Stella & Her Ears!

Yesterday morning around 10:00 a.m. I received that dreaded phone call from day care.  It was the director advising me that Stella's eye was draining and gooing some icky stuff.  With that said, they said someone had to pick her up and take her to the doctor to confirm whether or not she had pink eye.  

About three weeks ago, Stella's right ear was draining some brown / whitish liquid.  It definitely took me by surprise because since she had her tubes put in, we have had no further ear issues.  Turns out, she had an ear infection.  With the help of antibiotics and ear drops, I thought the infection cleared.

Yesterday, her doctor said the right ear was still infected, thus causing the eyes to drain.  I asked the doctor if her tubes were still in both ears.  She stated the left ear tube had fallen out and the right ear tube was about 90% out.  Ugghhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!  I was hoping the shelf life on the tubes were going to buy us at least 2 years or so with no ear problems.  Instead they only lasted a little over a year.

The doctor also stated that Stella was wheezing a bit so we might want to start Albuterol breathing treatments at least once a day.  Awesome!!!

In any event, thankfully Stella's mood hasn't changed much throughout the last three weeks.  She has seemed overall very happy and content.

Since I was unexpectedly off work yesterday and construction is under way at my house, I had to find something for Stella and I to do away from the house.  We ended up going to Ruby Tuesday (hello, salad bar) for lunch and took a nice 3.5 mile run / walk through the Greenway.  While loading Stella into my jogging stroller, she spotted her Minnie helmet in the back of my car.  She insisted upon wearing it on our run / walk.  She looked comical to say the least, but she was HAPPY!

Yes, my dad put me in a Christmas shirt this morning!!  Ha, of all days for me to have to pick her up and take her out in public, she is dressed like Christmas!  :)

Hilarious!!  I got a lot of stares!  People were probably wondering why on earth I would put a helmet on a child when we were just strolling!  

Every time, I would slow down to walk, Stella would scream at me to, "GO!"  I think I ended up running about 2 miles total.  Today I am SORE!!!!!!!!  Seriously, I can barely walk!  And my knees HURT!  I am never this sore after leaving 9Round!  I am getting old!  

Towards the end of our stroll, we stopped and talked to the duckies!  Stella is so sweet!  She was blowing them kisses and telling them, "Bye, See You Soon!"

I pray that Stella's little ear heals and is rid of infection over the next week!  I feel so bad for her.  Thankfully, she has been pretty upbeat and happy for the most part!  :)

The Cesspool I call Daycare!!!

Excuse the subject line of this post, but damn it's been one of those weeks!!!! 

Last Monday, I trekked all the way from downtown Charlotte to Waxhaw to Matthews to get Stella to the doctor.  The kid woke up with that oh too familiar gunk (greenish nastiness) coming out of her eye.  Oh the memories from Lottie's ever present gunk eyes - AKA ear infections. 

I just knew it was the devil I call EAR INFECTION.  Sure enough after a thorough exam, she was diagnosed with a left ear infection.  She also had symptoms of the bark like seal cough but through antibiotics I was hoping for that to clear up as well............. 

Fast forward three days and I was trekking from Charlotte to Waxhaw to Matthews to take Lottie to the doctor for her bark, seal like cough.  I haven't had to take that girl for a sick visit since she had tubes put in her ears (13 months old).  Unfortunately, we weren't able to see our regular pediatrician and had to see one of his colleagues.  She was great and upon hearing Lottie's cough determined she had CROUP!  Bugger!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (English slang) 

It was determined the best way to rid croup was a 3 day dose of steroids.  Let's just say - she only ended up taking 2 doses.  I just did not feel comfortable giving her steroids.  Thankfully, it cleared up and she is fine, but those two days of steroids were awful!  She behaved badly and just wasn't herself.  I don't know how people can take them recreationally.  Idiots!!!

Okay, fast forward to this week.  My throat started feeling pretty sore on Tuesday and I thought, "oh great, a cold is coming!"  By Wednesday morning, I was dizzy, had a fever and could not swallow.  I tried my best to get to work, but I just couldn't.  I called my PCP and scheduled an appt. first thing.  I probably would have let it ride, but being sick and caring for two kids might be the absolute worst thing imaginable.  After seeing the doctor, I was diagnosed with strep throat.  Ummmmm, I have NEVER had strep throat!  Awful.  I had a high fever and the worse swollen throat imaginable.  As a remedy, I was written a prescription for 10 days of antibiotics and 3 days of steroids.  Just what I needed right??????????

Holy cow, now I know how my kids felt on steroids!  I just finished up my last dosage and while it did a heck of a job of getting the swelling to go down in my throat, it has made me feel awful!  I have been sweating like a pig, it literally has given me hot flashes and the sweats!  So gross!

Thankfully, we are all starting to feel better and back on track.  The only thing I can think of that started all this mess was the cesspool of germs that come from daycare.  I know it can be a good thing that kids are exposed to the germs sooner than later.  Their immune systems will go strong, but gosh it's hard getting the every so often phone calls and the back and forths to the doctor.   Oh the struggles of the working parents!!!!!!!!! 

Hopefully, this coming week we will be back in a routine.  Routine is key for our family! 

Okay, enough of the rant.  While I love the place my kids go to learn and grow, I hate the germs that come along with it!  Guess that's just a part of life right??????  Keep in mind I've been on steroids people.  Poor Steve is all I can say.  :)

The Dreaded Ear Infection is Back!!!!!!!!

That's right, it's back!  Thankfully in only one ear but still - Ugghhhhh

For the last two weeks, Lottie has been coughing, sneezing and spreading snot all through the house!  When I took her on Christmas Eve, her ears looked great and after being tested for RSV, etc. - she checked out clean.  Fast forward two weeks later and her symptoms have not changed - in fact her cough seemed to have gotten worse.

I got to work on Friday at the crack of dawn in order to leave early to take her to the doctor.  Once we checked in and weighed in (18 lbs, 14 oz), we went back to the exam room.  I explained that her cough/cold has not gone away.  He took one look in her left ear and said there's the problem - she's got herself an ear infection.  That is why her cough/cold is not going away.  After looking back through her chart, we thought the best course of action would be to give her a Rocephin injection followed with 10 days of oral antibiotics.  If it doesn't clear up within that time, we are definitely getting the referral for tubes.  I hate it, but at this point, it seems like it makes the most sense.

Poor baby after her injection in her thigh

After a Rocephin injection, you have to wait 20 minutes in the office to make sure there is no allergic reaction.  Thankfully there was none. 

Fast forward to Saturday and guess who's caught the stomach bug from daycare - Lottie!  I gave her a bath on Saturday evening and I swear within an hour after giving her a bath - it started!  She threw up 3 separate times and we ended up going through 4 pairs of pajamas.  This is the first time I've had to deal with actual throw up and let me tell you it was GROSS!!!!!!!!  Thankfully, I got her settled and in bed and there were no more incidents!

Fast forward once more to Monday.  Around lunch time my stomach started feeling queasy.  I thought it was just heartburn, but by the time I picked Lottie up from daycare and got her home - I started feeling really sick.  That's when it started.  I caught the BUG!  I proceeded to throw up from about 6:00 p.m. through 1:00 a.m.  I thought this can't be happening!!!!!  I literally thought I was on my death bed. 

Tuesday morning finally rolled around and I had to call into work.  I felt lightheaded, weak and had absolutely no energy.  Steve took Lottie to daycare and I headed back to bed.  That didn't last long!!!  Steve called around 9:00 a.m. and said that daycare had called saying Lottie has white stuff in her mouth, looks like little white pockets on the inside of her cheek.  They said we need to come pick her up.  WHAT??????  But I can barely move - how am I going to take care of a 10 month old when I can barely function myself?  So, I put myself into the shower hoping to feel somewhat human again.  (Didn't work)  I fixed myself a piece of toast so that I could at least drive and not pass out.  Once I got to daycare, Lottie seemed fine.  It appeared that she has a little yeast infection in her mouth most likely caused by the oral antibiotics she's been taking for the ear infection.

I think Lottie must have somehow known that mommy wasn't feeling very well, because she was such a little angel yesterday.  We did a lot of napping and a little playing - mostly napping!  Thank goodness!!!

Today, I'm back at work.  But as luck would have it, poor Steve started throwing up this morning.  We just can NOT catch a break right now.  He went ahead and went to work, but is leaving around 1:00 p.m. to get Lottie back to the doctor for a recheck of her ears and mouth.

What a NIGHTMARE!!!!  I may as well just hand over my paycheck to the Pediatrician's office and daycare.  Agghhhh!

To Be Continued.............

The Never Ending Ear Infection

Lottie will be 7 months old in 4 days!!!  I can NOT believe how quick the time goes! 

My poor baby is suffering from a double ear infection.  This has been ongoing since August 1st.  I initially took her in because of the greenish discharge leaking from her left eye.  I thought she might have had an eye infection or pink eye.  Not the case. 

I had Steve take her in for the third time yesterday afternoon because once again her eye is oozing with a greenish discharge.  I thought for sure the last round of antibiotics had cleared it up.  But after 2 weeks of not taking the antibiotics, it is BACK! 

With that said, the doctor suggested one more round of the same antibiotic for 10 days.  He is doubtful it will clear up the infection, but will give it one more try.  If the infection has not cleared in 10 days, we will be given a referral to Charlotte Eye Ear Nose & Throat for TUBES.  Just the thought of Lottie being put under anesthesia is scary. 

But, from what I've heard from family and friends is it is a God Send and their kids have not had an ear infection since.  It is relatively an easy procedure that lasts 5 minutes. 

Please pray for Lottie and her ears over the next few weeks that we will see some improvement and she can get back to feeling 100%!

On another note - she weighed in at 16lbs, 9oz yesterday!!  My baby is porking up!  :)

Our First Double Ear Infection

It has been a sad couple of days in the Cooper household!  Lottie has a double ear infection.  It started on Saturday.  I noticed that she had just a small amount of greenish / yellowish discharge coming from her eye, but just assumed that it was sleepy or that she had gotten something in her eye.  Sunday rolled around and it progressively got worse and worse.  Throughout the day, I could not keep her eye clean enough.  Every time I cleaned it with warm water, 2 seconds later, more discharge was coming out.  I finally said to heck with this and called the triage line at Matthews Children's Clinic.  I got a nurse on the line and we discussed her condition / symptoms for over 20 minutes.  We thought that because she wasn't pulling at her ears or putting her fingers in her ears that it might be an eye infection / pink eye vs. an ear infection.  Thankfully, the pharmacy was still open and we were able to go down and pick up the drops that were called in.  However, the nurse said that whatever she had was probably contagious, therefore she could not go to school the next morning. 

The Drops!!!!!!!  Do you have any idea how difficult it is to put drops in a baby's eye?  Awful!  She was crying and squirming (clearly did not like the idea of anything going in her eye - I don't blame her one bit!).  I felt so bad and wanted to cry myself but knew that we had to get the drops in.  We finally managed to get them in after numerous failed attempts - most of it going on her cheek. 

Throughout the night on Sunday, I was constantly up checking on her after every cough, sniffle, you name it.  Not to mention I had the deadly vaporizer going that sounds like boiling water next to her bed (see previous post).  By the next morning, her little eye ball was so pitiful.  She could barely open her left eye.  I waited until the doctor's office opened at 8:00 a.m. and called to see if I could get her in.  Thankfully her doctor had an opening at 9:00 a.m.

Before her examination with the doctor, we jumped on the scale.  I was pretty excited to see how much she weighed since we hadn't weighed in since 6/28/11.  She weighed 15 lbs, 6 oz.  She has gained a whooping 2 lbs since June.

When the doctor came into the exam room, he didn't waste any time looking in her ears.  He said she had a double ear infection.  Of course me being me said, "But I clean her ears out religiously after every bath every day."  ( I didn't want him to think my baby had dirty ears).  He laughed and said that had nothing to do with it, that a lot of babies get ear infections.  He prescribed some antibiotics and sent us on our way.  She has to take a 1/2 teaspoon twice a day for 10 days. 

I think the hardest thing about all of this is knowing that my baby does NOT feel good.  I hate to see her coughing or sniffling and having goo come out of her eyes.  It makes me want to cry. 

I really can't wait to see her later and am praying that she has had a better day today. 

Will keep you posted!!

T