It was inevitable, but it still sucks (long!)

[momma_boo]

Sarah got her first real cold last week (previously had two episodes of a runny nose, but nothing else). Last Sunday she had a fever, runny nose, sneezing, and then coughing. I stayed home w/ her on Monday and took her to the ped. Tuesday, my dad watched her in the morning and DH took the afternoon off. Wednesday, I took the day off. She spent most of Wednesday with a dry nose, so she went back to daycare on Thursday. Had a runny nose again (probably from all the activity?), but it was clear. Same thing on Friday and Saturday. Saturday night I took her out to a friend's house for a party. Sunday (yesterday) she was unusually clingy most of the day, thought she was just tired from being out late since she got up early.

Took her to daycare this morning and got a call two hours later from the daycare b/c she had a really bad runny nose that was thick and colored. Fortunately, DH is off today. He picked her up and took her back to the ped. Just a cold and she also has a low-grade fever (around 100, DH couldn't remember the exact number. Sheesh)

I can't help but think that perhaps she was on the mend and then my dragging her out on Saturday night made her worse. To top it all off, the other baby at the daycare is home sick (so now I'm worried that Sarah got him sick!)

Just requested tomorrow off. Fortunately, my boss is extremely laid back and understanding (she has a 12 y/o daughter). But even so, there is a lot of stuff going on at work and I may soon end up with a different boss. I'm worried what he may think since I've been in and out since last week. He's got kids, but I don't think he would really understand my situation. His wife is a SAHM and I don't get the impression that he's too hands on -- meaning I doubt he would ever take the day off for the kids.

This affirms even more the nagging thoughts in my head of how much it sucks to work. Unfortunately, unless we hit the lottery, this is my reality which BITES BIG @SS!! (pardon my language).

Well, if you've made it this far, Thank you so much for listening. I don't think my friends (99% are unmarried and w/o kids) would really understand my gripes.

[sntm]

mega millions is to $51 million. DH says i'm not allowed to buy a ticket until the payout equals the odds (currently 1 to 71 million).

gripe away, hon.

shannon
not-even-pregnant-yet-overachiever
trying-to-conceive :)
PREGNANT! EDD 6/9/03
mama to Jack 6/6/03

[JElaineB]

Poor baby! Did they check her ears? Both times that DS had an extended cold it turned into an ear infection (hoping it isn't, of course!!) I hope she feels better soon!

Jennifer
mom to Jacob 9/27/02

[tarahsolazy]

I really hope Sarah feels better, I always feel sorry for folks with sick babies, I just imagine how hard it is to be at home with them and not be able to just fix their problem. (My turn is coming, I am sure...) Imagine if you couldn't blow your own nose. Did your daycare request that Sarah be picked up just because of the color of her snot? Or was she listless, acting sick and not playing? I ask because its my biggest pet peeve (and I am a ped - albeit a specialist, no general peds for me for the last three years). The color of the snot generally means nothing other than how much moisture it has in it! True, a runny nose after about a week or so, thick, yellow, green, smelly, accompained by fever (>101), can sometimes signal a sinus infection. But usually not after only 3 or 4 days, especially in a kid like Sarah who has been previously healthy. Or maybe an ear infection, but I can't imagine a ped worth her salt that wouldn't check the ears of every little one with cold symptoms this time of year, I bet yours did. I can't tell you how many notes I wrote to DC providers explaining this and suggesting that in otherwise well kids, the color doesn't matter. Now, if any runny nose gets you sent home in your center, that is at least consistent, because any snot is potentially contagious. Anyway, sorry for the hijack, but I feel the need to debunk that snot color myth whenever I can. Another digression on snot: sinus infections or ear infections are not contagious, although the colds that preceed them are. So, if green snot really meant bacteria, then let those kids stay, and send the ones with the clear snot (if that means virus) home. Not that I am advocating that either, though...

[lcl]

i agree with tarahs input. the snot color does not necessarily mean bacterial infection. granted my peds rotation was about 10 yrs ago. i'm an internist and see many sinus infections, uri's/colds a day.

i feel for you as my 18 mo DS's daycare sends the babies home if they have a fever or if they cannot function during the day. there was one point that he was only there 8 out of 20 days. when he was well and we brought him back to daycare i saw two babies with bad runny noses. sure enough he became sick again 2 days later. i don't remember the last time he was cough and runny-nose free. i agree germs can spread this way but the poor parents would never be able to get a break.

[momma_boo]

Thanks everyone for your responses!

Shannon, Mega Millions is up to 150 million right now! I did buy some tickets for last night's drawing but didn't get squat (not even a dollar). The next drawing is on Friday in case you want to try your luck!

Well, DD definitely doesn't have an ear infection. I think they wanted to send her home from daycare b/c they couldn't spend the whole day wiping her nose all the time. Her mood is fine, she plays great and she had a blast staying home yesterday. Today she's home w/ DH who took the day off. Fortunately, he's off tomorrow as well since it's Lincoln's Birthday (he's a state employee - the pay sucks but he gets all the holidays).

Hopefully she'll dry up by Friday!

[jesseandgrace]

For the past few days it has been all over the news here that a baby that has at least one fever before the aqe of 1 is 30% less likely to suffer from allergies and asthma when he/she gets older. The reasoning is because the immune system is stronger having been exposed to germs early on. So, I guess there is a silver lining here.

[stillplayswithbarbies]

I'll bet they had a hard time finding a control group for that study. What baby gets to the age of 1 without ever having a fever?

...Karen
Jacob Nathaniel Feb 91
Logan Elizabeth Mar 03

[sntm]

Whooo-hoo! C'mon, lotto!

I'm actually related to a lotto winner, through my mom's brother's wife's sister's exhusband in Eastern Kentucky. He was every negative sterotype you could possible imagine about both Eastern Kentuckians and lotto winners.


shannon
not-even-pregnant-yet-overachiever
trying-to-conceive :)
PREGNANT! EDD 6/9/03
mama to Jack 6/6/03