Sickies

On the 5th Isaak got sick with something. I didn't know what he was sick with. I just knew that he was feverish in the evening, had body aches, was snotty, lacked on energy, and wasn't very hungry.

It was hard because Isaak acted well in the morning and during the day. When night rolled around he was sick. I didn't think he had Influenza. We've had that before, and it kept us on the couch for days. 

My parents got it to. So it was something we picked up during our family Easter get together. 

Then Mica got it on the 7th. He didn't seem to act as bad as Isaak. 

Then Travis got it on the 8th or 9th. He hid himself in our room for one morning. Said he was dying. He emerged from our room that afternoon saying he felt a touch better. He had it the least.

How did I ever slip by without getting this?

The boys have managed to still have a snotty nose, and cough. They seemed to be getting better. Up until this last Thursday. They were both on the couches when I got home from work. Thankfully they didn't have school on Friday. Both were back to having fevers. 

At the end of the day on Friday Mica swore his eardrum popped. Why do things happen right at the end of the day on a Friday? 

I looked up a recipe for earaches. 3-5 drops of garlic oil in each ear with a cotton ball to keep it in. Do both ears because ear infections travel from one ear to the next. Don't put drops in the ear if their ear drums have popped. If their ear drums have popped they'll actually have no ear pain for awhile. 

You can buy garlic oil at a lot of places. Of course the grocery store I went to didn't have it. I made it.

Garlic Oil:

• 6 cloves of Garlic
• 1 cup of Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Cook on medium low heat until bubble form around the garlic. Let sit for 45 minutes before using it.

Ear Infection

I didn't know if going to the doctor was the answer, but I called on Saturday morning when Mica woke up crying because his ears hurt so bad. I thought it was just from the viral infection. The doctor wanted to see Mica. They only wanted to see Isaak if his ears started hurting. Thankfully they are open Saturday morning. 

The doctor described Mica's symptoms to a T. All the boys had Influenza B. They got a milder version of it because we all got the flu shot. 

She said that often times when older kids get an ear infection it's a bacterial one. Garlic Oil drops help with viral ear infections. Bacterial ear infections are too far back in the ear for the drops to even hit. It looks like we'll be using the garlic oil for other edible things. 

Antibiotics were called in.

I went to pick up the antibiotics. They weren't there. I found out they were called into our old pharmacy. It's probably not the doctor's fault. She said it, but both pharmacies start with W, and my mind was on Mica. 

I went to go get Mica - he wanted to stay in the car, had his cell phone, and the car was locked. He texted me, "Where are you?" Then Travis had a pissed off face texted to me when he found out I left Mica in the car. He babysits, walks to and from the bus stop, so I didn't think leaving him in the car was a big deal. I've never left Mica in the car before. Here he was infected with Influenza B, didn't feel well, so I left him. 

In he came to wait and wait some more for his antibiotics. 

By this time his pain med had worn off. His ears were noticeably red. I felt so bad for him!

It's been a weekend of laying around and watching the whole show American Gothic, and sleeping. We drank lots of fluids. I did lots of laundry. It rained and snowed. Certainly not the ideal weekend! I don't get the Mother of the Year award this weekend with leaving Mica in the car alone, and having the doctor call in Mica's antibiotics to the wrong pharmacy. Travis thinks when the directions say, "2 antibiotics daily" means to give them both all at once, so he doesn't get a Father of the Year award either.  

Wild Goose Chase for Treating Baby Eczema

Isaak has a HUGE outbreak of baby eczema. Under his hair is red, crusty, itchy and sore! This puts Isaak at a high risk for a staph infection. Poor preschooler! At least his hair covers it up, but it's horrible!

By the way, I have to look up how to spell "eczema" every time I type it! It should be spelled, "exzema."

Anyhow, it's on his scalp. Both Mica and Isaak have had problems with eczema on their scalp since they had their major infections (Isaak with meningitis and Mica with his staph infection). I sort of blame the one thing that saved their lives (heavy antibiotics) on their eczema problems.

Antibiotics are best not to give, if possible. I think that's a big reason why doctors started laying off antibiotics for ear infections.

Probiotics have worked to help with their eczema outbreaks. It just puts the good bacteria back into their systems. I've read a few articles about how eczema needs to be treated from the inside of your body, to help heal the main cause. They also mentioned to get the probiotics that can be refrigerated. It's a live bacteria, so it needs to be refrigerated to be effective. If I find one of the articles I will for sure attach it. That was a year ago I read them.

Many creams to treat eczema contain steroids. They only work for a week, then the eczema is back again. Sometimes worse then the first time!

Our kids have always been yogurt eaters. That has helped. I've gotten both of them to like eating plain yogurt. Mica's open to Greek yogurt. Isaak only likes the the other kids of plain yogurt. I call them the sour kinds. If you mix lemon juice with plain yogurt, it makes a wonderful sour cream! Isaak's been on a yogurt strike lately. He only wants to eat cottage cheese. I in turn went for a hunt for probiotics today.

First I tried GNC. A muscular guy helped me. He knew nothing about kids, but all about nutrition. I think I'd go to him as a personal trainer more then to buy a product to give to my 3 year old. I just didn't know what to buy and how much to give. He knew which products had the most cultures in them, but not how much to give my little boy. Then I tried Walgreens. They seemed busy. They just told me what doctors recommend. I couldn't find what cultures were in the pills at all on the box. I said, "Good bye" to Walgreens. I will try No Name Nutrition on the way home.

The boys doctor said to use Selson Blue Dandruff Shampoo on baby eczema. It gets rid of dandruff, and helps with eczema to. I believe him. He's a A+ doctor. Try putting that on your 3 year old's head and washing it out. I made the mistake once. He screamed bloody murder because it got in his eyes. Maybe I'll try it again, but lay him over the counter; head into the sink. It's still hard to do with how much the squirm!

Our boys seem to get it when it's hot and moist outside.

Any suggestions for treating baby eczema are welcome!