I sometimes marvel at all the events that never make it onto the blog. For instance, I've never written about Cooper's tics. I first noticed them when he was three, I saw little movements that appeared involuntary. I finally mentioned them to his pediatrician at his five-year checkup. She dismissed my concern without much investigation. Bryan and I continued to watch as Cooper would shrug or scrunch his face or clear his throat over and over and over. At times they seemed to disappear, while at others they were very strong.
When we moved to New Jersey, I pointed out the tics again. This time he happened to be in a heavy tic season, so the nurse and doctor were able to observe him and agreed that they did look like tics. We talked about the possibility that it could be Tourette Syndrome. The doctor also mentioned that sometimes, if a person has too much strep in their system, it manifests as tics.
We ran a blood test and found that Cooper had more than four times the safe level of strep in his bloodstream. The doctor recommended an extended regimen of antibiotics. For the next three-months Cooper took medicine everyday. And you know what? The tics disappeared.
I shared this story with one of the moms that hiked with us on Saturday. We had stopped for lunch and the boys were skipping stones in the river nearby. Peter was sitting on a log retaining wall, eating and listening to us talk. As I explained the symptoms, Peter would add details. I was just about to say that we wondered if Cooper might have Tourette Syndrome, when Peter piped up.
"Yeah, we think he might have meningitis."
All three moms burst out laughing. Warning: when seeking medical advice, don't ask your eleven-year-old.
By the way, those tics have come back.
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