Internet Hypochondria
My kid woke up sobbing over a sore neck this morning. I knew she wasn't faking, because she doesn't do that, plus this was going to be her first day back to school since Christmas and she was excited to see her friends. She was in obvious pain and could barely move her head.I figured she just slept on it funny.
So I took her with me to work to get things squared away and told her I would take her home and she could just relax until her mom came and got her. I told Joel at work what was happenning, and he casually said, "Is there any meningitis going around? It starts in the neck."
Well I took her home and she was still in a lot of teary-eyed discomfort. I got her settled in on the couch with some Mac and Cheese and began my internet research. There was a lot of information on the disease, but all I could read was that IT STARTS WITH NECK PAIN AND IF YOU DON'T GET YOUR CHILD TO THE DOCTOR RIGHT THIS SECOND FOR A SPINAL TAP, SHE WILL DIE AND IT WILL BE YOUR FAULT.
I called her mother and had her make an appointment. She wasn't going to come get the little whippersnapper for a couple of hours, thus giving me some quality time with her in what could possibly be her last few moments on earth. Lo and behold, somewhere during the Fry Cook Olympics episode of SpongeBob, she had a miraculous recovery. Well, not really a recovery, she's still sore, but she really cheered up. Upon further review, to be meningitis, she has to have a sore neck plus a fever and sensitivity to light and vomiting and some other stuff she didn't have.
I figure she just slept on it funny.
posted by Nashville Knucklehead @ 4:21 PM
5 Comments:
During my bout of the flu 2 weeks ago, a co-worker called to inform me that I might have viral meningitis. Geez, what's up with these people wishing spinal taps on everybody?
Glad she's doing better!
Apparently my medical librarian stuff is bleeding over onto Joel. :)
Anytime my kids have ever said their neck hurt, the dreaded "M" word has entered my m
And the Fry Cook Olympics...one of my favorite SB episodes. That one and the one with Kevin at the JEllyfish convention and the one where SB misses the bus.
It entered my mind, not my m.
My daughter had bacterial meningitis when she was 5 and barely lived through it. It was almost impossible to tell the difference between it and a really bad stomach flu. The really high fever was supposed to give it away, but we had given her Advil which masked that symptom.
To me the most telling thing, was that she was so out of it. She couldn't eat, she could barely lift her head and she really didn't know who I was. I don't know if that helped or not, just thought I'd share.
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