"I'm not cold!!"

From the Mayo Clinic:



It's not clear if she had a regular cold/ flu and then developed pneumonia after that, or if she has the above kind, that just mimicked cold/ symptoms at the beginning. Basically she's had sporadic fevers since Saturday. The first couple days she was pretty much continuously sick, though things weren't as bad as they can get when she's sick. (For example, there was little to no barfing involved). Since then she'll start out the day OK and then have a fever spike in the afternoon; get back to normal with medication, and then have another fever spike in the middle of the night. Two nights ago the middle-of-the-night spike was accompanied by a major case of hives (first time that's ever happened to her) which thoroughly freaked her out.

She's been stuffy throughout, and tired/ achy for most (she's been much perkier the last two days, but the fevers persist). She was coughing occasionally at the beginning and more lately. Took her to the pediatrician today because things keep dragging on and on, and he heard some stuff in her lungs that he didn't like and diagnosed pneumonia and prescribed antibiotics.

Poor little sozlet. I hope she feels better soon.

Hives?

Your daughter is a versatile invalid. I had hives once--they itch, especially when wearing a wool sweater and wool slacks.

Is this her first go-round with an ailment of the lungs--vs an ailment of the ears?

Versatile, yes.

She was going crazy from itching. (Wool sweater and wool slacks, yikes!) I researched it quick (whatever did we do before Google?) and gave her some generic Claritin E.G. had on hand, which happily had dosages for age 6 and up. That helped considerably, hives were gone when she woke up and haven't recurred.

I think this is her first lung issue, yeah.

Evidently a ton of kids are out of school sick right now. I haven't heard of any other pneumonia, but lots of absences and her best friend has strep.

She does have a bit of fluid in her ears but negligible/ not a concern. The pediatrician was satisfied that her symptoms were not about an ear infection, at any rate.

Oy. Poor kid...and poor Mom. Well, on the up side, she should be all better by the holidays.

Better by the holidays? Hah! Children celebrate the holidays by hosting every little germ in a twenty mile area.

Poor sozlet! Poor you! Here's hoping for a speedy recovery.

Yikes, tis this season, ain't it? Hope the sozlet gets better soon.

Chocolate covered teddy bear biscuits are excellent for recovering invalids.

'Tis, FreeDuck.

Thanks, dadpad! And thanks for the good wishes, everyone.

She's doing much better today, though she looks a bit like Dax from Deep Space Nine -- violent coughing last night, and burst capillaries along her temples and neck (also around her eyes and on her cheeks). They're faint, not too scary, but noticeable.

Temperature is good today, and while she didn't sleep that well because of the coughing, she didn't have the middle-of-the-night temperature spike she's been having since this started. She woke up at about 6 and would NOT go back to sleep, which stressed me out considerably (she really needs a lot of sleep to get better and that wasn't nearly enough). Eventually she went back to sleep for several more hours.

Hardly any coughing today.

Fingers crossed.

Btw sozlet thought this was hilarious. :-)

let me put in a plug for HYDRASESNSE . with winter having arrived , i'll be mixing my own batch of salt and bakingsoda soon .
i also keep a botttle of hydrasense on hand - especially for travelling - you can really use it anywhere .
the great benefit is that it ABSOLUTELY DOES not sting !!!
it's perhaps a bit pricey at about $14 a bottle , so i ususally buy it when shoppers drug has a 20% discount day :wink:
some ENT doctors also have handy $5 OFF COUPONS !
i can highly recommend it . btw i use the BABY nozzle type - a much softer spray !
all the best to soz and sozlet !
btw a low level pneumonia is making the rounds in ontario . even people with the pneumonia shot are not always immune
hbg


link :
HYDRASENSE

You always have helpful ideas, hamburger! :-)

Right now we're super happy with saline -- I have a big ol' jug of purified water and mix up our own solution daily with that, kosher salt, and baking soda. Administer it with a bulb syringe and it works wonders.

I've been recommending it to everyone I know who has problems with stuffiness since we started it a year or two ago. Sounds like it's the same idea as Hydrasense and if we were just starting out, Hydrasense looks like it would have been the way to go since it took sozlet a while to get used to the process we use. But she's fine with it now, and appreciates the results.

Hope you stay out of the way of the pneumonia making its way around Ontario now...! Is that what ehBeth had?

hi , soz !
i always keep a bottle of hydrasense handy . i use it in the summer when i might get a stuffed nose from allergy , and carry one when travelling .
usually two bottles are enough for a year - cheaper than cigs :wink:
don't relly know what hit ebeth . she sounded ok when we spoke last night .
she now keeps two bottles of saline solution : one at home and a small one at the office (i guess all my talking did help after all )
we just a bit of a snowstorm but i can now see a little pink in the sky ... followed by BLACK CLOUDS !
take care !
hbg

No pneumonia for me this season (knock on wood).

I finally caved and bought some Hydrasense a week ago - and boom - the sinus infection cleared up in about 24 hours - started on Sunday, went to dance class Monday, Wednesday and Thursday. I got a travel version as well as the larger one with the long nozzle that seems to get the spray into your brain

Of the illness options available, I'd definitely pick a pneumonia rather than something more bronchial. Both annoying, but I always found pneumonia reacted more promptly to medication.

Antibiotics, chicken soup, and the most wonderful little sandwiches hamburger used to make me when I was sozlet's age and ailing. Very lightly toasted white bread (which I considered - like Heidi - to be a gourmet treat), a schmear of unsalted butter, and then diced cured schinken - very salty - made me thirsty - which got me to drink lots and lots of fluids.

Oh - and a humidifier - absolutely crucial to prevent pneumonia and bronchial stuff from taking hold. I just picked up some eucalyptus oil to put in the little well at the top of mine.

Beth, can you grab E.G. and give him the humidifier talk?

Not sure if you saw where I mentioned that earlier.

He is virulently (heh) opposed. I am equally convinced that it's a good idea. We're kind of at an impasse right now. (Translation: I'm barely managing to avoid just going out and buying one over his strong objections...)

Yeah, saline is abfab for sinus infections. I've been kind of run ragged by sick-sozlet caretaking -- especially the witching hour fun and games -- and felt telltale sinus pressure and a toothache Wednesday night. Did the saline on myself (we each have our own personalized bulb syringes -- we're all converts), and have felt fine since (health-wise anyway, still pretty tired). Glad you're feeling better, Beth.

Well, now that you and I are better, we'll work on soz and hamburger (who's got wonky gut and is apparently living on rice these days).

E.G. - I think the E part may have taken control of his brain.

I understand that he's likely afraid of mould - but he lives in an old house. An old, heated house.

His kid needs humidity so she can breathe more easily.

I think hamburger and I need to drop by and give him the eye.

<harrumph>

Thinking of himself when his kid is sick.

<harrumph>

<harrumph>

Can post real leaves if you want.

What is 'real' eucalyptus like?

I've only ever seen the dried stuff you see in floral arrangements - which doesn't have any particular odor - other than dust.

Are the leaves pungent when you rip them? Can they be ripped?

<Feeds>

Believe it or not they are all different... but similar... like wine I guess

You can rip them, but its just easier to crush and roll between your hands. Putting them in hot water is the best way to release the vapour.