I have been very quiet on my blog recently and the reason is because Rosie has been really unwell with Glandular Fever.

If you follow me on twitter, instagram or facebook you will probably have noticed that Rosie has been poorly for quite a while now. It’s actually been nine weeks since she first went downhill and although she does seem to be slowly improving, its very slow progress and she’s not back to her usual self yet.

Until she caught it, I didn’t even know that children as young as seven could get Glandular Fever but apparently they can. For some they barely even know they have it whilst for others, like my Rosie, it effects them terribly and takes a long time to go away.

Its heart breaking when your gorgeous, happy, content seven year old is so poorly and in pain. She usually loves school and is a school counsellor, she has a lovely group of friends and ordinarily wouldn’t stop dancing, doing ballet or gymnastics around the house. When she is in one place it is usually reading a book on her bed or sitting at the kitchen table after raiding the recycling for cardboard and boxes to make something amazing with. However, if you looked at her these days you wouldn’t recognise her as the same girl.This girl has zero energy and little enthusiasm for anything:

At first I thought she was fighting something, you know the usual bugs. I dosed her up and sent her into school like you do when you’re not sure. However, when I went back to get her that afternoon, she was crying. She had a few days off and went back into school only for the same thing to happen again. Over the first two weeks of her illness, she had 5 days off school.

She couldn’t quite say what was wrong but at various times complained of headache, tummy ache, sore throat as well as various aches and pains in her legs and arms. She was also experiencing fevers and had a sandpaper type rash on her cheeks. She was beyond tired, barely able to climb the stairs at night. and was incredibly emotional, crying for the tiniest things. By day eleven her neck was very swollen and she was seen by a Doctor, the first of many visits.

The GP told us she needed extra vitamins, included zinc and vitamin C. She was already having them in her daily vitamin tablet but they recommended more. It didn’t work and she carried on as she was. A few days later she saw the GP again and they diagnosed Scarlet Fever. I didn’t agree with the diagnosis, the rash looked nothing like the photos on the internet but I said nothing and hoped the 10 day course of antibiotics would work….. It didn’t.

We were soon back at the GPs and this time they said it could be Glandular Fever but to finish the course of antibiotics first. We finished the course but there was no change so we  went back and this time they arranged a blood test for glandular fever. However, the results came back negative. Apparently this happens sometimes.

It was at this point I was worrying. I was convinced it was glandular fever as she had every symptom so I googled “what is it if not glandular fever?” I shouldn’t have done that. The Doctor said you can sometimes get false positives so arranged for another blood test. More blood was taken and this time they told me they would be looking at all sorts, they would get to the bottom of it.

Her blood results showed that she had the Epstein-Barr virus or EBV for short. Glandular fever is a viral infection caused by the Epstein-Barr virus that can cause symptoms like Rosies including swollen glands, fever, sore throat and fatigue lasting for several weeks or months. Not everyone who comes into contact with the virus will develop glandular fever but some, like Rosie will do.

It has been nine weeks now and she is trying to get back to normal but it’s hard. She has better days and bad ones. Her throat and neck have all settled down but she is still suffering from severe headaches and tummy aches daily as well as serious fatigue. Honestly, the fatigue is something else. Her appetite is slowly coming back but she’s eating less then her five year old sister. She had a check up a few days ago and they said her glands are still up in her tummy, they have been up for the whole nine weeks. Some days she has a little energy to play with her sisters, others she crawls around saying her body aches too much to stand and on the worst ones she just literally cries “please just make me better”. It’s absolutley heartbreaking.

Thankfully the school are being very helpful and are letting her return to school gently. She has just completed a week of afternoons and is now doing a week of mornings. Fingers crossed this week goes as well.

Glandular fever has been pretty awful and is taking its toll on the whole family. We all just want it to end now. Will keep you posted.

Karen x