Little Baby Seal

Little baby seal - This morning began with a cough that developed into something different than I'd ever heard before. Creed's temperature was under control. When he yelped off and on through his nap, I consulted with another mama warrior, and decided to take him to see the doctor … again. I was really hoping to see another doctor because the same look I got yesterday, would not suffice today. I was not leaving without answers. We were able to get right in surprisingly, using the walk-in clinic for patients after 5 p.m. I took the iPad, a book and a highlighter for drawing on the paper they put down on the examining table. Creed was easily entertained and enjoyed coloring the crinkly paper. There was a selection of books, some were coming apart, in the examining room and I wondered if they would accept donations for replacements. I'm sure we would have plenty to donate and this would help keep the littles entertained while waiting for the doctor. Its no fun waiting in the lobby and then waiting in the back for another half hour. A different male doctor came in with a welcoming smile … huge sigh of relief. Creed once again, quit coughing while we were in the doctor's office, but had a low-grade temperature. I explained how I was there yesterday and he seemed fine in the office and as soon as we got in the vehicle, his symptoms returned. He listened intently and asked Creed questions. He said everything looked fine, but that they would do a swab of his throat to be sure. When the nurse came into do the swab … my baby seal returned. The doctor stuck his head in and said, "I heard that. Croup." The swab came back clear and prednisone was prescribed to help my itty bitty get over this sickness much sooner. "Can you tell me what croup is," I asked? "I sure can," he said, smiling. He came back with a couple of sheets of paper describing the illness and I was happy to have such a compassionate doctor.

What is croup anyway? Croup is a viral infection of the vocal cords, voice box (larynx), and windpipe (trachea). Symptoms include a tight, low-pitched "barking" cough, which in our case sounds like a little baby seal and a hoarse voice, check. Another symptom and tell-tale sign is a harsh, raspy, vibrating sound when your child breathes in, what I heard last night unfortunately. This is called stridor and usually present only with crying or coughing, but again I heard this while rocking him, with no crying or coughing. As the disease becomes worse, stridor also occurs when your child is sleeping or relaxed. Talk about scary. With severe croup, breathing may be difficult. Croup is usually part of a cold. Swelling of the vocal cords cause the hoarseness and stridor is caused by the opening between the vocal cords becoming more narrow. Croup usually lasts for five to six days and generally gets worse at night. During this time, it can change from mild to severe and back many times and is worst in children under three. The doctor explained that cold air sometimes relieves the stridor, which is why Creed seemed perfectly healthy at first look. :-) The viruses that cause croup are quite contagious until the fever is gone or at least during the first three days of illness. The information notes that since the spread of this infection can't be prevented, your child can return to school or child care once he feels better. That's completely absurd. This is how Creed got the illness to begin with, however when I am armed with knowledge, I definitely feel better about the situation and know that from time to time we will get sick and there's no preventing this, even with vitamins and probiotics! I sent the church director a message and told her which service Creed attended on Sunday. Children also will exhibit no symptoms, other than an elevated fever, when in cold air, so it's easy to see how it spreads. OH, how I wish I could prevent it and at the same time, know it strengthens his immune system each time he gets over another itty bitty hump. Visit http://medical.gerber.com/clinicaltopics/articles.aspx?articleId=909DDD16-34AD-44C1-B663-656C6AE32E5C&sec=articles&topicId=28bf6385-728a-4a60-b67c-f69baed67add, for some pretty insightful information on your child's immune system.

Vicks StarryNight Cool Moisture Humi

Armed with our new diagnosis we headed to a nearby department store for some popsicles and a humidifier. We were in luck! Vicks makes a StarryNight Cool Moisture Humidifier that's so cool! The humidifier produces cool, invisible moisture, while transforming the room into a starry night sky. There are several colors that gradually rotate and it's a beautiful display to watch. There's two speeds, one specifically for night that's really quiet, but both Creed and I sleep with a fan to have noise, so this white noise was readily welcomed. The run time is up to 24 hours, so it will work through the night and be of use, that is, until Creed finds his way to my room around 5:30 a.m. 

No homeschool until this nasty bug high-tails it outta here!