Child says she can't see

[mybelle]

First I will ask my question then there is some background info, My 8 year old daughter says she can not see, she says everything is black. Is there a test to determine if she can see or not without her cooperation? I am being told her not seeing is "behavioral". Here is the background of her- My 8 year old had a virus at the end of June, she was not getting better and was hospitalized. She complained of back ache, headache and leg aches. She stopped walking and says she can't see. Many tests have been run and all have come back normal. She was having we thought were seizures but after 2 EEGs (one  was the 24 hour one) we were told they were psudeoseizures. So now my 8 year old that was perfectly fine in June was placed in a in patient psych hospital. It was devastating. Now my daughter is home and on 3 different medications, she is seeing someone once a week. Although since shes left the hospital she has been in a much better mood, and is eating well again and sleeping well, she still says she can't see, and can not walk by herself. No one seems to know anything. She did not have any tramatic experiences, all this started on a beach vacation, and they only that did upset her was her grandmother who said some mean things to her, and then an hour or so later, her "back pain" started. Could all of these come from that?? The dr told me I love her to much, I don't allow her to have feelings, I make her happy all the time and therefore she does not know how to "cope". I need some answers, like will this go away with medication and therapy? I mean school is starting soon and this poor kid who was normal and fine in June, now can't walk or see! Everyone has told me that they have never seen anything like this before. Everyone meaning the drs. My poor child was been in the hospital for nearly 2 months, almost 1 month in a locked unit, and still no answers. We are extremely happy to have her home with us, but its sad to watch her Tae Kwon Do video where she was kicking and jumping and to see her now, its heart breaking. Can anyone offer us any hope that this will pass? Will we ever get our little girl back? If anyone can offer any advice or suggestions it would be much appreciated. Thank you.

[Sammie4258]

You left a post an hour ago but nothing posted.  Would love to know what you said.  
sammie

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS, FAAO]

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[Sammie4258]

I have to totally agree with Dr. John C Hagan III.  This is a neurologist/opthalmologist issue. Here is what I have learned about Conversion Disorder. It can cause blindness.
There was a big study on a tremendous number of Vietnamese women who were blind and found that there was absolutely no medical reason for the blindness.  The only thing they could contribute it to would be the trauma of witnessing so much bloodshed.   Thus, probably conversion disorder. .  however, although people can have blindness with conversion disorder, It seems to me it would take alot of trauma to cause this symptom that your daughter has..  but, the thing with conversion disorder, is that it is very unpredictable in how it chooses to manifest itself.  YOur symptoms can  change from one day to the next.  It is a motor sensory problem so the eyes can surely be involved.  In your daughters case, I think you have more of an organic or other biological basis and I would continue to check things out.  Conversion disorder is usually caused  by trauma or a tremendous amount of stress over a very long period of time.  I doubt this in your daughters case.  The fact that her grandmother said something cruel in and of itself would not bring this on.  Yes over a long period of time if constant belittling.  One episode of having your feelings hurt would not bring this on. Especially where children are very resiliant.  This would have to occur over a long period of time.  I really think this is more than conversion disorder.
It is very frustrating with conversion disorder because they know it is a viable medical condition but because nothing shows up on tests and they know that stress is a factor, the medical community didn't know what to do with it so they kicked it over into the psychiatric community.  
Personally, after having it myself, They can call them psuedoseizures  or what ever they want.  Everything about this is neurological and it sure feels like seizure.  conversion  is a brain disorder.  someday the neurological and psychiatric community are going to have to come  together.  But, again, I think in your daughters case you have somethng else going on..  Especially after a virus.  Something has happened. Andthe back pain.    It's all just a little suspicious. I would keep checking.  let us know how she is doing.  I would  love to know.  I have a big interest in this and I wish your daughter many blessings.  
Keep fighting
sammie      

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS, FAAO]

For the eye complaint of not being able to see she should be seen by a neuro-ophthalmologist.  Yes there are tests like a visually evoked response or ERG, EOG than can tell if sight is occurring.

JCH MD

[alx22]

I in no way am any kind of medical person, not a nurse, nothing.  Lyme's disease is my very layperson's stab in the dark.  I have heard very similar complain's described in connection with Lyme disease and they can last for months and be very debilitating.  If you're running out of options, check with a doc in your area who is familiar with it.

On another note, you know your child.  I have the greatest respect for the medical field and they have helped me greatly but when you meet a doc you've never met before, everyone develops first impressions and it's hard to veer from them.  I took my 12-yr-old to the ER for appendicitis on July 4th and the a.m. docs said, maybe, recheck 12 hours back at ER.  11:00 p.m. doc looked at me, wanted to pat me on the head and say I was overreacting ,that it was gastroenteritis, aka the stomach flu.  Anyway, at 4 a.m. they took her in for an appendectomy.  11:00 doc said, I didn't know, I said, I knew.  She said, Mom always knows.  Good luck to you and trust your gut.

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