Rosie has been getting pains in her tummy every 6-8 weeks for about the last year. Last time it happened, I took her to the doctor, who did tests and diagnosed her as having abdominal migraines brought on by stress.

Rosie’s symptoms are that she starts with pains in her tummy that are sometimes constant, sometimes come and go. Last night she woke four times in pain. She gets a mild headache alongside the pains. She has no energy, gets tired quickly, has no appetite, and can barely raise a smile; she tends to just mope around, looking really sad, until it passes, which can usually take 3-5 days.

We’re waiting for an appointment with a paediatrician, and until then it’s Calpol, warm baths, cuddles and not much else. I don’t know what else I can do to make her better, other than to leave Tom.

I have to be honest with myself and say that it has to be the stress of what’s going on at home that’s upsetting her so much.

Tom’s opinion is that she’s faking it to get time off school and that there’s nothing actually wrong with her. If Tom is around when Rosie has the symptoms, she spends the whole time in her bedroom to stay away from him.