Do Not Fear The Fever

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

What a whirl wind of a week let alone just this one day alone! I have had a sick baby on my hands for awhile now. Logan had been sick since about Thanksgiving. I was told it was viral and to just do home remedies. Every time he seemed to start getting better he would end up sick again. He has never really gotten over it. 

Over Christmas break him and I were both sick. The entire Christmas vacation. He got better enough to return to school. He went maybe a week and this week it hit him hard. Fever to 104, vomiting, runny nose and coughing. I woke up around midnight and rushed him to the ER! Fever can be scary. They did a flu test, strep test and RSV all came back negative so the doctor wrote it off with a throat infection. 

Needless to say I followed up with his regular PCP the very next day and he said an ear infection. I believe that was his diagnoses. He said one of his tubes was blocked and the other just laying there, ready to fall out. As I am leaving there I call his ENT and made an appointment to have his tubes looked at. That will be February 3rd. As of today he still had a runny nose, cough and a low grade fever! 

In my late night being awake and worried about my son I found my self doing research on toddler with fevers and what to do to control it. You would think this was my first go round. I found some stuff I had no clue about. I thought I would share some of it with other parents out there who may possibly be reading my blog. 

Do you remember being sick with a fever and your mother would bundle you up and make you sweat it out? Yes! Do not do this!! I repeat do not do this. Sweating can lead to shivering once you cool down, and once you start to shiver it brings your body temperature back up therefore bringing back the fever. Sweating it out does not help. Put your child in light weight clothing. If they happen to get the chills give them a light blanket. Nothing to heavy. 

Another old school remedy I recently heard about from a friends on facebook was to put alcohol in the bath water or an alcohol rub. This is not a good idea either, here is why. This can poison your child. It can cause intoxication, seizures or even coma. Stay clear of this method!!

If you must use a bath make sure it is lukewarm water! Never use cold water for this will cause shivering and cause the fever to get higher. Never submerge you child but rather sponge if you need to. There is no proven evidence if this really does help but if you it relaxes you or your child feel free to utilize this but always make sure the water is the right temperature.  

Make sure to keep your child hydrated. Fever causes dehydration. Do not be alarmed if your child refuses to eat. This is normal. 

If you child runs a fever longer than three days talk to your doctor. Also if there are other symptoms present. It is not necessary to treat a fever unless it gets above 103* or of course if your child is uncomfortable. 

Here is another thing I read on multiple sights.. I had my alarm set every four hours so I could continue to wake my son up and give him medicine to keep the fever at bay. Well I read not to! Never wake a child up to give them medicine. Sleep is what they need. Since a fever is just a symptoms and generally does not hurt the child let them sleep. 

Once again though if your like me and an overbearing and protective parent you might still get up and check the fever to make sure its not over 103. Put yourself at ease and do not fear the fever. 

Check out the articles below and read and research for yourself. 

http://www.webmd.com/children/news/20110228/new-advice-fighting-fever-children

http://health.yahoo.net/experts/dayinhealth/best-way-treat-childs-fever

http://pediatrics.about.com/od/weeklyquestion/a/05_fever_night.htm

http://www.parents.com/health/fever/fever-fears-a-guide-for-treating-fever-in-children/

Let the fever do its job! Fever is fighting the infection. Treat it only if necessary. 

Making A Cranky Baby Happy With Babozoo

Just admit it, all of us mommies have been there. We are trying to shop, run errands or have a dinner and our child or children decide it is a good time to get cranky and scream at the top of their lungs to try to get anything but give you peace. Sometimes it can be embarrassing. I especially hate it when we are in a restaurant. Many times have we played the whole, you hold the baby while I eat then I will hold the baby while you eat. So much for enjoying our dinner together. Sorry folks it happens when you have kids. Kiss your peaceful meals goodbye! Kiss the quiet shopping time goodbye and kiss an enjoyable trip to the grocery store gone too. Oh who am I kidding. I never liked doing most of those things anyway. 

With my second child we had to totally avoid the toy aisle in Wal-Mart. If she seen a barbie of any sort she wanted it and she let us know that she wanted it and if she did not get it she let us and everyone in the dang store know. (thanks to her grandma) My first was 14 and a half years ago and I can not remember much except using the whole "Do you want to go to the bathroom?" For you parents out their that have never heard that phrase, it means. I will tear your butt up in that bathroom if you do not listen! Do not make me have to take you to the bathroom! One of the many phrases I swore I would never repeat to my kids that my parents repeated to me. 

Okay anyways back to what I want to get at. Okay let me set the scene for you. Parents waiting for their much anticipated, delicious steak dinners when all the sudden your year and a half year old gets mad. Really mad just simply because he or she is bored! You give him or her crackers, in the floor it goes. You try bread, in the floor that goes. You even try to give them the silverware and you got it..to the floor it goes. Mom goes into panic mode and dad is looking around to see who all is staring. This is when we bring out our trusty smartphone. Which in reality it was probably already on the table beside you. We always went to the Bubble Guppies show that was put on the phone by my husband just for this reason. 

Guess what? I found something just as good. I hope! I have not tried it in public yet but I have done it here at home. I found an app. for Logan. The name of it is Babozoo. It is for ages six months and up. Its simple but yet when I handed my phone to my son with this on he started laughing immediately and forgot what he was mad about to begin with. Its a free download on the android market. I am not sure about Iphone but I am sure it is available. It has little animal faces pop up with their sounds. Its a learning opportunity for your little nugget! Its simple but the only thing that is missing is a lock. My son can push the home key and get out of the application and get very upset again and then we have to repeat the process. My screen could stand to be a bit bigger for this but my son loves it and that is what matters. Watch the video and see for yourself. 

So the next time you are out with your little nugget and they decide to let everyone know that they are unhappy try this app and see if it works for your kiddo! Hope it works for you as it has me so far.....Until he gets bored and I have to find something else. If you are interested in checking it out go HERE

Immunizations linked to Autism??

Are Vaccines Causing Autism In Our Children?

Every now and then I like to research certain topics and this one came to me by a conversation that I was having with a friend. This was also discussed while I was attending classes for Medical Assisting but since it got brought up again I decided to do some research (I love research) and share it with my readers. 


What started the whole controversy was a paper written by a British Gastroenterologist  Andrew Wakefield M.D. and his colleagues that suggested the MMR vaccine might cause symptoms associated with autism. This paper was published and made very well public. Thousands of parents refused to vaccinate their children resulting in 100's of hospitalizations and several deaths from the measles. At the beginning of last century 161,100 children died before their fifth birthday. 


Since the publication of this paper there have been many studies investigating the link between autism and vaccines. The results show no link. Also keep in mind this paper has been RETRACTED! People will still question and always wonder about what causes autism so therefore the vaccine hypothesis stays. The choice not to vaccinate your child will in no sense lesson the risk of autism. When delaying vaccines you leave your child unprotected when they are the most vulnerable. Before you decided whether or not to vaccinate your child do the research and know your making the right decisions. As for my kids and myself, they will be vaccinated. I will take the chance (if any) of my child having autism over death from a disease in which I could have prevented by choosing to vaccinate my child. 


ITS YOUR CHOICE: MAKE IT RESPONSIBLY 

Some sites to check out if your researching the topic
http://www.vaccinateyourbaby.org/
http://www.cdc.gov/vaccinesafety/index.html

Eczema--Not So Simple(useful tips?)

This is a continuation from my previous post on some ways to help control an eczema flare up. Some of these will not work for everyone but in my sons case it has seemed to somewhat help. I do have a long ways to go in finding out other methods and experimenting with things. If any of my readers would like to offer any suggestions I am most definitely up to trying them out if I have not already. So no holding back on the comments! 


First thing we learned is that we were doing everything WRONG! Warm baths, baby lotion, baby oil, dreft for laundry and even keeping the room warm. Who knew?? Not us and unfortunately our little boy got the butt end of it. 


1. First thing we did was get rid of the Dreft and switched to All free and clear. Nothing with dyes or smells and not only did we switch to washing Logan's clothes but everyone in the families laundry with this product. 

Another laundry switch was the dryer sheets. This was just as important as the detergent. We chose Bounce free and sensitive. 

And we always! always! use the second rinse cycle during the wash.




2. Instead of warm baths we were told to use luke warm baths. The heat from the water can cause a flare up. This is the crazy part, we were told NO SOAP or SHAMPOO unless it was absolutely needed. If it was needed then use it only on that certain spot. Do not rub the child dry but pat, or you can choose not to dry them off at all (which is what I do). 

3. In Logan's case, forget the baby lotions and baby oils and even all the Aveeno products..I use straight up mineral oil! When I get him out of his bath and lay him on the towel I apply the mineral oil while he is still wet. Seems to work well for us. I even have to use it on his head. His head will even flare up with eczema..He has scabs all on his scalp. 

4. The next product that has worked well for us when he has a flare up or even a small one, I use it a lot really is Cortizone 10--eczema healing lotion. I apply this 2 to 3 times a day.

These are just some products we use that works for Logan or at least keeps it a little bit more under control than what it could be. The next few things we plan on looking into is a cool humidifier for his room. This is for the purpose of keeping moisture in the air. We try to keep the rooms in the house as cool as possible because heat can and will cause a flare up. This may not be a serious condition but it is a pain in the butt condition to have to deal with. Logan has his good days and his bad days. Hopefully with time he will grow out of it. According to our doctors we may never know what causes the flare ups entirely (could be allergy to something such as clothing, dander, dust, food, etc..). The only thing we can do is eliminate the causes one by one and try to keep him comfortable and the flare ups under control. 

I apply mineral oil in the morning, the cortizone 10 at lunch and then before bed I apply both..If he has a horrible flare up I will use his prescription cream in his worse spots and only on occasions we have to use his oral steroids.  It is a constant battle to keep his skin moisturized and him comfortable. 

Time To Give Thanks

A Time To Give Thanks

This is the time of the year to give thanks. Thanksgiving is just around the corner and its a time for family and friends to gather and feast and give thanks. The "First Thanksgiving" was celebrated to give thanks to God for guiding them safely into the new world. This was a three day event with enough food to feed 90 native Americans and 13 pilgrims. Then what happened after?? Yes a massacre of the Native Americans. (Just wanted to throw that in there) 

Do you or your family have any specific traditions at Thanksgiving? I can tell you what I remember from being a child. My mother would be up all night the night before prepping and baking pies. My favorite is my grandmother's and my mother's traditional pineapple pie. Everyone in the family looked forward to this pie. We did not have a huge meal but it was good enough for us. I can even still remember the menu. Turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes and gravy, rolls, green beans, corn, sweet potatoes and of course pies. We never had many desserts just the pie. 

The day would begin with my mother getting up like at 6 in the morning to put the turkey on and then us kids would get up and watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade on t.v. while my brother and my dad were out hunting for the biggest part of the day. When my brother got older and moved out my dad would go by himself. We usually had dinner around 5 I believe when I was younger. Sometimes we would have other people stop by. I remember some of my parents friends coming one year, some friends thy had not seen in years. I also remember my uncle being there every year. 

As the years went by and we all got older the holiday started changing and a new tradition evolved. Thanksgiving was held at my grandmother's house (when she moved to Arkansas) and my Aunts, Uncles and cousins would all come and we all would have a wonderful Thanksgiving day at my grandmothers house. It was held at noon every year. After eating and cleaning up we would all head back up the mountain to mom and dad's house for the continuation of the celebration. 

Now more years have passed and the traditions that I once knew have disappeared. There are no longer any traditions in my family and it is really sad to think of it. I wanted to start my own traditions within my own little family but that is almost nearly impossible because of divorce, people work, kids are somewhere else..It saddens me. 

In honor of this holiday I will give thanks to the memories that I have growing up and my adolescent and young adult years ( I am still young). I will give thanks that I am alive and can remember those memories. No sense in me basking in my own misery just because our family can not be together. I will make the best of this day with the best that I have and thank God I have healthy, loving family. Maybe one day I will be able to start my own traditions. Until then I will just be thankful for what I do have. Love to all my readers and have a wonderful Thanksgiving Holiday. Spend it with the ones you love and enjoy in wonderful conversations and be merry. 

Divorce Sucks

Anyone who has experienced divorce knows that it just plain sucks in a lot of aspects but also for the best. I have experienced this two times in my short 30 years. Studies show that divorce rates have remained stable for the last decade at 50% for firsts marriages, 65% for second marriages and just gets higher with each marriage after. Basically statistics show that your doomed if you have been divorced and then remarry. Also basically your doomed if you marry at an early age. Marriages are more than likely to survive if marrying after the age of 25. I call BS but that is my opinion and not data. 


The worse thing I have experienced with my divorces has to do with my children. They are the ones caught in the middle and get hurt. I try my best to not involve them or let them know what issues their other parent and I are having but sometimes its inevitable especially as they get older. Holidays, extra visitation, child support and just anything to do with the child usually becomes a huge ordeal. Oh the Holidays. Yes this is the worse time of the year for me. All the fighting and figuring out who gets who when and where and etc..


In my opinion every divorced parent needs to work with each other. Think of the child and their needs before your own. I never understood it. I have sacrificed much time with my oldest daughter due to her sports. If I were a selfish parent I would say no, we are going by the papers and her extra curricular activities will take a back burner because I am selfish and want her here with me. Don't get me wrong, I would love to have her here with me but her wants and needs come first before mine. That happened the day I found out I was pregnant.  


Yes I am a mother with two children that live with their fathers. I made mistakes and I have paid for them everyday and do the best I can. I am on the paying end of child support. I am the puppet on a string who does whatever the custodial parent wants with the fear of a fight. I am not a fighter. I get so tired of arguing so I do give in more times than I don't just because I don't want my kids involved. You custodial parents out there, think about the non custodial parent every now and then and think about what your child would want and not what you would want. Do not use your child for your own selfishness just because you want to hurt your ex spouse!! 


With the holidays just around the corner try to make some sacrifices for your kids and make the best of it for both of you. Because I have an ex that can only think of himself I am stuck with Thanksgiving without my children. All because he insists we follow the papers I do not get to see my children until December. Everyone is so excited about the Holiday's, I stress and worry. Think if it this way, if 50% of people are divorced, 50% of people are going through the holidays fighting with ex spouses over issues with seeing their kids. It's not fair and something needs to change. No wonder suicide rates go up during this time of the year. I have just gotten to the point I don't argue. I am done. I have faith my children know I love them, know I care and would be there if I could. If you are out there celebrating the holiday think about inviting someone who is spending it alone missing someone in their own family. Remember what the holiday's are about. 


Either way you look at it. Divorce sucks! Especially when children are involved and the holidays are the worse. 

http://www.divorceguide.com/usa/divorce-information/divorce-statistics-in-the-usa.html

http://www.childrenanddivorce.com/