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Success after IF
howleyshell
member
Nurses - please talk me off a ledge re: Dylan (LONG)
howleyshell
member
Dylan's been having some issues - chronic cough, bad dark circles under his eyes, etc. He's always been an easy bruiser. So am I. We're one step above albinos.
Pedi diagnoses reactive airway - mild asthma. (pulse ox = 92 prior to neb treatment, they don't re-test after but pedi says chest sounds better post-neb)
Started albuterol inhaler, cough clears.
I didn't want to use the long term meds the pedi wanted him on so I sought out an asthma and allergy doc for a 2nd opinion.
We walk in the door with no cough, fever, congestion or runny nose and no rescue inhaler use for 4+ days.
Pulse ox = 90.
Allergy testing = negative (but I know he's allergic to something in our back yard)
She says somethings amiss (low pulse ox, no active asthma) and sends us for CBC, IGE and chest x-ray. His pulse ox is up to 95 before we leave - no treatment, nothing. Could they have just gotten a bad read the first time?
I'm STILL waiting to talk to the doc almost a full week later but I finally got out of an MA yesterday that his CBC came back abnormal
low mcv and mch - MA starts talking possible anemia or B12 deficiency. This kid eats fruits and veggies like they're going out of style. Usually raw or just steamed. No way this is a dietary deficiency.
Like a moron I Dr. google.
Now I'm flipping out.
It doesn't help that I just watched "My Sister's Keeper" last week either.
Please tell me that a low mcv and mch is nothing.
I'm shaking in my boots that his WBC was in the tank and she just didn't tell me because she didn't want to freak me out until the Doc was there to talk me off the ledge.
My kid looks like a chemo patient. His eyes are sunken and dark ALL the time.
I'm scared.
What I want is for you to tell me this is nothing.
What I NEED is for you to tell me the truth.
Our IF journey: 1 m/c, 1 IVF with only 3 eggs retrieved yielding Dylan and a lost twin, 1 shocker unmedicated BFP resulting in Jace, 3 more unmedicated pregnancies ending in more losses.
Total score: 6 pregnancies, 5 losses, 2 amazing blessings that I'm thankful for every single day.
Total score: 6 pregnancies, 5 losses, 2 amazing blessings that I'm thankful for every single day.
This discussion has been closed.
Re: Nurses - please talk me off a ledge re: Dylan (LONG)
I know, right?
Don't get me started on how pissed I am that they said we'd have the results either Friday afternoon or Monday (Friday AM appt)
I started calling Tuesday (she wasn't in), they said she'd call me back yesterday so I called around 2 to find out that she wasn't in again.
I get that she may have been ill or had a family emergency but just TELL me that!
I've already decided that I'm not staying with her regardless. That's just insanely poor customer service and like it or not medicine IS a business.
I'm a scared Momma. I need more hand holding than 6 days passing with no communication and no test results.
Total score: 6 pregnancies, 5 losses, 2 amazing blessings that I'm thankful for every single day.
I totally agree! I don't think there is anyway his WBC is in the tank and they wouldn't have let you know about it. When I was at the doctor a few weeks ago they told me that I can always request that the lab send a copy of the results to me in addition to them sending it to the doctor which I never realized so maybe if you can get a copy it will ease your mind a bit over his WBC.
Yes, you can definitely get a bad reading on the pulse oximeter. I wouldn't' even call it a bad reading but it is hard for them to get a reading on such a tiny finger or toe. At our re-check they said Jax was at 72 and I made them re-do it because there was no way he was that low. When the doctor re did it it went up to 97-98. When we were in the hospital last week it was always off, half of the time he had no reading at all.
Daycare is SO exhausting!
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Ahhhhhh! I hate medical stuff. I know how you feel, to an extent...when Cal had a petechial rash and they sent us for a stat CBC, and the results came back normal except for a slightly prolonged PTT (clotting time), I kept wondering if his platelets or WBC were off, or borderline, and no one told us. But that doesn't makes sense. They are in the business of making kids well, and if there were a sign that he was seriously unwell, they would have latched right onto it. Same is true of Dylan, of course. And I agree, while maddening for you, it's a good sign the dr. didn't call you right away with the CBC results. No sense of urgency there. I wonder if they are just slightly lower than normal?
I know you said they did allergy testing - did he have an extensive allergy workup for environmental allergens? When I had allergy testing I had like 100 pinpricks in my back. Dark circles under the eyes is a classic sign of allergies.
You say he eats plenty of fruits/veggies, but what about iron intake? Beans? Meat? Nuts? Raisins?
How's his energy level?
LO #1 - 1 unmedicated/self-monitored IUI w/ donor sperm.
LO #2 - 1 m/c, 2 BFNs, 4th IUI worked (unmedicated/self-monitored with new donor sperm).
Life is beautiful!
LO #1 - 1 unmedicated/self-monitored IUI w/ donor sperm.
LO #2 - 1 m/c, 2 BFNs, 4th IUI worked (unmedicated/self-monitored with new donor sperm).
Life is beautiful!
That's the thing. I don't know that they didn't call because there was no urgency. I'm afraid they didn't call because she hasn't been back in the freaking office since our appointment!
He eats beans about 3-4 times a week (canned usually), raisins 1-2 times a week, red meat 1-2 times a week and spinach at least once a week.
He eats unsalted peanuts or raw almonds for snack at least 2 times a week.
He did not get an extensive allergy work up. Just the regular simple back panel. She said he may just be too young to be testing positive yet - not enough histamine response for the test even though we're seeing symptoms.
Maybe I should push for a more extensive allergy panel?
It does help me to hear you say that the dark circles are classic allergy. I'm terrified that my kid's not getting enough oxygen!!! I'll take allergies any day. My brother has them and had them super bad as a kid so it would make genetic sense.
UGH!!
This doctor can not call fast enough.
Thanks for helping!!
Total score: 6 pregnancies, 5 losses, 2 amazing blessings that I'm thankful for every single day.
THANK YOU!!!
If that pulse ox was a bad reading I feel so much better about all of this.
The 90 with no symptoms or bad chest sounds is what's freaking me out.
And I will request copies of blood work in the future. My personal doc always sends me a copy of mine automatically.
If his WBC was off and no one got in touch with me because the doc's been out of the office I'm gonna be a raging mad Mamma bear.
Total score: 6 pregnancies, 5 losses, 2 amazing blessings that I'm thankful for every single day.
When you said he had dark circles and asthma/reactive airway, I immediately thought allergies. The dark circles are known as allergy shiners and I use that as a gauge to determine when DS needs some allergy meds. DH has allergy induced asthma. Those 2 things combined just scream allergies to me.
I dont know anything about the bloodwork though, sorry. I hope you hear from them soon. The squeaky wheel gets the oil and if you're going to switch docs anyway then annoying them isnt going to hurt anything.
-----Lisa-----
The doc was SO stunned when the back panel all came back negative.
That's why she ordered the IGE.
I wonder why he's testing negative when it's obvious he's got allergies?
Total score: 6 pregnancies, 5 losses, 2 amazing blessings that I'm thankful for every single day.
Hm, I don't know if you should request more testing...I don't know what is recommended for children. I just found this link - good info:
https://www.drpaul.com/library/ALLERGYSIGNS.html
LO #1 - 1 unmedicated/self-monitored IUI w/ donor sperm.
LO #2 - 1 m/c, 2 BFNs, 4th IUI worked (unmedicated/self-monitored with new donor sperm).
Life is beautiful!
On the allergy front I am positive some of Jax's reactive airway issues are from allergies because when we are at my mom's house in New Jersey for a few days in a row he is better than when we are at our house in Delaware. The pedi agrees with me and we talked about getting him allergy tested at 6 months but she also warned us that nothing may show at this point.
In regards to the IgE test we were told that it is more of a range-negative to high but something you test low for you may be getting a large reaction from. There is even a chance that you may be allergic from something you tested negative for because their bodies just haven't built up enough of the antibody yet for it to show.
I am so frustrated for you, I hope you get some answers soon!
Daycare is SO exhausting!
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This.
I am so sorry you are dealing with this and really hope someone lets you know soon what is going on. (((HUGS)))
Total score: 6 pregnancies, 5 losses, 2 amazing blessings that I'm thankful for every single day.
FWIW, there are some anemias out there that are absorption issues, instead of a lacking diet.
People with pernicious anemia can't absorb the dietary B12, so they have to get it another route. Normally, an IM injection once a month...and they are fine.
Another FWIW, this totally sounds like allergies to me. The dark circles are classic for that. If his O2 was really compromised, I think you would be seeing lots of other signs.
The low MCV and MCH honestly doesn't concern me...you can check it again in a month and it will probably be fine. I've seen a million CBCs come back that way and MDs completely ignore it and write it off as benign.
Also, unless he was sitting perfectly still and the sat probe was on correctly, they can be wrong.
I think you need to step down off the ledge, take a deep breath and try to remember that 99% of the time, this is NOTHING. Seriously. If you hear hoofbeats, think horses, not zebras.
Keep us posted!!
Howley, I am not a nurse, but Reed is a patient in an allergy study here. He was tested for allergies at age 1 and they tested him for tonnes of things using the back panel. The nurses who tested him said that seasonal allergies can develop over time and don't always show up.
Ok not a nurse but a therapist here . So yes the pulse ox can be wrong = not sensible for him to be 90 % at rest - As a therapist we need pateints above 90 on Room air to work .When they do it if your hands are cold you can get a bad reading - also they need to verify the pulse that correlates with the pulse ox is correct .
FYI if your bw was done with labcorp = you can call their 800 # and in certain states they can fax you the results - I did this for my results and they faxed it right to my house .Only certain states and certain tests .
Also dont freak about the WBC count as there is so much more that would go into a bad diagnosis . I know you are freaking but if there was a very serious result they really would have called you tonight . I hope this helps and you get answers asap . Good luck