New Member and wrestling question

[ScoobyDoo]

Hello. New here - glad to have found this forum. I have a 16 yo son with CVID on weekly subQ infusion. He is in high school and has been invited to join the wrestling team. Over the years, we have had doctors tell us absolutely NO wrestling (risk of infection from other wrestlers and from the mats) but our current docs seem to think it's OK if he uses antibacterial lotion which has become popular in contact sports in the MERSA age. Does anybody have thoughts/experiences to share on this topic? I realize the safest thing is to just tell him "no" but excelling in a high school sport is an experience we don't want to deny him if it is not absolutely necessary. Thanks in advance and great to "meet" you all.

[s162216]

Hi and welcome to the forum, its always good to see new members,

I don't personally quite see why wrestling would put him at any more risk of infection than any other contact/semi-contact sport, assuming of course that he keeps good personal hygiene etc, and if anything I would think that a doctor would encourage any form of physical activity in the current climate of inactivity, obesity etc that the media like to promote as being the norm (and is quite possibly becoming truer every year).

The SCIG should give him a good level of protection anyway from most infections, so I would discuss it with him as he is in the age range where you start making your own choices in life.

This is of course just my opinion, and you need to take in all aspects of the arguments that you hear from the doctors etc as well.

Sam (Admin)

[marie]

If he were my son I would say no. I have a nephew who has a normal immune system and he caught "herpes pugilitic ?" from fellow wrestlers. Several young men in their school conference have the infection. Locker rooms are full of germs.

[john]

Hiya,
I tend to err on the side of caution myself, and I think I would say "no" too.
My mantra has always been that we have our expensive therapy in order to enjoy a normal life, but as Marie points out, you can even get herpes from wrestling, about the last infection I would expect, and I know from painful experience that herpes for us PIDS is really hard to clear up!
I think the way to deal with the problem is to praise the lad for wanting too partake in the wrestling, then explain why it's really not a good idea for him, then suggest he gets involved in another aspect of the sport such as refereeing. Just my thoughts, tell us how it pans out, and welcome to the forum.