erinshelley21 I think that's alopecia. Your hair just starts falling out in clumps and it's an autoimmune thing. So far we can kind of mask it with ponytails, but when it's down, it's noticeably thinner and depending on how she brushes it out of her face, you can see the patchiness. I think it's especially pronounced because DD2 is always with her, and her hair is much nicer looking right now. Poor kid.
billybumbler Thanks! I'm at least relieved that the doctors took it seriously and ran a bunch of bloodwork and tests. When I got home the conversation went: DD2: MOM! THEY TOOK BLOOD OUT OF DD1!!! DD1: YA! And I saw THREE doctors!
Thank god my kids aren't phased by medical issues. lol Hopefully the results come in quickly.
twinmomma - fingers crossed for results from blood tests! If not, jump to the specialists and make the rounds of possible candidates - with DD's enzyme thing I feel like it took WAY too long to get to the right dr. If I had it to do over I would have taken her to each different specialty instead of working through each one then moving on to the next. Expensive, but faster.
Just got off the phone with the pedi. She doesn't think it's a blood work issue, she thinks it's classic trichotillomania. So I need to get her in to see a therapist and figure out what's going on. I'm basically ready to burst into tears at work. I have OCD and anxiety and now my poor baby has this. It's breaking my heart.
Post by justcheckingin73 on Feb 17, 2017 13:59:04 GMT -5
I'm so sorry twinmomma. Hopefully they can figure something out to help her. Think of it this way - who better to help her than someone who knows what she's going through?
vasc, We have seen her pulling her hair, but I didn't immediately jump to this because it seemed like we're finding more of her hair on her clothes and furniture than we realized she was pulling, if that makes sense. I thought it was just a little innocent twirling, but finding the amount of hair we've been finding freaked both DH and I out and we called the doc. I guess yesterday she told the nurse she likes how it feels to play with it and pull it, which is a big red flag. She doesn't even realize she's doing it half the time when I've caught her.
twinmomma, does she still manage to do it when her hair is pulled back? What if she wears a hat?
We're trying to make sure it's up every day. I chatted with her this morning and it sounds like she's mainly doing it while she's falling asleep like a self-soothing thing and I don't want to make her sleep with a hat on right away. So we talked about finding her a stuffed animal or a doll she could brush instead. She's very concerned that she has "a bad habit" like me biting my nails and that she'll never be able to stop. So that makes me feel great... She was relieved to hear that you don't have to have a habit forever. I'm thinking I can try to work on my nail biting while she works on her hair and we can help each other since she seemed so concerned.
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Post by mae0111 on Feb 18, 2017 10:58:14 GMT -5
twinmomma - does she like the feel of her hair between her fingers? I have some OCD tendencies with certain things, and feeling soft things in my hands was my primary way to self smooth as a kid.
Maybe try a soft blanket with tassels on it. I had one, and I fell asleep every night running them between my fingers for years.
Some kids with trich respond to a doll with fine hair, like the cheaper versions of American Girl. They can twist or pull the doll's hair and leave their own alone. Definitely don't shame her; that usually makes it worse.
twinmomma - it sounds like you are all over it - I hope the substitute works. Is there another "habit" you guys could change to show her too? Like a tweak to a routine (reading before dinner instead of before bed) or something?
Post by judyblume14 on Feb 19, 2017 9:37:41 GMT -5
twinmomma - I think you trying to stop biting your nails is a great way to support your daughter. Is there something your H can do? What about other DD? This could be a lesson in empathy, maybe.
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