Hi, 

Basically my son is 9, at the beginning of November he got unwell with a cough and a cold, his sister got covid but his covid tests were negative. This illness seemed to come and go over the 4 weeks and he was unable to go to school. He then appeared to get better for a few days and then boom was ill again. It’s been like this since November.

I was really concerned about leukaemia I couldn’t put my finger on why I felt it was but I just had a feeling… the symptoms all seemed to match, he has been so so tired and just constant on off flu like presentation. Then one day I noticed a weird red mark on his arm (I believe this was end of December beginning of jan) it was non blanching and he hadn’t been out due to illness so I knew he hadn’t come to any harm, it was oddly placed as was on his arm and quite large. I took him to a an e and they ran some viral swabs which they said would come back over the following week, they advised if I notice any more markings to come straight back.

A day passed and he had another developing on his other arm, we got rushed up to the ward where practise drs were looking, I got told by a consultant that they believe it to be vascular. They sent images off to a dermatologist who didn’t come out and see him, speak to him or witness the markings other than via two images. The dermatologist suspected it to be bruising so immediately a safeguarding investigation was raised.

he was in hospital for 3 days and no other markings came up. He got realised and actually for about a week seemed a lot better. We got back all his bloods including a blood smear - all clear to my surprise. Then we got his swab and virus results they discovered he doesn’t currently have these illnesses but over the past 9 weeks he had had - strep A, RSV, rhino virus, and they suspected possibly covid too when his sister has had it. A safeguarding investigation was had and social care agreed the rash was probably off the back of his 9 week viruses and illnesses and they have no concerns that my son is being abused in any way shape or form, so that got closed.

since then my son has got ill 2 more times he has had the flu (I know it was the flu because I got it straight after him and literally felt like I was dying)… then today about 7 days after he has recovered from the flu  he is ill AGAIN! I cannot figure it out, the hospital said they will see him 4 weeks after his hospital admission which is probably around now, however he isn’t booked in till April - the receptionist said sometimes the dr looks over the notes and reduces its priority which I assume they did with the hope that actually the safeguarding investigation showed it wasn’t medical which would mean they could shut it down an wouldn’t have to do further tests … 

anyway I feel I may be sounded super irrational but I did some more research into lukeamia and sometimes blood work doesn’t show it up… is that correct? If a child’s lukeamia is confined to their bone marrow could they still demonstrate all of these symptoms without their blood work showing a thing? I know a bone marrow test is really invasive so I wouldn’t want to ask for one for nothing but I’m just so worried about him, I don’t understand why he has literally been ill back to back. He can’t even go to school I really feel like I’m failing, I’ve non stop been attending the drs, a and e, the hospital and no one knows what’s wrong with him and it’s just starting to feel like I’m losing my absolute mind! The school are in agreement there is something up he isn’t himself and he is just so ill all the time! But the hospital can’t find anything wrong with him. I just feel completely at a loss for what to do, the hospital are all secretive about what tests they have and haven’t done so I never even know if they have tested for the correct things to rule more sinister things out … I am convinced there is something going on for him and I’m really worried it could be leukaemia.

I don’t know what I’m seeking with this post but I just want to know if it is possible that something sinister could be going on even with his blood work being fine, as in shall I push for further testing and if so what… 

I guess I just want to know if anyone has experienced anything similar with their child and how they went about getting a diagnosis and what the outcome was..