Week 1 Term 3

Well we're back into the swing of things. It feels like the holidays were forever away now. We're already looking forward to Rainbow Beach in October, not really that far away. That's a real holiday, no work, no huge list of chores, just relaxing and enjoying each other's company.

I've had a busy week. I feel like I'm doing so much on the web site, but I spend too much time, not knowing what I'm doing rather than being productive. I've still got more work to do this week, including my lesson work.

Ah well, I'm glad this app saves my work, because it's now Week 2 and I'd forgotten to upload this. Last week I took the kids to the GP, as a follow up visit from the Asthma Nurse. Both Sammy and Billy-Joe had to have blood tests and x-rays. Yesterday I got a call from the medical centre to bring Billy-Joe back, obviously something had shown up on the blood test. I thought this was a step in the right direction, because he's always coughing, so I thought we'd get a script for antibiotics.

Billy-Joe came back positive on his ANCA test. This test coming back positive can be a false positive, which is what I'm praying for. The GP is concerned he may have Churg-Strauss Syndrome.

There are some main symptoms which Billy-Joe doesn't present with, namely red nodules, and an allergic rhinitis. But, the fact he's in the 3rd percentile for his weight is not good. He's been underweight for most of his life. He also has bi-lateral knee pain, which as I know from suffering pain in both achilles and both hips, bilateral pain, is a sign of something systemic rather than an injury. The GP told me not to panic, and I'm not panicking, but my heart sank when I read about this syndrome. It's a rare disease, an inflammation of the blood vessels, but has stages, the first two stages can be managed with heavy duty corticosteroids, while the third stage can lead to death. The research on this syndrome is fairly limited as it's so rare, and often people aren't diagnosed until later in life, this disease in children is even more rare.

The rest of the day has passed by in a bit of a numb blur. I feel positive and am not worried at this stage, well not devastatingly worried, but yes, I'm concerned. We will take him to have a chest x-ray and then he'll see a paediatrician down the track. Billy-Joe is fine with all this, he's not asked me the name of what the GP suggested, which is good as I don't want him looking it up. 

Perhaps my anti depressants help to numb things a bit, I'm not sure. I won't panic, I'll hand this over to God, and deal with what comes, and pray like hell in the meantime that the GP is irrevocably wrong!!