A doctor's visit.

I called the pediatrician’s office at 8am on Tuesday morning and he was seen at 8:40. I had hoped to email the doctor a list of his symptoms before showing up so I wouldn’t have to blubber in front of him, but they aren’t set up for that kind of thing. Instead, they left a note on the chart so that I could discuss it in the hall with the doctor first. That worked out just as well. When she saw him she was shocked that it had only been a week since she had seen him walking and moving around just fine. She didn’t see any distinct signs of one particular illness, but felt sure it was not muscular dystrophy, if for no other reason than because of the sudden onset. He had no swelling or fluid in his joints to suggest arthritis. Her best guess was a virus that was attacking his joints or muscles, but since that wasn’t provable we’d have to go by process of elimination. She called 2 specialists, a neurologist and a rheumatologist. Pediatric Rheumatologists are few and far between, so she had a difficult time reaching one. The neurologist scheduled an appointment for Thursday and they discussed his symptoms and suspected Juvenile Dermatomyositis, a condition that causes your immune system to attack your joints. Meanwhile, I was feeling foolishly hopeful, even without the diagnosis. My greatest fear had been, even if only temporarily, eliminated and I clung to that. I imagine that it was God’s peace that so many were praying for us.