a diagnosis?

Many of you are well aware of the consistent fevers Cameron has battled this year. And how he misses A LOT of school (and I, work), and lots of fun activities. How he comes down with a fever like clockwork – every three weeks his cheeks flush and a fever soon follows. How sometimes he complains of a sore throat but no bacterial infections ANYWHERE are ever present. How this has been happening since March. How it was always diagnosed as “viral.” How we didn’t have a sick visit to the pediatrician for a year, only to have nine visits in the following five months.

So it was past time to visit a specialist. His pediatrician had a hunch to what it was, but felt he would be testing blindly where a specialist could pinpoint the problem faster. That visit was today, and we finally have a diagnosis: PFAPA, or Periodic Fever Syndrome.

It means that I was correct in thinking he is not contagious during his fevers (he bathes with his brother on a regular basis and Caiden never displays any symptoms). It also means that his pediatrician’s hunch was correct and I love him all the more for it.

There are a couple of treatment options we can choose from. One is a dose of an oral steroid on the onset of each fever. This has a high success rate, but sometimes it provokes the fevers to occur more frequently. Option two is an oral medication sometimes used to treat acid indigestion or heartburn. Oddly it works for a third of PFAPA patients. Last option is a tonsillectomy, which has a high success rate. 

After discussing our options with the specialist and each other, we decided to give the oral medication a try. Neither of us were excited by dosing our preschooler with steroids or the possibility of more fevers. We also were not comfortable of jumping straight to surgery. So oral medication it is!

I’m a little distressed with the unknowns – the biggest being not knowing the cause. But that’s life, right? A lot happens without knowing or understanding why – 2013 has proven that to us time and time again. So I remain grateful for the diagnosis and course of treatment. Please wish Cam success with the medication, and to us as we teach him to swallow pills with as little drama as possible.

Also, keep good thoughts that the latest fever goes by quickly...