Motherhood: It's a stretching experience
Kathrynne at the arboretum last week--I can't wait until she's back to her healthy, lively self again!The past 36 hours have been some of the most stretching I've experienced so far in my short mothering tenure.
Friday night, Kathrynne started acting like she wasn't feeling well. She continued to gradually grow more sick and by Saturday evening, her temperature was rather high (over 103 degrees) and she was miserable. We spent most of the night taking turns trying to relieve her misery and keep her fever from rising. She wasn't responding to much of this, though, and continued to act more lethargic.
By Sunday morning, her fever was staying steady around 104-105 degrees and she couldn't keep any medicine down and wasn't drinking or eating. We'd exhausted every remedy we could here and our doctor wisely encouraged us to take her in to the children's hospital.
After putting her on oxygen and getting her to keep some medicine down at the hospital, we were all relieved to see some color and life return to her. Gratefully, she didn't have pneumonia as they initially thought and instead just had a really bad double ear infection and a cold. That was a big relief to me--and no wonder she'd been complaining a great deal about bad pain in her ears!
Since we had left for the hospital so quickly, we didn't have time to arrange for someone to watch Kaitlynn for us. I called my friend, Jessica, to ask if she could watch Kaitlynn for a few hours while we were at the hospital.
I mentioned to Jessica that Kaitlynn had been running a fever off and on this past week and I was a little concerned maybe she was sick with something, too. I'd attributed Kaitlynn's symptoms teething, but Jessica--much more experienced mom of five-almost-six--recommended I ask the staff at the hospital to take a look at Kaitlynn, too.
What do you know? Kaitlynn also had an ear infection in one ear. No wonder she's had problems sleeping this past week and been rather fussy! (And I guess the theory that a breastfed baby can't get an ear infection is not always true!)
After Kathrynne's fever went down some and her breathing improved, she was released and both girls will just be on some antibiotics for the next two weeks to clear up their infections. Kathrynne is still quite sick, but her fever has stayed down below 104 degrees and she's been resting a little better--for which we are very grateful!
While it has been a rather stressful 36 hours for us as parents, I am so thankful to the Lord for how He provided wise counsel from doctors and friends and carried us through these new uncharted waters of dealing with a very sick child.
Most of all, I am thankful for the health our children normally have; I realize anew how easy it is to take this for granted. I know many families whose children are dealing with chronic sickness, debilitating diseas, or life-threatening illness. Compared to what those parents are experiencing, our last two days would seem like a walk in the park.
Yes, motherhood has a way of stretching me--stretching me to grow in faith, grow in trust, and grow in thankfulness.
Labels: Mothering
posted by Crystal Paine at 12:13 PM
61 Comments:
What a beautiful little girl you have! It is always so unnerving when kids are sick.. I always feel so helpless. I am glad your daughter is doing better. God has a way of reminding us to trust Him..doesn't He? :)
Your poor dears! I pray for a quick and thorough recovery. We went through something similar last fall, and walking the halls of our Children's hospital was very sobering. As horrible as it was to watch my angel hooked up to machines and breathing treatments, I was so thankful because I knew that most of the people there were in far more dire straits than I. I was thankful that God spared her, and that she had a temporary illness rather than a chronic one. And I was thankful for modern medicine and the caring staff at Children's.
I pray also that YOUR sleep will be "multiplied" so that every hour is as refreshing as three!
So thankful that everyone is on the road to recovery. Will be praying for your family. Hopefully you will be able to get some rest too. Being the mom of a sick child always makes mom tired too.
I'm glad the girls are ok. But honey, next time take them to the ER way before their symptoms get that bad. It is better to overreact than under react.
I am so sorry you had such a rough weekend with sick littles. There is nothing worse than your children being sick. I think it is because as Moms we expect that we can always make our little ones feel better!
Hang in there, and may the Lord give you abundant strength, grace, and love!
Just a tip while your girls are on antibiotics, make sure they are eating some yogurt and other probiotics! It will help their tummies and keep good bacteria in their bodies!
It is always tough to know when to bring your little one into the doctor. I am so glad to hear it is not pneumonia, although ear infections can be quite painful too!
My son fell and said his wrist hurt last year, but he was not major pain, or enough to alarm me. The next day I noticed he was still favoring it, so my mommy gut told me to bring him in to the doctor. Lo and behold it was broken and I felt absolutely terrible that I had waited over 24 hours!
We moms can only do our best! I pray your girls are better soon!
I hope your little sweeties will be up and running, very soon.It is such a scary feeling when one's littles are so sick. I will be keeping them, and you and Jesse, in my prayers.Blessings!
Oh, I'm so sorry your poor babies haven't been well! It's terrible when they get sick and there isn't much we can do to help them. I know you were relieved that it wasn't anything worse. Don't worry, in a couple of days they will be as good as new!
So sorry the kids are ill. I have always had lots of bad ear infections even though my mom breast-fed me. There are lots of good natural remedies for earaches that my parents helped me with as a kid. Now that I'm older, I usually try to proactively take decongestant every time I get sick.
I'll second anonymous' comment above, because last time I got an earache, I was put on antibiotic and I got a bad intestinal infection because the antibiotic wiped out all the good bacteria in my intestines. I ended up in the ER for it (I'm in my mid-20's). Try to get the kids to take yogurt or probiotics with the medication.
Hope everyone feels better soon!
Crystal,
I'm so sorry that you have had this going on! I hope that both of your little sweeties are feeling better very soon.
Blessings!
Joy
Good to hear that your girls are on the way to getting better. That is a beautiful picture of Kathrynne - you're so good at taking nice photos, you will have a lovely family archive in years to come! I love reading your blog and find your attitude so encouraging - thank you
kate
So glad your girls are getting better. Having sick kids really does make you thankful for their general health, doesn't it? It always is something that reveals my own struggle with fear concerning them, instead of trust in the Lord's sovereignty. That's a day to day struggle: remembering that they are His, and loved by Him more than even me or Kevin!
Glad to hear that your little ones are feeling better. It's never fun when they are sick. Hope you all get some much needed rest.
Erin
How frightening! I'm so glad that they're both okay. I hope all of you recover quickly.
I'm so sorry to hear of your girl's illnesses, but praise the Lord for His direction and leading which you were both willing to follow. I'll pray for the healthy and speedy recovery of your girls.
Crystal, I'm so glad Kathrynne is doing better. I hope you can get a little rest the next couple of days. Sometimes it's hard to know when to take your kids in and when not too. I also tend to air on the let's-not-overreact side of things. It's good you brought her in when you did, though. You're in good hands when you walk with Jesus, huh?
Phebe
Praying your little girls are feeling much better soon! I dislike seeing my little ones sick, it makes me so thankful to see them up and running around once they are well again. I then don't mind all the noise. :)
Crystal,
I have been reading your blog for about a year but have not commented much before. However, this entry is very timely because my just-turned-one-year-old has had an off/on fever for about 3 days... then he broke out in this weird rash all over right as the fever went away...turns out it was roseola (pretty common I guess). Anywho, it was very stressful because he wouldn't eat, was also getting three teeth in at the time, and wasn't sleeping very well. I actually wrote about it in my new blog...www.fayfootprints.com. Parenting is tough but God is good and gives us strength when we need it. I'll be praying for you guys. Cara
Sorry to hear your dear little one's have been so ill. Yes, my heart aches too when mine are ill, and nothing you seem to do relieves their misery.
Last year, our then 5 year old wound up in hospital with pneumonia, after only one day of visible symptoms, we were horrified! Thankfully she was back home in a couple of days.
I pray you and Jesse get a good rest yourselves for a few days after all that.
Claire
My experience here in the middle of nowhere Ohio is that breastfed babies get the same number, if not MORE, ear infections than formula babes. It all evens out in the end :-)
Glad things are perking up for you. You must have been scared and stressed!
We will pray for all of you!
Times like that make me so grateful for what we take for granted as "normal".
As a medical professional, I would advise that anytime you have an individual under your care that begins to develop a high grade fever (over 101 degrees F) you should take him/her to the ER as soon as possible. Bodily functions begin to shut down when the body's temperature begins to exceed this point. (This is why your daughter was becoming lethargic.) At 106 °F, brain death begins, and at 113°F death is nearly certain.
I'm not posting this to scare you or to tell you that you should freak out as soon as your children develop a fever, as it is the body's way of dealing with infection; however, in the future, if your children do develop high grade fevers, it would be prudent to seek immediate care from medical professionals.
In Christ,
Luke McClendon
I'm so sorry to hear your little ones are sick! I have six children and it never gets easier. I just hate to see them sick and suffering and it always causes me anxiety and stress. The Lord stretches me every time any one of my children has an illness... big or small.
I'll be praying for you all to heal quickly and for everyone to get a good night's sleep!
I'm so happy your babies are OK again!! It is so awful to see them helpless and not responding to anything mommy or daddy can offer! God does provide amazing care here on earth - we're living proof of that :-)
Crystal, I'm so glad they're okay. Best wishes for their speedy recovery.
Hope they feel better soon, poor things!
So sorry to hear this news! We've had a crazy winter with 3 bouts of the flu (multiplied by 3 children and 2 adults) and it truly felt that we were sick nearly all winter!
It makes you realize what a blessing it is to have healthy, happy children most of the time. Like you, I am amazed by the strength of mothers/fathers to chronically ill children. It is a reminder to reach out to those families and be helpful, if possible!
Hope you are all feeling better soon. Motherhood can feel like quite the marathon when you couple no sleep with children who are fussy with illness.
God bless you all as you recover.
Since you are a KC dweller, I imagine your picture is from the Overland Park Arboretum, which we love :). They have an "Arts in the Arboretum" event in October that we never miss...it is free and the kids get to make beautiful seasonal Thanksgiving crafts, take hayrides, etc. There are always flyers at the libraries in September, so you might want to check it out!
Another fun Northland KC outing, if you can spare the gas, is a visit to Penguin Park and a down-home chicken dinner (not free...but reasonable) at Stroud's nearby!!
Crystal I know how you feel (felt). Just reading about Kathrynn sent shivers down my spine.....I am glad you are home now. :-)
I think somehone on here suggested "probiotics".....well, she/he is right. If you go to the (is it World Market???) on Metcalf, (the health food place), they have the children's probiotics that you can use about a tsp. of and throw it into some yogurt or even juice. I would suggest juice for right now since I am sure she isn't eating tons. Also too, if you buy baby coconuts, you can get the coconut water out of them really easy.....use that with the probiotic - dilute it a little - it is pretty sweet.....BUT, they are GREAT for rehydrating the body AND balancing out electrolytes (sp?). It is also anti-viral, fungal and ect.....excellent choice of food/drink to use for a sick person. The inside has this really cool pudding like coconut and it is wonderful. Even Samuel likes it. They are white.....just ask for "baby coconuts".
Oh, too, the Probiotics I am talking about are a powder form. They work great. Just make sure you keep them up for a month or two to really resaturate the gut with good floras. They really helped Isaac.
Praying for you, Jesse and girls. Hugs to you all. You take care of yourself too. :-)
Your story mimics my sisters. Her little 1 year old (as of last week) had croup that turned into pneumonia. Acted just like you said your little girl did. Thankfully he is showing signs of improvement.
Good health is not something to take for granted especially when you have a wedding coming up!
I'm so sorry about this happened. My boys actually have never had ear infections before, and I am so thankful. I've heard they can be horrible! I am so glad your girls are starting to do better. It's always so awful to see little ones suffering.
So sorry! Hope they're on the mend soon and you get some rest.
Oh, Crystal. I feel for you! There is no feeling worse than knowing your little ones have been hurtin'!
My kids have both had frequent ear infections, and they're the worst, especially when their pain can't be communicated to us.
Now that you know they may have a tendency to get ear infection, anytime the girls run a fever and are inconsolable at night, you may want to bring them in for an office visit.
I joke with my pediatrician about coming in every so often, but truly, having them look in the ears is the only way to know for sure.
So glad that the girls are on the mend!!! How unnerving I find it when a hospital visit is required!!!Blessings,
Heather - Doodle Acres
I'm so glad everyone is doing better now. Having a sick child takes a lot out of everyone. I don't know how parents do it with a chronically ill child.
I had never heard the theory about a breastfed baby not getting ear infections -- it certainly wasn't true in my kids' cases.
So sorry about your girls! Glad they are starting to get alittle better. I'll be praying they make a full and quick recovery and that God will give you extra strength this week.
It's so difficult to watch little ones in such misery. You are all in my prayers. I hope everyone is feeling better very soon.
So sorry to hear of your rough weekend, Crystal! I've known the difficulty of trying to figure out if it 'warrants' a trip to the ER! And, regardless of what the 'medical professionals' say -- I think you have to know your own child. A friend of mine had a daughter who ALWAYS would get a HIGH, HIGH fever when something was even slightly wrong - even 'just' a cold. It was not uncommon for it to be over 101. But, over time, they learned this was HER way of dealing with infections and not to be too concerned until it was 104. Is that the norm? No, and I wouldn't suggest everyone do this, but I don't necessarily agree with running to the ER at 101, either, as I think it just totally depends on the situation. (Just my input! lol) But I say all that to say -- give yourself grace, my friend. :) It takes time to learn what our children need. Mothering is a 'learning curve'. You are a great Mommy and your girls are blessed to have such awesome parents! God led and directed you and took care of them! He can be trusted! He alone is truly the most perfect parent, isn't He?! :) It's amazing how patient He is with us and how faithfully and lovingly He teaches us along the way! :)
I recently discovered the Hopi Indian ear-candles (which I get at the health store) They sound scary but are safe in loving and steady hands. They are a hollow tube of beeswax-impregnated cotton fabric with a filter. They are lit at the top end and fit gently into the child's ear (just on the outside) and the warmth eases the inner ear pressure and also removes excessive earwax build up. There is a safety line to indicate when to extinguish them. Yes...it sounds strange, but they are amazingly effective and have really reduced our childrens problems with ear infections. They are very soothing too.Gill.
I hope everyone's feeling better soon! sorry you had a rough weekend with your little ones.
http://adlynmorrison.blogspot.com/
I completely understand what you are saying. Our 10 month old has the stomach virus combined with a cold, and it has been a rough few days and nights. Hope your little girls (and mine) are better soon.
Crystal -
So sorry to hear about your sickies! Three of our kids all had terrible ear problems at one time or another. We believe it is genetic (especially since our adopted one was fine). The funny thing is, neither Jonathan nor I got ear infections. Go figure!
Praying heartily for healing for your little ones. Please call anytime you have an emergency such at that one! We would be very happy to help out. We spent several years living far away from family and taking three little kids (five and under) to emergency rooms, etc. We understand how trying it can be. And since I have "big kids" now, it isn't hard for me to drop everything and help out during an emergency.
Let us know if you need anything!
Melanie in KS
So sorry to hear that your girls are sick! I'm glad they are on the mend. If you can give them chewable acidophilus in between their times to take antibiotics that will help them.
~Erica Johns
Sorry to hear about your girls, epically Kathrynne. Glad she's doing better though.
Something that has worked for is garlic oil just either swabbed in the ear with a q-tip or if they will tolerate it pour a few drops in the ear. Hopefully your children will never have another one and you won't need this info.
Wish I had know this back when our 15 year old was one. He had chronic ear infections until he was three and we had tubes put in. We've been using the garlic oil on our other children for the past 5 years and we haven't needed the doctor (for an ear infection).
I enjoy reading your blog. Keep up the good work. Mom!
A sister in the Lord,
Linda
www.TheKimbleFamily.blogspot.com
It sure is hard to know when to go in. I'm glad you got things figured out. We're on Day 6 of 104 over here with one of my boys. I definitely don't want you to think you should head to the ER when the fever gets over a 101 ... that would be the first time I have ever heard such advice from anyone in the medical profession, a book or the internet. I'm sure you won't overreact, though! My husband works with the ER frequently as a paramedic and can tell you right now that if people started showing up to the ER for temps over 101 per following medical advice ... the ER would be so frustrated at the space/energy/time taken up for completely nonemergent care! Totally unnecessary. In fact, if you come in for something clearly unnecessary (like a 102 temp) you'll get triaged to the bottom of the list and have to wait a nice long time while people with true emergencies get treated first. And your insurance may not pay for it either (a lot of insurances have rules about going the ER for nonemergent care)
But, you do have to know your child. I took my four year old in to our doctor yesterday and they said he likely has a virus that has been going around that causes blisters on the back of the throat (which he does have). So, hopefully it will resolve soon and no one else will get it! But it certainly isn't life threatening. He's sitting here playing with his big brother's GameBoy because the ibuprofen is helping and hopping up and down when he wins. We are watching him carefully, of course.
Our doctors specify that there is absolutely no need to call about a fever that is over 101 unless it meets certain criteria (new baby, no symptoms for x amount of days, lasting x amount of days). Anyway, I'm sure you know the advice that a fever can get as high as 106 and 107 for a quick spike, a febrile seizure and then it settles down some. People get worried about seizures, too. But even those are a normal part of a rapidly rising temp. And by the time they seize, the temp is usually on it's way down with no lasting side effects.
Anyway, the fact that you couldn't keep her fever down because she couldn't tolerate the medicine was a good sign to head in. Good job! You're a great mama. The reason you went to the ER was because it was now serious. If you go before it is serious, they may discover nothing at all. That is what an ER is for ... for something serious. So, great work!
brooke
My nursing babies got ear infections. Not all the wives tells are true. So glad that it wasn't anything serious and that they are starting to feel better.
Our prayers are with you.
I have never heard that breast fed babies do not get ear infections! I have never seen that to be true!
I hope that your children are feeling better. My youngest son had more sickness as a infant and ear infections that kept coming back when the antibiotics would stop. I finally, desperate took him to a chiropractor, who showed me some things to help the tubes to drain better when they got a cold. He did not get them anymore after that like before!
Anyhow, I don't mind a little fever, but anything over 101, is absolute misery, so if it will not come down with medication, I would rush to the ER, but call my doctor first and see what she recommended.
How miserable! I'm so glad you found out what was the matter.
I've learned in Red Chief's two short year of life that if he has a fever, he almost always has an ear infection! Probably I take him to the doctor more than is necessary, but since we only have a $5 co-pay, I don't feel too bad about it.
Hope your kids are feeling better soon! Thank goodness our pediatrian has a 24 hour nurse hotline- I am always calling for advice! We also have a mini-pediatric ER near us- so thankful for that also- we have made many trips!
Being a Mom can be so stressful!
Just want to put in my two cents about fevers. No, you shouldn't be over reacting whenever a child gets a fever greater or equal to 101. But, if they have a high temp that isn't responding to medication or the child has had a high temp for 3 days, they should be checked out. Young children usually deal with high temps OK (compared with adults), but high temps are nothing to shrug off completely. My friend's little girl had a stomach virus. Her temp got extremely high (106).The parents waited too long to bring her to the ER. The ending of this story isn't happy. She seized, went into a coma and died.
It's hard to know when to call a dr. I struggle with the thought of not wanting to "bother them". Really, that is such a dumb thing to worry about. That is what they are there for. As I get to be a more experienced mom, I don't worry about calling my dr or the dr on call. It is a huge relief to speak to the dr about my or my child's symptoms and know I am doing everything that I should be.
I hope Kathrynne is feeling better and praise the Lord for a good outcome. I haven't had any ear infections with my boys, yet, though I had them quite a bit when I was a kid.
I will keep your family's health in my prayers.
-Zan
Urgh... ear infections are the worst. You poor lot. Praying that the girls get better really soon.
Your poor girls. I hope they are feeling better. We are keeping you in our prayers.
Oh, Crystal, I am so sorry you guys went through all of that. I hope everyone feels better really soon. I am sending lots of love and prayers your way!
A fever isn't necessarily an indication that you should run to the ER. In fact, sometimes a child can be severely ill with a low-grade fever, and relatively well with a high one. Fever alone is simply an indication that *something* is going on. It doesn't necessarily mean running to the ER, but it does mean "watch me". The fact that she became lethargic and her fever didn't respond to medication was the bigger deal than the fever itself.
I think it's sad that that little one died, in Zan's story, but unfortunately it's not always easy to ascertain when to wait and when to go to the hospital. Usually, your doctor or pediatrician will have a protocol for determining when you should seek medical attention, and I've yet to see one on fever alone (although of course go with your gut, and I always call my doctor if my kids have a high fever). But sometimes, even following the protocol, or even overreacting, tragedy occurs. I know of one kid who did not present concerning symptoms other than a low-grade fever (99.9) who died from sepsis. Obviously, a rare aberrance, and a shock to both his family and the medical professionals who tried to resuscitate him.
All that to say, it's best to find out the protocol and warning symptoms from your doctor, not the internet, and to pray and follow your mommy-gut and the Lord's leading. Wait or rush in, I have found from personal experience that each illness has required a new perspective, and God's guiding wisdom. When my little one became ill last fall, I prayed for guidance, and listened to my instincts which I believe the Lord instilled in me (and every parent). At the time, our little was displaying worrying behavior but not emergent behavior, and the nurse we spoke to on the phone recommended we wait. I knew better, and within the 30 minute drive to our children's hospital, she went from worrying behavior to panic-inducing. We arrived just in time to prevent a major health crisis.
The moral of that story is, no one person will have all the answers for you--not even you. We need to trust the Lord and be wise.
Oh Crystal! How scary for you! I'm glad both your girls are doing so much better now. You've been in my thoughts since Saturday, though it took me until Sunday to figure out the Lord was leading me to pray for your family. I have been. I hope you're having lots of days spent in your pajamas, spending time with your family, and ignoring eveyrthing else.
Dear Crystal,
I hope everyone feels better soon.
It sounds like you have all had a rough couple of days.
You are in my prayers,
Stacy
I am praying for your family. I hope all get better soon. I guess that theory isn't true either, I had terrible ear infections when I was a baby and I was nursed.
God Bless,
Nichole
"(And I guess the theory that a breastfed baby can't get an ear infection is not always true!) " nope, not true, i breastfed one of our children exclusively until 2 years of age, no bottles at all... He almost needed tubes in his ears because of NUMEROUS ear infections... in fact, he was nursed the most and had the most infections. my ped says that breast fed babies are only protected from stomach bugs and not ear or resp. stuff.
at any rate, I am glad you are all doing better and continue to do so..
xoxox
yes it is very stretching, Godly parent is the ulitimate experience in dying to your flesh, giving us the true picture of desiring to take their place, makes what the Father did for us all that more valuable.
love you dear girl and praying here
blessings, Penny Raine
http://www.pennyraine.com/blog
I am so happy to hear that she is doing better, please keep us informed on her recovery.
My sister-in-law breast fed her son until he wa over 2, he had so many ear infections he had tubes put in. I was unable to breast feed my three children, and only two of the kids have had one ear infection once. I think some children are just more prone to it than others.
Now that they have both had one, just keep an eye on their ears, and have them tell you right away if they are experiencing any pain, or are tugging at their ears more than normal.
Our pediatrician always recommended if the child had a fever over 103, even 103.2 and it wasn't responding to medication, then take them in to the ER. That was based on if the fever is getting higher then the hospital staff has enough time to bring it down before anything serious happens, but I think you did fine Crystal. :)
As for the breastfeeding and ear infections, it was true for my 1st child but not my 2nd.
And pneumonia, when I was 14, I had a few symptoms of bronchitis one day and went to the dr, then less than 24 hours after starting on antibiotics I was admitted to the hospital with severe pneumonia. It can hit fast with practically no symptoms.
Glad to hear the girls are on the mend!
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