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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Something not right with 3yr old

419 replies

BethMck · 22/01/2025 22:48

I need some help please, my 3 year old son has had a pain in his right knee for over a month (first day 17th dec) it has been going on every day since, intermittent pain and inability to bear weight on his right leg, some days he will just have a slight limp now and again and say his knee hurts, sometimes he will ask me to pick him up because his leg hurts, gps and a&e doctors aren't concerned as he otherwise looks totally fine. Over the past 2 weeks he's complained of pain in his left leg as well as the right and twice hes said his right arm hurts too.. other symptoms diarrhoea, looking off colour and saying he's tired and needs to lie down on the sofa to rest, these symptoms come and go every couple of days, he has had a blood test that came back normal apart from low in vitamin D. I have read alot of stories from parents who said their child was completely healthy and initial blood tests were normal before other tests were done and turned out to be cancer. Obviously this is my concern and I've expressed this to doctors who dismiss me by saying he looks very healthy so I wouldn't worry about it being anything serious, he has been referred to Pediatrics 2 weeks ago but I still haven't received anything from them with regards to an appointment. Went back to the gp today to discuss the new pain in his left leg and right arm, he wasn't concerned and said to just wait for the pediatrics to get in touch he did mention juvenile arthritis as a possibilty. Everyone around me is telling me I'm just worrying about nothing and the doctors are making me feel like I'm being stupid. I really want all the tests possible to rule out cancer. But I'm being told if doctors were concerned they would be rushing him through for tests. My issue is I had a cousin who was told her symptoms were likely nothing serious and for months she was denied tests, when she finally had tests done she was diagnosed with cancer, due to the delay in diagnosis she sadly lost her battle a year later and passed away at just 22 years old. AIBU in thinking I am being fobbed off and do you think my anxiety is taking over? Should I trust the doctors and wait for the pediatrician to contact me or should I keep pushing for tests? I feel like I'm going crazy, is this an actual parental gut feeling or am I looking into this too much and getting paranoid??
So sorry for the long post. Please help a mama out xx

OP posts:
Original poster
BethMck · 12/02/2025 14:02

BlueberryPieface · 12/02/2025 12:35

You could always just phone and ask if there will be a follow up blood test to make sure everything has gone back to normal after he’s finished the antibiotics. I imagine they would do this anyway but there’s no harm in giving them a quick kick up the bum ring, maybe in a week or so if you haven’t heard anything?

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I feel like I'm being daft now that there is a possible explanation for all his random symptoms but I know that every time I mention the C word to them they brush it off and almost laugh at me, I know that inflammotary markers can be raised due to some cancers too which is why I feel like I need to know they have gone down once the antibiotics are done, then I will be satisfied, because if they are still raised then they would need to look at cancer as a possibilty! I'm hopeful they will do the trick though and get him back to normal, suppose I will see how he's getting on after his course! (Limping, swollen lymph nodes, a cold for over a month that won't go away, rashes on the body and raised inflammotary markers can all be signs of cancer) I do think having young people in my family with cancers has made me a little paranoid but you just can never be too careful! Fingers crossed I'll be telling you all soon that he's back to normal and it was just a bacterial infection!

OP posts:
BlueberryPieface · 12/02/2025 12:35

BethMck · 11/02/2025 21:46

She called me on her own office number, I'm unsure if I'm able to call her if I have any worries though, she just gave me the number to call her back to discuss his results! Although one thing I found odd, she never mentioned a follow up for the ESR and CRP tests to check if the antibiotics work, do you think I should ask for this to make sure his markers have gone back down? Because if they are still raised after 2 weeks of antibiotics other tests would need to be done surely? Although I am hoping his symptoms disappear once the antibiotics kick in!

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You could always just phone and ask if there will be a follow up blood test to make sure everything has gone back to normal after he’s finished the antibiotics. I imagine they would do this anyway but there’s no harm in giving them a quick kick up the bum ring, maybe in a week or so if you haven’t heard anything?

Original poster
BethMck · 12/02/2025 07:25

Wibblywobblybobbly · 12/02/2025 07:22

I really hope things improve quickly for him . It's been such a worry for you.

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I think the antibiotics will sort him out and I can relax bless him! Every Dr I've seen put it down to viral and never mentioned bacterial infection! I'm just glad he's getting sorted 😊

OP posts:
Wibblywobblybobbly · 12/02/2025 07:22

BethMck · 12/02/2025 06:53

This is what she is thinking is happening with my son, it does make sense and I can't wait to get the antibiotics in him now and hopefully get him back to normal, and get this ultrasound out of the way. It's been a long couple of months

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I really hope things improve quickly for him . It's been such a worry for you.

Original poster
BethMck · 12/02/2025 06:53

Wibblywobblybobbly · 11/02/2025 23:59

My DC had very similar minus the knee. Not rigjt for months, very tired, off his food, upset tummy on and off. No evidence of a sore throat, ear infection or chest infection. Running low grade temperatures every few days.

Eventually a doctor prescribed a course of antibiotics to see if they would help and he was back to normal within four days of starting them. Conclusion was he'd had some sort of bacterial infection he couldn't quite shift on his own. Still have no idea what it was, but that was three months ago and he's been right as rain since except for the usual minor coughs and colds.

I really hope it will be the same for your son.

This is what she is thinking is happening with my son, it does make sense and I can't wait to get the antibiotics in him now and hopefully get him back to normal, and get this ultrasound out of the way. It's been a long couple of months

OP posts:
McSpoot · 12/02/2025 01:42

SophiaBrown · 12/02/2025 01:22

I'm not a doctor, but I think if the child keeps having this symptom continuously, it is necessary to rule out other possible cancerous factors. You did nothing wrong. Maybe you can try to go to other hospitals.

Maybe you can read all of the OP's posts?

SophiaBrown · 12/02/2025 01:22

I'm not a doctor, but I think if the child keeps having this symptom continuously, it is necessary to rule out other possible cancerous factors. You did nothing wrong. Maybe you can try to go to other hospitals.

ChillWith · 12/02/2025 00:37

@BethMck so glad your son is on the recovery path. Please look after yourself now.

Wibblywobblybobbly · 11/02/2025 23:59

My DC had very similar minus the knee. Not rigjt for months, very tired, off his food, upset tummy on and off. No evidence of a sore throat, ear infection or chest infection. Running low grade temperatures every few days.

Eventually a doctor prescribed a course of antibiotics to see if they would help and he was back to normal within four days of starting them. Conclusion was he'd had some sort of bacterial infection he couldn't quite shift on his own. Still have no idea what it was, but that was three months ago and he's been right as rain since except for the usual minor coughs and colds.

I really hope it will be the same for your son.

Original poster
BethMck · 11/02/2025 23:08

everythingthelighttouches · 11/02/2025 22:59

Glad things are going in the right direction OP. Just wanted to say are you sure she said strep and not a staph infection? That would be common with bone issues and would fit with his symptoms.

Yes she said Strep A which would have gone untreated and may have caused rheumatic fever, she said this can cause all kinds of strange rashes and joint pain, he's having an ultrasound to check for fluid around the knee too, I'm just hoping the symptoms will stop once the antibiotics kick in but I thought they would want to check the infection markers have gone back to normal afterwards

OP posts:
everythingthelighttouches · 11/02/2025 22:59

Glad things are going in the right direction OP. Just wanted to say are you sure she said strep and not a staph infection? That would be common with bone issues and would fit with his symptoms.

Original poster
BethMck · 11/02/2025 21:46

jellyjester · 11/02/2025 21:29

So glad you're getting proper care and follow up for him now. And it sounds like you have her secretary's number too, just in case anything happens in the meantime or he gets worse rather than better. Hugs to your little boy x

She called me on her own office number, I'm unsure if I'm able to call her if I have any worries though, she just gave me the number to call her back to discuss his results! Although one thing I found odd, she never mentioned a follow up for the ESR and CRP tests to check if the antibiotics work, do you think I should ask for this to make sure his markers have gone back down? Because if they are still raised after 2 weeks of antibiotics other tests would need to be done surely? Although I am hoping his symptoms disappear once the antibiotics kick in!

OP posts:
jellyjester · 11/02/2025 21:29

So glad you're getting proper care and follow up for him now. And it sounds like you have her secretary's number too, just in case anything happens in the meantime or he gets worse rather than better. Hugs to your little boy x

Original poster
BethMck · 11/02/2025 20:42

SailingYachty · 11/02/2025 20:20

Well done OP, I’m so glad you’ve finally been listened to and are hopefully on the first step to recovery for your little one.

They didn't half send me the long way around! I'm just glad we are getting somewhere now, if the antibiotics work then I will be happy, another 2 weeks of waiting to see if they settle his symptoms, she suspects strep that was missed but I'm unsure because he hasn't complained of a sore throat and doctors have looked at his throat a few times.. but we're on the right path to getting a proper answer, finally

OP posts:
SailingYachty · 11/02/2025 20:20

Well done OP, I’m so glad you’ve finally been listened to and are hopefully on the first step to recovery for your little one.

Original poster
BethMck · 11/02/2025 18:07

Just need to hope the antibiotics reduce the inflammatory markers, I'm still a little nervous incase the antibiotics dont work but I'm feeling much better now that things are moving along and getting ruled out, the lady we saw today was absolutely lovely and he will get a follow up with her even if he is better, in 3 months time. I feel completely drained after the last 2 months but I'm so glad I kept pushing for my boy, after the cbc was normal I was surprised the infection markers are pretty high, and all the times I've seen a Dr that said if he had an infection he would have a raised temperature! Well he does have some kind of infection just unsure which one ATM

OP posts:
MyFavouritePlace · 11/02/2025 17:46

Fantastic news!!

Machya · 11/02/2025 17:15

Wonderful news. Thank God🙏

DollydaydreamTheThird · 11/02/2025 17:13

Brilliant news @BethMck. I think everyone following the thread will be relieved. Well done for going with your mum's instinct and ignoring the GP. Your son is lucky to have you advocating for him. He'll get followed up now hopefully as well so if you still have any concerns you can bypass the GP and speak to paediatrician. Take care and make a bit of time for you to decompress, this will have taken its toll on you.

BlueberryPieface · 11/02/2025 17:05

Oh excellent news @BethMck. Hopefully the antibiotics will sort him out and finally an ultrasound on his knee. You can breathe a sigh of relief now x

Original poster
BethMck · 11/02/2025 16:31

Thought I best update as I've been keeping this post updated! He had a LOT of blood taken today and an xray of hips and right knee! Was told I would get a letter with results but I got home to a phone call asking to call her office to discuss his results which gave me a massive fright! Xray was all fine but she said there were 2 lots of results in his blood that were raised quite high and indicate "a long standing" infection in his body, so we are unsure what but she suspects Strep, she's prescribed antibiotics for 2 weeks which will hopefully make him better and he's due an ultrasound of his knee in the next couple of weeks! So I think we can relax now and hopefully simple antibiotics will have him back right as rain and sort all these dodgy symptoms out once and for all! Thank you all for your well wishes, you really have all been great on here! Much appreciated

OP posts:
TheWonderhorse · 11/02/2025 13:44

Hoping for good news OP. And some peace of mind for you.

Wibblywobblybobbly · 11/02/2025 13:35

I really hope it all went well this morning.

thistlepiedpiper · 11/02/2025 08:42

Wishing you all the best this morning xx

Original poster
BethMck · 11/02/2025 00:22

jellyjester · 10/02/2025 23:12

Really pleased you've finally got a paediatrician appointment tomorrow. Hope it goes well. Good luck to your son. Sounds like he's been amazing having all the blood tests so far, not easy at that age.

He has been a little trooper the past 2 months bless him, absolutely whizzing round the park on his scooter the other day and ended up with a limp but he still didn't want to leave the park! Unsure what their next steps are but at least we'll know by tomorrow afternoon!

OP posts: