Hi Folks
I have an 11 year old son who always seems to be ‘poorly’ in health. He suffers from asthma but that is under control. However, every few days he either has an upset stomach, or high temperature, a cough, or a headache. As a consequence of this, he is missing a lot of school.
Initially, I used to think that his illnesses were not that serious and it was just an excuse not to go to school. However, upon speaking to the school and my son, it seems he does not have any problems in school, and so his different illnesses every now and again, seem to be genuine. On top of that, he does not eat much and never seems to be hungry. As a result of this, he is very skinny in relation to his height – he is 5 foot 1 inch.
I have approached the family doctor on a number of occasions regarding the above, who always seems to say that it is just one of those things – he is growing up and kids pick up germs from each other.
However, I was wondering if I should have a second opinion. Do you think I should approach a specialist to discuss my son’s health in greater detail? If I do take this route, is it my family doctor who needs to refer me to a specialist?
Thanks in advance for any advice offered.