After a Bout with the Flu, My Daughter Suddenly Couldn’t Walk
If your child starts walking on their toes or refusing to walk after a viral infection, don’t ignore it
I knew we were headed for a long weekend when my 11-year-old daughter woke up vomiting with a 102 fever at 3 AM the day after Thanksgiving. What I didn’t expect was that as her symptoms began to improve, she would start having severe leg pain.
In the beginning, she had all of the symptoms of flu; body aches, high fever, fatigue, and congestion. By Monday, her fever was down, and her energy was returning, but she woke up unable to walk normally and complaining of excessive pain in her calves.
Her gait was a kind of strange toe walk which she said still hurt, but not as much as if she put her heel all the way down.
After a visit to her pediatrician and some blood tests, we were told she has influenza-related rhabdomyolysis.
What is rhabdomyolysis?
Rhabdomyolysis, called rhabdo for short, is a serious medical condition that occurs when muscle fibers die and release their contents into the bloodstream. It can cause damage to the heart and kidneys and is fatal in rare cases.
