Last week was a bit gah. I had a pretty tough time as an older teen and I hurt. A real physical pain that was so hard to describe, to put into words. I would sit night after night with my dad massaging the joints that hurt. I slept. Yes all teenagers go through the late sleeping but I slept 18 hours out of 24. My friends would come in my room, wake me and stay a bit then leave whilst I continued to sleep. I refused to go to school, instead I would sleep. My patient parents took me to he GP time and time again. They took me to hospital and they paid for me to be seen privately. Each time I was subjected to blood tests and blood pressure and iron checks. Each time I was told it was a glandular fever type thing. Blood pressure was low and dropped even more on standing. I hurt yet no-one really got it. I cried and no-one really got it.
Thankfully understanding has improved but I still get a knot in my stomach when my girls complain of pain and of aches. Today Chloe saw the physio about her aches and pains in various joints. I was a bit taken aback by some of the things she said. I didn’t realise her back was aching so much, yet when I saw the physio touching Chloe’s back I saw her wince. She clicks, loudly. Something I don’t think that happened to me, but oh how I ached. I was surprised to hear some of the things Chloe said, about her back pain, about her knees burning. My heart was in my mouth for 45 minutes. When the physio decided to measure her legs and flex her hips I nearly gagged. Yet it isn’t about me.
Thankfully the physio listened, seemed to understand. Chloe is fit, she dances, she runs, she represents all the sports teams, yet she has always had growing pains, she was diagnosed with osgood slaters disease when she was in year six. This past week she was diagnosed with hypermobility.
Both of my girls. I am playing it down with Chloe but inside I have a little knot of fear. Thankfully I understand and she is fit and healthy and I intend to keep her that way.
3 Responses
That must be hard- after 4 yrs of M.E/ Fibromyalgia I totally understand about the pain side of things. I don’t know how I would cope if any of my boys had to suffer tha pain I have daily! Take care x
Thank you – you will get how i feel then. Not easy being a parent.
I marvel and surprised by the tenacity shown by your daughter, despite suffering from hypermobility and being in so much pain, she has managed to overcome the limitations and excel in sports. More power to you and Chloe!