Sickies

I really hate deciding whether or not to go to the doctor. I'm not the kind of person who likes to waste the time or money if the condition doesn't warrant treatment with a prescription. I also feel like I'm bothering my doc if I'm calling for something that might end up being just a cold. As a result, I sometimes wait too long to get my kids in to the doc.

In January, my daughters both had well child checkups and it turned out that my baby had an ear infection. Due to her reaction to the last ear infection, we were reluctant to put her on antibiotics. So, the doc put her on a mild, 3 day antibiotic. It so didn't work, so she had to go on a 10 day antibiotic. This time I put her on probiotics as well to help counteract the stomach upset.

About a week after she started her antibiotics, her brother woke up at night and had a hard time breathing and was coughing a croupy cough. My oldest daughter started that same cough the following morning. I was figuring that it was strep, so I got them into the docs that afternoon. It was pneumonia. So, the doc started my olders on antibiotics to treat that.

About 4 days later, my baby - who was still on antibiotics - started a fever and a really junky cough. That was last Thursday. I am really hoping that its not pneumonia, since she was already on antibiotics. The issue now is that my nephew now has pneumonia and my baby has been coughing and pulling on her ears alot. I'm just not sure if it is just a cold or an ear infection or pneumonia. I thought she was doing better, but she just keeps yanking on those ears. Maybe she's just really congested...

I guess I'll just call the doc next week if she's still not feeling well...

A House Full of Sickies - Let the Fun Begin!

Two weeks ago, me and all the kids got flu shots. The next day, we all started to get the scratchy throats and runny noses. I've been fighting it off as best as I can, but the sickies are running through our house. My wonderful husband (who didn't get the vaccination) came down with a nasty cold over Thanksgiving weekend. My baby has a nasty cold and a double ear infection. My son also came down with a cold and had a stomach bug. My oldest daughter also came down with a cold, but not overly bad. I have been fighting off a little cold and also had the stomach bug.

The fun part is, ever since they pulled all the good kids medications off the shelves, I really have no good way to help ease the girls' symptoms so that they can get the rest that they need to fight off the colds. And, I don't know what medications I can take, being a breastfeeding mother, that won't get to baby through my breast milk. The only thing I know I can take is Robitussin DM, which I won't because I don't DO liquid cough medicine. Except for the Robitussin with codeine, but even then, its a last resort.

I have been toying with the idea of homeopathy. I put out some feelers on a forum that I post on. It seems that it is more difficult than I think it should be. We'll see how it goes... Hopefully the rest of the winter isn't as fun-filled as the past two weeks have been.