Dear Noah......"can I sleep with you tonight ..my kneecaps feel funny"

That is what you came out and asked me at bedtime. I turned around to you and asked, "What? Your kneecaps feel funny. What do you mean?" You proceeded to tell me that your kneecaps had a funny feeling in them which would go away 100% in MY bed but only 50% in YOUR bed. I asked you to describe the feeling.....and you said it was sort of a pain....and when it was really bad....that is when you always asked to sleep in my bed as sleeping in my bed gave your kneecaps MORE LOVE which made them feel better pretty quickly. You said your kneecaps felt like they were pressing down on your legs really hard or moving and you had to move your legs. I imagine this is restless leg syndrome as I have that myself...and you may be experiencing that or growing pains or finally starting to have Osgood Schlatter's as your dad and half brother both had that when they were growing up (which is basically just more growing pain stuff that will go away). I imagine your extra activity with swimming and running and jumping in the pool brought this all on this time as I have never heard you mention your legs feeling like this, but maybe one other time. Plus combine all this activity with your severely flat feet and fallen arches....well...I imagine it is a blessing you can walk! The cheaper orthotics I purchased for your shoes do an okay job, but are not bringing up your foot as well as they should. Your feet feel better in them but are still not corrected 100%.

I did think the entire story and the way you presented it....so flawlessly and technical ...so matter-of-fact for something that sounded so silly and yet I know your legs did really bother you last night.

So you had a sleepover in my room last night. I think we both slept pretty well as I was so tired and it was raining.

Today we have to finish part 2 of the Scantron testing...(here all this time I had been calling it SCRANTON tests when it is SCAN TRON - SCANTRON tests....haha). The math portion last night was horrendous.....asking you all sorts of questions on things you have not yet even studied. I think they may have assigned you the wrong test. I emailed the teacher asking.

You are more more fascinated again with air conditioners and furnaces along with pop/soda machines. You wanted me to renew your membership to 3D plans so you could do more designing and building of commercial buildings using their plans as they were the only ones who offered all the air conditioner units and more toilets and soda machines and furnaces. I guess your other home design program is more limited.

SO you will be busy on that today and finishing up some school work and those tests.

I love you...hoping your little "kneecaps" feel the love today and are much better!

Mommy
XOXOXO


and now for a little more information on Osgood Schlatter's disease:

Osgood-Sclatter's Disease (OSD) is a painful condition occuring in children,adolescents and young adults. The pain is located at the knee which can be brought on by repetitive motions such as jumping, squatting and high impact activities. Location of pain is often focused a the insertion of the patellar tendon onto the tibial tubercle. OSD Symptoms usually begin during periods of increased growth and tend to subside as bone maturity is reached. Bone abnormalities at the patellar tendon insertion area can be detected with routine x-ray. Often without x-ray, the bony insertion area will be identified with an increase in size and will form a "bump" on the front of the knee. Treating OSD is generally always conservative with emphasis on reducing pain and swelling with cold compress therapy, anti-inflammatories (NSAIDS). Once pain and swelling have been controlled, increased flexibility and strengthening exercises for the hamstrings and quadriceps are installed in a pain free range of motion (ROM). In some cases, soft bracing and activity adjustment may be prescribed.