Reefgazer Posted January 28, 2015 Share Posted January 28, 2015 So, when I was a child (about 7-8) I had a severe illness that kept me out of school for more than a month. My mother can't remember the name of the illness that my pediatrician gave it, my medical records from 45 years ago are long gone, and I've never been able to figure out what the illness was. But the illness had some very distinct symptoms, as follows: High fever, illness was preceded for a few weeks by a feeling that I couldn't swallow and there was something blocking my throat, extreme weight loss, and the most painful symptom...extreme neck pain that didn't allow me to lift my head and neck off a mattress without excruciating agony. I could turn my head, but not lift it up. All the talk about vaccine-preventable illnesses and their descriptions has made me wonder again at what I had. Does anyone recognize these symptoms and have a clue what this illness is? Purely just pondering things from my past, it's no emergency or anything..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hornblower Posted January 28, 2015 Share Posted January 28, 2015 When I think neck pain + fever I think meningitis. The swallowing could have been caused by very swollen lymph nodes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KungFuPanda Posted January 28, 2015 Share Posted January 28, 2015 Could it have been mumps? I was sick for about a month with it. They weren't sure I'd make it for a few days near the beginning. The recovery was long. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KungFuPanda Posted January 28, 2015 Share Posted January 28, 2015 Dp Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Momling Posted January 28, 2015 Share Posted January 28, 2015 Diphtheria? Mumps? Mononucleosis? Subacute thyroiditis (I had this... Terrible neck pain, but not throat pain, lots of weight loss, but it's pretty rare). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reefgazer Posted January 28, 2015 Author Share Posted January 28, 2015 It definitely wasn't mumps. I kept thinking meningitis, but the neck pain with meningitis (hard to move the neck down so that the chin touches the chest) doesn't match what I had. I couldn't lift my neck and trunk up to sit up, but moving the head down was not a problem; the pain was excruciating. I do remember my mother crying and begging me to take the aspirin to keep the fever down, and losing so much weight and being so weak I had to eat in a child's feeding chair - I think I didn't realize how touch and go things were for a while. The illness was viral because the ped said there was no treatment available with antibiotics. With such a distinct symptom, I thought someone might be able to identify the illness. Could it have been mumps? I was sick for about a month with it. They weren't sure I'd make it for a few days near the beginning. The recovery was long. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sbgrace Posted January 28, 2015 Share Posted January 28, 2015 Could it have been mono? It's viral and my husband was extremely sick with mono. A lot of those things sound familiar (though it has been a long time). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reefgazer Posted January 28, 2015 Author Share Posted January 28, 2015 No, my mom said it wasn't mumps, mono, or meningitis - which are the usual things that first come to mind. She said she couldn't remember what the ped said. Maybe it's destined to remain a mystery, LOL! Could it have been mono? It's viral and my husband was extremely sick with mono. A lot of those things sound familiar (though it has been a long time). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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