Conference moira::parenting

    
    Maybe I'm a 'worry wart' but I'd give the dtr. a call today
    and make an appointment.  It may be nothing but at least you
    have piece of mind knowing that your daughter is o.k..
    
    -Chris

I watch them and see if I can figure it out, and if the complaining continues
I see a doctor.  Sometimes we have never figured it out and it goes away on
its own.  Other times the doctor or the kid or the parent is able to come
up with an explanation.  I'd rather be safe than sorry, but it may take me
a couple/few days to go to the doctor depending on how loud the complaining is.

     Carol

	I'd continue to watch it, and stay in touch with the doctor.

	For what it's worth, my daughter Emily has recently become
	obsessed with the doctor.  Last week I had a routine appointment
	for myself, and Emily kept insisting it was not my turn to 
	see the doctor, but hers.

	Also, she did not want to go to daycare yesterday, and when 
	asked why, she said, "Lauren spits on me".  We mentioned
	this to her provider, who said she'd never seen any of the
	kids spit, and that Emily and Lauren get along great.

	Emily's 6 month old brother razzes and drools alot, which
	Emily calls spitting, and I'm guessing that prompted the comment.

	Last night, Emily fussed getting into bed, and insisted she
	had a boo-boo on her knee.  I checked her knee, kissed it,
	she said it was better, and she went to bed.

	I'm just wondering if your daughter is combining a lot of
	play/pretend things and coming up with the arm "problem" ...

	You might want to bounce that off the pedi, too.

	Karen

re: .0

I do not think you are underreacting.  I think this call is among the most 
difficult a parent has to make.  The consequences of underreacting can be 
severe (if for no other reason than you feel awful), but yet I would bet that 
most parents of grown children have sent children to school despite a claim 
of a "stomach ache".

Clay

I broke my arm roller skating one afternoon.   I think I was 8 or 9.   My
parents didn't believe me and I didn't go to the Doctor for over a week, until
my complaining about helping with the dishes got too much for them to bare.  
Sure enough, it was broken.

I know your daughter doesn't have a broken arm, but if something is wrong, she
should be the first to tell you.   


Katie

I took her in this morning.  Of course on the way in she said
she was all better and didn't need to see the doctor (when did
she get so old"?).  The doctors initial thought was she may be
"acting", especially after watching her climb up to the table
using both hands and arms.  

But...after checking her collarbone she suspected a hairline
fracture on her right side.  It was tender to the doctors
touching and had a different "feel" than the left side.  Well three 
x-rays later (needed just the right position) the doctor
couldn't see anything confirming her diagnosis.  She has
sent the x-rays to be interpretted by a radiologist(sp?).

Meanwhile she also gave Lauren a blood test to insure there
isn't an infection of some sort causing the pain.  Lauren 
recovered from the trauma of the blood test much sooner than
I did (I'm one of those folks that hate shots).

I should hear more today.  Thanks for the replies.

	Please keep us posted!

	Karen

    re. a few back --
    
    I tend to take it reasonably seriously.  You know, check the kid
    out fore and aft and keep an eye on it.  If they seem "off" --
    feverish, achy, listless, etc. -- then I call the doctor.  Generally
    speaking, the aches and pains of toddlerhood come and go pretty
    quickly. 
    
    I've also found with my 6-year-old that "I don't feel good" means "I
    need some extra TLC."
    
    And yes, Clay, i wish I had a nickel for every time my mom sent me to
    school with a stomach ache!!

    This sounds sooooo familiar.  My 4 year old - Jocelyn - has a "phantom"
    leg pain that she has had since she was at least 2 years old.  I was
    totally convinced that there was something seriously wrong since when
    she complained, she actually cried, limped, and then when she tried to
    walk, she actually fell down.  I called the Dr. and we took her in the
    next day (although she was showing NO more symptoms) and he found
    nothing wrong with her.  This has happened SEVERAL times since then and
    I started writing on a calendar WHICH leg it was and found out that it
    actually was changing.
    
    Now, at 4, Jos still has these "pains" and I think they are REAL pains
    to her but we generally ignore them.  We also test her in asking her to
    "go get her favorite book" or "go get whatever" when she's in one of
    these pain times and she miraculously heals.  This also never happens
    at daycare or anywhere else.  I do think some of this is real pain but
    part of it is for sympathy and part may just be growing pains.  She
    actually complains about her leg sometimes and we take her in and find
    out she has an ear infection - go figure.  I guess to her - ANYTHING
    that is wrong gets focused on her leg.
    
    Kids are great but they're pretty tough to figure out at times.  I
    guess that's what keeps us on our toes as parents...
    
    Cindy

With regard to leg pains in children ...

1) is teh pain worse at night ?
2) does the child appear to have ants in the pants ?  Forever moving legs ...
   still for a few seconds, and then moved ... then moved then moved ...
3) is it worse when the child is very tired and even worse when over-tired ?

If so, then you might want to talk to your doctor about Restless Legs Syndrome.

It is usually associated with people over 40, but  is known to occur in
children.  My siblings have it ... my niece has it.

I suffered from it from as early as I can remember and still do ... it is
one of the under-diagnosed inflictions of the modern age ... about 1 in 10
suffer from it, but most people think it's only them or because it seems
worse with tiredness or stress it is put down to a side effect of stress.
But it is a real ailment related to dopamine levels in the brain in a way
not dissimilar to Parkinsons disease (but not related).

For adults, there are a number of medicinal treatments that exist ... but
there is no cure.  It was not a recognized illness until recently and work
is going on to seek better treatment, since it can interfere with the
quality of life, although it does not impact longevity at all.

If you want more info, please write to me and I can give you a bit more info
and an address for a support group ... so you can educate your Dr if need be
... I know I have had to educate several Doctors!!!!

Stuart

    Before I have to split and while I remember ...
    
    The Restless Legs Syndrome Foundation
    1904 Banbury Road
    Raleigh
    NC  27608-1120
    
    

    Stuart -
    
    Thanks for this info.  Jocelyn does complain much more when she's tired
    or over-tired and always in the evenings.  She doesn't do the constant
    leg moving however.  It also seems to be better in the last year or so
    than it use to.  But it almost seems to come and go in bursts - I think
    she's doing much better or I've basicly forgotten about it and then she
    has another "spell".  We NEVER mention it so the spells aren't due to
    her all of a sudden remembering the attention she might get from it.
    
    I will write to the Restless Legs Syndrome Foundation for more info. 
    Now you've certainly got my curiosity aroused.
    
    Thanks
    
    Cindy