My daughter was hospitalized with viral meningitis on Oct. 10 of this
past year. She was rehospitalized Nov. 15 for continued headaches
that increased in severity until she collapsed at the Pediatricians
office. She had originally missed a week and half of school, and had
returned to her normal schedule and activities (not sports), but the
week the headache increased in severity she had started sports
again. So I think it triggered a flare up? Unfortuantly we then had
a bad spinal tap that resulted in her transport to Dallas Children's
with a spinal cord injury. After spending 6 weeks flat on her back,
and homebound with school since Nov. She is now up and doing physical
therapy. We are hoping she can start the new semester at her high
school next week. However, she is still having severe headaches!
She is under the pain management team at Dallas Childrens, and the MD
stated that "she had a severe case, and will have a year or years
recovery" But this group was brought in to help with the back pain
resulting from the spinal injury. The neurologists turned everything
over to this group, and I'm just not satisfied with the answers I'm
getting. My daughter has always been a very atheletic kid, and is
extremely frustrated by this chronic pain. She doesn't complain at
all, so I have to take it seriously when she does....the day she was
first hospitalized with meningitis, she played a full volleyball
game, refused to come out, then later collapsed from the severe
headache I didn't even know she'd had. Then I found out she'd had
the headache for 2wks by then. I'm an RN, so I feel horrible about
all of it, and I'm really not sure where to turn next. Her local
pediatrician said it's over his head, and the Neuro team turned it
over to the pain management neurologist, and they don't seem to have
any ans. about how long we can expect this to continue. If you have
any advice, please help. Nothing I read really covers this, and I;m
out of my league.

Thank you!