Compared with adults, children’s immune system isn’t as strong when it comes to fighting off colds. They also spend time in day-care centers and schools which means that they are in close contact with other children and adults for long hours.
When Carrie Minton’s son got sick, she thought that it wasn’t anything serious.
After a week of Maxwell experiencing on and off fever, she finally brought him to the doctor. He was readily diagnosed with mild pneumonia and strep.
The boy was sent home with a course of antibiotics to finish. After a few days, he felt better. His breathing improved and his fever subsided.
However, about a week later, he started coughing.
It was quite violent and painful for the child. He reported experiencing pain in the neck because of it.
The doctor was quick to reassure Carrie that his son was just experiencing a motor tic. It’s usually caused by pneumonia and resolve without the need for further treatment.
As Maxwell’s cough got worse, his younger brother Liam started showing the same set of symptoms. He was diagnosed with pneumonia and an infection caused by an unknown virus.
“Both boys finished their antibiotics, and it seemed they were finally almost well, despite some lingering fatigue and weakness. They were both back in school, but still had to take it easy at recess and PE” – Carrie shared.
Little did she know that it was just the start of something much worse for her kids.
One day, Maxwell came home wanting to be left alone. He started crying so hard and soon after, it turned into a panic attack. He was screeching and hyperventilating.
Maxwell experienced panic attacks almost every day after that incident. It wasn’t clear to Carrie what was causing those attacks or how to stop them. Then, his son’s panic attacks turned into violent rages. It was like his kid turned into a rabid wild animal.
Carrie turned to Maxwell’s doctor who was equally clueless about the kid’s sudden changes in behavior.
When a friend of hers suggested that she look up PANDAS or Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorder Associated with Strep, she ignored the advice. She felt that the symptoms her child was experiencing were far from what her friend’s daughter experienced.
However, after realizing that Maxwell wasn’t getting any better, she found herself researching the disorder. It was then that she found out that PANDAS has other symptoms that match what Maxwell was showing.
Carrie reached out to the doctor but the idea was quickly ruled out. She was told that Maxwell couldn’t have the condition because there were no strep antibodies in his blood.
At that point, both Maxwell and Liam got worse.
Carrie brought her kids back to the doctor’s office in search of answers. After their blood was tested, it was found out that they have a mycoplasma infection.
The doctor made a final diagnosis.
It was PANS or Pediatric Acute-Onset Neuropsychiatric Syndrome. It’s a diagnosis given to kids who develop neuropsychiatric symptoms overnight. This condition causes a sudden onset of depression, anxiety, and irritability. Children diagnosed with it show difficulty with schoolwork, too.
Despite getting answers and final diagnosis, the family’s nightmare is far from over.
While the kids are showing improvements, the process is really slow. They still show symptoms of mild OCD, depression, and ADHD from time to time.
The road isn’t easy but the family trusts that there’s hope.
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