Vague symptoms in 8/9 year old

[lovelilies]

I will get a GP appointment just after the hive of MN to see if anyone recognises anything going on here. I'm a nurse so am trying not to see things which aren't there, but also don't want to be blasé and miss something.

DS (9 in Jan) has recently lost weight, I'm not sure how much as hadn't weighed him for 2 years, but he looks skinny now, was always stocky, strong looking. He's traditionally been just above 50th centile, but last measured in 2020 so aged 6. He's now between 25th-50th for weight.

He has complained intermittently of leg pains, maybe once a month or so but fully active, does karate etc. he had a tummy bug in summer and ended up in A&E to rule out appendicitis which has triggered enormous heath anxiety in him,he's seen a play therapist and we have been managing it with reassurance and distraction.

He regularly (daily) complains of lower rib pain, which settles by itself.
He says he's worried something is wrong, which up until the weight loss I've always dismissed and reassured him he's strong and healthy.

He is terrified of any medical intervention/tests/consultation so I'm reluctant to take him to the GP and say I've noticed the weigh loss, for fear of him latching onto it and being scared he's very ill. So it's a bit of a catch 22 really 🙄

His appetite is good, he eats everything given to him, a good range of foods, plus at the moment he's hoovering up snacks all evening before and after dinner- I can't fill him up.

He doesn't seem more tired than usual, sleeps 10.5-11 hours a night

Totally random @lovelilies but do ask GP for coeliac blood screen - my daughter had the same issues (headaches, not growing as she should, under the weather / aching limbs) and it turns out she is coeliac. My DS is coeliac too but had no symptoms. DS is 9 next month and he is quite slender but both of them have done much better since being off gluten.

Sorry, I should also mention her main symptom was heartburn / under the rib pain x

I've mentioned what you've said to his DF (we're not together) and he says it's probably just a growth spurt 🤷‍♀️ he's a dr btw.

He doesn't think the therapy helped much with the health anxiety but I do. We don't agree on lots of things 😬

I don't think DS would ever agree to a blood test unless his life depended on it tbh.

I know your DS is scared but I think he does need a celiac screen. If he has it and you don’t know there are serious long term issues possibly.

i find doctors are the worst!

what is his height growth like?

I am not a medical person.

Might he have other symptoms which he has not told you about?
Slight blood loss? Headaches? Anything that he either doesnt want to tell you or has not thought of as relevant.

I'll measure him tonight. I think he's in the middle somewhere judging by his classmates.

He has enormous feet 👣 haha, size 4 already!

He complains of the abdo/rib pain a lot but very fleetingly, and is able to go to school, swimming, ride his bike etc. he does fixate on every little ache and pain I think, so I'm sure he'd say if there was anything else.

I don't know what his poos are like- he goes independently, and the smell afterwards isn't anything to write home about, his 6yo sister however- the smell of those would wipe out an army!

He had his tonsils out aged 4 (for apnoea) and was hysterical in the anaesthetic room, they had to secretly give oral midazolam (a sedative) to even get him in the trolley 😐 and it's just got worse since then. He thinks if he goes to hospital or the doctor it means he's going to die. I've reassured him, dismissed it, tried everything to reduce this, but he's usually 'well' so it's not an issue! So odd, especially with the family medical background!