My son has missed 40+ days of school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here - thank you for all the very good advice even the mold poster. I spent yesterday doing a very deep clean of the house, washing couch cushions, and cleaning out the windowsills from old crud. We do a deep clean once a month and then a regular clean weekly with a cleaner. I'm thinking I might start supplying the supplies for the cleaner and using our house vacuum.

I bought probiotics and vitamins for my son, his pediatrician is retiring, and so he's going to get a new one anyway.

I am replying to this PP. I know what a CBC is, but I'm not sure what to ask for with the other ones. Can anyone explain what this means? And yes, I did all vaccines but rotavirus because my son could not have live vaccines for the first year, I took Humira. I volunteer at my son's school and saw him PUT A LEGO PIECE in his mouth!!! Agh. I need to work more with him 1-1 about hygiene but don't want to give him anxiety.

CBC
Lymphocyte subset panel
IgM, igg, igA levels
Pneumococcal 23 panel ( do not skip this one)
Check titers to things like mmr and varicella assuming you did vaccines to see if they even worked. <---- yes we did vacccines, all except rotavirus.

At 40 days, your kid is missing a lot of learning (education/social) and on the edge of "truancy". Just tell your new doctor that you want to understand what's going on and ask for testing. This "CBC" this thing is what we get when adults get their annual physical.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here - thank you for all the very good advice even the mold poster. I spent yesterday doing a very deep clean of the house, washing couch cushions, and cleaning out the windowsills from old crud. We do a deep clean once a month and then a regular clean weekly with a cleaner. I'm thinking I might start supplying the supplies for the cleaner and using our house vacuum.

I bought probiotics and vitamins for my son, his pediatrician is retiring, and so he's going to get a new one anyway.

I am replying to this PP. I know what a CBC is, but I'm not sure what to ask for with the other ones. Can anyone explain what this means? And yes, I did all vaccines but rotavirus because my son could not have live vaccines for the first year, I took Humira. I volunteer at my son's school and saw him PUT A LEGO PIECE in his mouth!!! Agh. I need to work more with him 1-1 about hygiene but don't want to give him anxiety.

CBC
Lymphocyte subset panel
IgM, igg, igA levels
Pneumococcal 23 panel ( do not skip this one)
Check titers to things like mmr and varicella assuming you did vaccines to see if they even worked. <---- yes we did vacccines, all except rotavirus.

Wait is this OP? You did every vaccine except the one for a stomach virus that causes vomiting and diarrhea, which are the very things you complain about???

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here - thank you for all the very good advice even the mold poster. I spent yesterday doing a very deep clean of the house, washing couch cushions, and cleaning out the windowsills from old crud. We do a deep clean once a month and then a regular clean weekly with a cleaner. I'm thinking I might start supplying the supplies for the cleaner and using our house vacuum.

I bought probiotics and vitamins for my son, his pediatrician is retiring, and so he's going to get a new one anyway.

I am replying to this PP. I know what a CBC is, but I'm not sure what to ask for with the other ones. Can anyone explain what this means? And yes, I did all vaccines but rotavirus because my son could not have live vaccines for the first year, I took Humira. I volunteer at my son's school and saw him PUT A LEGO PIECE in his mouth!!! Agh. I need to work more with him 1-1 about hygiene but don't want to give him anxiety.

CBC
Lymphocyte subset panel
IgM, igg, igA levels
Pneumococcal 23 panel ( do not skip this one)
Check titers to things like mmr and varicella assuming you did vaccines to see if they even worked. <---- yes we did vacccines, all except rotavirus.

Wait is this OP? You did every vaccine except the one for a stomach virus that causes vomiting and diarrhea, which are the very things you complain about???

This kid does not have rotavirus. Move it along.

[Anonymous]

How sick is “home sick 40 days from school?”

Do these illness warrant a doctor’s visit? If so, is there ever a diagnosis beyond unknown cold/virus? Is there a fever?

If he doesn’t have a fever and isn’t bed bound, he needs to go to school. Sometimes the more kids are kept home, the more they want to stay home. There could be some exaggeration going on or a psychosomatic element. GI issues in kids are linked to anxiety, not always, but a substantial amount of the time.

You have to think common things are common. It’s more likely something described as above going on vs some rare autoimmune disorder. Could it be? Sure. But look at the most likely scenario first.

[Anonymous]

He needs to see an immunology specialist now!

[Anonymous]

This is not normal. Can you break down, of the 40 days of absences, roughly how many of them were for:

-- Stomach/gastro issues
-- Colds
-- Other issues?

If a good chunk of it is stomach/gastro, I agree there could be allergy issues going on and that it may not actually be contagious illness.

If more than maybe 2-3 days of it tops is due to colds, you are probably keeping your child home too much. It is very common for kids to have cold symptoms for many many school days per year, but unless they have a fever or are otherwise very unwell, they should be at school.

[Anonymous]

My first kid missed a ton of school in kindergarten. It felt like she caught everything and missed so many special activities. I was shocked at all the fevers, but it wasn't 40 days out. 40 days warrants bloodwork. My second kid had a virtual kindergarten year due to covid and a masked first grade year. By second grade, I guess the kids weren't quite as germy. Both of my kids seem to have pretty strong constitutions now. Also, they tend to insist on going to school with mild sniffles. I admit it. But, I keep them home when it is anything worse.

[Anonymous]

Did you have to go to Truancy court for so many missed days?

[Anonymous]

OK, if he is putting Lego pieces in his mouth and has diarrhea, then I would add pinworms to the list. Does he have an itchy butt in the mornings?

[Anonymous]

I have two kids who are sick all the time (less than 40 days a year now, but my older child missed over 50 days of kindergarten), and we've gotten workups with immunologists at multiple hospitals, full genetic workups, diagnoses with autoimmune disease, treatment for said disease, mold testing and treatment, cleaning of the our ducts, etc. and one of them still gets sick all the time (the other gets sick often, but not insanely often anymore). It's a lot, OP, and my heart goes out to you and your son. And, sometimes you do everything and you're kid may still be sick all the time. The biggest thing we did, which may not be an economic possibility for you, was to build our lives assuming a kid would be home sick two days a week. Once it's the expectation, it's no longer a horrible surprise each time. We also go to the pediatrician for every illness, and at least half the time we are given a diagnosis that involves antibiotics. She also helps reassure me that we are doing everything we can possibly do. If you're in the DC area, Children's National has pediatricians who just provide primary care for kids who are not so healthy, maybe you can get in with them? I hear they are great.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My first kid missed a ton of school in kindergarten. It felt like she caught everything and missed so many special activities. I was shocked at all the fevers, but it wasn't 40 days out. 40 days warrants bloodwork. My second kid had a virtual kindergarten year due to covid and a masked first grade year. By second grade, I guess the kids weren't quite as germy. Both of my kids seem to have pretty strong constitutions now. Also, they tend to insist on going to school with mild sniffles. I admit it. But, I keep them home when it is anything worse.

Most stop putting legos in their mouths, for one.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have two kids who are sick all the time (less than 40 days a year now, but my older child missed over 50 days of kindergarten), and we've gotten workups with immunologists at multiple hospitals, full genetic workups, diagnoses with autoimmune disease, treatment for said disease, mold testing and treatment, cleaning of the our ducts, etc. and one of them still gets sick all the time (the other gets sick often, but not insanely often anymore). It's a lot, OP, and my heart goes out to you and your son. And, sometimes you do everything and you're kid may still be sick all the time. The biggest thing we did, which may not be an economic possibility for you, was to build our lives assuming a kid would be home sick two days a week. Once it's the expectation, it's no longer a horrible surprise each time. We also go to the pediatrician for every illness, and at least half the time we are given a diagnosis that involves antibiotics. She also helps reassure me that we are doing everything we can possibly do. If you're in the DC area, Children's National has pediatricians who just provide primary care for kids who are not so healthy, maybe you can get in with them? I hear they are great.

So how many times per year is your kid taking antibiotics? That can cause its own problems

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My first kid missed a ton of school in kindergarten. It felt like she caught everything and missed so many special activities. I was shocked at all the fevers, but it wasn't 40 days out. 40 days warrants bloodwork. My second kid had a virtual kindergarten year due to covid and a masked first grade year. By second grade, I guess the kids weren't quite as germy. Both of my kids seem to have pretty strong constitutions now. Also, they tend to insist on going to school with mild sniffles. I admit it. But, I keep them home when it is anything worse.

What’s to admit? They should be going to school unless they have a fever, major diarrhea, pink eye / strep prior to 24 hours of antibiotics, or are too exhausted to get out of bed. If OP is keeping them home for a sniffle or even a cold that’s not necessary.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here - thank you for all the very good advice even the mold poster. I spent yesterday doing a very deep clean of the house, washing couch cushions, and cleaning out the windowsills from old crud. We do a deep clean once a month and then a regular clean weekly with a cleaner. I'm thinking I might start supplying the supplies for the cleaner and using our house vacuum.

I bought probiotics and vitamins for my son, his pediatrician is retiring, and so he's going to get a new one anyway.

I am replying to this PP. I know what a CBC is, but I'm not sure what to ask for with the other ones. Can anyone explain what this means? And yes, I did all vaccines but rotavirus because my son could not have live vaccines for the first year, I took Humira. I volunteer at my son's school and saw him PUT A LEGO PIECE in his mouth!!! Agh. I need to work more with him 1-1 about hygiene but don't want to give him anxiety.

CBC
Lymphocyte subset panel
IgM, igg, igA levels
Pneumococcal 23 panel ( do not skip this one)
Check titers to things like mmr and varicella assuming you did vaccines to see if they even worked. <---- yes we did vacccines, all except rotavirus.

I didn't read the whole thread but also know people whose kids have many absences, sometimes due to illness and others due to mental health. The school doesn't really do much about excessive absences in elementary or middle school, so I don't think you need to worry about it from them filing anything. I'm sorry about the sick time as that sounds so tough. Are there any options for back up care if it is a mild illness so you don't have to take off for every one?

For the wanting to work with him 1:1 about hygiene, I would check out some of the books online for explaining germs to kids. Some are more science based and others more comical. We used the the Germs Are Not for Sharing when kids were much younger. The reoccurring illnesses are so tough.

[Anonymous]

Just wondering how much does he sleep at night? My niece and nephew are sick all the time at age 8, like at least once a month. I learned from my kids that they sleep about 8 hours a night, that's at least 1 hour too little.