Eleanor's health

I was trying to give this post a clever or witty title, but it's hard to do with such a serious topic. Since a few people in the family (families) know about the health issues we've been having with Eleanor I thought I'd do a post about what's going on so everyone is updated with the same info. E's diagnosis isn't dire, but it isn't something to be taken lightly either.  

December to February 

December Eleanor got sick. We though it was just a virus like the one she'd had in September, which we assumed she got from the kids at school, but this one lasted longer. (She started preschool in Sept; 2 days/wk for 2 hours/day.) January was when we first noticed the symptoms return, and thought there might be a pattern/cycle to whenever it was. Eleanor had fought a few viruses in her 2.5 years but December and January were different. It seemed different, it looked different, it felt different. 

In January/early February her preschool teacher mentioned to me a few times that Eleanor's energy levels were low. She usually runs at the head of the pack and instead she was chillin on the sidelines, interactive but not super involved. Bless her teacher for saying something to us because that's when we started keeping track of her symptoms. 

They came back early February. (Sorry if the following is TMI.) It starts with diarrhea that lasts at least a few days but sometimes longer, then she gets lethargic and pale, followed by a day or two of vomiting, ending with possibly more diarrhea. Normally her temperature is elevated but not feverish. She also looses her appetite for a few days or so. 

February and Blood Work

Mid-February we took Eleanor to the doctor for what seemed like the 100th time. She'd seen them 3 months in a row, not to mention a ton of phone calls between me and the awesome nurses. This time was different. She had lost over 2lbs since December, and when one only weighs 31lbs to begin with, two is a lot. The doctor ordered some basic blood work done to make sure we weren't missing anything. The blood work showed she had a low white cell count, specifically lymphocytes. 

Note: I did not know what low white count meant and I made the terrible mistake of googling "what does low white cell count mean". I don't recommend it. 

We ran a second test two weeks later, and while her white cell count had improved it was still low. The doctor ordered another test for June. In the mean time Eleanor started to get back to normal, though she was still not as energetic as usual, didn't have a huge appetite, and was kinda pale. It's like a new normal I guess. 

Where We Are Now

We made it almost all the way through March without anything. Then a week before her birthday she got diarrhea again. It lasted almost 2 full weeks. The day after her birthday party the vomiting and lethargy started again as well. Gavin and I took her to the dr concerned and scared and needed more answers. Our dr referred us to an allergist (just to be sure it wasn't an allergy) and the hematology-oncology department at Children's Hospital. 

The allergist appointment was quick. We determined a food allergy was most obvious so Eleanor was tested for wheat, egg, chicken, dairy, apple, and grape. All came back negative. The allergist doesn't think more testing is necessary. 

A week after the dr appt I called Children's and learned Hematology had referred us to Immunology (which can be taken as a good sign I guess). Eleanor's chart/file is currently under review by the immunology department and well hopefully hear back from them soon for an appointment.  

So yeah ... This is what's been going on with us. I'll try to keep everyone updated when an update is necessary. This post contains all the info we have at the moment. If you have questions you can ask, but there may not be an answer. We do ask that you don't offer medical advise or opinions or anything -let's leave that part to the professionals. Encouragement, blessing, prayers, mojo, etc is always welcome. 

Xx Karie