Quick opinions please! 6 yo - drama or serious medical problem?

[AllisonR]

I can't make this shorter - sorry!!!

My 6yo has had a cold, flu or virus for two days - slight fever, says he has sore throat, sleeping more than normal - nothing severe though. We have influenza going around this area. He did not go to school today. He thinks being home is luxurious - getting to watch more tv, play on the computer more than normal...

But... All day today, and all evening, he has been walking around with his head tilted, one shoulder up, says it hurts very much if he tries to move his neck in the other direction. DH and I have somewhat ignored it, as we thought it was his sore throat or swollen glands from the flu, and he was exaggerating and playing the poor, sick child. And I gave him a long massage to see if that would relax his head/shoulder/neck/back... but no, in fact it has gotten worse and worse. Now his hip is totally out of wack from over compensating and the neck/head/shoulder tilt is really 100% of the time. And I am beginning to be worried he is not faking. 

Recently I have had some weird, as yet undiagnosed, nerve condition where my hands, arms, legs and feet are on "pins and needles"; but it isn't like just an arm falling asleep, it is a spreading thing throughout my body over with severe episodes of this for over an hour. It was getting worse for a while. Like the nerves were sending wrong messages to the brain or vice versa. I am going for a blood test and scanning at the hospital tomorrow (DS does not know this). But then I had this horrid thought, that maybe I have this weird virus that did this tingling to me, but it has affected DS as well, just in another way. But I keep hoping he just has some pinched nerve or is totally faking.

Another reason I think it might be faking is because 3 days ago DH and I made him dress himself. He is perfectly capable, can do it in school, he just doesn't want to, and DH and I were at the end of our rope. He kept screaming that he could not get up, he so needed our help to get dressed... We told him we would not come in his room anymore, when he was done screaming and getting dressed we would continue with the day. Well eventually he did get up and get himself dressed, though he said by crawling sideways and then getting up. I ignored this comment as high drama. And I don't think anything was wrong with his neck at that time, and he didn't have a flu then. But maybe he was so angry/upset/mad/whatever at us for this that he is being stubborn now and has made himself ill? 

But then again, he is generally a concrete kid, not a big faker - unlike his 4yo sister who really is high drama. So I just don't know what to think. I feel lost, to be perfectly honest. AAARGGGHHHHH!

[mamazee]

When in doubt about these things, call the doctor.  :hug  I hope it's nothing but I hope you call ASAP.

[HollyBearsMom]

I wouldn't waste time on a message board.  How are we (complete strangers) know if your child is faking it? Seriously, you have described one incident, how could I know his dynamic?

If you are a lost and distressed as you say call your PCP or who ever you see for medical care. Why risk it?

[AnnieA]

I would call the doctor. It might be nothing but it could be something serious like meningitis.

As an aside, whenever one of our kids is doing something that smacks of faking (DSS 16 is notorious for this), we usually say something in a nice calm voice along the lines of "If you are that hurt (or sick) that you can't walk, then we need to go to the hospital right now." That usually gives them enough pause to think that maybe they should reconsider how they are presenting how they feel.

[AllisonR]

Originally Posted by AnnieA 

I would call the doctor. It might be nothing but it could be something serious like meningitis.

As an aside, whenever one of our kids is doing something that smacks of faking (DSS 16 is notorious for this), we usually say something in a nice calm voice along the lines of "If you are that hurt (or sick) that you can't walk, then we need to go to the hospital right now." That usually gives them enough pause to think that maybe they should reconsider how they are presenting how they feel.

We did this. DS always thought a trip to the Doctor was fun, because it usually meant a day off from school or daycare with mom or dad. So tonight we said, "if it isn't better by tomorrow, we may have to go to the hospital, which is not going to be fun." We stressed this, he really did not want to go, he was even crying and saying "it doesn't hurt at all anymore!" even though he was still totally walking/standing/leaning wrong.

But I am not in the USA, and I can't just go to a doctor. So I need to wait until tomorrow, when I can actually get to the doctor, who has normal working hours. But is also competent. My choice, right now, is going to the equivalent of the ER I guess, only filled with doctors who are not there by choice, and who will not take anything seriously unless you are literally unconscious, blue or dead. Or if you have a literal issue, like a broken leg or heart attach, in which case they are great, but for anything obscure or not life threatening, then at very best it is often a waste of time, at worst, a serious mistake. So I don't think the "ER" is rational, safe decision, unless my child is literally close to dying - in which case, yes, I will go. But until that point, the chances of him getting incompetent care, are higher than waiting. 

[MusicianDad]

Uh, there is one possibility that you didn't think about. He might have just strained a muscle in his neck. I do it often enough just from stretching wrong when I yawn and end up spending the rest of the day (and some times a few days after) with my head and shoulders in the same position. It's also very painful, and massages don't do much to help. Try having him sit with a warm compress on his neck/shoulder see if that helps any, for now.

[pbjmama]

I also thought meningitis.

[pianojazzgirl]

My best guess is he has thrown out one of his vertebrae from all the lying around in bed.  My back almost always gets thrown out of whack after being sick in bed for several days.  Do you have a chiropractor you could take him to today?

Besides that I suppose meningitis is a concern as well.  Does he still have a fever?  Can he tilt his head up and down?  If you are at all concerned about meningitis I wouldn't wait till tomorrow, I would go to the ER now. 

[AllisonR]

Thanks for all the feedback. We took him to the doctor this morning, who ruled out meningitis because he did not have red areas, and he did not have other symptoms besides a cold.... No blood work, but this doc is not the best, by any means. He suggested a chiropractor, and DH found an appointment for him in the next town for only 2 hours later, took him and he is already getting better. Before he could only move his head to the right and down, not to the left at all, and not up. Now it is improving, he can turn his head noticeably more. He will go back to the chiropractor tomorrow at 9am for another visit - he said it would probably take 3 more visits. At least we are going in the right direction now.

[pianojazzgirl]

Glad he's getting treatment.  :)  And very glad it wasn't Meningitis!!!

As I said before that's happened to me a bunch of times.  I get sick, lie around in bed for a bunch of days, then invariably something goes out of whack in my neck and/or back 

Sending *all better* vibes to your ds!  :)