DD with stiff knees & hands & coping with blood tests

[Domino1]

My previously active and healthy nearly 5 year old DD has problems straightening her hands. She can't open them out & complains it hurts when they are knocked & therefore 'straightened'. This is a recent thing over the last few weeks. She also complains of stiff knees and especially in the morning walks like a older woman with arthritis. It seems to be getting worse in the last week and she now complains she can't run very well and can't hold onto a friend's hand as her own hand just 'opens up'. Does this ring bells with anyone? Growing pains? Virus? Something more serious? She is clever & sensitive & focused & the GP wants to send her for blood tests, which I know will involve force as she won't go willingly. Anyone any advice on this as well - willing to bribe with anything. Don't want to send for unnecessary blood tests that will traumatise her if it isn't necessary but don't want to miss out on a diagnosis. Paediatric referal early December so far.....

I'm not a dr but my brother had similar symptoms particularly in his hands - he was a bit older, about 10. After quite a lot of investigation, it turned out to be juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. If it is that, it can cause a lot of problems if not treated so definitely worth getting checked out as thoroughly as possible.

No advice on blood tests I'm afraid. Would the standard lolly/chocolate type things appeal to her?

I would just be very calm and brisk about it: "Everybody has to have blood tests from time to time, it will hurt a little but it will be over quickly". Hold her firmly if you have to.

And then maybe a chocolate afterwards. Or even take her out for lunch (I do that to my dcs when they have to have medical tests- which is fairly frequently).

This really sounds like something you need investigated; if she does have something like arthritis it is vital that she gets the right help.

Tell her they will put emla cream on her which is magic and will stop her from feeling it - then ask GP to prescribe you some emla and put it potential locations 45mins before, or ask nurse when you go for test to put some on her.

How's things now? Did you get the blood test done?

Blood tests are not nice but should not traumatise if well organised. As Kinky mentioned ask for Emla cream on various places at least one hour befor hand (just because they might try more than one place, so better be prepared for that). Ask for help from a play therapist, because you seem quite stressed and your dc will feel that. Most important thing: explaining what will happen, but don't make it bigger than it is, Emla cream is very special and magic, nice present waiting for straight after (so needs to be agreed upon and bought in advance and taken along) and lots of distraction during the test. I think that for most children it works better not to look at the needle etc, so have them watching a dvd/laptop with dvd/book with sounds/speaking doll/toy and hold them in such a way that they can't see what the doctor is doing, all the time talking to them and reassuring and telling them how well they do and what a lovely picture on the dvd or silly or whatever or the book/etc, basically DISTRACT AS MUCH AS YOU POSSIBLY CAN. I like something with noise, because it can drone out the voice of doctor and nurse a little.