*EDIT-Not only is everyone sick but I am also a weenie and didn’t realize it was my dear friend’s birthday on October 1st. (Total, uber, utter, WEENIE am I). Happy birthday, Sandi. I <3 U!)
Everyone in our family is sick in different ways and to different degrees.
The baby is sick. This is his second illness and he is so much worse than he’s ever been.
He’s being so brave and sweet. It’s breaking my heart to see him cough like this and it’s legitimately scaring me to death. It’s beyond being a paranoid and overly worried mother of an infant that passed away.
The kids and Jon have it as well. I have some different issues happening that suck (I’m getting treated, don’t worry) but honestly…the baby is the main worry and I am just beside myself.
We’ve spent hours in steaming bathrooms, sitting with him eucalyptus infused tubs of water, put on endless applications of baby Vicks to his chest and on his feet, given breathing treatments with a nebulizer and I am staying up watching him and suctioning his mouth and nose.
My sister said that there are tons of cases of Whooping Cough where we live. I’m praying that isn’t that. Jonathan thinks it is just a severe cold. I am not as secure and confident. The only reason I am not absolutely losing it or sitting in the ER is that his temperature is not high and I am not sure they could/would do more then we are right now.
We have an appointment for him Monday but if he gets one bit worse or his temp goes up we are going to the hospital.
Please keep us in your thoughts.
*UPDATE: (3 AM, Oct. 4) Though they sound the same when he does it, the breathing treatments are at least easing the amount of coughing, so that is helping me feel better.
8:00 AM- We made it through the night. This cough is HORRIBLE. So barky, tight and wet. It makes his whole body shake. And then he sits there and grins at me. Sweet little baby. Since he is getting sick I’m going to let Jonathan sleep for another hour or two and then he’ll take over watching and suctioning, etc. and I am going to collapse because I feel horrible and worn out. I’ll let you know if we end up having to go to the hospital and what they say about him on Monday.
7:30 PM-I went to bed at noon and Jonathan has been with the baby all day. He’s no better, but no worse. It’s going to be a long night. :S
4:00 AM-Oct. 5- We’re almost through this awful night. Aaron’s appointment is just a few hours and thisn’t any better and he’s getting a fever. He sneezed suddenly and violently when I was suctioning out his nose and it gave him the most awful nose bleed. I was carrying the baby and tripped. Luckily the only thing hurt was me. I drove my knee into the sideboard, banged my head on the dresser and really hurt my back. So, I feel worse than I did before. Jon is going to stay home with me tomorrow because he is so sick and now I can’t heft the baby around.
I’ll let you know what the verdict is when we’re back from our appointments.
Thank you for the kind words and advice. I appreciate it.
xo
Good vibes your way.
Definitely, prayers and love and vibes and anything you need.
<3
Oodles of love. Call if I can help.
I’m so sorry! I’m sending hugs , get well wishes & good vibes your way!
I am praying for you all, esp little Aaron.
I’m so sorry! My family just got over a shit storm of illness that scared the bejezus out of me. 2 trips to the hospital and one 911 call taught me to trust my instincts. If you feel it’s time to go to the hospital, just go!
Sending much chicken soup thoughts your way. Hope you all feel better soon!
I will drive up there in a minute if you need anything. Just let me know. I am praying and sending love to all of you. Especially that sweet boy.
lots of prayers and <3
Am keeping you in my thoughts and prayers. I can’t even imagine how scary this is for you. I know it’s hard, but be sure to take care of yourself too. Praying for this to pass quickly.
You will definitely be in my prayers tonight.
Oh honey! Keeping you and Aaron in my thoughts and prayers!
Sending good thoughts your way for a speedy recovery for all. (hugs)
Keeping you and the family in my thoughts and prayers tonight. Feel better!
Lots of prayers for you, and your family. I had wooping cough 2 years ago when I was pregnant with my son, and it was the worse thing I had ever had, I pray that he doesn’t get it.
Vitamin C! Seriously, if it is whopping cough(or even if it isn’t), it will help his body fight it off.
http://www.seanet.com/~alexs/ascorbate/193x/otani-t-klin_wchnschr-1936-v15-n51-p1884-eng.htm
http://www.google.ca/url?sa=t&source=web&ct=res&cd=3&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mothering.com%2Fdiscussions%2Farchive%2Findex.php%2Ft-195623.html&ei=DS_ISuO4IZPgMaHWgPMH&usg=AFQjCNGjPm0sdU-yjYtNufWTfRANXDMSAg
Definitely sending good vibes your way! And you must trust your instincts and do whatever you think you need to! Hugs coming your way!!!
My daughter had whooping cough when she was 2 and it was hard. They ran a diagnostic test at the hospital that covered flu, rsv and pertussis. It takes a few days to get the results back but there is something that can rule it out.
I’m hoping it is the drastic shift in weather that is behind all this and that he recovers quickly. Lots of good thoughts your way.
Praying for you, chica! And your family and your sweet wittul guy. Blessings to you!
The Emerson Cough Assist Machine. If you need to borrow it, or borrow our oxygen machine tonight and tomorrow, just drop me an email. And give him chest physio too – patting around his lungs with a cupped hand to make sure everything stays lose (do for at least 10 mins each time). We also have an wide spectrum antibiotic prescription if you need it.
Thanks, Jaz.
I seriously may call you tomorrow. Thank god we have a nebulizer…it’s the only thing that seems to help him.
We are doing the chest tapping. I had to have it done as a kid I was sick with lung infections so often and I continued to do it to myself when I was older.
P.S.
Not just thanks to Jasmine, thank you to everyone. It’s been one of the longest nights (and months, actually) ever.
Oh Loralee, I will be praying for you tonight(well this morning).
Oh hon, You are a great mum and I love the way you dismiss your own “issues” because baby comes front and centre. I’m thinking of you and hoping he gets well soon and that you have all the help and support you need.
Big warm bear sized hugs.
xxxx
Our son is prone to croup – horrible and scary – and we’ve done the steamy bathroom (and the ER) several times. I have not endured the loss of a child and I still stay in his room with him when he’s sick – I’d do exactly the same thing in your shoes.
Sending many healing thoughts your way – you guys need a break.
I am praying for you and your family right now.
All the best!
Sending healing vibes & praying for you all. ♥
Heyyyyy,
just what you needed was a little more stress & less sleep!
NOT! :)
My kids all had whooping cough two years ago. No one believed me because they were all vaccinated for it RIGHT? Well, funny how a year later they started requiring a BOOSTER for Pertussis… hmmmm… why would that be? I recorded the whooping on my cell & played for the doctors. Mom was right :)
Everyone was fine. My baby at the time was about the same age as yours. He should be fine just keep doing what you’re doing.
As far a the Vitamin C? My kids have always taken C supplements. Didn’t help in our case.
Hang in there & keep us posted!
ps
go here & listen to the whooping-
http://www.pertussis.com/hear.html
my older ones never had the whooping sound
I did twice- but you can definitely tell the “coughing” part
even without the whooping
My thoughts are with you guys. I’m coughing up a lung myself this morning, so I feel for him. Poor little gaffer.
I’m going to school to be a nurse and we just studied whooping cough. It can be very serious for 4 months and younger. My instructor told us about little ones coughing so hard they broke a rib. Personally, if he’s coughing that bad I would bring him in. If nothing else for your own piece of mind.
If it was whooping cough you would know. It would be a lot worse. If he does get a fever though, I would bring him in. Coughs and fevers could mean pneumonia or influenza or H1N1. But with influenza and H1N1 he would already have the fever so I don’t think it could be that.
Love reading your blog and hearing about that little cutie! Hope he feels better soon! It’s always harder on the mommy!
Oh goodness! I hope everyone starts feeling better soon.
Keeping you all in my thoughts; hope everyone is better soon.
Make sure to get some rest, Loralee, they need you too. :)
We’ve had croup a lot this year. It’s scary and real. I’ll be thinking of you. You know where to find me if you need me. I love you, hun!
Keeping him on the machine is good. (Said as the mom of a kid with asthma,)_ scary but good.
Praying for you all!
I’m so sorry you are all sick. I hope everyone feels better soon. I’m keeping you all in my prayers.
Our toddler had croup last month and it upset me more than her! Hope you all feel better soon.
My oldest had croup last week and then, of course, passed it on to his brother, his dad, and now me. The 3 of us have that tight, wet, hacking up a lung couch, so I know the feeling. And I remember the staying up all night, panicked about the coughing and feeling so horrible and helpless.
Anyway, hope you all feel better quick. xoxo
A sick baby is just the saddest/hardest thing for a mom. They can’t tell you what is wrong or what they need. I am so feeling for both you and Jon and sweet lil’ Aaron. (Hugs and well wishes for the older boys too.)Prayers, hugs and well wishes coming your way.
if it’s croup, a steroid shot could help…brings the swelling down and makes it easier for him to breath. Hang in there, I’m sure he’ll pull through. And then I hope you get to sleep for 2 days straight!!
Could it be croup? My son had it every single year, at least once a year for 12 years. It’s a horrible barking cough and scary as hell because they have a hard time breathing. We spent lots of times steaming in the shower, then immediately wrapping up in a blanket and going outside to breath cool air. Your worry is totally understandable considering what you have been through. Good luck, I will be thinking of you!
(((HUGS))) I hope you are all safe and sound on the other side of this illness very very soon…
So sorry to hear it. How old is your baby? My second was four months when diagnosed with asthma and you’re right, it’s SCARY, especially when they’re sick. And the nebulizer is a life saver. Something else that helped my baby when all the drugs didn’t was acupuncture, but you need it to be done be a pediatrician acupuncturist. But she also taught me some stuff to do at home, like how how to rub his back to get the get the energy flowing in his lungs.
I really feel for you. We’re all sick too right now and have been for weeks it seems.It’s so hard to get the rest you need to get better yourself when you’re up all night worrying about baby. Healing thoughts,
-Kim
If it’s whooping cough, when he breathes in between coughs it will make a really high pitched noise (the whoop). If no whoop, then you’re probably safe on that account. My husband is a pediatric resident who *just* finished his respiratory rotation- don’t hesitate to email with any questions we could help with.
I’m hoping it’s brief and as always, I’m thinking about you guys.
I’m sorry everybody is so sick! I hope the whole fam gets to feeling better soon. Prayers for them and especially the little man.
I’ve been thinking about you and your sweet boy non-stop since yesterday. Let me know if I can do anything to help.
xoxo
Our thoughts are with you and the little guy! Hang in there!
You’re doing the best thing for him. Love and hugs to all, and hope you’re all on the mend soon. x
Dear Hot Utah Woman,
Hang in there, kid. You’ll all be feeling better soon. And the boy will be fine. He will. Kids are tough little critters. They’ll scare the crap out of you and just sit there and grin. He’ll be fine. If for no other reason than he’s got you to care for him.
Oh, sweetie. I was offline pretty much all weekend. Hope he (and you) are feeling better.
You are such a dork! I hope you aren’t thinking about me getting older and only thinking about getting Aaron better! I love you.
I hope everything goes well at the dr’s today! How scary and nerve-wracking. Your whole family is getting all of my healthy vibes!