How do you know WHEN do you give your 4 year old an Epipen?

I know that anaphylaxis is a very serious thing.
I know that epinephrine saves lives.
I know that epinephrine won't harm my child if administrated unnecessarily.
I know that if you even consider administering an Epipen, you should.

But last night, when I suspected my boy was having an anaphylactic reaction, I didn't give him his Epipen.

I didn't want it to be true, I hadn't actually seen it happen myself and his breathing wasn't laboured; I told myself he didn't need his Epipen, not yet.

He complained ferociously of a sore throat and made a wet grunting kind of noise, I thought he might be having an oral allergy of some sort so I gave him some Benadryl. I worried it could be an anaphylactic allergy, but in truth I worry about Bolt a lot so I tried to dismiss my fears.

Then the grunting became gurgling and Bolt threw up everywhere, with intensity. At that point I  really began to worry. I almost ran for the Epipen, but Bolt seemed calmer, like the reaction might have passed.

Despite my hopes, I noticed a body rash coming up on Bolt's torso and legs. I snuggled with Bolt, gave him a large dose of Benadryl and the rash began to subside fairly quickly.  For a moment, we were both able to relax, just a little bit. 

About an hour, a half a piece of bread and a glass of water later, Bolt vomited again. He began to complain of stomach pain and his body was starting to hunch over.

Immediately, I was scared. Scared that I had fed him something that wasn't peanut free, scared that he had found one of the few treats we have in the home that MAY contain peanuts or potentially worse, I was scared that Bolt had developed an anaphylactic allergy to something new.

With my Mom in tow, I packed Bolt up and drove him to Children's Hospital. But I still didn't give him his Epipen.

I can only conclude that I was in some sort of denial, that I didn't want my boy to have a reaction that required an Epipen and that I didn't want to HAVE to give my boy a shot in the leg to save his life. I just didn't want any of it to be true, event though I knew it was.

I know, for a fact, that if his breathing was laboured, I would have administered the Epipen without question. I also know, that in my heart I must have known that he was having a reaction. Perhaps worst of all, I know that my 4 year old boy suffered more than he should have because I didn't want to believe he needed his Epipen. It makes me sad, but I refuse to wallow in guilt, instead I will learn the lesson and I will remember:

I am the mother of my children and no one knows them like I do. 

If I am worried, I have just cause.

My instincts will keep my children safe,

I need only follow them.

The ER doctor also said something very simple that really resonated with me: 'TWO symptoms, you JAB him in the leg'. 

My baby's getting tubes in his ears

Before I had kids, I thought ear infections were inevitable, a rite of passage for new parents. I was wrong. The boy has had just one ear infection about four months ago. My one year old baby on the other hand, got his first ear infection within a week of his brother and has spent the majority of the time since then with an ear infection or on antibiotics to treat one.

After five rounds of antibiotics, a ridiculous number of trips to our family doctor and two trips to the ear, nose and throat specialist at Children's Hospital, my baby is scheduled for surgery. Minor surgery, but surgery none the less. He will be recieving a myringotomy and tympanostomy tubes, or simply, 'tubes in his ears'.

Although it was common practice in the past, recurring ear infections on their own are no longer considered adequate justification for putting tubes in a child's ears. As a mother, its hard for me to imagine that neither my sons constant pain and discomfort, nor his inability to function, learn and grow to his full capacity are reason enough to perform a minor surgery that would fully prevent further ear infections for at least a year. 

I'll admit I was apprehensive going into the hearing test, the doctor told me explicitly that if there was hearing loss then we would have sufficient justification for the surgery. Emotionally it was strange to find myself hoping that the baby would actually demonstrate some level of hearing loss.

He did in fact exhibit approximately 30% hearing loss, which they were able to confirm was a result of fluid in the inner ear. Much to my relief, the hearing loss is temporary and should return to normal once the tubes are in place and the fluid has drained. I recognize there are risks with surgery and putting a child under general anaesthesia, but my boy deserves to enjoy his young life and we feel the risks are well worth it.

We have just over a month until the surgery, now all I can do is hope he can make it that long without another ear infection. Sadly, it may be more realistic to hope for only one round of antibiotics.

Did your children suffer from ear infections?
Did you heal them holistically or with antibiotics?
Did your child need tubes in their ears? 

sicky baby

I wonder, what good are medical walk-in clinics if they are closed when regular doctor's offices are closed?

My little guy has had a bit of a cold for over a week; mostly congestion, crankiness and a lack of hunger. He also had a bit of a mucousy cough and since a little girl at daycare had Bronchitis the week before, he went to the doctor and got the all-clear last week. By Thursday he seemed to be starting to pep up, but Friday afternoon came around and all of a sudden the boy woke up screaming with a fever.

By Saturday afternoon, when he awoke from his nap lethargic and still feverish, I thought it might be time for another trip to the doctor. Particularly since there had been no fever associated with the cold the week before.

We left home around 3:30pm, by 4:00 we had been to FIVE (that's right FIVE) walk-in medical clinics and not one of them was open. We decided to go to the ER at the local hospital. Three hours later, the doctor finally listened to his chest, didn't seem all all concerned about the fever (granted he was only about 38 degrees as I had given him some Infants Motrin) and sent us on our way.

By the time we arrived home and got settled back in, the boy's fever was back up to 39.5 degrees. A warm bath and more Motrin had him calmed down and into bed. Four hours later, he was feverish and upset again, more Motrin and this time Mommy laid down in the spare room with baby. When he woke up, another 4 hours later, this time with a temperature of 39.9 degrees I decided it was time to take him to Children's Hospital ER.

 We saw a doctor within an hour of arriving; although he figured that the boy may have just caught the flu after his cold, he did hear something in his chest, so he sent him for a chest x-ray.  Seriously, he looked so pathetic strapped in the chair, arms above his head and screaming his lungs out.  On the plus side the x-ray did show something, but it was hard to be definitive.  The boy either has the flu (viral) or an early stage bacterial pneumonia.  He's on antibiotics in case it is pneumonia, and the doctor has assured me that the fever itself is not dangerous.

He seems to be a bit perkier today and he actually ate a little food and had some formula before heading back down for his nap, so hopefully he's on the mend.  I decided to stay home from work to comfort him today, but will likely be back to work tomorrow.  I hate to see my little man so sick and pathetic, yet I know that its all part of growing up.  Hope your family's feeling happy & healthy, and if their not, I hope they feel better soon.