I Haven't Posted Much Because...

Dandy-Walker. Rheumatoid Arthritis. Now let's add "Benign Paroxysmal Vertigo."

I've avoided writing about Benign Paroxysmal Vertigo because two chronic conditions in one family is...readable, understandable, plausible. But three? I don't want my entire family identity to be one of illness. And I don't want to seem like hypochondriac mom...or maybe "Munchausen by Proxy" mom.

However, since Benign Paroxysmal Vertigo has been in the Solomon family car's driver's seat since Saturday and has a lot to do with the shortage of posts this week, I'm writing about it.

When Hailey was two years old (or so) she fell and bonked her forehead on our gravel driveway, leaving a big bloody knot. At the time I thought the fall caused the dizzy spell she had moments later. In retrospect I realize that was probably her first of many "dizzy spells" that a neurologist later diagnosed as Benign Paroxysmal Vertigo." They usually last 3-5 days. She's OK if she lays around and stays out of bright light, but if she walks too far or goes out in the sun, she becomes so dizzy she vomits. (As an aside: I didn't take her to the neurologist for a couple of years, but when I noticed a pattern of dizzy spells & vomiting, I feared the worst: some kind of major brain problem. I was, frankly, relieved at the time to receive such a mild diagnosis).

This latest episode started the Saturday of Thanksgiving weekend. She was supposed to take her annual Christmas shopping trip with Grandma, but couldn't because she was dizzy. Believe me, it's an annual treat for each of my kids to shop with Grandma for two hours to point out the things they might want for Christmas, followed by going out for the snack of their choice: ice cream, McDonald's...whatever the child wants. My point: this dizziness is not in her head. What kid would give up ice cream for fake dizziness?

Hailey missed school Monday and Tuesday. On Wednesday I took her to school early to talk to the counselor and to drop off information about BPV, then left her in the capable hands of the school staff. One hour later the school called. Hailey had, um, lost her breakfast in front of the entire class...her worst fear. Katie told me later they could hear it all the way to Katie's classroom.

"Who's THAT?"

Katie replied, "I think it's my sister."

To the credit of everyone at school, no one made fun of Hailey and everyone handled the situation calmly. Hailey still isn't 100%, but she's getting better and may even return to school tomorrow. She would be mortified if she knew I was posting this blog. Oh well.

On a more thoughtful note: Hailey has now faced what she considered her very worst fear...and lived. Of course, she was embarrassed, but she has been able to laugh about it since then. There's a lesson in there somewhere.