The Daughter’s last month as a nine-year-old was… interesting. As noted, she’s been rehearsing to be in the church production of The Lion King. The rehearsal for February 23 was very intense, and she did not feel up to going to school that day and missed that night’s rehearsal. But when she was too tired to go the next day, I took her to the doctor. Ultimately, she had a blood test, stayed home Wednesday but went to school Thursday and Friday.
Saturday, March 1 was the Lion King dress rehearsal. Christy, the director, who was featured in this article, had said they could rechoreograph The Daughter’s part. The first time through, she did it as planned, but in subsequent takes, she took the shortcut. I was worried that she’d be too exhausted for the show.
Sunday, March 2: the performance. I wasn’t the only one who commented that she was very good as young Nala, the lion cub. She sang well, she knew all her lines from fairly early on in the rehearsals, and she was definitely one of the best dancers in the show. (Oh, here is King Of Pride Rock/Circle Of Life (Reprise), NOT from the church production.) We went out for dinner with my in-laws, then we went home and she fell asleep on the sofa at 5 p.m.
March 3-7: another truncated week of school. The blood test was negative for Lyme disease and about 14 other things. March 10, she goes to school all day, but by the next morning, she’s having trouble walking. So The Wife takes her to the MD again. Wednesday, March 12, at the advice of the MD and the neurologist, we take her to the ER at Albany Medical Center at about 4 p.m. She doesn’t get admitted until 2:30 a.m., and to her room until 4 a.m. After much poking and prodding and an MRI that lasted an hour before she said, “I can’t do this anymore,” there was only a conclusion about what she did not have: no invasive infection, no Guillain Barre. Out of the hospital that Friday, and she slept 13 hours when she got home.
Next stop: physical therapy. Can this just be extreme growing pains affecting her joints, and the areas above and below, plus her back? I dunno, but I’m hopeful the therapy will make her feel stronger.
Oh jeez, I’ll pray for your daughter. I’m so sorry to hear about this.
When my sister Audrie was 9 she got ill like this for some time, too. I don’t want to fall into the trap of saying “Oh, it’s just…” as if I know what’s going on. But I hope everything gets figured out; I DO know that it’s hard worrying about this sort of thing without knowing for sure what’s causing it. (Audrie’s fine; just finishing her first year at U of Iowa.) Keep us all updated.
I’m so sorry to hear about The Lydster’s problems. Nothing is more horrible than a sick child. As an aside, has she had the HPV shot? A daughter of a friend of ours got the shot and, coincidentally developed MS at the same time. Some of her symptoms sound the same.
Rog,
it’s just growing pains..look how tall she is. I’d rub my boy’s knees with alcohol when he said they hurt. you drink a little and ..just kiddin’
I know how you must be worried, but you’re doing all you need to do.
Roger, I am so sorry to hear about Lydia’s troubles. Her undiagnosed symptoms sound eerily familiar to the various things Jessica has complained of over the years. Aches and pains, numbness, fatigue, headaches, losing sensation in her legs or even losing consciousness. Not Lyme. Not MS. Not fibro mialgia. Maybe just migraines and lack of circulation to the brain. But then Jess will be fine for a long time and we hear no complaints. So weird!