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Thursday, October 16, 2008

My poor sick child

Monday Tad didn't seem himself when I picked him up from school. He was running fever and starting to cough. Tuesday he went to school I told them he slept a LOT the previous night and that he was still coughing. No fever. I get a call at 3:15 that he was running fever and very upset because he wanted to sleep. Burnell picks him up and he was wheezing a LOT. So we start the breathing treatments, more medicine for fever and he sleeps a LOT again. Yesterday I stay home with him. I made a doctor's appointment and we ran to work to get some things for me to do at home.

A few people said he looks fine. Then I start to doubt whether I need to bring him to the doctor. I decide to bring him anyway since I took off and he was home. Well, the doctor listens to his chest and also takes his blood pulse ox. Well... it was really low and his lungs were tight and rattling... The doctor made me give him a breathing treatment in the office because he wasn't worried. Said he could have pneumonia due to the fever and lung thingy...

It's only the beginning of fall, winter, etc... Now he's on a round of steroids, breathing treatments and then preventive breathing treatments daily until this season is over. He's just going to LOVE that... He is hoping the daily preventative will help.

He's not diagnosing asthma because of his age. He's hoping he'll outgrow. I guess if we make it through next summer and next fall he starts again, then he'll send us to a specialist. Who knows... my poor child...

Tonight I laid in my bed with him, we watched cartoons and he feel asleep to the breathing treatment. Then off to his crib he went. Guess that will be out new nightly routine. I think we'll also read books once he gets use to the machine. He LOVES to read short books.

This story should prove to always trust your "mother's instinct."

5 comments:

Mathochist said...

Poor baby! Feel better soon!

Have you ever considered taking him off dairy for a while? (If you haven't tried that already.)

Giftie Etcetera said...

I'm convinced it's because our babies came early! Poor Tad.

Frog said...

A few people have told me I should try and eliminate dairy. He LOVES milk and yogurt so I haven't tried. I guess I could see what happens. Would soy be alright?

Mathochist said...

Some people do soy as a substitute. Other people are worried about soy's phytoestrogens and what they do to developing kids, especially boys... It's kind of a personal decision. I fall sort of in the middle, and I suspect you would fall among the former. They do make soy yogurt, so that might be a good substitute for him. We did soy milk for a while, but it turns out Sammy & I are both allergic to soy, so now we do rice milk around here. We just make sure to get the ones fortified with calcium & D. I also try to give my kids a daily multivitamin as soon as they're big enough to chew it.

Not to dissuade you -- because I know several and have heard of lots more people whose kids stop having such symptoms after they're off dairy. (Heck, I guess actually I am in that group myself, if you count chronic sinus infections!) -- but to prepare you in case you do... cutting out dairy is kind of a big deal and requires more work than just not giving him milk or yogurt. It can take up to 3 weeks for the dairy to clear out of their system. Then more weeks/months of waiting to see if it really did help. You also have to read food labels of everything you give him and make sure there's no dairy hidden in that. If it is the culprit, though, it is more than worth the effort it takes to cut it out, to see your baby feeling good and not getting sick all winter long.

Sammy loved cheese and it was hard to take that away when he got diagnosed with the dairy allergy. He seems to do OK with goat's & sheep's milk cheeses, but we only started trying them recently.

Good luck with whatever you decide, and I hope he is feeling better very soon!

Big Bets said...

As children 3 of us had asthma and 2 have outgrown. I did not. Tad's Daddy, Christopher and Stella each had one bad bout of asthma when they were 6 mos. old. They have never had another since. I never stayed away from dairy but other things would trigger mine, ie change in the weather, MSG, laughter, dust. Keep me posted on him. I heard Dan Michael weezing the other day and told Lenee' to keep an eye on him. My poor little buddy!