Conference moira::parenting_v3

    I have just gone through a similar experience with my daughter Allison
    9 months.  She had the chickenpox at the beginning of Dec. and had a
    stuffy nose with congestion until the end of February!  Of course the
    congestion led to ear infections which led to antibiotics.  She had
    no reaction the the amoxicillan but it didn't work so we switched to
    augmenten and she had a terrible allergic reaction.  Then we switched
    to ceclor and she had terrible diarrea.  I finally stopped all meds
    for a day to clear her system.
    
    I is so frustrating when you don't know what's wrong, and getting little
    sleep doesn't help matters. The doctor finally put Allison on Suprax,
    which I think is great.  You only give one dose a day.  She now had a
    new ear infection and I requested the suprax again.  I don't know about
    the dye sensitivity.  I don't think the suprax had any dye in it
    because it is white.  
    
    Hang in there!  Karin

    Oh boy, do I know how you feel.  I think Jackie has been sick 
    since October when she ended up with a double ear infection 
    (started in one ear and spread to the other when the amoxicillan
    did not work).  Anwyay, I think since the end of September, only 
    the month of December I did not go to the doctor.  She's had ear
    infections, bronchitis a few times, colds, and chicken pox at 8 months.
    I was just there two weeks ago because we thought she had an ear
    infection.  She did not, but because she had a bad cold, the doctor 
    put her on medication to *prevent* the ear infection.  I was there 
    again last week because she was running a temp, something she
    normally does not do.  Both time... TEETH!  Fortunately, she has
    not had any intolerance to medications, although the doctor does
    not use the amoxi with her since it did not work the first time.
    My heart breaks also when she's not feeling well and I've missed
    so much work because she's been out of daycare.  I feel like I'm 
    wasting both the doctor's time and my own when I keep calling or
    bring my daughter in, but I try not to worry about it.  Being a
    first time mom myself, the doctor expects to see me react more than
    a mother who has other children, and he's real nice about it.
    
    Good luck with your daughter and her colds.  I was told since 
    Jackie is in a daycare center, that the first year is the hardest
    because they catch everything that comes along.  So far, this is
    true.  The summer and next winter should be a bit easier.
    
    Mary
    

    Well, Russell (6 1/2 mo.) caught a cold at the end of his first week at
    daycare.  He had a runny nose and Mom had an AWFUL case of the guilts. 
    He seemed to do better after a few days, then about 1 week from when he
    started with the nose, he got a fever.  He also started pulling on his
    ears when he was drinking his bottle.  I took him to the dr who said
    his ears didn't have any fluid, but looked like they might develop it. 
    We got the standard 10 days of amoxicillin.  Well, after about 5 days,
    he woke up with small red patches under his ears, which quickly spread
    to all over his neck.  Yep....like mom, he's developed an allergy to
    penicillin.  Dr. suggested a small amount of benidryl (sp) if he got
    uncomfortable and put him on a sulfer based medicine for 7 days.  Well,
    the benidryl made Russell sleepy and jittery at the same time so he
    would only sleep if someone held him.  The sulfur medicine smells
    awful, tastes worse (they gave me the same thing when I was a kid and I
    HATED it).  The only way we could get Russell to take it with out him
    giving it right back was mix it in some water.  He just finished all of
    it the other day.  To top it all off, he got his first tooth Wensday. I
    can't wait to see what happens when the others come in ;-) The poor
    baby was just so uncomfortable and there wasn't anything we could do
    for him.  

Since this looks like a "can you top this" note I thought I'd jump
in, too!

At 4 weeks Rachel had her first cold.  Took her to the after-hours
pediatric clinic here in Colorado Springs and was prescribed Rondec.
I was smugly thinking to myself, "how easy it is to give her medicine,
compared to when her big sister was little".  Well, it made her
frantic!  She could only cry, couldn't eat or sleep.  I had no idea
what it was, took her back to the clinic the next evening and the
Dr. on duty that night looked at me like I was nuts when I told him
what she was taking.  He never prescribes it for babies, neither
does her regular pedi.

Well, at 8 weeks, Rachel contracted RSV and viral pneumonia.  She
spent 4 days in the hospital to the tune of $3,500+.  Fortunately,
we'll only have to pay about $400 of it.  

Whew, I don't like winter!  Also had her 3.5 year old sister on 
Suprax twice during this time.  I like that 'cause it's a once-per-day
thing.