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Children with LDs, inhuman strength and a strong resistance to vaccinations

6 replies

CluelessOnAPeakInDarien · 04/07/2022 17:42

What do you DO? We tried to take DS (severely affected by his autism, significant LDs, mostly non-verbal) for a Covid jab and although we'd planned ahead, spoken to the staff there, agreed a nice cosy sofa for him to sit on and had multiple distractions, he was a howling nightmare before the nurse got a needle anywhere near his arm. Somehow he just KNEW! We'd opted to try and do it before he noticed (HA! absolutely nothing escapes his vigilance) because his LDs make it hard to explain the whys and whats of this sort of thing, and we knew we'd only have one stab at it. He is just so hyper-alert and very suspicious of anything untoward. The staff were absolutely lovely, and very accepting of him (even the nurse whom he kicked against) but we couldn't do anything with him and now I worry we've done more harm than good, in terms of him ever being able to have an injection in the future.

It's not Covid so much (we'd naturally like him not to get it but he's very healthy and young, but would like to protect elderly and vulnerable family) but all the other things that he'll need vaccinations for. Not to mention blood tests he might need in the future. DH and I were talking on the way home about what other parents of children with severe LDs do, whether they find a specialist practitioner, or opt for sedation, or what...

(I'm not interested in an argument about the whys and wherefores of Covid vaccination, BTW. I would really like to know how other parents manage this.)

OP posts:
Lesley25 · 04/07/2022 18:11

We have a son who is similar to how you describe your son.

we have to do a mild sedation, so diazepam with the anesthetist so he’s groggy enough for them to put the needle in his hand and send him off to sleep.
My son has an issue with polyps in his ears so if he has to go under GA we have the dentist also booked in and basically get injections bloods X-rays anything that would be prudent to do there and then also.

danni0509 · 04/07/2022 18:12

Ds is the same. He split his head open and had a gaping hole they left to heal on its own as 4 drs couldn’t pin him to glue it.

He takes medication he’s supposed to have regular blood pressure monitoring for and he’s never had it done. They keep talking of stopping the medication due to it.

If ever he’s poorly he won’t let a dr anywhere near him. Not even to do temperature. They wanted to do an mri and bloods before but couldn’t so they never happened.

He’s 8 (autism / adhd / MLD) he is verbal and he does understand mostly, but nothing will make him co operate. Does not matter how much we’ve explained he won’t have any of it.

He’s been like it since he’s been a toddler, I’m sorry I don’t have advice as nothing has worked so far for us. (He’s also the same getting haircuts and things like that so he has long hair)

It’s an absolute nightmare tbh, as not just for injections / when poorly, but what if he need emergency surgery or something? He’s been sedated before for a medical procedure and it didn’t even work! He had midazolam and the dr asked why he had not been given sedation when he had requested it, err this is after sedation. 😞

Lesley25 · 04/07/2022 18:13

i forgot to mention that my sons SS arranged the Covid jab and they said he was brilliant but to this day I have no dies how they managed it! And I’ll be honest, I didn’t ask, I was just grateful he had it.

i do think school nurses might be worth the speaking to also, they may come back around again in Autumn.

LargeLegoHaul · 04/07/2022 18:35

For vaccinations, in some areas the LD nursing team will help. For example, some find it helps to have the vaccinations at home and that can be arranged.

LargeLegoHaul · 04/07/2022 18:37

Danni the mri could be done under general anaesthetic or IV sedation (sometimes oral sedation doesn’t work but IV sedation is effective).

CluelessOnAPeakInDarien · 05/07/2022 19:30

Thank you for your tips and experiences. I've got a phone chat with his GP booked, given it seems he can't access health care without an almighty fight (the receptionist said there was 'no chance' a District Nurse could come out to him, because they'd say 'he can come in to surgery/vaccination centre' and I pointed out that this was discriminatory, given they are coming out to vaccinate people with mobility issues and other disabilities. Receptionist agreed and then reiterated that there was no point in asking for a DN to do it).

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