pass on campus closer to classes, but I suspect he'll laugh at me for that one.</p>
<p>even if it si just pnewumonia, he'll still have to take it easy to get better. I hope he'll use his common sense.</p>
<p>Thanks to all of you for your concern. I'll keep you posted.</p>
<p>Oh--- by the way--- did I mention that he also got bitten by a scorpion while he was inNicaragua?!!? The luggage with the health kit didn't arrive for 5 days (non of the luggage made it), so there wasn't much he could do. His arm swelled like crazy and his lips were numb for 3 days. Shsseh. When it rains, it pours</p>
<p>jym626, here's a link to a faculty member at Baylor (Chief of ID at Ben Taub) whose research and clinical interests are in tropical medicine. Sounds like he would be a good resource for your son. Hope he feels better soon!</p>
<p>Thanks quiltguru!!!
I've emailed the link to my s (who is sitting one floor below me at the moment).
The other small victory out of all this is that I dragged my younger s. wigh me when we went back to the urgent care clinic todaay and got him a flu shot. Better late than never!</p>
<p>Hi jym -</p>
<p>Thought I'd put my 2 cents in as well. My husband returned from a business trip in West Africa with similar symptoms....the worst were extremely high fever & delirium. He actually walked in the door from the airport cab, tried to sit and missed the chair, he was so out of it. After much testing, we found he had a strain of E.coli. The intestinal distress started about 24 hours later...and he was ill for about two weeks. </p>
<p>From the meds you describe, it sounds like they are covering your son for anything related to this. And you are right, your son's school takes very good care of their kids and will have good access to specialists over at the Medical Center, if needed. Please let me know if you need a doc's name, I have family who have worked at Methodist and St. Joe's (you won't want him there...lol!) who can recommend...</p>
<p>Jym626, </p>
<p>I am sorry to hear about your sons troubles. It does seem he had a run of bad luck. I was just thinking that it could be an idea to tell the disability unit at the university of the situation. At least that way if he does crash during semester they are aware of the situation and can hopefully fight for him if he is too ill at the time to do so. It may sound dramatic but it could save him alot of effort down the track if thigns do get wobbely. I hope it doesnt come to that though :) good luck!</p>
<p>Jym, after this, your son is a world traveler who can really take care of himself even in places where the level of comfort is not the same as in the western world. Kudos to your son!!</p>
<p>sid, ldmom. achat,</p>
<p>Yes, I am beginning to think that if it weren't for bad luck, he'd have no luck at all!</p>
<p>I'll keep you posted.</p>
<p>Dengue is like the flu where we live. Here are the pertinent pieces of information. First of all, the spectrum of symptoms is broad with the first infection. A person might not even know they have Dengue- they might think they have 'the flu'. On the other hand, they can have high fevers, 'break bone' pain, rashes, headaches. Very sick. It is with the second case that the hemorrhagic pattern comes. There are 4 varieties and if you are infected the 2nd time with a different type, you get much sicker and the hemorrhagic risk increases. </p>
<p>This is a viral illness. The mosquito is a different mosquito than transmits malaria. It is a 'day biter' and you can identify the mosquitos as they are slower flying and have striped legs (I am not kidding!). The febrile pattern is not as clear cut as it is with malaria (which is more specifically cyclical). Malaria has specific medications to prevent and treat- but Dengue does not...treatment is supportive.</p>
<p>The key variable monitored is the platelet count. If you suspect Dengue you are typically told not to use ibuprofen or aspirin...acetominophen is the preferred medication for pain and fever. If the platelet count gets low enough, transfusion is the treatment. Keeping well hydrated is important in terms of fever control and general well being. The typical drop in platelet count is well recognized and to some degree predictable. This is important.</p>
<p>Dengue mosquitos are less picky than the anopheles mosquitos that cause malaria. The malaria mosquitoes only like clean water, the dengue mosquitoes will breed most anywhere and so they are more wide spread (at least where we live).</p>
<p>Hope this helps. If it were me I would not send him anywhere until you have a diagnosis or have ruled out a few things (including mono)...since you are in/near a major city with a big epidemoiology resource, hopefully lab tests can be done relatively easily...</p>
<p>Thanks robyrm!
I would love to keep him home, as he is upstairs shivering under the covers as I type. I don't think he'll stay here, as much as I would like to insist. I'll be sure he's using acetominophen. I believe the ibuprofen was upsetting his stomach.
As I soted above, the routine CBC was normal yesterday. Is this helpful to you, Robyrm, one way or another, in making your reccs?</p>
<p>jym~</p>
<p>Oh, honey, I'm SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO sorry that your S is so sick right now! How frightening to not only not have a diagnosis, but to also be faced with the prospect of his leaving again for school! Honestly, jym, I would hesitate to allow him to leave while in such poor health. I know how those kids can be...my son would be the exact same way, but I would be nervous as to whether he would get the proper care and as to whether he would even bother to even seek it while on his own at school. I really hope that you can convince him to stay until he has a diagnosis and proper treatment. This is just one of those bumps in life's road, but you sure want to make sure it doesn't turn into a huge mountain. Please keep us posted about his diagnosis, treatment, and his response to treatment. I will be thinking good thoughts for him and also for you.....{{{{{{{HUGS}}}}}}}</p>
<p>love, ~berurah</p>
<p>Jym, no medical knowledge here, but wishes and prayers for you and your son.</p>
<p>Jym, I'm so sorry also! Any chance you can hop on a plane with him, and make sure he gets settled in (and to the clinic, and to the grocery store for some cans of chicken soup)? I'm sending positive, healing thoughts towards your son. I hope he gets well soon.</p>
<p>Sending healing energy your son's way!! XO, SB</p>
<p>berurah, over30, sbmom, anxiousmom-
Thanks to all of you. Lots of phonecalls back and forth tonight. Bottom line- we we'll park ourselves at his primary care doc's office at 8 am and get him to get us a referral to a local infectious disease specialist tomorrow. Doesn't look like he'll be on that plane tomorrow. we'll take it one day at a time...</p>
<p>jym626, My heart goes out to you. I think youre doing the right thing in keeping him home until you're satisfied he's 100%. I can appreciate how disappointing and frustrating it would be for a college kid to be at home and sick instead of in college where he belongs, but this sounds to me too serious for him to be separated from his family just yet.</p>
<p>I'm no doctor but I live in the same country as Robyrm where dengue, malaria, and typhoid (or paratyphoid or whatever the whole group is called) are common. Every month someone from my office staff is hospitalized with some dire illness, and these are middle class people. Even in the tropics, accurate diagnosis is difficult and treatment involves a fair amount of trial and error with bed-rest as the common denominator. They've all fully recovered but the time out of work has been variable.</p>
<p>Take good care and keep us posted.</p>
<p>I also hope you keep us posted. I am not so worried about the transfer of illness but the ramifications if the school should feel compelled to isolate him. I know students/faculty who were isolated during SARS and it was not pleasant for any of them. Daily checking and inconvenient.</p>
<p>I can identify with you as my son has come down with a few obscure illnesses that were difficult to diagnose. He had mono in 8th grade. Then he got a rare virus on the bottom of his feet (herpes family) that was only documented in 26 people in the US and supposedly occured seasonally and in his early/mid teen age group. He could not walk for about a month (had to move about on a carpeted furniture mover. When I finally rented a wheelchair, he was able to walk wearing tempurpedic slippers. I wish your son a speedy recovery!!!</p>
<p>Obscure illnesses are the worst, so much more stressful and confusing. I am glad you got a diagnosis kyedor (that sure does sound rare) and i hope you get some answers from the specialist Jym... Best of luck!</p>