OT - sick kids

#1

Mine are both just sick puppies right now. I would guess that at least 2/3 of the swim team is sick and on some sort of medicine. Lets see…#1 had an ear infection and sinus infection, first round of antibiotics did not clear it up…today I called the doc who had prescribed first round, and he wanted him to get a cat scan. I basically said - lets rethink this - he had an antibiotic that you have prescribed to him at least 4 times that we can remember, and you normally give it to him for 20 days and not ten, like this time. So either the antibiotic failed, or he didnt have it long enough. Either way, a cat scan seems like a pretty expensive, high tech solution. Ended up taking him with #1 son to the general doctor, who agreed with me - so he is now on something else. #2 son has some kind of crud, AND he jammed his finger Saturday at swim meet (where no doubt he infected the remaining 1/3 of the team who wasnt already sick, oh WAIT! thats where he got it in the first place!) and the doctor wants him to get it x-rayed. I missed half a day of work on Friday because he went to school then had to go pick him up, 2 1/2 hours today, and now will have to miss some tomorrow ARGH! The only blessing is that at least #1 son can drive him to wherever and all I have to do is meet them there.

All you gals out there with little people - it does NOT get better! These boys are 15 and 18 and I still worry myself over them.

#2

Hope they feel better soon! :heart:

#3

awwww…I know how you feel–dd has never had a cold–never taken an antibiotic until this year (in october) and she’s just turned 3 (in October). Now she’s had 3 ear infections in a row–which I believe is actually only one that hasn’t ever really gone away and now doc says if it’s not gone when he rechecks her on Mon. of next week, we are going to talk tubes! It just seems a little premature to me to talk tubes when the kids never so much as had a cold before this year…my sil is a nurse and she says doc is crazy that most insurance co’s won’t pay for tubes until you’ve had 8-10 reoccurences in one year!

Hope your guys get to feeling better!

#4

I would agree. Way too early to try tubes. My boys did both have them, but not until they were almost 2 (each) - doctor was just very conservative. I believe to to this day, that the problem was more the adenoids, which were also removed at that time.

I do believe antibiotics can be overused, absolutely. I think what made me so mad about the doctor who wanted to do the cat scan is that they know good and well that Kyle only gets this crud this time of year, and its documented in their charts that he normally takes 15-20 days to clear up. So it isnt like we are in there every month trying to get meds. Not only that, but he didnt even suggest that he come in - just go get a $3,000 test!

#5

I haven’t had good experiences with my doctor. I didn’t go to the doctor at all except for a vaccination for about 6 years. I went three years ago because I was having horrible stomach pain and I had to go twice before they would take me seriously, and then they said there wasn’t anything they could do for me, anyway. Okay, fine, I’ll deal. But then I went back over Thanksgiving about my tonsills. They tested me for strep, remarked how horrible my tonsills looked, asked how long I’d been having problems with them (almost once a month for four or five years), and then told me it was related to my allergies (and I have no idea what it is that I’m allergic to that is present all year). And when I went in for knee pain when I was 14? Forget it. It took two years and three referals to get anyone to diagnose me with anything other than “knee pain.” Finally, the last doctor decided it was tendonitis…after four sets of x-rays and an MRI. :doh:

#6

My daughter is 3 but hasn’t had any sickness until now–how many ear infections had your boys had?

#7

It isn’t a profession I would want my children to go into. I understand about insurance and all that - but at least take a look at the kid before you decide to schedule a test like that. Alot can change from the last time he had been seen, especially this time of year.

He had mono last year - and there is no doubt his immune system is shot from it. I just dont know what to do to boost it back up. He takes tons of vitamins, obviously is getting plenty of exercise, he gets as much rest as he can too.

#8

I hope they both feel better soon!!

#9

So sorry that your guys are going through such a yucky time! We’re just getting back in the swing of things after being sick with the flu and diarrhea for the entire month of December.

I must be one of the only people here that loves her kids’ doctor! :slight_smile: Of course, most all the nurses and support staff at the office go to my church, and they are always telling me to call them at home for advice if I want. That sure saves on the bills!

Hope your guys are feeling better soon!

#10

Sorry to hear about the sick kids, kitkat. I have a sick one right now, as well. Ben has cold-induced asthma, which seems to be getting better every year, but you worry nonetheless.

Cristy- one of the little boys that I babysit is going to be getting tubes soon. He has had 5 ear infections since October. I’d agree with you- it seems as though it might be a little early to be thinking them for your daughter. My oldest son used to get ear infections all winter long, but as soon as the weather got warm, they would stop- it seemed that each year, we would be so close to talking about tubes, and then he wouldn’t get another infection. That lasted until he was about 4 yrs old, and then they stopped altogether.

Hope the kids are feeling better soon!!

#11

{{{Hugs}}} to you and the boys, KitKat … I hope they’re feeling better soon. I won’t go into my doctor experiences … it’s too scary … but overall I love our doctors, too. Especially our pediatrician, but he’s not likely to order tests unless they’re warranted.

All I can say in defense of your doctor is that perhaps he’s had a run of serious illnesses lately, and he was just trying to cover all the bases. Also, if your son is having recurrent sinus infections, it’s a good idea to check and see if there is a chronic infection there through a CT scan.

But … I tend to err on the side of caution with these things, and you know your kids best!! I hope they heal up quickly!

#12

I question the tubes thing. It is so difficult for kids that have them. I don’t know about all of you, but out here in sunny SoCal, try telling a kid they can’t go in a pool!

My son had chronic ear infections for a year from age 18 mos to 3 yrs. If it makes you feel any better, he is 13 and hardly ever been sick since then.

I, however, am a teacher, so I get sick regularly! :frowning:

#13

My daughter has tubes due to the fact that she wasn’t talking at two. Turned out she had lots of fluid behind there and now she is talking a lot. The dr told us she could swim and do anything she wanted. Someone told me they would put Silly Putty in her child’s ears when they went swimming.

#14

It doesn’t suprise me that tube technology has changed over the last 12 years! I’m glad there are less restrictions.

#15

Don’t go with the tubes yet. Sometimes a longer run of antibiotics is needed. It also can take weeks for the fluid to dry up–even longer if she’s taken decongestants. My daughter went through that with a sinus infection. Missed 13 days of school one May. Finally got on a three-week regimen and it cleared up.

If your child is prone to ear infections–I mean lots and lots–consider eliminating milk from the diet. I read a book by a Lendon Smith, a pediatrician who pointed out that frequent ear infections can often be caused by a milk allergy–just enough to swell the eustacian tubes and keep the fluid in. Over the years, I’ve suggested this to several parents whose children were always in the doctor with ear infections. The ones who took the advice actually had excellent results. Not all, since just a slightly deformed tube can be the culprit, but what have you got to lose–if a month without milk products clears up the problem, it’s worth it.

Just my two cents.

#16

I agree - hold off on the tubes as long as you can. For some kids, its a 1x thing, and for others, it becomes a bi-annual event and you do not want to get into that second category.

I totally believe milk and dairy products can cause congestion. I believe alot of sinus/allergy/asthma problems are diet related. Many years ago I did that no-yeast diet for two weeks - I cannot tell you how awful I felt at first - but then how good I felt afterward.

The asthma doc called back today (not the one in the practice who wanted to do cat scan). Evidently Kyle walked him through the whole series of events, and said if this doesnt clear it up, we will do the scans. He is on levaquin for 14 days, which really should do the trick. I think he just had antibiotic failure. He hasnt had to be on one since this time last year. Its an annual thing, and definitely related to swimming.

#2 son (Adam) is continuing to balk about getting his finger x rayed. I found a place that is closer and that we can do it in the evening so his heinous doesn’t miss a swim practice. He is way way way serious about his swimming, even more so than #1 son (Kyle) ever was. He swims distance. It amazes me that my little baby boy can swim 200 and 500 yards - happily —willingly!!!

#17

I asked about the milk thing and was told it’s an old wives tale and has no medical value. It’s so hard to figure all of this stuff out–I really do love Julia’s doctor–they’ve really been great. I have a good feeling that the ear infections are gone but we’ll find out for sure on Monday. We’ve seen a total attitude change since we began the last run of antibiotics (and it’s a different, stronger class of antibiotics supposedly–It’s called Cefzil–I’d never heard of it and neither had my sil who is a picu nurse).

#18

My kids got the stomach bug thing. It’s been pretty nasty, ds1 vomited so many times for about 18 hours, followed by diarrhea for about 18 hours and now a high fever that still hasn’t gone away. Poor little guy, he’s only 3 (well, almost 4 but still). ds2 (1.5) had the vomiting all night long but ate a lot this morning and seems to be running a low grade fever but overall feeling better. Thank God for breastmilk!