Help please - need advice re DD vague symptoms and possible change of GP. LONG

[alittleconcernednow]

No idea which is the best section to post this in but starting here.

My 10yo DD has for a while now (since start of year) had funny turns where she feels achey and shakey. She goes white as a sheet usually after eating, sometimes starts to tremble and just feels "off and wobbly". She sometimes complains of nausea and sometimes these symptoms are accompanied by a high temperature.

She is at boarding school some 2 1/2 hours away and registered with the school GP as per the norm.

I spoke to DD yesterday and she was very excited and looking forward to an event today at school, but did mention her legs felt achey again.

This evening I have had a call from the school nurse to say she is in sick bay after showing the symptoms I mentioned above, including a high temperature. As it was near DDs normal school bedtime and she was already asleep it has been agreed that school will call us in the night (if need be) but will call first thing tomorrow and we may go and bring her home, if she is still the same.

At the end of last term DD was having alot of these episodes and the school GP examined her and nothing conclusive was found. We were told there was no real need of concern and to see how she goes. She had another episode at the start of the Easter holidays so I took her to see my Drs (the SMO on our camp). They too were very vague, saying much the same.

DD has been in the most part well this term apart from a 48hr tummy bug. However, this latest episode is really concerning me. All in all I reckon this must be the 10th such episode of these symptoms since Xmas. My mothers instinct is now telling me I want matters taken more seriously and investigated further.

This is where things become a little complicated and I would appreciate some knowledge or advice from some of you that may know how the NHS works better than me.

DD could be home tomorrow (if still unwell) but breaks up from school on Tuesday for the summer holidays and wont be back at school until 12th September - 2 months away. There is no way I am leaving things that long. It is not really viable to travel 145 miles to see her school GP over the holidays and any hospital referrals the school GP makes will be in that part of the country.

I would like to get her registered with the SMO here on camp, but can I do this for a temporary period of say 2 months (I do realise if a hospital referral is made it will probably need to be for alot longer than 2 months)? I know our SMO/GP will see her here no problem, you just fill out a standard temp patient form (done that plenty of times), but the problem with this is that they dont have her records and dont treat as a long term patient - its more of a stop gap in an emergency. Ideal for say the emergency antibiotics for a bout if tonsillitus or somethin, not a long term condition & not something vague like this, that needs further investigations imo - blood tests perhaps etc etc.

I am at a loss as to what to do. I could just register her here on camp with the SMO no probs and push for further investigations but then come September I think there will be issues with her not being registered with the school GP. The reason the school registers boarders with the local GP is that in an emergency they have permission to act, and however fab and caring the school nurses are they cannot possibly know the medical history for 240 pupils, if her records are not at the school GPs surgery then it could cause problems in a medical emergency or if she became ill like this.

Does anyone know if there is any system I can register my DD with the local SMO/GP over the summer but be able to quickly transfer her back to the school GP (depending on the situation re referrals etc)? I know from all our previous house moves that even if I registered her here on camp first thing Monday morning her actual medical notes are unlikely to get here before September, they seem to always take ages.

Arrrggghhh - just not sure of the best way forward, I just know if I take her to ANY GP here without registering her, I will be fobbed off and I cannot wait to take her back to school in September. Nor is it viable to take her upto her school GP over the summer; not just because of the 21/2 hour drive but also my car is about to be scrapped and unlikely to be replaced before the end of the summer (am buying my mums old car when she gets her new one end of August - she lives too far & works to come before then), I would need to reply on public transport and the school and schools GPO are some 12 miles from the nearest train station and quite frankly out in the sticks. My husband is away until October and I have other children at home too.

Sorry its so long. Anyone able to offer any advice at all? [hopeful emotion]

(Oh and I dont mean to sound rude, but please anyone against boarding school, please dont force your opinions on me here, I have heard it all before and are doing what we feel is best in our current situation at the moment with regards to stability and education which yes OBVIOUSLY comes alot further down the list to our DDs health).

[alittleconcernednow]

Good grief - thats really jumbled and messy. Hope someone understands it.

In short - I want further investigations on DD over the summer whilst she is home, so I can monitor her health/symptoms myself. But how can I do this when GP up north?

[AlsoAvailableSober]

If you are 'Forces' you might want to post this in 'Forces Sweethearts' as i think you will get more relevant advice.

Hope DD feels better soon

[alittleconcernednow]

Ah bless you for reading my messy garble AlsoAvailableSober

Thanks for the tip. Will do that.

[AlsoAvailableSober]

LOL, i have had and it made perfect sense

My PIL sent DH to boarding school as forces and i absolutely think it was best in their circumstances, so no judging from here

[saggarmakersbottomknocker]

I would register her with your SMO, note all the episodes, take her to see him/her and ask for it to be investigated. Full bloods to begin with at the very least. Insist that someone takes a lead in dd's care - it seems that because no-one has full history it's alla bit wishy-washy at the moment?

I would ask for paper copies of subsequent results/referrals etc so that when she changes back to the boarding school GP you can hand over what's been done in the interim whilst they await transfer of records from the SMO.

My dd has chronic health issues and I have copies of all her clinic letters/recent bloods/ecg etc to hand so as not to have to rely on the slow transfer of information if she needs admitting at short notice. It's been invaluable TBH.

[alittleconcernednow]

Thats a good idea saggarmakersbottomknocker (cool name btw) to have my own notes.

I could ask school nurse for copy of school records.

[saggarmakersbottomknocker]

Yes - do that, so you have something to show the SMO. Your poor dd - is it hormonal do you think? Is there a pattern? dd had dreadful migraines before she hit puberty 'proper'.

[alittleconcernednow]

Would be surprised if it is. She is still very "little girl" and her 12yo sister is just hitting puberty.

I am normally quite laid back but have reached the point where I am sick of being fobbed off etc and my gut instinct is telling me to get her checked out further. Hopefully it is nothing serious.

It will just be easier to "push" if I need to push, here at home as opposed to when she is at school. Plus I have her home for 2 whole months uninterrupted to monitor her myself.

[springboksaplenty]

I would do as above. Register her with your SMO and ask for further investigation. Keep a record of all consultations, results etc - one for yourself and one for the school. It might be worth just dropping a line to her school GP, explaining the difficulties and that you don't want to put him the position of joint care but felt that someone should be lead clinician and that it currently makes sense for this to be the SMO.

FWIW I think that it might be better coming from an SMO as most doctors would probably bear in mind the difficulties forces families have and try and push things along for you.

[PrettyMeerkat]

Do you think it could be Diabetes?

[alittleconcernednow]

Thank you for replies. Will probably just register her here and keep copies. At least I will be in control of her care then.

I hadnt considered diabetes. Will mention it.

[alittleconcernednow]

DD broke up for the summer on Wednesday.
Diarrhea Thursday and again today. Seems OK inbetween but white as a sheet just before each episode.
Am thinking possibly food intolerence or even IBS - I have severe IBS.
ANyway, she has an appointment mid week with my GP on camp. Am going to discuss with him the options re registering her and ask him what he would do if she was his patient and not just a temp resident & take matters from there.
I just know something is not right and its worrying me.