Thursday, January 21, 2010
Sickies
This has been somewhat of a difficult week since one by one we have each gotten sick with a bad, mean cold complete with fever, aches, chills, headaches, sinus pressure, and a perforated eardrum for Gabriel (again). So, for what must be the 12th time, Gabe is on antibiotics (he's not a huge fan, just picture bright pink amoxicillin stains on shirts, pajamas, carpet, etc.) and we are all drinking tons of fluids, taking naps and continuing to take our vitamins as usual. It has been hardest on Gabe although he has improved tons; BJ was sick for several days but is now starting to feel much better too; I am a few days behind and since I can't really take much medicine am just waiting to be able to breathe again. It's hard for me to think of sickness as just part of life. It seems like we are always fighting something, and it kind of gets me feeling frustrated and wondering what more we can do. We try to wash hands, use sanitizer, keep things clean, get all our vaccines and stay away from people we know are sick, but with regular flu season just barely starting (yes, it's late I know, we just got out of H1N1 season and RSV season) it seems inevitable that we are exposed to something. I don't mean to complain so much, but surely other parents out there have felt similarly at times? What do you do to either stay healthy, or to deal with all the sickness with a more cheerful attitude?
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6 comments:
Poor little Gabe. I feel so bad for him. And you and BJ too! Sickness is no fun. I too was thinking the other day how awful it is that it is just part of life. We try to do all the things you listed: vaccines, hand washing, etc. We haven't had anything serious yet this season, but we sure have had lots of colds, especially me and Kimball. It's hard, because as you know, babies don't sleep too well when they're sick. I guess I don't have too much advice except to relax (as much as life allows), and by that I mean don't stress about the small stuff--only do the bare minimum in terms of chores, errands, etc. And just know that this too shall pass!
I guess we shouldn't expose sick kiddos to each other, but if Gabe is well and you ever need a break, you can always give me a call! Kimball loves to play with other little kids.
I have recently learned how important vitamin D is for our immune sytems among many other benefits. I have been taking high doses(5000 mg/day) in addition to my regular vitamins and have not been getting colds/flu as often as the kids. Also, I notice that when I am getting plenty of exercise I don't get sick very much. Hard to do when you are pregnant though. Oh, and get lots of sleep too that makes a big difference. If I don't get enough sleep I get sick a lot more.
Have you tried a neti pot? It's just a simple saline rinse that you pour in one nostril and it comes out the other side along with all the gunk in your sinus. I know it sounds really weird but it works wonders, especially when you can't take else. you can get them at just about any pharmacy section and are very reasonably priced.
As far as the kiddos go. Saline drops by little noses are my best friend. They work wonders when your kid won't stay still long enough to bugger bulb. Good luck! hope you guys feel better soon!
Honestly, Rochelle, I just don't know how anyone that is somewhat social can avoid getting sick. My kids were sick a lot when they were little. Ryan was probably the worst. I know that one year I took him to the doctor with ear infections every couple of weeks. It's nothing you are doing unless you just stayed home and never went anywhere. Think of all the people at church or at Gabe's daycare or BJ's work or social gatherings. It really is an unfortunate part of life. My heart goes out to you guys. Hope you are all better soon. Love you!
Thanks for those kind and helpful comments. We have made it through the worst, and are doing tons better now. I did try the neti pot and it was amazing. Thanks everyone for the encouragement!
I'm late to comment on this one, but I still wanted to give my two cents. I agree with mom. Unfortunately, it's just part of life. I hate to say it, but it only gets worse too when you add more kids into the mix. For us, it got so much worse when my kids either started going to nursery and especially school. We tend to have years that are better than others too. Not sure why, but we seem to go through phases.
I just have to poke a little fun at BJ though. Because I remember when we were going through a bad spell once, years ago (before you came along) and I was telling him about how much anti-bac we went through. He told me that we shouldn't use the stuff and that getting sick was part of building up our immune systems. Of course this is true, but I told him that we got sick a ton even using the stuff, so I was going to do everything in my power to help us stay as healthy as possible. I'm sure he understands a little better now! :-) Love ya Beej!
I'm sorry that it's been rough for you guys! With Spring around the corner, let's hope that good things are ahead!!
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