Talk me down (update in post #17)

[sheandaru]

I may be overreacting, but this has been a long couple of weeks and I just want to make sure I'm in the clear here.

It all started when Timothy swallowed a button battery a few weeks ago. It passed, thankfully, with clear chest x-rays and a clear barium swallow. At the same time, he had cold symptoms (cough, runny nose, no fever).

Fast forward to last week when I started noticing what I was sure were pee shivers. I even posted a video of it over in the EC forum just to make sure. To go along with these shivers (which I only started noticing when he woke up from naps), Timothy will occasionally tilt his head to the side.

Yesterday, while I was taping him chasing the vacuum (hilarious, btw), he did the head tilt right before he started crawling and then fell.

I thought surely it was just a fluke, but he did it again this morning. He just seems to be extra clumsy, kind of grumpy, still has a runny nose, but no fever. I'll also mention he started drooling a LOT today. The drool & mouth breathing could be runny nose related, but I just wanted to note it.

He's also spitting up several times a day, is 99% breastfed--occasional bites of food, but it inevitably comes back up.

After his second(!) nap this morning, the "pee shiver" was more of a grimace and he seems upset right afterward. I have that on video, too. Will post if it would be helpful. Then while changing him shortly afterward, he did a full body stiffening thing for a few seconds. It was strange.

Really, I want someone to tell me to chill out and talk me out of rushing him to the ER.

[maeby]

my baby did the whole body stiffing thing sometimes for no reason, usually during diaper changes.

but i read your blog and it freaked me out and i think i would call the doctor.

:

[askew]

I would have it checked out, but maybe not rush to the ER. Can your ped see you or get you into a Neurologist? I would want a Ped Neuro to look at the videos and tell me that they are not seizures.

[Lucy Alden]

Originally Posted by kristinekristine

i read your blog and it freaked me out and i think i would call the doctor.

I too hate being "the mom in the ER". The last time was with my 16 mo. He had a piece of plastic jammed between his tooth and gum line. However, I would seriously follow-up on this. Thankfully you have the video which should go a long way in helping the Drs figure out what's going on.

I don't think you're overreacting. I think you're following you intuition!

[maeby]

i watched the videos and the pee shiver thing seems totally normal, same with the stiff legs. but the vacuum thing did seem like an involuntary spasm thing. but maybe he was super over excited?

what a cutie by the way! trust yourself mama!

[sheandaru]

Thanks SOOO much everyone. I called the doctor and he saw us right away. So while I'm thinking, 'OMG BRAIN TUMOR! SEIZURES!,' turns out it's an ear infection.

I feel so stupid, but at least I didn't rush him to the ER for it, right?

Not sure about why he's tilting his head in the opposite direction of the ear that's infected, though.

[Mamatohaleybug]

I'm so relieved to read your update!

[sapphire_chan]

Originally Posted by sheandaru

Not sure about why he's tilting his head in the opposite direction of the ear that's infected, though.

Leaning away from the pain?

[joyluc]

Changing the pressure in his ears? My son didn't like to lean back to nurse when he had an ear infection because of the pressure thing.

[maybemom05]

I'm glad it worked out okay!

If it makes you feel any better, I called my ped a year or so ago because my kiddo was clapping his hands over his ears whenever he got upset, and then howling inconsolably. (He's always been sensitive to sounds, so I was focused on his ears anyway). So, I called the doctor in something of a panic, saying I needed a referral to a pediatric psychologist RIGHT NOW - the doctor was very calm, they saw him that afternoon, and said - without even laughing at me!! - that he had a sinus infection. Problem solved! I felt really dumb, but my little guy was fine, and felt a lot better once the infection was cleared up.

[sheandaru]

Originally Posted by maybemom05

I'm glad it worked out okay!

If it makes you feel any better, I called my ped a year or so ago because my kiddo was clapping his hands over his ears whenever he got upset, and then howling inconsolably. (He's always been sensitive to sounds, so I was focused on his ears anyway). So, I called the doctor in something of a panic, saying I needed a referral to a pediatric psychologist RIGHT NOW - the doctor was very calm, they saw him that afternoon, and said - without even laughing at me!! - that he had a sinus infection. Problem solved! I felt really dumb, but my little guy was fine, and felt a lot better once the infection was cleared up.

That does make me feel better!! I'm just so sensitive to every tiny thing that seems abnormal to me and I always fear the worst. It's a good thing doctors can be so patient with mothers, right?

I'm just hoping that after we finish all these antibiotics that the head tilting stops. I know it can take a while for fluid to drain out of the ears, though.

[maybemom05]

I bet the head tilting will stop in the next few days, once he's feeling better.

[starlein26]

Originally Posted by sheandaru

I'm just so sensitive to every tiny thing that seems abnormal to me and I always fear the worst.

Why? I'm just curious. Are you this way with your other kids or is it something about him, or you?

[sheandaru]

Originally Posted by starlein26

Why? I'm just curious. Are you this way with your other kids or is it something about him, or you.

I think it's a combination of all. My second ds had a developmental delay dx at 9 months and was in EI until he was 2. My oldest ds has asymptomatic Chiari malformation (discovered during an MRI--that's another story altogether). My third ds is thankfully well.

Timothy, though, had a fever at 3 weeks and we spent a few days in the hospital. It was never confirmed what he had. He's fought off several infections ever since including coxsackie, a few colds, an ear infection (2 months ago), and now this ear infection that manifested in such an odd way. Plus the Button Battery Incident on top of it all.

I guess I'm just waiting for the proverbial "other shoe" to drop or something. Like, what next?

This motherhood thing sure is hard.

[starlein26]

Originally Posted by sheandaru

I guess I'm just waiting for the proverbial "other shoe" to drop or something. Like, what next?

This motherhood thing sure is hard.

Tell me about it. All this worrying is extremely taxing.

Head tilting is definitely a "symptom" of brain tumors...but I'm sure it's a symptom of many other things too, yk. As a stand alone symptom, it's not enough. How's he developing? Has he regressed (stopped doing previously mastered motor skills)?

[sheandaru]

Originally Posted by starlein26

Tell me about it. All this worrying is extremely taxing.

Head tilting is definitely a "symptom" of brain tumors...but I'm sure it's a symptom of many other things too, yk. As a stand alone symptom, it's not enough. How's he developing? Has he regressed (stopped doing previously mastered motor skills)?

Everything has been going well except for feeding. He was really getting into solids before the battery incident. Now he just doesn't care. Nurses all day long, spits up frequently. If I do offer pureed foods, they also get spit up. He used to eat dried cereals & the like, too, but now he just spits those out. What I fear is that he could have developed an esophageal stricture after swallowing the battery, and that's causing dysphagia. I'm just going to wait, though, and if his feeding issues haven't started getting better by the time our follow up appointment for the ear infection rolls around (about a week and a half).

ETA: to go along with my dysphagia theory, he has started making a low, growly throat noise like he's trying to clear phlegm. It could be just coincidental and something related to speech development. Who knows.

[sheandaru]

Update:

We finished antibiotics and are free & clear from the URI. Unfortunately, Timothy's nodding and head tilting has increased. He has started nodding on purpose, but it's totally different from the sudden head drops. I showed our pediatrician the latest video we took of his spasm and he said it could be one of three things:

- a strange habit he just started
- a seizure (unlikely)
- a motor/tic disorder

So, we're waiting to be referred to a neurologist.

As for the feeding issues, we're going to do another barium swallow to make sure he hasn't developed esophageal problems.

I'm trying to keep sane here and haven't talked about this with family because I don't want to get them worried. Thanks for reading & being such great support.