Medical History pre-diagnosis

[qoatip]

I have been asking around and so far EVERYONE I have asked has had a history of high fevers as a child.  what about you?  I'm wondering if more people can be diagnosed and treated earlier (without cutting their heads open)  if their tumors are discovered sooner....

If you NEVER had a high fever (over 102) as a child that would be interesting to me.....

thanks for indulging me.

Marla

[leapyrtwins]

Marla -

I never had high fevers as a child, yet I was diagnosed with my AN when I was 45 1/2.

My younger brother had numerous high fevers as a child, but he's never had an AN - and I hope he never will.

Jan

[JerseyGirl2]

I have been asking around and so far EVERYONE I have asked has had a history of high fevers as a child.  what about you? 

I also did not have a history of high fevers as a child.

Catherine (JerseyGirl2)

[Kaybo]

Was an extremely healthy child...in fact, I remind Dave that I was never even sick until I met/married him!! 

K 

[opp2]

I'm afraid I've had my fill of fevers, including Scarlett fever, multiple ear infections, and tonsils out early.

[Jill Marie]

I'm not sure about the high fevers, Mom's gone so I can't ask her.  I had chicken pox when I was 6 months old and I believe you get a pretty good fever with that.  I had no ticable hearing loss when I entered first grad.  Had the Facial Neuroma removed at 35.  As a child I was allergic to the cold.  Not sure what the actual medical term was for it or if there was one.  I couldn't go outside unless it was 55 degrees out or I would get sick, swollen glands, hives and pain that made me cry.  There was a mark on the thermometer by the dining room window and I would watch it tell it got to where I could go outside and join my brother & sisters.  When they made snowmen my Mom would dress me up so I could run out and put the carrot nose on the snowman.  My Grandma knitted a bottle cover for me so I could put it on the 7-up bottle so I could drink it like everyone else.  My parents took me to the children's hospital in Seattle, WA to see a specialist before I started school to see what they could do so my parents wouldn't have to move to a warmer state so I could go to school.  They couldn't figure out what was wrong with me or how to help.  They put me in the walk in freezer with a doctor and ran some tests.  The doctor couldn't see me the next day because he was sick, but I was fine, he, he!  Luckily I grew out of it.  The doctors decided nothing was wrong with me, they said my Mom spoiled me and I wasn't sick.  I was the youngest of four, like she had time to spoil me!  Strange but true! Jill  

After posting this I got to wondering so checked the Internet, they have a name for it now, Cold Urticoria.  It can kill you.  A 9 year old girl in New York has it and can't go out unless it's 70 out.  Hope she out grows it! 

[lori67]

I wouldn't say I had a "history" of fevers as a child, but I'm sure I had one or two.  Most kids do.

I might also add that 102 is not really unheard of for a childhood fever.  Kids tend to run higher fevers than adults.  Both of my little ones had strep last week and had 102 degree fevers - they were still bugging me to go outside and play!  If I ever get a fever that high, I'm pretty sure I'm about to meet my maker!   

And Jill, I don't like to go outside unless it's 70 degrees out either!  I may have to start telling people I'm allergic to the cold!   

Lori

[CHD63]

Lori .....

I had the same reaction when I first read this ......  I have no idea whether I had high fevers as a child ...... we rarely went to the doctor.  I did have scarlet fever as a 7th grader so I suspect I ran a fairly high fever with that.

But, as a mother of three ..... all of my children ran fevers over 103 at some time or other in their childhoods and I sure hope to goodness none of them ever develop an AN.

Just my thoughts .....

Clarice

[moe]

No history of high fevers here. I was pretty healthy and active.

[iluuvpups]

No history of high fevers here either. 

I do wonder if other things in my past caused it.
     --I had a head injury when I was around 3 on the same side as the tumor.  I went sledding downhill face forward and run into the metal of another sled a boy was pulling. 
     --I had migraines starting around 13 and they were always on the left side (tumor side).
     --I started using a cell phone in 1991 and only ever used it on the left side.

Anyone have any similar experiences?

[Rivergirl]

Never had high fevers was pretty healthy.....but I did have multiple nose injuries with x-rays and a deviated septum with 3 surgeries.

[Jim Scott]

Marla ~

Although I'm sure we all would like to have a definite 'marker' for developing an acoustic neuroma, because ANs are tumors that arise from the myelin sheath that surrounds the vestibular nerve, I'm not sure how having childhood fevers would be associated with developing an acoustic neuroma.  I know of no medical studies being done on this, probably because it isn't relevant.  However, I can appreciate the desire for knowledge that may be useful in diagnosing or even predicting ANs, so I'll add to the thread by stating that although my childhood occurred mostly during the Eisenhower administration and my memory of it may be faulty at this late date, I don't recall suffering from 'high' (+102)  fevers. 

Jim

[Sam Rush]

I'm sorry, your thread doesn't make a lot of sense to me. Are you suggesting that people who have had high fevers as a child should be screened for acoustic neuromas??   Insurance Co's won't go for that. MRI's are too expensive, and acoustic neuromas are too rare.

[leapyrtwins]

Personally I think that acoustic neuromas just fall into the sh*t happens category; that is, no particular rhyme or reason why we were "gifted" with one.

Jan

[Barb909]

HA! I love that Jan...gifted. I have always wanted that label; we all could enjoy it for at least for a day or two. Thank you!

I did not have high fevers as a kid as far as I know. The thing I wonder about is X-ray treatments. I had a big mole removed above my upper lip and had treatments as a 4 yr. old and again as a 17 yr. old. I cannot even imagine having any radiation again for this AN, as I wonder if those in the past caused it, but again, that was long ago, and maybe now they could cure it......? Very confusing. Hope the Cincinnati symposium helps with information for all of these questions.

B.