posted
My 6 year old son may have lyme disease. I've spoken to a couple of doctors' offices who deal with kids, and the wait lists are very long (on the order of 6 months).
Also, he's not physically that ill right now.
He was likely infected in the 2006/2007 time frame. He was very sick from winter of 2006 through spring of 2008 (as defined by things like 5 flus in 4 months, more than 15 days a month with cold like symptoms in the same period; chronic upset stomach; and so on).
Since spring of 08, he's been significantly better - a normal amount of colds and flus for example.
However, he's had other symptoms, such as shooting pains in his face (on one day); feeling like his toes were under water (also not long); stuttering the ends of his words (cleared up a few months ago).
I don't mean to give an exhaustive list, just to give a sense of him.
Here's my questions:
1) What are the risks of not treating? he seems much healthier now than a year ago, can we watch and wait?
2) What are the risks of waiting 6 months (until we can get an appointment) to treat?
3) how do I trade (2) off against asking someone who is either inexperienced with young kids or inexperienced with lyme to treat him?
Thanks for any insight.
jen
Posts: 16 | From Pittsburgh | Registered: Jul 2008
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TF
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 14183
posted
Jen, I don't see any risks in getting him an appt with the best pediatric lyme doc in the country. If that appt is 6 months from now, or whenever, that is not a risky thing to do. It is the best thing you could do.
Once you do that, what you are left with is should you do anything during the 6 month wait.
To answer that question, go by how you feel as a mom and how sick your child is. If he goes along as he has been, you probably will be comfortable doing nothing during the 6 month wait.
But, if he gets really bad during the wait time, you will have no other choice than to get him treated by whomever you can. Hopefully, nothing like this will happen.
Then, as soon as you get in with the great lyme pediatrician, you drop the lesser doc. Many of us have had to do that.
By the way, Dr. Jones does not treat children unless they have some symptoms. So, if his symptoms are all gone by his appt., Dr. Jones will not prescribe anything for your son.
Still, you may want to keep that appt so that you can 1) get Dr. Jones assessment of whether this is lyme, 2) get him tested for lyme if the doc thinks it's worth it, 3) get a chance to ask Dr. Jones all of your questions like the ones you have just listed. It would be a great opportunity to get info regarding your son's case. And, hopefully, then if you needed another appt later, you would not have the long new patient wait.
So, that appt would be good all around as I see it.
And, as long as your son is doing well, I see no need to seek out pediatric lyme treatment for him while waiting the 6 months or so to see the expert.
Posts: 9931 | From Maryland | Registered: Dec 2007
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