A Diamond in the Rough -- Candy's Journey

[Tippy Toes]

Aww, Candy, does it ever end? I am so sorry to read about the accident.

[Tylar_Connar]

WOW, Candy..glad things are ok. I will say a prayer for you all.

[monet0329]

I got two emails form Candy and she wanted me to post this for everyone to up date about little Hannah..its sad.. but at least they know whats going on and now it can be fixed.. please keep her in your prayers.. ..

I sent this out from the office earlier this afternoon. (Monet, I know I sent it to you already, but I added some more info at the bottom.) Would one of you dear friends please post this in my journal ??
We have just returned from our follow up visit the GI Specialist from Scottish Rite. He does believe that Hannah has IBS. BUT, he thinks the vomiting episodes and other strange random symptoms are totally unrelated to the IBS. We think we have figured out how to control the IBS for the most part.

After reviewing her history (since she was 6 months old) of dehydration, and numerous stomach viruses; and her history over the past few months, he is confident she is having migraine headaches. He is convinced that she has misdiagnosed for years. All the times she would vomit and complain of a headache, we all (including her pediatrician) just assumed her sinuses were draining into her stomach. But, by the same token, they would check her sinuses and they were never infected, so they would just tell me she had a stomach virus and offer no treatment, because a virus has to run it's course.

However, we do have issues with dehydration and apparently this can trigger migraines in children. They may or may not even notice the headache because the urge to vomit is so severe, and it typically relieves a portion of the headache. We start a regimen of Periactin tonight and she will take it twice a day. It is actually an antihistamine and apparently it does an awesome job at preventing migraine attacks in children. I was amazed at everything he told me, and after reading up on the internet about migraines in children, I am even more astounded at how many of the symptoms she has had over the years.

Many of you will remember us taking her to Scottish Rite a few years back to an eye specialist. She had an uneven head and drooping eye. The eye specialist told us she would be fine and it wasn't anything abnormal. Apparently a drooping eye is a sign of a migraine in children. Many of you are aware of how Hannah wakes up in the middle of the night and is confused and at times has night terrors. These are all signs of migraines. Hannah also can get dark circles under her eyes and get extremely tired in the middle of the day. Many of you will remember the episode that we all assumed was a possible seizure, and we even had an ultrasound of her heart that came back normal.

It's pretty scary to know I have a 5 year old child that already has migraines, but I think it could have been much worse. I pray that migraines are all we are dealing with and that the medicine will get into her system and prevent as many attacks as possible. I know I have rambled here, but I wanted update everyone and thank you all for your prayers and concern. I ask you to join with me in continuing to pray that perhaps we have/are solving her problems.

****

Here is some of the shocking information on children's migraines. It is true that a 5-10 year old can have a migraine and NEVER get the actual headache:


Approximately 20% of migraine patients experience their first attack when younger than 5 years. In preschool children, migraine often consists of episodes involving an ill appearance, abdominal pain, vomiting, and the need to go to sleep.


The most common accompanying symptoms include pallor with dark circles under the eyes, tearing, swollen nasal passages, thirst, swelling, excessive sweating, increased urination, and diarrhea.

Migraine is a relatively common condition among the young, affecting up to 5% of the pediatric population. Approximately 20% of patients have attacks before age 5 years. Headaches may occur in the early morning and often awaken the child. The occurrence of these early morning headaches should not cause one to assume that the child has increased intracranial pressure.

Affected children may also experience recurrent abdominal pain without nausea, vomiting, headache, or visual symptoms. Migraine should be considered in pediatric patients with unexplained paroxysmal abdominal pain.

Between attacks, children may have a dark discoloration beneath their eyes.

Both migraine with aura and migraine without aura have a premonitory phase that may precede the headache phase by up to 24 hours.
During this phase, irritability, elation or sadness, talkativeness or social withdrawal, an increase or decrease in appetite, food craving or anorexia, water retention, and/or sleep disturbances may occur.

Childhood migraine headaches are often less severe than adult migraine headaches. The headache phase is often associated with cold extremities, nausea, anorexia, vomiting, diarrhea, increased urination, constipation, dizziness, chills, excessive sweating, ataxia, numbness, photophobia, phonophobia, memory loss, or confusion.

After the headache phase, the patient may feel either elated and energized or, more typically, exhausted and lethargic. This stage of migraine may last from hours to days.

Migraine-associated cyclic vomiting syndrome (periodic syndrome): This syndrome is characterized by recurrent periods of intense vomiting separated by symptom-free intervals. Many patients with cyclic vomiting have regular or cyclic patterns of illness. Symptoms usually have a rapid onset at night or in the early morning and last 6-48 hours. Associated symptoms include abdominal pain (80%), nausea (72%), retching (76%), anorexia (74%), pallor (87%), lethargy (91%), photophobia (32%), phonophobia (28%), and headache (40%).

Headache often does not appear until the child is older. Migraine-associated cyclic vomiting syndrome usually begins when the patient is a toddler and resolves in adolescence or early adulthood; it rarely begins in adulthood. More females than males are affected by cyclic vomiting.

Usually, the parents or siblings have a family history of migraine.

Children with cyclic vomiting associated with migraine tend to experience fewer severe vomiting episodes per hour and fewer attacks per month than those with cyclic vomiting associated with other GI disorders. These children exhibit a higher incidence of pallor, abdominal pain, headache, social withdrawal, motion sickness, photophobia, and physical exhaustion.

Abdominal migraine: The patient may have recurrent bouts of generalized abdominal pain with nausea and vomiting; no headache is present. After several hours, the child can sleep and later awakens feeling better. Abdominal migraine may alternate with typical migraine and usually leads to typical migraine as the child matures. These children respond to typical migraine prophylactic medication.

Motion sickness: Migraineurs are more prone to motion sickness than patients without migraine.

Diarrhea: This is common in migraine patients and sometimes is severe enough to result in excessive fluid loss and dehydration.

Sleep disturbances: Migraines are associated with sleep disturbances.

love ya Candy.. Hugs for you and Hannah

[Low Carb Mommy]

Thanks for posting this Monet!

So sorry to hear that Hannah has been suffering with migraines and no doctor until now has caught it. God is good though and answered all of our prayers to find out what was wrong with Hannah. Still praying that this new medicine will be the key to her feeling so much better. She is a precious little soul and has been so strong through all of this (kids are amazing).

Candy, I know you are so relieved to finally get some answers. I want to just cry with you on all the difficulty you have had the last few months (and really even years). When God gave you Hannah, he knew you would be such a wonderful mother to her. He trusted you and foresaw every trial you would face and gave you strength to get through every one. I thank God today for you and all your gifts He placed in you. You are a testimony of his grace and strength when facing trials.

[Tippy Toes]

She is a lucky little girl, Candy. She has the best Mommy anyone could ask for. Yep--YOU!

[lisabinil]

I wish Hannah all the best-I have suffered from migraines since childhood. I still get them but have a great neurologist who has done much to relieve my suffering-he doesn't believe in pain. It can be very debilitating and frustrating-I have heard so many times in my life-it's just a headache get over it-no it isn't-it's a painful medical condition. Read up on serontonin-it's what comes into play during a migraine and it also controls the human gut. Wishing you the best!

[Livywilltim-mom]

Dear Candy,

Know that our thoughts and prayers are with you and yours. TT and Beth said it all...God gave Hannah to you because you are the perfect one to care for and guide her little soul! You are an amazing Mom!

Peace

[Tylar_Connar]

Came to post what Monet did...Glad she got it here.

Hi Candy!! Hope things are getting better
And i feel so sorry if hannah is having migraines...they are the worse!!
hope things get better!!

[Edwards20]

Hey there friends. Thank you all for stopping by, and for all the wonderful emails. I do truly miss and love you all. Just when I think I can catch a break in life, the snowball starts again. I am starting to get a complex these days ... like am being punished.

As you can tell from Lisa's post, my friend in the parade as well as the others are all OK, and thank goodness they were not charged with anything.

My aunt that has cancer is enroute to South Ga. Her mother has had a stroke. It never ends.

Now, there is a lady that has been murdered here in Rome, and we know the man that was arrested. Long story .. but myself and my co-workers are extremely devastated.

I am online checking email, etc. then we are going to South Ga to be with my aunt.

The cycle never ends .........

[monet0329]

Morning Candy....

I am here at work now.. hehe.. hope you got my yahoo IM.. .. I wanted to stay and chat with ya.. but had to finish getting ready.. but I wanted to say hello

anyway.. my prayers continue for you and your friends and family.. I love ya lady!!

[twinkerbell]

candy!
Hugs to you & Hannah

[Low Carb Mommy]

Good morning Candy!

[Tippy Toes]

Candy, I feel your pain and sorrow.

[Potaty]

Candy, I am so sorry about Hannah but it is encouraging that you are getting some diagnosis. I will be praying for both of you and I will pray that this dark cloud will be lifted.

[seb]

for all of the things you are dealing with right now.

I have migraines, as well as my youngest DS. In fact, he's had one for the past couple days. They are so painful, and I'm so sorry that Hannah has to deal with these. But, at least they know now and have her on meds to control them. We have found triggers for Ds like sugar and MSG. I have some of the same triggers. Also, being in the sun and getting dehydrated will always bring them on for him. I will be praying that they can manage the IBS and migraines so that she can start feeling better.

[Edwards20]

Many thanks to all my dear friends for your emails and PM's. I truly adore you all and certainly miss being here.

I am pledging to promise 1 daily post in my journal each day. I have soooo much going on and am dealing with lots of family illnesses, personal friends tragedies and the illness of my daughter. When I log on, I find myself spending hours here daily and neglecting other things. I am still on plan and at 220 ... which is where I was before all the stuff started and back to my signature weight. I am changing my mini-goal to 214, which will be a 50lb loss. That means I need a 6lb loss.

But, for now I just plan to visit my journal until time permits more. I have many things to attend to today, but for the moment ... I felt the need to have a bit of ME time. I have certainly neglected myself and my own feelings during everything that has been going on.

I have been unable to make contact with my Aunt or my Cousin. I have NO idea what the status is with Grandma Lightsey ... and it upsets me and alarms me that my phone calls are not being returned.

There are several other tragedies in the lives of my friends and family that weigh heavily on my heart. I tend to carry others burdens and neglect myself. That's who I am and I don't regret it one bit, and see no way to change it. However, it is wearing me down. My job responsibilities and back pain are making things even harder.

During my ME time this morning, I hope to leave you all a personal message in your journal. But, I will only be able to commit to a daily post in my journal, as I get too consumed here and wind up neglected other things .....

I love you all, and I wish I could put into words how much your friendship means to me.

[Edwards20]

Well, I think I have managed to post what probably appears to be a generic message in each of your journals. Although the majority of the posts were cut/paste, please know that I love you all and wanted to share the same message with each of you. Please don't hold the duplication against me.

Time to try and clean my house .... it has certainly needed it for months and we have NO WHERE to be today .....

Perhaps I can check in later this afternoon or tonight, but I won't promise.

I tend to check email a little more often .... if you don't have or would like my email address, please send me a PM and I will give it to you.

[Tippy Toes]

Candy, we all understand you need to spend time with your family. And yes, take all the ME time you need.

[Low Carb Mommy]

Great to here from you! We totally understand. Take time for yourself today. Maybe try to do something fun with the family to get your mind off things! I look forward to hearing from you every day!

[hawkwife]

Jen

[iabowhunter]

Hey Georgia Peach!!!!!!!

It was good to see your message. It doesn't bother me a bit to get a cut/paste message from you. I'm just happy to hear from you, and so is every one else.

I call a group hug with Candy in the middle!


Enjoy your "me" time today. You deserve it!

Take care,
Phil

[Tippy Toes]

Originally Posted by p_fairchild

Hey Georgia Peach!!!!!!!

It was good to see your message. It doesn't bother me a bit to get a cut/paste message from you. I'm just happy to hear from you, and so is every one else.

I call a group hug with Candy in the middle!


Enjoy your "me" time today. You deserve it!

Take care,
Phil

I second that!

[Edwards20]

Originally Posted by Tippy Toes

Candy, we all understand you need to spend time with your family. And yes, take all the ME time you need.

Thank you TT ... you new avi is awesome.

Originally Posted by Low Carb Mommy

Great to here from you! We totally understand. Take time for yourself today. Maybe try to do something fun with the family to get your mind off things! I look forward to hearing from you every day!

Thank you Beth. I love you girl !!

Originally Posted by hawkwife

Jen

Jen, right back at you my friend.

Originally Posted by p_fairchild

Hey Georgia Peach!!!!!!!

It was good to see your message. It doesn't bother me a bit to get a cut/paste message from you. I'm just happy to hear from you, and so is every one else.

I call a group hug with Candy in the middle!


Enjoy your "me" time today. You deserve it!

Take care,
Phil

Thank you Phil.

You all mean so much to me. I didn't get a lot of ME time yesterday, but enough to clean my house. Sadly, I guess that's considered ME time ... lol.
We watched the race last night and Hannah actually went to sleep in her own bed. So, no knees in back, etc. It was a peaceful evening.

[Edwards20]

Well, we almost made it through another night in Hannah's bed ... but she arrived in mine sometime in the middle of the night. She had woken up in a cold sweat and was drenched all over. So, I had to change all her clothes, etc. She has always sweated when she sleeps but this was different. The cycle never ends.

I finally logged on myspace last night to see if I could get some info from my co