"Letting go" follow-up: Any Infectious disease specialists out there???

<p>jym hope your s survived his day of classes. The penguins are all rooting for his good health to return.</p>

<p>momofthree, musicmom, cangel, andi, berurah, anxiousmom and anyone I forgot to mention--
Thanks for your thoughts and kind words. And soccermom, I am so sorry to hear of your loss. That is just awful, and frightening. So, I've added coccidiomyosis (valley fever) and hantavirus as other scary things for the ID doc to double check. I strongly suspect my son will bring up none of this when he begrudgingly goes to see the ID doc. He is feeling better today, though the headache returned. Maybe that's because he went to all his classes. If I took the kind of courses he takes, I'd have a headache too!</p>

<p>I suggested that he could use this as an opportunity to get a temporary pass to park in a better place on campus-- perhaps to get a temporary handicapped sticker or something. He thought I was nuts, and wanted nothing to do with it. He said if he didn't feel well enough to drive, he'd go over to campus with one of his roommates. Stubborn.... He must get that from his dad :)</p>

<p>And andi--please tell the pengiuns thank you for me :) I thought of you when we saw the penguins at our new aquarium. As an aside, if any of you come to Atlanta, you MUST go to the aquarium. Really incredible. But don't waste your $ on the 4-D movie. It was quite silly if you are over the age of 8.</p>

<p>jym~</p>

<p>I am so relieved to hear that your son is feeling a bit better! I suspect my son would have done the EXACT same thing...return to college and go at it full force the first day! It sure is hard to stop those determined types, isn't it?? At any rate, let us know what happens when he follows up with the ID specialist. Here's hoping for the most mundane diagnosis ever! love, ~berurah</p>

<p>Thanks berurah --(and thanks to all of you,whose name I may have inadvertently neglected to mention- but please know that I have read and appreciate all comments and good wishes).</p>

<p>I just saw DS on line and said a quick "hi". He was actually getting off to go to bed--said he was still quite tired and knew he needed to get as much sleep as possible. I am glad he's being reasonable!</p>

<p>Well, DS got in to see the infectious disease specialist in Houston today. He felt DS was just beyond the incubation period for Dengue Fever, and (without running any more labs) said that he didn't believe he has any of the other bugaboos we were worried about (though I kinda wish he had run the titre for coccydiodmycosos <valley fever=""> at the very least). Said he felt DS was "on the mend" but has been fighting a pretty bad case of pneumonia. He also said that with the variety of antibiotics they've been pumping into DS's system as we went from Dr. to Dr. , he should be able to fight off other bacterial things if in fact he had picked something up in Nicaragua. He was feeling better today, though still coughing.</valley></p>

<p>OK, so all is great right?? He calls to say that since it is a long weekend, his gf wants him to fly to see her!! :eek: Apparently there is a very cheap special fare round trip from Houston to her city, but is not available the other way around. He told gf he'd have to check with me (smart kid), as it makes me the heavy. He KNEW what I'd say. For cryin' out loud, they just spent 10 days together 2 weeks ago! I wasn't too happy with that plan. I said if she really cared about him, she'd want him to take care of himself and get better (a little guilt induction, I know..). He felt that if he went this weekend, he'd be able to spend more time without missing any classes. I still told him what I thought about this idea. </p>

<p>Then I called DH (who is out of town) and asked his opinion. He planned to call DS as well, so I didn't have to be the heavy by myself. Besides, he words things better than I do. </p>

<p>I know GF won't be all too happy. Sorry.</p>

<p>jym~</p>

<p>I'm SO relieved to hear that the diagosis looks like "only" pneumonia!! Jeeze, never thought I'd be saying something like THAT! <em>lol</em> I'm so happy to hear that it looks as it your S is on the mend. I think you and your dh are wise to counsel him to stay and rest this weekend. I'm sure his gf will understand, especially once she thinks about it a bit.</p>

<p>Here's hoping a full recovery is on the way! love, ~berurah</p>

<p>berurah-
Thanks SO MUCH for you kind thoughts! I just finished reading your s's gf's thread. She sounds like she has a level head on her shoulders!! And do let her know that you don't have to be that close to your bf to maintain a good relationship. Flights are very affordable, and discount airlines fly in and out of Raleigh-Durham. My s. sometimes feels that there are advantages to having a long distance relationship. When he's at school he can really focus on his studies, and is motivated to be organized and get ahead (when possible) so that they can spend some weekends together. Worth thinking about...</p>

<p>I'm relieved too, jym626. This was one scary thread! Tell the girlfriend to chill. In a nice way, of course :)!</p>

<p>jym626: My advice is to check on you son closely. A few years a ago my son went to Israel for six weeks. He came for his senior year of H.S., and played football. He developed a raised bump on his cheek, just below his right eye. He said it was just the granulated rubber pellets that are used on the artificial turf he played on. So, we let it be.</p>

<p>The season ended, and it dis not get better; in fact it got more inflamed. So, off he went to the dermatologist. A biopsy was taken, and three weeks later -- after going through deep analysis -- the dr. said he did not know what it was, but it was just inflamed and gave him a cortisone shot. It got a little better and we thought all was good. It was not, the inflamation came back. Another visit, another shot. And so on.</p>

<p>Finally, he was in Houston visiting his then girlfriend. The GF's mom said, "I want you to go to my Dr." and off they went. Guess what, he picked up leishmaniasis in Israel. When he got to Tulane it was confirmed with biopsies and slides sent to the CDC. A special antibiotic formula was developed, and 20 straight days of infusion therapy ensued. </p>

<p>More than two years later he is close to being "well." So, my advice is search for an answer.</p>

<p>What is leeishmaniasis? Like I said, this is one scary thread.</p>

<p>Concerneddad-
:eek: :eek: :eek: I was just beginning to feel better. Now MORE to worry about!!!! AAAGGGHHHH!!!! I would hope that the ID doc he saw today would have had a long list of "rule-outs" in his head to consider before he sprung my s. from his office. </p>

<p>I am so sorry to hear about your s. How is he doing all the way around (health/school/EMT work. etc). And I am really sorry to hear he still has residual effects from the parasites? Any permanent liver damage or anything?? </p>

<p>Interestingly, there was an article in yesterday's paper about the diseases people pick up from travelling abroad. It listed the person who heads the local research clinic --- wish I'd seen that article a week ago before we went from pillar to post here. I'll see if I can find a link to the article that doesnt require a registration to the newspaper and I'll post it. Hope your son is doing better.</p>

<p>It looks like the article was written by a staff writer for the Atlanta Journal/Constitution- I can't find another way to get the article. As it is copywrited, I'll post the first few paragraphs. Scary article. It says 1 in 12 travellers picks up stuff. Another article says a lot of stuff is accidentally transmitted in airplane bathrooms!! <<note to="" self:="" go="" before="" you="" get="" on="" the="" plane!!="">></note></p>

<p>Any interested reader can pull up the full article. Here it is:</p>

<p>Illnesses hitch a ride in travelers
Destinations provide clues, study shows
M.A.J. McKenna - Staff
Thursday, January 12, 2006</p>

<p>"One out of every 12 travelers who visit the developing world becomes sick enough after returning to require a doctor's care, with some falling ill months after their trips have ended, according to a study of more than 17,000 travelers seen at an international network of clinics, including one in Atlanta. </p>

<p>The frequency of those illnesses --- which ranged from parasitic skin infections to hepatitis to malaria --- demonstrates that diseases commonly enter industrialized countries via passengers, such as those who spread SARS three years ago and others who might someday transport avian influenza, said the study's authors, who include researchers at Emory University and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.......... "</p>

<p>I had/have CFS for a few years ... my parents travelled alot so growing up i have been to africa/asia etc and i admit i sometimes wonder if i picked up something along the way that lead to a low immune system. </p>

<p>Strangely enough we think it was the cortisone treatment for pneumonia and then a double case of mono that lead to CFS developing.. it was not any international bug that we know of. Try not to get too paranoid but do keep your eyes open just in case :) I was never too worried about local bugs like mono but i always got freaked out by the exotic unknown bugs </p>

<p>It sounds like you are doing a great job being on top of things Jym!</p>

<p>Pneumonia is horrible, I am glad to hear that your son is recovering. I just wanted to say be careful if they do put him on cortisone ..obviously i am slightly paranoid due to my own experiences but i just thought i would mention it just in case</p>

<p>Jym, I am sorry to hear about your son and hope he is doing better (if he wants to visit girlfriend, he must not be "dragging" as much now, I hope). I am sorry I never read this thread until now. </p>

<p>Actually, my younger daughter was believed to have Dengue Fever when she was 12. It was never a confirmed diagnosis but that is what the doctors here believed she had. She got this after a trip we took to Turks and Caicos. I had never even heard of Dengue until they told me they suspected she had it. The internet can be great for gathering information but I will never forget how I felt that night when I started to research Dengue and all the "possibilities". It was the last thing I needed...I was a nervous wreck about the what ifs. In some ways, it was a little like mono because she was dreadfully weak. She couldn't make it through school. She had to miss quite a bit. It lasted a few weeks. It was pretty bad but not really treatment for it. Unlike you, we don't live in a big city and so there was no firm diagnosis from what I recall. It fit the description of Dengue and that's what the local doctors told us she had most likely. I've tried to forget about it but now your thread reminds me of that whole deal and I can say, as you all can, that the worst part of being a parent is when your child is either ill or injured and you feel that you can't fix it and also tons of worry and concern. I have been a very lucky parent in this regard but the Dengue is a bad memory and so was intensive care and having a very injured child from a car wreck. So, I don't have a lot to offer you other than an experience with Dengue and also being a mom of a child who had that or just a mom of a child who was ill or injured. Luckily these are just awful memories and things do improve. Good luck and keep us posted. </p>

<p>Susan</p>

<p>jym626,</p>

<p>So glad to know things are looking up. I think you should FEEL NO GUILT over your thinking he should not travel. Travel is taxing when one is WELL, and the GF will show her true colors if she can't get it!</p>

<p>All the best to you all!</p>

<p>JYM: I'm so glad he is feeling better! :) Scary stuff, and it makes one want to tell one's kid, "stay home!" instead of "head out to see the wild world and travel abroad." Since I am an "anxiousmom", I worried about my daughter in Brazil (all those parasites, malaria), in China (all that toxic pollution), and unfortunately I'll be worrying about her through Mexico, Argentina or wherever else she travels in the future. Sigh! Well, I hope your DS has no lasting aftereffects and is cured totally. Glad he is staying in Houston, instead of jetsetting off for a weekend....</p>

<p>Thanks again, everyone-</p>

<p>kyedor- I still think about your son's foot problems and how long it took for them to diagnose it. Ouch!</p>

<p>Sid- Sorry about the CFS. It can be quite debilitating. I will be sure to watch out for cortisone. thanks for the heads-up. </p>

<p>soozie- thanks for the kind words. Gosh, your d's accident was horrible enough. Didn't mean to stir up old bad memories :( I am glad she has come through it all. It is awful when we have a sick or injured kid. Agree absolutely with that feeling of helplessness. As an aside- how's older d. doing this ski season??</p>

<p>mstee and momofthree-
The gf is starting to slip on my list. Shes cute, but..... </p>

<p>Anxiousmom-
Hi!! I'd forgotten your d. had been such a traveller. Please tell her to be careful when she is out of the country. You do have good reason to be anxious!</p>

<p>Hazmat-
Fortunately no quarantine or anything. But if was possibly something contagious and dangerous SARS or the bird flu or something awful like that, I can understand why a school would err on the side of caution and isolate the person until they are diagnosed or cleared. There are required protocols to follow. When they thought my s. had e-coli a year or so ago, we were fielding calls from the County Health Dept. This is all required and regulated. Public safety gets top priority.</p>

<p>I couldn't help myself-- I called him to be SURE he hadn't gone to the airport. He did the right thing. He stayed put.</p>

<p>So glad to hear your son took your advice and might? get some rest!
My 19 yo son would be equally hard to suppress.
Hope yours continues to improve. Pneumonia just awful. No need for anything more exotic!
I do think you are hitting just the perfect blend of 'worried mom' and 'he's-an-adult-now mom"! Best to you.</p>

<p>
[quote]
I do think you are hitting just the perfect blend of 'worried mom' and 'he's-an-adult-now mom"!

[/quote]

musicmom-
Can I enlarge this, email it to my h and kids, frame it and hang it on my wall?!!?? Thank you, thank you, thank you :)</p>

<p>Jym, I agree...that line is priceless....frame it, send it, lol. </p>

<p>I should add that my kids have been extremely healthy, no problem types so I feel lucky. I had forgotten about the Dengue really and yeah, that was worrisome, plus reading about the variations of it just got me more worried, if you know what I mean. Until my child was in the car crash this past March, I truly never really had to go through much with either kid, though again, any sickness or anything with a child does put a mom thorugh the ringer. And last March in the hospital, I saw so many truly sick children with bad bad things with poor prognosis, that I counted myself lucky. I lived there for ten days with my kid, some of those were in intensive care and some on the children's wing, and it is not a nice place to be. I'm still lucky because even though my kid went through a lot (and I surely did), she's still here and now a healthy kid. I can't imagine what some parents must go through. </p>

<p>You asked about older D and skiing and it is funny because when I wrote my earlier post this evening, that was fully on my mind but I chose not to mention it. However, now that you ask.....today was my daughter's first college ski race of the season. She is currently in NH at a three week training camp with the Brown ski team. I travelled real far today to attend this race. It was incredibly warm out which was lovely for spectators but not so great for ski conditions. Climbing up that mountain and standing amongst many other parents, some were nervous when their kid came down and wanted them to do well. I am never nervous about how well mine may do but the whole time she is carreening at break neck speed down the course, I am nervous and praying, "don't get hurt" to myself. Today was no exception. I've seen a lot. Last year, stood next to one parent from team as her child crashed and came down on a sled and she was out the season and is not back at it this year. Today, standing next to the only other Vermont parent, whose D is a freshman on the team, the mom was remarking as her D was coming down that the main thing is she didn't want her to get hurt and thinks her D might be cautious as she was injured the past two seasons, so I'm commenting as she nears the finish, "great run" and just as she is in the last gate, she crashed through the finish. Mom runs. Her D is taken to hospital, and thankfully it is not horrible but just torn ligaments in her shoulder. Not great, could be worse. Her D is about to leave the team for a week to go with her freshman seminar to Belize for a week and I guess she can still go. Second run, the forerunner (the person sent down who is not officially in the race but runs the course first to "test" out that it is OK, crashes badly. They hold the race up to get this person down in a sled and I have not heard how badly the person was hurt. This took a while and my D was at the top of the course waiting to go. I don't know what goes through their minds when they see this. I know what goes through MY mind though! My kid goes and I'm trembling to myself, "don't get hurt"....I'm terrible. Others are talking of nervousness about how good they do but this is all that I can think about! Turns out that my daughter had the BEST race of her collegiate career so far (well, she is just a soph and it is the first race of this season).....was her best result and she was thrilled though it is more about the team. I am not sure if her team came in first or second. This won't mean much if you don't know the GREAT competition amongst some really well trained racers that were there, many who were ahead of her last year, but she came in sixth in the first fun, eighth in the second and seventh overall. There were about 65 racers. I think this was the first time she broke the top ten in college racing. She was second for Brown, which for her is quite amazing. You have to realize how close it can get. Brown's best girl was in second, only 7/100's of a second out of first after two total runs. So, good day for my D....she did not get hurt, thank God, but also just a real cool accomplishment and what a way to start the season. For me? I'm still nervous because of the racing in general (though she has never been hurt) but also the conditions. It is to rain tomorrow, still very warm....I won't be there but they have to be in the van at 5:50 AM and they plan to start the race extremely early due to weather but I am just nervous that the conditions will not be safe. So, yes, this was all on my mind when I wrote the previous post. It was a great day for my daughter but seeing others get injured really does affect me. I hope that other person is going to be OK. Like I said, this part of being a parent....if your kid gets sick or hurt, is the worst part of our "job". </p>

<p>The thing about the Dengue was also not really having clear cut answers and just worried what it was and it also lasted a while....and like I said, READING about Dengue really threw me. My mind was drawn to the what if's due to reading about it. Not good.</p>