Wednesday, February 13, 2008

A. to the M.A.


There's a question at the bottom, so decide now if you'd like to skip the brief timeline:

Saturday Eve:
- Neighborhood birthday party where one daddy is clearly in the throws of tuberculosis or other flesh eating disease, his four year old daughter clearly has "the sick eyes."
- His wife comes home late from work (Nurse practioner at a prison in central Mass). She was delayed due to admitting a patient with MRSA to the infirmary.
- We go on to discuss her family's three-week-long ailment/cold/undefined fever-thing at length.
- Thanks for comin'!

Monday Afternoon:
- HRH comes home from school with a note stating that one of his classmates has tested postive for strep and everyone has been exposed.

Tuesday Morning:
- HRH enters our bedroom with a 102 temp, complaining of sore throat.
- RC has a low grade temp and is coughing like a seal.
- Both semi-stuffy.


Tuesday:
- Loooooooonnnnngggggg Daaaaaaayyyyyyy
- Was it really only yesterday?


Tuesday Afternoon:
- Visit to the pediatrician.
- Instant strep tests come back negative. Also negative for flu.
- But blood tests administered. Remember that scene in Gone with the Wind, where the doctor decides to amputate despite no anesthesia? HRH was channeling that during the finger prick episode.
- I apologize every mother waiting behind us with their kids now terrorized.
- Tylenol, Motrin, Benadryl recommended.


Tuesday Overnight/Wednesday early AM:
- Looooonnnnggggerrrrrr Niiiiiiigggghhhhhhhttt.
- RC up every two hours and coughing/crying in his sleep constantly.
- Also pees through every single layer of his nightclothes and bedclothes. Newly dried and changed RC ends up in bed with us.
- HRH comes in around 4:00 am with a zillion degree temperature, complaining that his head hurts.
- I leave to get juice and more meds but immediately reenter when his coughing fit leads to vomiting.
- On the bed.
- On my side.


Wednesday, 4:30 am:
- Andy and I have everyone back in their own beds and we are lying there on fresh sheets, punchy-tired but too keyed up to sleep.
- Andy seriously contemplates just getting dressed and going to work.


So. Here we are. It's Wednesday at 9:30 and I am totally going Against Medical Advice and seeking your input on the latest drug of choice for coughing.


Help me out here and let me know if you give your kids cough medicine and what you've used.

8 comments:

~Swankymama said...

Robitussin. (sp?) It works and puts them right to sleep!!

Jen said...

Jack woke up screaming at some obscene hour this morning, he also has a fever with slight cough... I feel your pain.

Haven't given any cough meds today but in the past have used pediacare with cough suppressant. I can't tell if it works. I'm no help whatsoever.

Suburban Correspondent said...

Get on the phone with your doctor and demand cough medicine with codeine. None of the other crap works. I've spent 16 years researching this. Tell him they are coughing so hard they are throwing up. Don't take no for an answer.

Early January I had some posts about this.

And, yes, my husband has done that, "Hey, I'm up, might as well go to work" thing....it's hard to get back to sleep when you're expecting to be woken up any minute.

Sarahviz said...

Prescription cough medicine! Demand it.
Good luck.

Life As I Know It said...

I don't have any advice...just that I hope everyone gets some sleep soon and feels better.
What a week you are having!

Anonymous said...

No advice here that hasn't been given already. Drugs are always good in these situations... for them and for you! Good luck!

Anonymous said...

It's nice to know it's not just my house. We'll be at the Ped's at 1:30 I've heard good things about Delsyn (sic) I've been using Triaminic because that's what I have in the house but I have to admit it's not working she's still barking like a seal and now bringing up lovely junk with it... YUCK!

Anonymous said...

I always use Triaminic of the "runny nose and chest" variety. This drug is an expectorant which dries and loosens phlegm. It does not have a cough suppressant.

In my opinion, drying and loosing (as opposed to cough-suppressing) decreases non-productive coughing and reduces the risk of ear infections.

Hope everyone is feeling 100% soon.

 

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