We saw our Texas specialist

[Mayzoo]

Not much new information from the appt yet until we get labs, but what I was shocked to hear was that in '98 he was seeing 6-10 new patients a YEAR with PANDAS. Now, he says he is seeing a new patient EVERY DAY.

 

I surely wish they could figure out what is "causing" this so we stop some of the suffering for those afflicted now, and maybe prevent it for those in the future.

[Missmom]

I don't know, maybe it is due to the awareness of pandas, that more parents are not just satisfied with a touretts diagnosis or a bipolar diagnosis, ADHD, etc..... Also we now have so much info available online to help us research what is going on with our children and are able to find pandas friendly doctors. Also, I have always wondered if there are some strains of strep out there that are more viralant and make children more susceptible to all of this. I think only time will tell.

[Mayzoo]

A friend of mine's daughter currently has a bi-polar diagnosis. I have also wondered frequently why so many children are being diagnosed with serious mental illnesses. I have seen as young as 3 years old being diagnosed as bi-polar, and as young as 4.5 with a type of psychosis.

 

My friend is going to do some research and have some tests run on her kiddo. I guess only time will tell if she has any infections or not.

[tpotter]

I think it's a combination of more awareness and more information available online (plus more accessibility to online) that is making parents more aware that there IS a link between mental illness and infection/metabolic/environmental triggers. AND, I also think that the massive increase in immunizations, plus improper giving of those immunizations (when children are ill, too many at one time, etc.) is playing a role in the increasing number of kids getting sick with neuropsychiatric illness. Just look at the Autism rates for instance...1:50.

 

I'm really glad that your friend is willing to get her daughter tested. Personally, I think that every child with any kind of neuropsych illness should be tested. And, now that the Cunningham test is available in some states, there is just that much more way to test.

[Mayzoo]

I was looking forward to the Cunningham test, but at a $1000.00 we simply cannot swing that. We are already spending $800.00+ on four other urine tests, and who knows how much (yet) on the ten vials of blood work already done. With all the other expenses of docs, supplements and traditional meds, this is just way too much for our budget.