Philippa Woodsford

7th November 2011

After a fab weekend away in our caravan in Filey the long journey home last night took half as long again as usual due to the shear volume of traffic on the A64. All the boys at some point had a little nod but it was poor George who had the rude awakening.

After just a few minutes sleep he woke with a jolt and to all of our horror the right hand side of his mouth had drooped and saliva was pouring out of his mouth down his chin. Ben, (sat in the middle seat) shouted out "Urgh George you've got spit all over your chin" (He's a patient loving child with no history of pointing out the obvious in a crude manor! Or maybe that's somebody else I'm thinking of!?) and as we all turned to look, it was blatantly apparent that George couldn't move his mouth at all. His tongue seemed glued to his lips and all he could do was make a gugugu sound. Obviously panicked his eyes wide with terror he struggled to get any words out. "It's alright baby I coo. Mammy's here" My husband pulled over on the grass verge and I calmly but quickly got out of the car and went to George's door to help calm him and suss out the situation. Within a minute or so his mouth freed up as if I had oiled it and he was able to talk although slurred at first. His face gradually returning to normal some seconds later and half an hour or so later he was laughing and joking with the rest of us.

As a Mother an experience like that haunts your dreams and for the whole night I couldn't sleep a wink. George seemed fine and actually slept well but at 8am when I eventually managed to wake him it was apparent he was still unwell. George had a terrible headache and his neck was sore, so much so he couldn't bend it down to his chest. His muscles were so tender to touch I couldn't hold his hand, hug him or touch him. I calmly took the remaining children to school and headed off for casualty but so far there suddenly felt like a neurotic Mother panicing about nothing, and turned back home.

Once home, and still not happy, I phoned NHS direct who listened patiently to George's symptoms. "Please don't worry Mrs Woodsford said the nurse practitioner on the other end of the phone, but I would like George seen to by a GP within the next hour. Don't panic but you must insist that he see's someone straight away." Ok I'm not panicking...I am simply expressing a general concern for the welfare of my 7 year old...hurriedly!

An hour and 50 minutes later I am still sat in the waiting room of the doctors surgery when FINALLY George is called through. Dr Ho, senior Doctor, wonderful man, who has seen me through some of the most challenging health issues of the last 12 years of my life is pleased to see us but not under these circumstances. "So what appears to be the problem with George?" he asks in his beautiful Oriental dialect. I explain and he looks concerned. George is then asked to perform a series of short tasks and at the end the Doctor states he has no reason to believe my son has a brain tumour or pressure on the brain.(Phew) He can not however, rule out a mild stroke but due to George's age and general health, this seems highly unlikely.

"Most likely cause is Migraine" he announces "Migraine?" I ask in surprise. I have long since been a migraine sufferer and have had them so sever I have been unable to walk and once spent 6 months in bed, so although this seems plausible to me, I am stunned a child of such tender years would suffer such and extreme migraine attack. "Yes" replies the Doctor calmly "But if there is an neurological defect the issue will return so please keep a close eye on him and if symptoms persist or the face droops again he will need to be seen in hospital. In fact if his face droops again call 999 and get him there immediately!"

"Ok I reply" The burning question is on the tip of my tongue but I won't let it out. "Do I panic then, if it happens again?"

Happily my son seems much better tonight and although not well and in need of 4 hourly pain relieving medication for his headache, he 'seems' to be fine. I will certainly be keeping an eye on him, like for the rest of his life...in a non panic type way of course...more like a hawk watches it's lunch after several days of starvation! That's ok isn't it