Leukemia symptoms?

[Aklein38]

Hi my DS is 22 months. This year I've been very concerned about his health. On 26th Jan he had a temperature lasting 12 days which was finally diagnosed as the flu via swab. 10 days later he got another cold with fever. 20 days later he got a 38.5 temperature for 8 hours and 4 days later another temperature rising to 39.7 overnight. He still currently has this latest temperature. I'm now starting to worry that it isn't normal to have this many temperatures especially with the last one being unexplained. Could it be leukemia? Has anyone got experience of childhood leukemia and are these recurring and frequent temperatures a likely sign of this? Freaking out!

Has he recently started childcare? It's not uncommon to get lots of sicknesses at first when building up immunity to all the germs there.

I wouldn't leap to leukemia but get him an appointment with your GP to discuss your concerns and get him checked out. Hopefully they will just be able to reassure you.

Having had a child with leukaemia, I would say no. It doesn't sound like that.

Sounds like normal childhood virus/illness.

I also noticed he's developed a limp/skips when he runs in his shoes. At first I thought it was just him bring silly but now I'm wondering if it's related...

@LaunchingTeabag what were your child's symptoms when they were diagnosed? I assume a blood test is sufficient to diagnose it?

Maybe his shoes aren't fitting right or he has pain for another reason? Or that's just his gait? The only thing that can give you an answer is seeing your GP and having blood tests done.

Just been to see GP and she said his leg didn't seem to be causing him pain when she was moving and touching it and he walked without his shoes and the limp wasn't as noticeable.

She said no blood tests for now as he is happy and having back to back infections is quite normal at this age. Should I have pushed for a blood test?

I don't want to miss anything but equally don't want to put him through unnecessary tests. I've realised that in 2023 he had 10 fevers and 4 so far this year. Is this normal?

I think you're being overly anxious. Kids this age do get sick a lot.

My son had loss of appetite for days at a time, yellow/ grey colour to his skin, lethargic to the point I couldn't rouse him. He cried a lot and patted his chest (the result of something swelling because of the leukaemia). One tiny nosebleed. Bruising.

It was diagnosed by blood test.

I hope your child gets well soon. It is a worry.

Actually, the diagnosis was only confirmed totally by a lumbar puncture. You don't want to put a child through that. Believe me!

Thank you @LaunchingTeabag . Everyone is telling me I'm over worrying. He is normal colour, eating and playing fine just so many temperatures. My first wasn't like this I'm sure.

I agree I don't want to put him through unnecessary tests, I just don't want to miss anything.

@LaunchingTeabag was it quite clear that your son was very ill then and did it progress very rapidly? Did he get many illnesses/fevers?

How is he now? I hope he is OK x

I think what I’ve learnt is that each child has their own specific red flags and you are the only one who knows what is normal and not

For example our daughter went from sleeping through the night to waking three times for a couple weeks, this was not normal and should have been a red flag to us but we kept brushing it off saying she just had a cold (even though when she has had colds the night wakings only last a couple days)

Have a good think about what the red flags would be for your child and chase it up if you are at all worried even if it ends up being nothing

best of luck and I hope your little one gets a break from these colds!

I'm just really worried. His temperature has now gone after 5 days but it was hard to wake him from his nap and he was really sweaty (pillowcase damp and clothes damp) so now I'm just going the rabbit hole of self diagnosing but when I saw the GP yesterday they said no to blood test. I don't know if I should take him back and insist on a blood test just to rule it out but my husband doesn't want me to and is telling me to stop looking for things. I'm just spiralling and am terrified!

I think it’ll play on your mind every time he gets ill. It probably won’t be cancer but there could be something else that means he gets more colds and finds it harder to shake them?

You could call 111 and explain the symptoms and the frequency to them, at least then you can get it all out of your head and talk to someone with medical expertise?

There’s some advice from the nhs here-
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/fever-in-children/#:~:text=Call%20111%20or%20your%20GP%20surgery%20now%20if%20your%20child%3A&text=has%20a%20high%20temperature%20that's%20lasted%20for%205%20days%20or%20more

Hi, I've been back to GP as he definitely has a 'limp' although GP says its not a limp but more his gait as he isn't in pain or dragging his feet.

He hasn't had a temperature for a month however every day during the day his temperature goes up to 37.8 but then comes down at night. Is this normal?

He also has a swollen lymph node which the doctor isn't concerned with but has referred us for an ultrasound just to check.

They all think he is a well child and I am over worrying. I keep thinking it's leukemia (he seems happy though)

How quickly did your DCs symptoms progress and how long did a diagnosis take @LaunchingTeabag?

This has been going on for a month and he doesn't seem to be getting worse, just the same I think. Would it get worse if it were leukemia?

How is your little one now? My 4yo is exactly the same, reoccurring fevers!

Hi @MumofHennHals , his ultrasound was Normal and he still spikes 37.8 temps during the day even months later but overnight and in the morning his temp is normal. We think it's just normal for him and he just runs warm or maybe his ear canal is just so small it's hard to get an accurate reading who knows.

He has been ill since and when he is actually ill his temperature is very obviously above 38C and remains that way even at night so that's when we know he is ill as opposed to just running warm. Its taken us a lot of adjustment though as now when we see yellow on the thermometer we have to brush it off as being normal!

DS was assessed with urgent blood tests when he suddenly became very pale with dark under-eye circles, more tired than usual (wanting to sit in baby's pram when walking to school), large unexplained bruises, and bleeding without pain when using the toilet. GP found more bruises and raised lymph nodes under the neck and sent us to A&E. HTH. Glad everything is ok <3

Definitely keep a close eye. My child only had a limp and leg pain when diagnosed. No illnesses, lots of energy, no excess bruises etc. It is more likely to be nothing, or something else, but you know your child. Took 3 GP visits for them to take me seriously.

But hopefully it came to nothing as it was a while ago now

Did they ever reveal the result? In a&e with son with similar symptoms

Nothing ever came of this thankfully. He was just getting viral infection after viral infection and runs warm naturally during the day but as he had got older his core temperature has gradually dropped to a more normal temperature. The limp was never anything and it was just him learning to run I think. I hope your son is OK!