With regard to blood draws, I have been quoted as saying "it gets easier"... It's true. It gets easier. That doesn't mean they aren't still hard. Yesterday, both of my boys needed to go in for their routine blood draw to check their thyroid levels, as do all children with congenital hypothyroidism. Now that they are older, they only go every 6 months (unless there is an issue, then more frequently). Just enough time to forget they have to ever go again. I picked up my oldest from school. My youngest was already in the car. With my youngest, the less time he has to ponder the thought of having his blood drawn, the better. At the last draw, they both did well. No tears. This is a victory. For any other parent who has a child … [Read more...]
Congenital Hypothyroidism: The First Year
I am thrilled to share this touching letter with you from a mother to her daughter. Gabby, like my sons, was born with Congenital Hypothyroidism. Like all of us mothers and fathers who hear those words spoken about their newborns, Gabby's mother, Meghan, was so worried about what life would be like for her beautiful newborn daughter. Well, a year passed, and this is what Meghan has to say... Hi, everyone. We've just celebrated our baby girl’s first birthday. I write letters to my children on their birthdays, and I felt this was a great one for sharing. Gabby's one year birthday letter is for the day she leaves home, telling her story and diagnosis from the beginning. It brought me to tears many times thinking about the past year and … [Read more...]
Scrub Phobia: Battling Your Child’s Fear of Doctors
Parents of children with any chronic disorder or illness have some things in common. Eventually, your child becomes terrified of labs, blood draws, doctor offices, and medical professionals (lab techs, doctors, and nurses). At my house, we call this Scrub Phobia. Children who endure repeated blood draws go through a period of time where they become so terrified that they often will cry as soon as they see the lab or outside of the hospital building. My sons would begin melting down at home when we applied the EMLA (lidocaine cream). I have shared with you my Top 5 Tips for Surviving Blood Draws. However, it's not just blood draws children fear. They often begin to fear regular doctor appointments as well. Today, I want to share with … [Read more...]
Top 5 Tips for Surviving Blood Draws
Having to deal with frequent blood draws is one of the worst parts of having a child with congenital hypothyroidism. When they are infants, it's heart breaking to watch them cry in pain as the phlebotomist squeezes droplets of blood into the little vials. Then, they become toddlers and are old enough to know what's going on, which may mean that they freak out when you pull in the parking lot of the hospital or lab. This phase lasts until they are 3 or 4 usually. As they get older, though, it does get easier as they are old enough to understand what's going on and why they need the blood test. Until then, here are my Top 5 Tips for Surviving Blood Draws. 1) Relax: No matter what the age, kids are perceptive. They can sense when you … [Read more...]
Test Anxiety
What is the optimal time of day to have your thyroid levels tested? Tests, tests and more tests! Sometimes I think I have test anxiety when it comes to thyroid hormone level testing. Ever wonder what time of day you should have your child’s thyroid levels tested? Well, I have! I asked our pediatric endocrinologist whether we should give our kids their Synthroid (Levothyroxine, etc.) on the mornings that we are going for blood draws or wait until after the draw to administer the medication and whether we should go in the morning or the afternoon. Our doctor said there are schools of thought that believe there could be an issue with getting an accurate picture of the thyroid hormone levels if the draw is performed within an hour of … [Read more...]
Surviving Blood Draws
If you have a child that is diagnosed with a thyroid condition, be prepared for blood draws, particularly if they are born with congenital hypothyroidism. In the first few days/weeks, your child's doctor will probably want repeated blood draws to be sure that the surge in TSH isn't a newborn surge (sometimes it's so high it's clear that it isn't just a surge) and then once they start medication, they will check to be sure that the medication is working. As infants, my boys were checked every 2-4 weeks for a while. Surviving blood draws becomes crucial to everyone's sanity. Here are my best tips: Blood Draws with Infants 1) RELAX!!! Seriously - take a deep breath and relax. If you are uptight, then your baby will sense this and … [Read more...]