Hi all,
I've always had an odd feeling about one of the other Mums at my Dc's school. I have never felt this way about any of the other Mums. I feel awful incase I'm completely off the mark and this poor lady and her children have just had a really bad time of it, and been really unfortunate.
She seems to be dramatic about her dd illnesses since nursery, it always seems to happen at home and never at school. They are now a couple of years into primary school (year 2), and it is still going on. I have been told about allergies causing a blue light ambulance when her dd was a baby, causing her to to turn blue and swell up in her highchair, as she gasped for breath. I felt terrible for her and expressed how scary this must be, as I know a diary allergy is life threatening. It has however kept going for the last couple of years, and her dd's natural confidence has seemed to plummet, she looks sad and withdrawn, but happier when with her dad. At school parents workshops she tells her not to go near hay, and many other things shouting, "you're allergic remember keep away from this or that." She goes on every school trip and doesn't let her dd mix without her there, all of the other other children are allowed to have some independence.
This Mum is always talking to the teacher, keeping them back at the start and end of day about things, being very dramatic about every little thing. She will make a huge deal of trips, events, appointments her dd has, telling teacher on the door, when everybody else just pings an email through. I can understand a quick reminder, but we are talking a detailed story. A lot of the time this happens infront of her poor dd who looks scared to death when she talks about hospital appointments.
In reception she said her dd passed the school vision test, but she knew she couldn't see properly so got eyes tested privately, and her dd turned up in glasses. She said that her dd has asthma and made a huge scene of giving her dd an inhaler outside, and making sure teacher knew all of the details, that there was a spare one in school (again not a quick reminder). She said she had been fighting with the GP for a permanent inhaler but they only would only give it for after months due to age, but she knows her dd has asthma. Her dd's younger brother also has had a range of things, she said he has all of the things her dd has, so has had him at hospital getting tests for allergies as he has been breathless at night. They are in hospital getting steroids etc after viruses, viruses all of the kids have had. I realise there can be complications, but it is always worse. Again it could be just a very very unfortunate time for them.
She fought with doctors about her dd needing her tonsils out, her dd has rarely been off school, the doctor wouldn't refer her to ENT due to normal size tonsils and no history, other than normal sore throats kids get. She then got an appt with a different doctor saying she was certain her dd has sleep apnea and needed them out. Despite a long waiting list she rang numerous time and got her in a lot earlier, jumping the cancellation list queue. Then she said they had to stay in hospital 2 nights because dd wasn't eating and needed a drip when came back to school two weeks later. She told the teacher she would need certain foods etc and huge conversation on the door infront of her dd on her first day back to school.
There are dcs with a range of things and I have seen anybody else go on that way. I really like this other Mum, but why do I get a feeling something is off as illnesses keep continuing. I have never ever even though of Munchausens in my life, and only heard the term years ago, this popped into my head acouple of years ago and I have told myself I was wrong, but I cannot shake this feeling. She is now saying her youngest son (2) needs his tonsils out as well, and has been in hospital for different things.
Her son goes to nursery and is rarely absent. I don't understand it. The latest thing is she now believes dd has had the worst case of chicken pox she has ever known, all over and she wasn't eating, vomiting, and that she was calling the gp. This was followed by hand, foot and mouth requiring a hospital visit last week, and suspects younger son is coming down with asthma as well.
What does everyone think? Could is maybe just be anxiety with this Mum, making things sound worse, wanting check to be sure? She does do the same sort of thing about school reports and attainment making appointments outside of school's time slots for one to ones with the teachers (always the first and only to do this), maybe just anxiety?
As I said I do like the Mum, and she lives in the next street a long, so we will walk to school together sometimes with the kids. I feel awful for feeling this way behind her back.