The Winter Crud

Well I guess its time to update the blog! I mean its only been 2 1/2 months. Well, we have had the winter crud for about, oh, 3 months now. Seriously, with 4 kids all going to different places during the day and then sharing the germs they picked up, it has made for a pretty lousy winter. We started on Christmas eve when Jase got sick. His progressed and by 3 days after Christmas Justin was also sick. With several doctor visits (at $25 each) we discovered that we had the dreaded RSV in the house. Breathing treatments, steroids, cough meds, antibiotics for the ear infections, it was fun. Luckily Justin did fine. We had one moment when the doctor was going back and forth on whether or not to send him to the hospital, but I told her I was comfortable taking care of him at home, and that he was already on the monitor so I could keep close check on things. He never had any apnea alarms during the RSV, which was huge, since RSV alone can cause apnea and add that to an apnea prone baby and you can have big trouble.

So, we get over RSV in time for Jessi to get sick. Poor baby girl was the sickest that any of my kids have ever been. Fever for 12 straight days, the first 8 days her fever was up to 104 every day! She could not get off the couch. I was having to help her to the bathroom the first several days. We visited the doctor 3 times and then had 1 ER visit during the illness. She was tested for the flu twice, negative both times. They still don't know exactly what was going on, but feel like it was most likely some type of viral illness. She is pretty much back to normal now, except for a stomach ache that she complains of daily. We have also had a lab work up for that, and everything came back normal.

About the time Jessi was recovering, Jase got sick again. I aggressively started giving him his breathing treatments as soon as I noticed a cough. He also had ear infections that he was being treated for. When I thought he should be getting better he suddenly took a turn for the worse. His fever was spiking to 104+ and he was coughing non stop. After a trip to the urgent care we found out he had pneumonia. We followed up with the pediatrician the next day, and Jase was much worse. They did blood work, gave him a shot of antibiotics and changed his oral antibiotic. As we sat in the office that day, the doctor again was going back and forth on whether or not to admit him to the hospital. Again, I asked (ok, begged) not to go. He did not need oxygen at the time, and I told her I knew what to watch for and would take him to the ER asap if needed. We came home and within 2 days he was greatly improved. Whew, another close call! (I have a thing about going to the hospital now, if you can't tell!)

Well, when Justin started a couple days later with the exact same symptoms as Jase I took him straight to the doctor. He was coughing, wheezing, and also had an ear infection. The doctor went ahead and started him on the same antibiotics that Jase had been on, just in case this was heading in the same direction. Justin got well quickly, although he has had 2 more ear infections since then. Doctor said one or two more and we will be heading to ENT for tubes.

Jonathan has been sick several times during this winter. He is just older and I don't take him to the doctor as often as the little ones. He is currently wheezing and coughing and his allergies are driving him crazy. I am trying to get him an appt at the Asthma/Allergy clinic, but it is spring in GA and apparently everyone is trying to get an appt with them!

So, if I haven't been spending hundreds of dollars at the pediatrician office or giving my life savings to CVS for prescriptions I have been locked up in the house with a sick child. I have never been so glad to see summer coming!!