Last week we went on vacation to Tennessee for my 37th birthday. We really had a wonderful time overall. What would a vacation be without a little drama? On my birthday, my son began doing this odd blinking thing. It kept up for hours. By afternoon, after going to the Chili Bingo party with my Aunt and Grandma's senior group at church, we took him to the ER. Of course, the doctor there was not exactly familiar with what he was doing, didn't take it seriously and told us it looks like he is blinking on purpose. I thought my husband would jump across that examination room and kick that doctors' ass! They got in touch via phone with Bam-Bam's neurologist in Detroit. He has a neurologist because he's had some seizures in the past. I described the symptoms for her and she said she wanted to see him as soon as we got back from vacation. She instructed that I should call for the first available appointment, which I did.
In the meantime, I took some video on my Blackberry that showed the eye blinking just in case it wasn't happening by the time we got to the doctor. That turned out to be a good move, since it did not stop but slow down considerably. Well, today was that appointment with the neurologist. The diagnosis - Chronic Motor Tic Disorder. We will have to watch for signs of Tourette's, which include Attention Deficit and Obsessive Compulsive behavior. It may or may not happen but we're hoping not. The only worry we really have is that he could be teased.
I know it sounds kind of scary but I am encouraged. It could be so much worse than this. Yes, Bam-Bam has had some medical issues over the years since he was born. Severe allergies, asthma, seizures and now this tic disorder. But guess what - those things are all really manageable. Of course, given the choice I would prefer to take these on myself and not have this happen to him. But I have to be hopeful. It does frustrate me that this has happened. It seems like there is always something coming up. I'm ready to be done. But I'm also ready to take this thing on. One thing is for sure, my child will never be limited by anything. Ever.
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Is Bam-Bam allergic to peanuts?
ReplyDeleteNo peanuts, but all tree nuts...which means he can't eat peanuts due to cross-contamination. Also, eggs, grass and mold. <<>>
ReplyDeleteMy son has a ton of allergies too!
ReplyDeleteGlad to hear that you're encouraged!! I had a student, actually my favorite student, who had that disorder, as well. I very rarely noticed it in normal classroom settings- it was when things changed for him or when he was under stress that it became obvious.
For me it was always the 'not knowing.' Once we had a name to what was happening to our son, and that there were treatments and actions we could take, that was a huge relief. Still scary, but but at least we had a direction.
ReplyDeleteGood luck with whatever path you take.
Good thing the little guy has such amazing parents to help him get through whatever he faces! Love you! xoxo
ReplyDeleteHi there,
ReplyDeleteI stumbled across your blog and felt the need to comment. My oldest son had similar issues. At age 4-5 he had a persistent nervous cough/throat clearing. That cleared up, but then he would contort his fingers into strange shapes. That changed into blinking, which changed into rolling of the eyes, which changed into shoulder shrugging. Early puberty between age 9-11 saw a big spike in the tics. Now at age 12, it is all cleared up. We were initially given the same “watch out for Tourrettes” warning, but when it was all over, the doctors told us it is common for boys to have a series of tics throughout childhood as they adjust to hormone levels. Stress increases the occurrence, so school can be a frustrating experience. All that to say, keep the doctors on their toes, but it is likely not a long term worry. This link may say it better than I can: http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/bb/neuro/neuro02/web1/bweiss.html . I hope this helps.
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