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Am I crazy to worry this could be leukaemia? Frequent fevers in two year old plus other things…

27 replies

dancelikeyoudontgiveafuck · 17/05/2022 22:36

I’m getting a bit worried about my two year old. I posted another thread to ask if it was normal to get poorly so much after starting nursery, but I’ve just realised he’s had episodes of high temp four times since the first of March up until now (currently in the middle of one and on antibiotics). He had Covid in Feb so I don’t know if this has also knocked his immune system.

Hes also had an on off cough since the back end of April that went away and has come back again (I thought it was due to teething this time as his back molars are coming through and he’s really dribbly) and is on an iron supplement for low iron. He does get bruises but usually after an obvious tumble on his scooter etc so nothing mysterious.

Recently he has learned the word “hurts” and he’s using it a lot - He has been saying his tummy hurts recently and his leg hurts (leg he’s mentioned it once or twice but no trouble walking or running about at all) so I can’t tell if it’s a proper hurt or a little knock or if it even hurts at all as sometimes he will use it retrospectively. He’s a bit tired at the moment, most likely from having almost back to back infections but is still
playing, running, asking to get out of the pushchair all the time.

the doctor recently listened to his chest and did bloods to check his iron and said his haemoglobin was fine, wasn’t concerned about anything else and said his iron isn’t worryingly low just lower than he would like to see. He also examined his tummy and felt
for lymph nodes around his groin - nothing of concern.

I recently read about childhood leukaemia so it’s planted the seed in my head, I suffer from health anxiety so am often gripped by worst case scenarios and find it hard to be rational!

OP posts:
TaVeryMuchLove · 17/05/2022 22:42

All sounds like pretty normal 2 year old stuff to me! If your doctor isn’t concerned, then I wouldn’t be. But if you’re not happy, take him back to the GP

dontgobaconmyheart · 17/05/2022 22:54

It seems as though your GP has done a thorough check of anything that would indicate a serious illness (including childhood leukaemia) and ruled that out. The rest sounds within the range of normal and a virus can take some time to recover from regardless of age. A knock to his immune system doesn't mean he will be more likely to become seriously unwell now or in the future.

Anxiety is so draining OP, I hope you're ok.

I'd keep an eye on when he is saying his tummy or leg hurts but only with a view to trying to work out if it's something he's eating or doing. Obviously consult the GP of it persists and you're unsure but he has been checked, a blood test would pick up any huge concern.

hellcatspanglelalala · 17/05/2022 22:57

Leukaemia would've shown up on the bloods - it sounds like he's just having a bad run of childhood infections which can seem relentless.

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about these subjects:

OddsandSods · 17/05/2022 22:59

Leukaemia in childhood comes on really fast. Sounds like normal childhood illnesses but take him back to be checked anytime if you’re worried.

dancelikeyoudontgiveafuck · 17/05/2022 23:00

Would it have shown up on bloods that were just to check his iron level?

thank you I’m in a very bad place anxiety wise at the moment and have an appointment myself to see my doctor next week.

I think my concern is because he’s seen for all these individual things and I’m worried they haven’t looked at the bigger picture, but the same doctor saw him and looked at his tummy/ iron levels/ viral infection so I guess they would have looked at his notes when we came in.

anxiety really is the devil.

OP posts:
ToastedCrumpetwithCheese · 17/05/2022 23:00

I remember when my son started nursery at about 18mo, he was ill almost constantly for months. I think once he picked up a bug, he then picked them all up. He's pretty sturdy now though (nearly 7 years!).

It is sometimes hard to know what's regular illness, what's your child's personality and what's more serious. Sounds like the GP has run some tests, if you're still concerned go back though.

ToastedCrumpetwithCheese · 17/05/2022 23:03

Why don't you ask the GP when you see them next week what they tested his blood for? In fact if you're discussing your anxiety, this is maybe a useful example.

Cdl84 · 17/05/2022 23:03

The blood test to check for anaemia also checks white cell count which would be very abnormal in leukaemia.

dancelikeyoudontgiveafuck · 17/05/2022 23:12

Thanks I will do. I know it was a follow up to see if the supplement had made any difference but don’t know what that would necessarily be testing. I just know they said his haemoglobin was fine but his other iron level was still a little bit low.

thanks for reassurance, he does seem to come down with something every time he goes to nursery for his full allocation for a week! Only two days but god knows what it would be like if he was in all week 😩

I think that’s what worries me @OddsandSods and I’m not really clear on what the proper red flag symptoms are as they seem to vary!

OP posts:
OddsandSods · 17/05/2022 23:20

Sorry, I meant that to be reassuring. They are often very pale and listless. Symptoms usually develop quickly, not grumble on for a couple of months. Abnormal numbers of white cells, low platelets and anaemia are seen on a blood test (your child’s didn’t show that). But if you’re worried ask your GP to examine them again.

nether · 17/05/2022 23:21

The blood test which would show up any concerns re leukaemia is a full blood count, Ask your GP if that was the test which was done, just so you are absolutely clear in your own mind.

As pp said, that test checks levels of various types of blood cells inc haemoglobin levels and it would show very clearly if any if the other types of blood cells were badly out of range.

https://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Red-blood-count/

https://labtestsonline.org.uk/tests/full-blood-count-fbc

cringeandbinge · 17/05/2022 23:23

dancelikeyoudontgiveafuck · 17/05/2022 22:36

I’m getting a bit worried about my two year old. I posted another thread to ask if it was normal to get poorly so much after starting nursery, but I’ve just realised he’s had episodes of high temp four times since the first of March up until now (currently in the middle of one and on antibiotics). He had Covid in Feb so I don’t know if this has also knocked his immune system.

Hes also had an on off cough since the back end of April that went away and has come back again (I thought it was due to teething this time as his back molars are coming through and he’s really dribbly) and is on an iron supplement for low iron. He does get bruises but usually after an obvious tumble on his scooter etc so nothing mysterious.

Recently he has learned the word “hurts” and he’s using it a lot - He has been saying his tummy hurts recently and his leg hurts (leg he’s mentioned it once or twice but no trouble walking or running about at all) so I can’t tell if it’s a proper hurt or a little knock or if it even hurts at all as sometimes he will use it retrospectively. He’s a bit tired at the moment, most likely from having almost back to back infections but is still
playing, running, asking to get out of the pushchair all the time.

the doctor recently listened to his chest and did bloods to check his iron and said his haemoglobin was fine, wasn’t concerned about anything else and said his iron isn’t worryingly low just lower than he would like to see. He also examined his tummy and felt
for lymph nodes around his groin - nothing of concern.

I recently read about childhood leukaemia so it’s planted the seed in my head, I suffer from health anxiety so am often gripped by worst case scenarios and find it hard to be rational!

When my daughter was two and in nursery I remember being in work, crying on my phone to my ex partner as I was sure my daughter had cancer as she was so ill ALL THE TIME. I remember saying to him, 'I know my daughter and I know she's really ill, something is wrong with her'.

There was nothing wrong with her it was just she was catching everything going at nursery. My niece is 3 and was the same for a while after starting nursery. Normal imo but obviously get checked if worried.

Afrodizzyak · 17/05/2022 23:25

My daughter had leukemia, had an enlarged spleen, very visible and swollen. Blood count would show this. Please don't worry.

nether · 17/05/2022 23:29

I'm not sure whether it's a good idea to post this, as I don't want to feed any anxiety.

But as you're already concerned about leukaemia, I would say it is worth reading this from Blood Cancer UK, because it is worth knowing what the main symptoms are. Not just you, everyone - and if you're ever worried about your DC, get your GP to do a a FBC.

But don't go crazy on Dr Google - there's a lot of dated and therefore scary info about blood cancers still lurking out there, and it won't do any good to be reading that sort of stuff

https://bloodcancer.org.uk/understanding-blood-cancer/leukaemia/childhood-leukaemia/childhood-leukaemia-symptoms/

dancelikeyoudontgiveafuck · 17/05/2022 23:52

Thank you this is helpful and actually a bit more reassuring.
he has eczema so I’m pretty hot on marks on his skin and while he does have a faded purple flat spot on his arm it’s a scar from hand foot and mouth, no little dots like described.

his tummy is a bit swollen this week but I think he’s constipated - and as I said the doctor did have a look at his stomach a week or so go.

how would I find out whether a full blood count was done would that just be an appointment with my doctor? I think it was two vials, he didn’t have to fast. I’m not sure what’s normally done for Iron level checks!

OP posts:
dancelikeyoudontgiveafuck · 17/05/2022 23:56

@Afrodizzyak I’m so sorry to hear your daughter had it, I hope she is okay now? I’m not sure I would know what I was looking for, he has a toddler tummy it sometimes seems to stick it more than others but he’s always had a pot belly - like a little beer belly.

OP posts:
nether · 17/05/2022 23:57

how would I find out whether a full blood count was done

Just ask the doctor when you see him/her - the appointment is about you, but it'll only take a few key strokes to get the info and it could help ease one point of anxiety, so I'd say it's worth doing for you.

It's normally one vial, lavender top, and a very standard test to have done.

dancelikeyoudontgiveafuck · 18/05/2022 04:25

Thank you I’ll do that when they open today.

even more worried now as I went in to check him a moment ago and his hair is damp with sweat despite no temp (he had calpol a couple of hours ago) and he’s never been sweaty overnight before that I’ve noticed. Hopefully it’s just him fighting off the infection he’s currently got or his fever breaking.

OP posts:
OddsandSods · 18/05/2022 06:09

Small children often have sweats at night. It’s not the worrying symptom that it is in adults. Please take him back for review and hopefully they will be able to put your mind at rest.

Whiteohoneboxes · 18/05/2022 07:02

if you have his/her haemoglobin, which above you said you had, then a full
blood count has been performed. If it was leukaemia that full blood count would have flagged up a system and you would have been contacted that day or at the latest the day after.

dancelikeyoudontgiveafuck · 18/05/2022 07:42

Thank you @Whiteohoneboxes that’s so helpful. The doctor definitely said haemoglobin level was okay but the other iron level hadn’t increased as much as they would like hence the iron supplement continuing

OP posts:
fuckwhatshouldido · 18/05/2022 07:56

In the nicest possible way, you are being crazy to worry OP! Anxiety is a bugger but he sounds perfectly normal healthwise. My daughter also had leukaemia and it was massively obvious that something wasn’t right - she was actually perfectly well and happy in herself with no obvious signs of illness at all, but she was covered in petechiae (pinprick, non blanching rash) and absolutely covered in bruises - the day she was diagnosed they were coming up over her as I was sat watching, no explanation, no knock, literally popping up out of nowhere. And her bloods were absolutely all over the show. The GP would definitely have come up with something on the bloods if there was anything to worry about.

Iamanunsafebuilding · 18/05/2022 08:31

My nephew had leukaemia, my SIL googled his symptoms and leukaemia was the online diagnosis. She took him to the GP and he listened to the symptoms, her self-diagnosis and then did a blood test. Within 24 hours they were in hospital talking about treatment plans, chemo regimes and prognosis.

He had the treatment and recovered but my point is that the GP basically took one look at him and knew! Please keep in touch with your doctor but I hope my experience reassures you.

Ozgirl75 · 18/05/2022 10:03

Children are often quite hot and sweaty at night, I wouldn’t worry about that in itself.

thecurtainsofdestiny · 18/05/2022 10:12

What @Whiteohoneboxes said.

The test for haemoglobin also tests for white blood cells (which would be abnormal in leukemia), among other things. GP would act very quickly if there was any suspicion of leukemia.

But I think you should have this conversation with your GP as it's not great to rely on random internet advice!

Let your GP reassure you, based on the examination and tests they have done. They will have met many worried parents and will be used to explaining things.

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