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Thanks everyone for everything

I wanted to thank everyone for their help over the last little while.  It has been a very tough couple of months and I really appreciate all of your advice and help.  I am over the flare if you want to call it that.  I know it will eventually come back and so does my husband, but for now we are done searching.  Mostly because we are broke due to it.  My MRI was clean and I took neurontin for three weeks and then I was feeling great.  I am back off of neurontin and saving my stash as it is all I have if this comes back.  We will be spending the next few months paying off doctors bills and credit card due to my testing and his radioactive thyroid treatment.  Thanks again for all of your help and advice it really meant a lot and made those very hard days a little brighter.
Tahiri
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147426 tn?1317265632
Hi, hun, in general, MedHelp asks us not to copy and past large chunks of someone else's writing.  It presents a copyright infringement issue.  Just for the future.

Tahiri - You can request a forebearance on your student loans due to medical needs and expenses.  If approved it would allow you to put off some months of repayment and let you get caught up on your finances more quickly.  Even just 3 or 4 months would help, I would think.

Anyone know something about this?

Q
Helpful - 0
488264 tn?1226520307
Hi, Googled night terrors and found loads of sites, so copied and pasted this page of information from the Great Ormond Street Hospital in London UK as it sums it up quite well I think.  Hope it helps, otherwise just google it yourself.  Seems it is just a phase and you are doing the right thing by reassuring your daughter, hope she grows out of it.  Keep well.  WFC


With Dr Dianne Gumley
Consultant Clinical Psychologist,
Great Ormond Street Hospital
Nightmares and night terrors are common in childhood and aren’t usually a sign of any underlying problem or anxiety.

Nightmares can happen at any age, and most people have them. But night terrors are most common in two to six year olds, affecting around 15 per cent of children. They don’t usually last beyond adolescence.

What are nightmares and what causes them?
A child who is stressed or overtired might be more vulnerable to nightmares, and reading or watching something scary before bed can make them more likely.Nightmares are simply bad or scary dreams. A child usually wakes up feeling upset, needs comforting, and can usually remember in the morning what was frightening about it.

Nightmares, and dreams, happen during REM (Rapid Eye Movement) phases of sleep. During the night, the brain goes through several stages of sleep and around every hour and a half switches into a REM phase. REM sleep phases last longer as the night goes on - which is why most dreams and nightmares happen towards morning.

A child who is stressed or overtired might be more vulnerable to nightmares, and reading or watching something scary before bed can make them more likely.

What’s going to help?
Plenty of comfort and reassurance is the best way of helping settle your child back to sleep after a nightmare. Very young children often don’t know the difference between dreaming and reality, and might not understand the concept that it’s over now because it was only a dream. Young children often don’t want to be left alone after a nightmare so it might help to stay with your child until they fall back to sleep. A special toy or comfort blanket might help, and some children find it easier to get back to sleep if the light’s left on outside their room.

With an older child, it’s a good idea to talk about the nightmare straight away - ie ask them to tell you what happened. This seems to have a calming effect and might help your child settle back to sleep. Your child will probably also appreciate a hug and a few words of comfort too.



Some children find having a dream catcher above their beds helps.The next day, you could try discussing with your child whether there’s anything they are worried about. Most nightmares are isolated events and don’t mean much, so don‘t worry if your child can’t identify anything. But if nightmares are happening on a regular basis, it might be worth trying to work out whether there could be a cause.

If your child is still thinking about the nightmare the next day, it might help to draw a picture of what was scary about it - then throw it away. Or your child could change the ending.

Can nightmares be prevented?
They’re more likely after a frightening experience. It makes sense to cut out stories or TV programmes your child might find scary. They can also be linked to lack of sleep - making sure your children get the sleep they need can cut the frequency and intensity of nightmares.

If they’re happening frequently, try to identify anything stressful happening in your child’s life, such as starting nursery or school, or changes at home. You could then gently discuss this with your child and reassure them.

What causes night terrors?
Night terrors can be very distressing for parents - a child can seem wide awake with their eyes open, can seem very agitated and afraid and might scream or shout out, but will still be asleep. Most children don’t remember anything in the morning.

A terror usually happens about two hours after a child falls asleep, and is in a non-dream phase of sleep. Around 15 minutes before it starts, a child will often become increasingly restless then will usually open their eyes, might cry out or scream, look frightened, flail around and try to push you away if you try to give comfort. Your child might also seem dazed, probably won’t recognise you and is likely to give inappropriate answers to questions. It’s distressing to see, but your child won’t remember anything about it the next day.

A terror usually happens about two hours after a child falls asleep, and is in a non-dream phase of sleep.Episodes can re-occur for a couple of weeks, then suddenly disappear.

We don’t fully understand why they happen, but they might be linked to being overtired, emotional stress the previous day and also fever. There’s also strong evidence to suggest a genetic link - night terrors often run in families.

What’s going to help?
Unfortunately there isn’t as much you can do. Your natural reaction is to comfort your child - but often this makes children more agitated. As your child will be asleep, and not easily woken, it’s best to let the terror take its course. Stay beside your child but don’t try to use restraint.

Sometimes children can get up and wander around - make sure the environment’s safe, with outside doors locked and toys which could be tripped over cleared away. Try to guide your child gently back to bed.

It’s best not to discuss a night terror the following day as it might make your child feel worried. If your child does raise the subject though, simply offer reassurance.

If your child’s prone to night terrors, make sure babysitters and other carers know what to do.

If your child’s prone to night terrors, make sure babysitters and other carers know what to do.Can night terrors be prevented?
Make sure your child has a regular sleep pattern and doesn’t get overtired - try sticking to a very calming bedtime routine.

If night terrors happen frequently, it might help to wake your child around the time the terror usually starts. This is thought to interrupt the sleep rhythm and can prevent a terror happening.

When to ask for medical help
Nightmares and night terrors are not a sign of any illness. There isn’t any specific treatment. But if they are interfering with your child’s life, or are happening on a very frequent basis, it might be worth visiting your GP for reassurance. Rarely, if night terrors are very severe, sleep medication may be prescribed for a short time to alter the depth of a child’s sleep.

Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Oh I do not plan on leaving at all. I just wanted to thank everyone for being so helpful.  I do have really good insurance by the way, but even that adds up.  Deductables are 500 so we had to meet both mine and my husbands in one month due to MRI and Radioactive treatment.  That is why we are broke and that doesn't count the 20% we had to pay on both.  He is also still in school and I am on the repayment phase of student loans.  I know it will come back, but for now I am not going to push to much and just enjoy the fact that I am back to fully functional for the time being, other than tired.  
I have actually really enjoyed getting to know everyone and could not leave.  
I know this is off the subject, but does anyone know about night terrors.  I am just wondering because my daughter has been waking up at night extremely scared and screaming.  She is really tense when this happens.  If I get her out and hold her for a little bit she will calm down and go back to sleep.  I was just wondering if it is just nightmares or night terrors.  Night terrors run in my husbands side of the family, but I have never seen someone have one.
  Tahiri
Helpful - 0
198419 tn?1360242356
Hi Tahiri,

I'm so glad your flare has eased up and you are feeling better.  Stay with us, we'll help you through the next phase.  You need a battle plan ma'am!

I wish your medical care was not out of your own pocket.  Like "wish" says, is very important to get into some healthcare system.

You've brightened this place too - thank you for trusting us, and signing onto this friendship!

Oh, and you've been spoken to by the G'father HERself!  No OUT for you!
ttys,
SL
Helpful - 0
147426 tn?1317265632
I was really hoping, that since you have posted some since you wrote this that you weren't really leaving us.  I do understand the need sometimes to get away from the constant reminders and get on with your life.....HOWEVER, you apparently did not read your contract.  We are sort of like a Mob Family, in that we do not let friends leave!  We will hunt you down and bring you back!

I have been known to knit a body stocking so we can toss you up against our sticky wall and you cant leave again.  You wouldn't like it, because I almost always get an armhole in the wrong place or knit in a third boob.

So, we're all hoping you will stay around and safe us the hassle of forming a posse.

((((HUGS))))

Quix  :))
Helpful - 0
488264 tn?1226520307
Hi, I only remember responding to one of your posts so I'm sure there are many others much more deserving of your thanks, but you are very welcome anyway.  I'm glad you're feeling better and hope it lasts.  Don't know where you live but can't you get some really good health insurance?  Seems a shame to have financial problems on top of everything else.  Maybe use this 'well' time to research into healthcare schemes which can help...?
Helpful - 0
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