Lockdown continues its weird half-life. The best of times, the worst of times? Family bonding, enough food, lie-ins. Remembering Covid, feeling stuck, too much time on twitter, the jag of fear.
We don't seem much further forward. As you know, I discovered a condition called Vocal Chord Dysfunction, where the vocal-chords spasm closed and the patient struggles to breathe in. Cue big, alarming, breathless coughing fits. This is what I am listening out for. This is what happens most evenings for poor Tess.
I'm a huge fan of the NHS, but a phone call to an NHS Speech and Language therapist led nowhere. She said, 'we hardly ever see vocal chord issues in children.'
It's a bit like being back in my bad-old- days of having ME/CFS and doctors disagreeing all over the place on what is wrong and how to fix it.
I found more info online, and this morning we had a private video assessment with a London clinic. The therapist surmised-
There may be a VCD-like presentation going on, but it's difficult to say for sure without ENT involvement.
i.e. Tess might have it, but we'd need to see an Ear, Nose and Throat doc to be sure. We're on an NHS waiting list for that.
Poor Tess came off the call in tears and threw herself on to her bed. I understand this. She can swiftly grasp that there are no quick fixes. The strain of lockdown doesn't help one bit.
We bought a garden swing online. It felt like an indulgence before. Now it feels like a therapy couch. The toy monkeys are retraining as psychoanalysts. I'm grateful for the sunshine.
If you're disappointed this post is ending without a link to a Lego Fortnite Video made by a 11 year old boy.....here's one Hugh made earlier.
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