no. 302
My four year old son for the last six months has had a recurring eczema problem on one of his arms. It has been mostly limited to a single spot on one arm located right below where the arm bends. We had been treating it with an over the counter cream / ointment that seemed to control it but it really never gets better and the boy doesn't help matters by scratching it. This past week we noticed another spot on the outside of his forearm on the same arm.
After reading too many blogs, including the three Donor 1084 related blogs, I have begun to get paranoid. We didn't use Donor 1084 but because DC / DI / DE issues are continually in my head due to this blog and the yahoo group, paranoia has become too easy.
Of the three known half siblings (my two kids and T) my son is the oldest so I wonder if there is an issue out there (or rather waiting in them) if he would develop it first. By nature throughout my life I am somewhat paranoid and after living through / with infertility for years (it never really goes away - we just side stepped it) you wonder when (not if) the other shoe will fall.
I pray every day these three kids will remain healthy and happy but the fears are never far away so when a little thing like eczema pops up that you know is a real issue out for other DI conceived kids the possibility of an issue becomes real.
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7 comments:
I think those are the types of fears that I have too. Wondering if something is lying in wait down the road. May we never endure that... none of us. It's hard to put it out of your head though, isn't it? I can understand. Somehow I know that whatever is thrown at us, we'll be able to deal with it. We will find a way. And don't fret too much; with a bit of luck your son is just having a bit of a reaction to the dry winter weather! That's what I'm hoping for anyway! Sending hugs to you and yours.
I know how you feel as I have just found out that I have inherited a nasty gene from my donor that predisposes me to some not so nice illnesses that could adversely affect me for the rest of my life. I just pray that nothing ever triggers it off.
Damian - How did you learn you had this gene?
I wish that you didn't have to wonder about these things. Hopefully you can find a way to get those spots under control, and hope too that those few spots are all it will ever be. I am fortunate that in the case of my youngest, we have such a large group of half sibs that I can often ease my mind by looking at how overwhelmingly healthy they are. But even among them, there are a few with eczema, my son has reflux as do a few others, and a few with serious anaphylactic allergies to tree nuts. Fortunately my background in nursing helps me acknowledge that things ilke eczema and allergies truly are multi-factoral, not to mention really very common. I can't rationalize it away so neatly for my son via 1084. But I do understand the wondering.
I suspect it must be so easy to blame ailments/problems on the unknown donor. And yet, I had terrible excema when I was young - and neither of my parents had it, or anyone else I know in my family. My brother had a bone disease - neither of my parents had it, or anyone else that we know of. On the other hand, at 40 I discovered I had a mild thyroid disorder, and after a bit of asking around found out that it came from my fathers side of my family, but not in a direct line back (so my father didn't know about it).
Thanks Care, Katty.
I don't mean to default / assign any blame to any donor but it's amazing that without knowledge that fears do arise. It is quite understandable for me to put myself into the place of a donor conceived individual who has no info and is concerned.
Thanks, Eric
Eric,
I was tested for it as a matter of course for determining a reasoning why I had certain problems. My mother does not have this gene.
Regards
Damian.
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