One minute he was playing happily, then next he was refusing to eat and didn't look quite right. Within 24 hours he was clearly coming down with something...a mild fever, a loose cough, pointing his sweet little finger at his open mouth - his way of saying his throat hurt. He didn't want to eat but I was able to get him to drink some watered-down apple juice. With the flu going around I thought I better not mess with this bug and took him into the doctor 24 hours after his first symptoms. He wasn't tested for the flu but was said to possibly have an infection in his throat and some tightness in his chest, and was prescribed an antibiotic. That night his breathing became so labored that we had to sleep in the recliner next to the back door, allowing him to breath in the cool, make that freezing, night air. It helped some but I knew he was sicker than originally thought. I explained his worsening condition to the doctor on the phone...I was SURE it was the flu. A prescription for Tamiflu was called in immediately and we were to get him to the hospital lab to test for the flu. A short time later it was confirmed, he had the dreaded swine flu. He was even worse that night. His breathing became so labored that I had to take him to the ER. He was given some prednisone and we were sent on our way. The medicine helped his breathing very quickly and he had a good night's sleep. He's been improving at a steady but slow pace since starting these meds. I hate to think about what may have happened if he hadn't gotten Tamiflu. His little body was not dealing with it well. He's in his 7th day since the first symptoms and is doing so much better. So far the rest of the family is doing perfectly. I'm hoping we all stay well but we know what to do if not. So glad I listened to my instincts with my little guy. We moms need to trust our gut with our precious little ones - the outcome could have been a lot worse.
Saturday, November 28, 2009
Not A Picnic
One minute he was playing happily, then next he was refusing to eat and didn't look quite right. Within 24 hours he was clearly coming down with something...a mild fever, a loose cough, pointing his sweet little finger at his open mouth - his way of saying his throat hurt. He didn't want to eat but I was able to get him to drink some watered-down apple juice. With the flu going around I thought I better not mess with this bug and took him into the doctor 24 hours after his first symptoms. He wasn't tested for the flu but was said to possibly have an infection in his throat and some tightness in his chest, and was prescribed an antibiotic. That night his breathing became so labored that we had to sleep in the recliner next to the back door, allowing him to breath in the cool, make that freezing, night air. It helped some but I knew he was sicker than originally thought. I explained his worsening condition to the doctor on the phone...I was SURE it was the flu. A prescription for Tamiflu was called in immediately and we were to get him to the hospital lab to test for the flu. A short time later it was confirmed, he had the dreaded swine flu. He was even worse that night. His breathing became so labored that I had to take him to the ER. He was given some prednisone and we were sent on our way. The medicine helped his breathing very quickly and he had a good night's sleep. He's been improving at a steady but slow pace since starting these meds. I hate to think about what may have happened if he hadn't gotten Tamiflu. His little body was not dealing with it well. He's in his 7th day since the first symptoms and is doing so much better. So far the rest of the family is doing perfectly. I'm hoping we all stay well but we know what to do if not. So glad I listened to my instincts with my little guy. We moms need to trust our gut with our precious little ones - the outcome could have been a lot worse.
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