This has been so hard. I haven't a lot about the issues we have been dealing with. My kids have been sick soo much. I knew when they started daycare that they were going to get sick, that they needed to build up their immune systems, but I never thought that it would be like this.
The baby has had 10 ear infections in just as many months. I know you are thinking, what about tubes? Adenoids removed? Tonsils? She had 4 ear infections from end of October to beginning of December. December 3rd she had her tubes put in & adenoids removed. They want to wait until she a little older on the tonsils. That means she has had 6 ear infections since the tubes have been put in. They are easier to deal with because all we do is put in her ear drops & its clear in a few days. Other than this we have had colds & flus.
The oldest. Oh, when this girl gets sick she gets sick. December she had bronchitis and the stomach flu. Then in 2015 she has had 3 ear infections, 4 bouts of pneumonia (one sent us to the ER), the flu and I can't remember what else. The scary part of this is the bouts of pneumonia because she has illness induced asthma as well. Her first time with pneumonia sent us to the ER because she was retraction bad at daycare and the Dr had no appts available. I fought and got her a nebulizer with albeutrol to help deal with her illness induced asthma. The second bout wasn't bad at all. Her third bout was a little less than a month ago. This was my last straw. We went in to see the Dr and she was barely moving air. I did all I could to keep my cool because this has been so hard to deal with. We talked very little about next steps. We were given an antibiotic, steroid & told to use the nebulizer every 4 hours. She got better! I got steroids on hand for when things were to happen again. Then 10 days ago, she was worse. Yep, you guessed it Pneumonia again! 2 times in July! I lost it. What the hell?! I have made an appt for her to see an ENT about possible having her tonsils & adenoids out to to help her. I got her an appointment with a pediatric pulmonary doctor but it's not until December 10th! That's how far out they are scheduling.
I know something going on with her, but I don't know what. Is there some underlying reason she keeps getting it? I got a letter from our insurance about chronic illness & them having support for it. It's addressed to The Parents of The Oldest and the first line is "you are not alone." Well, I'm glad someone said it because I sure as hell feel alone in it. That letter is sitting on my counter, waiting for me to have time to call that number, to ask the questions and hopefully find some help. I'm ready to get some answers.
Its scary to have a kid who gets these illnesses, but to add an illness induced asthma to that is even scarier. I don't sleep when she starts coughing. I second guess what I should be doing - should I give her the inhaler? should I use a nebulizer? should I start the steroid? do we need to go to the Dr? Or the ER? Is she retracting? Is she getting enough air? You just never know. I'm still learning and navigating my way through all this. My hope is that she out grows it, so these are not life long worries.
