I would really appriciate people's views on this, because it is worrying me a lot.
My 12 year old son has always been prone to illnesses. When he is not ill, he is quite sporty and active - a very keen cricket player and loves to play football in school lunchtimes.
Since a baby he has suffered from ear infections. He has has grommets since he was around 7 years old. Around 9 years old he started getting bad bouts of tonsilitus and sinus problems (all linked to his ear problems).
In year 6 at primary he had tonsilitus about 3 or 4 times having to miss school a lot, usually just before or during times of stress. He was ill for the school play, 11+ and SATS exams.
He had his tonsils and adenoids removed a year ago, but still has grommets. He still gets the odd bout of ear ache and has sinus problems, and these tend to come on when he is under stress ie recently he was singing in a play at his youth drama group and a few days before the performance he developed a bad sore throat, cold and sinus problems.
Right now he has mumps (even though he had his MMR jab) and has been off school for nearly 2 weeks.
As well as these diagnosed illnesses, he says he has lots of pain in his knee joints and this seems to be getting worse. The doctor thought it might be a sports injury caused by all the cricket he plays, but even when he is resting for weeks and the pain goes, an hour or so's walking will bring it back. ds says it is now too painful for him to play football in lunchtimes at school and believe me, he would not be saying this unless he was in real pain!
But then again, there is nothing visible about this so I am having to go on ds's word. After 5 or 6 visits to the doctor about ds's knees last year, I have asked if ds can see a consultant at the hospital and we have an appointment next week.
And then there's just the general aches and pains. All this term nearly every morning ds says he is unwell, that he feels sick - stomach ache, knees hurt etc. I am really conscious that he can't keep missing lessons especially now he is in seniour school so tend to be sceptical about these mystery illnesses, send ds off to school then feel guilty.
Ds says he is happy at school and is not being bullied and I have no reason to suspect anything. However since ds started the school 4 terms ago, I have had dozens of phone calls at work from ds on his mobile about being sick or from the staff in the school sick room where ds has gone. When I collect him, the pain often mysteriously disappears and ds will beg to go out to play football a few hours later. I have got much less responsive to calls from ds and I think the staff in the sick room tend to send ds back to class.
I do feel ds does have some genuine health problems - the knee problem especially is making me worried as I just don't know what it can be. If anyone has thoughts there, please tell me.
I also feel ds does cry wolf sometimes as he likes the attention, and has got used to being sick and off school. He is not very driven in lessons as it is, so has no desire to be top of the class. I don't know if I am being too hard hearted in making him go to school or whether I should turn more of a deaf ear to his cries on school mornings.
It just seems ds has so many health issues - more and more the older he gets. They are beginning to dominate his life. I keep worring how they will resolve themselves and what I can do to help.