bellumswife77

My youngest son is two and has croup. It's amazing to me that he can be so sick and yet so strong. We went to the ER because he was struggling to breathe (O2 levels in 60' s and 70' s). They got it up with steroids and and nebulizer treatment for croup. My son was a preemie and has been hospitalized for rsv and pneumonia. How can I respect him and get him the medical treatments he sometimes requires?

Blessings,
Stefanie in AK

Angela

Hi Stephanie,

What part of the medical treatment is he resisting? My oldest son got croupy with every single cold from the time he was 6mo old, but only had to go to the ER twice. My middle child rarely got croupy, but we had to take her to the ER to get her oxygen levels up on multiple occasions. Their different temperaments caused us to approach the croup and treatments differently.

I can toss out some suggestions of what we did to keep them healthy while still respecting them, but it would help if I knew more about what's going on.

Best,
Angela in NJ

--- In [email protected], "bellumswife77" <stefanie@...> wrote:
>
> My youngest son is two and has croup. It's amazing to me that he can be so sick and yet so strong. We went to the ER because he was struggling to breathe (O2 levels in 60' s and 70' s). They got it up with steroids and and nebulizer treatment for croup. My son was a preemie and has been hospitalized for rsv and pneumonia. How can I respect him and get him the medical treatments he sometimes requires?
>
> Blessings,
> Stefanie in AK
>

bellumswife77

He is rejecting ALL of it. Doctors and nurses send him into screaming fits. X-rays, breathing treatment, medications etc. involve him screaming until they leave the room. I give him vitamins without issue, vitamin s, echinacea etc, he just struggles with colds and especially viruses.

Blessings.
Stefanie in AK
--- In [email protected], "Angela" <argwolff@...> wrote:
>
> Hi Stephanie,
>
> What part of the medical treatment is he resisting? My oldest son got croupy with every single cold from the time he was 6mo old, but only had to go to the ER twice. My middle child rarely got croupy, but we had to take her to the ER to get her oxygen levels up on multiple occasions. Their different temperaments caused us to approach the croup and treatments differently.
>
> I can toss out some suggestions of what we did to keep them healthy while still respecting them, but it would help if I knew more about what's going on.
>
> Best,
> Angela in NJ
>
> --- In [email protected], "bellumswife77" <stefanie@> wrote:
> >
> > My youngest son is two and has croup. It's amazing to me that he can be so sick and yet so strong. We went to the ER because he was struggling to breathe (O2 levels in 60' s and 70' s). They got it up with steroids and and nebulizer treatment for croup. My son was a preemie and has been hospitalized for rsv and pneumonia. How can I respect him and get him the medical treatments he sometimes requires?
> >
> > Blessings,
> > Stefanie in AK
> >
>

sheeboo2

---- How can I respect him and get him the medical treatments he sometimes requires? ---

When Noor was little she needed a nebuliser, I think around the same age. I'd hold her on my lap and we'd use it without the mask completely covering her face; I'd hold it close enough that she was getting the majority of the steam, but not put it all the way over her face, which is what she didn't like. She only used it for a day or two, and then it seemed that being in a hot steamy bathroom was good enough, and far more enjoyable, so we spent a lot of time in the bath for the next few days. You could find some new and interesting videos for him to watch while he sits on your lap breathing too. Maybe build a little fort out of sheets and sit under that with him. You won't need to hold the mask as close because all the medicated steam will be held in, and he might really enjoy being in a fort with mom.

Sometimes, unfortunately, there are things you're child will find unpleasant but which are necessary--make the experience as pleasant and calm as possible. Do it with all the gentleness and love you have. Use a soothing voice to help it not seem like a major ordeal.

Brie

Marie Tindall

Have you considered going to a Natropath?
Marie






To: [email protected]
From: brmino@...
Date: Tue, 21 Feb 2012 16:39:39 +0000
Subject: [AlwaysLearning] Re: Unschooling and medications or medical concerns






---- How can I respect him and get him the medical treatments he sometimes requires? ---

When Noor was little she needed a nebuliser, I think around the same age. I'd hold her on my lap and we'd use it without the mask completely covering her face; I'd hold it close enough that she was getting the majority of the steam, but not put it all the way over her face, which is what she didn't like. She only used it for a day or two, and then it seemed that being in a hot steamy bathroom was good enough, and far more enjoyable, so we spent a lot of time in the bath for the next few days. You could find some new and interesting videos for him to watch while he sits on your lap breathing too. Maybe build a little fort out of sheets and sit under that with him. You won't need to hold the mask as close because all the medicated steam will be held in, and he might really enjoy being in a fort with mom.

Sometimes, unfortunately, there are things you're child will find unpleasant but which are necessary--make the experience as pleasant and calm as possible. Do it with all the gentleness and love you have. Use a soothing voice to help it not seem like a major ordeal.

Brie






[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

sheeboo2

Making things as pleasant as possible is key. Bring a portable DVD or iPad or similar with you for trips to the ER. Bring favorite stuffed animals, a small bag of new and interesting toys, stickers, etc, things to distract him. Stay calm yourself! Leave your other children with someone else, at home, so you can devote ALL of your attention to your son and distracting/comforting him if you need to make a trip to the ER.

When I still lived in Alaska, there was a surprisingly high number of doctors who still made house calls. Look into finding one. You may be able to find a nurse practitioner who'll come to the house by calling WIC or the Alaska Women and Children's Health office (the nurses make house calls for infants, and may for toddlers too) http://www.hss.state.ak.us/dph/wcfh/
http://www.hss.state.ak.us/dpa/programs/nutri/WIC/default.htm

Brie

sheeboo2

As for oral medications, do you know the old saying, "A spoonful of sugar helps the medicine of down?"

Ask for extra from the doctor/pharmacist so you can experiment with masking it with other things, ice cream, maybe? Or sugar? Something. The extra is so you won't be afraid of throwing away what doesn't work.

Look for cool/fun little straws, shot glasses, etc....anything to make taking it less clinical and more fun. Act goofy yourself, if that will make him laugh. Empathize, but in a very straight forward, to the point way. He doesn't need a long speech about how he has to do X, Y, Z or he'll get sicker. Keep it simple.

Brie

Joyce Fetteroll

On Feb 21, 2012, at 11:39 AM, sheeboo2 wrote:

> Sometimes, unfortunately, there are things you're child will find
> unpleasant but which are necessary--make the experience as pleasant
> and calm as possible. Do it with all the gentleness and love you have.
> Use a soothing voice to help it not seem like a major ordeal.

Yes. And give them as much choice and control as you're can. (And they want! Some kids get overwhelmed by too much choice. Let them be your guide.)

Rather than focusing on the mountain peak you're trying to get to, focus on giving him choices about the path to take and how to travel it.

Joyce

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Angela

>> He is rejecting ALL of it. Doctors and nurses send him into screaming fits. X-rays, breathing treatment, medications etc. involve him screaming until they leave the room. I give him vitamins without issue, vitamin s, echinacea etc, he just struggles with colds and especially viruses.<<

Ah, got it. I would do my best to keep him out of the ER and doctor's office, then. These are things we did, some worked with both kids, some worked with only one:

Cold moist air relaxed my oldest, so we spent many, MANY nights walking with him in the sling or stroller just up and down the street. We figured as long as we could keep him calm, we could avoid a trip to the ER and head to the more familiar pediatrician the next day. Driving in the car with the windows down also worked, so I knew where all the 24 hour pharmacies and drive-thrus were. My pediatrician said as long as it was below 55 (if I'm remembering correctly) the cold air would help relax his airway.

We got a nebulizer for home and got a prescription for saline "bullets" to use in it, so we could let him breath the moist air from that. He hated the mask, so I would hold the tube attachment near his face while he nursed or sat in my lap watching a video.

He hated the heat, so shower steam never worked for him, but some kids find it soothing. (Didn't work for my daughter either, but because the noise of the shower bothered her.)

Keeping kids calm is one of the most helpful things you can do, which is why we ended up in the ER with my daughter so many times. Just a completely different temperament from my son, and there was very little we could do to calm her once she had the sensation of struggling for breath. So for her I went the route of getting a prescription for oral steroid to keep on hand. The liquid tastes god-awful and was very difficult to get her to take, so we got chewables and she definitely preferred those. They also are better for travel, so that's a plus, too.

With her we'd give her the steroid at the first sign of croup. It takes a full 8 hours to be fully effective, so waiting until the croup is full-blown is usually too late (though you will see improvement in the first hour or so). I'm the type of person that would much prefer not to give medication, but I figured that giving her a couple days or oral steroids at home was preferable to having to go to the ER in the middle of the night for adrenaline shots, steroids, etc. and pick up what ever germs are floating around the hospital as a bonus.

She did not like stroller or sling rides in the night air, and car rides freaked her out even more, so we'd bundle up and sleep on the porch together or sometimes throw open her windows and close off her room from the rest of the house.

Dark chocolate is a great cough suppressant and works well for bribes to get them through medicine they don't want to take. My son couldn't stand the taste of inhaled steroids, so on the rare occasion that we had to give them we'd have a bowl of chocolate chips waiting for him for the second he was done with the treatment.

Peppermint oil mixed with a carrier and rubbed on the bottoms of the feet also seems to help ease coughing at night.

Licorice root tea is great for coughs and colds, and is sort of a natural steroid.

Were I you, I'd work with my pediatrician (or naturopath, whichever route you want to go) to get a game plan in place so that you can treat respiratory issues as proactively and quickly as possible and avoid the ER and x-rays, etc. as much as possible. And if there are things that can't be avoided, the practicing when he's well and not in distress and making them as jolly and/or relaxing as possible when he is will hopefully go a long way to helping him through until he gets a little older.

One other thing I thought about. Watch out for doctors, especially in the ER, acting like he's not there. When my youngest was having an emergency surgery when she was 18 months old, the surgeon came in to explain things to me, but he stood kind of behind her head, and then rested his hands on the railing of the bed and gestured with them rather close to her face. Once I asked him to move he was apologetic and really was just great with her, but he was much more focused on the task of explaining the surgery to me than the fact that he was doing so in a way that was making his patient very uncomfortable.

Best of luck,
Angela in NJ
with Joseph, 9; Hannah, 7; and Miriam, 4

bellumswife77

Yes, we have and do go to a Naturopath, though another visit is in order, THANK you for the reminder. Josiah was premature and his side effects are all respiratory. It's far better than it was in the past, where EVERY cold required a hospital visit, and I'm know things will continue to improve.

I am absolutely delighted with all the wonderful information, tips and advice. Thank you everyone, *very, very much*.

I don't know why I didn't think to bring the iPad. I had dinner with just him before we went to the ER and it helped immensely. I brought his favorite 'capes' (flat fold cloth diapers, lol) and he did calm down enough between attendants to sleep. He just can't stand hospital staff!

I am also going to switch him back to our old Doctor out of town who knows us well enough to provide what we need when we need it and is willing to do more tests in his office.

Blessings,
Stefanie in AK

--- In [email protected], Marie Tindall <chocalady@...> wrote:
>
>
> Have you considered going to a Natropath?
> Marie
>
>
>
>
>
>
> To: [email protected]
> From: brmino@...
> Date: Tue, 21 Feb 2012 16:39:39 +0000
> Subject: [AlwaysLearning] Re: Unschooling and medications or medical concerns
>
>
>
>
>
>
> ---- How can I respect him and get him the medical treatments he sometimes requires? ---
>
> When Noor was little she needed a nebuliser, I think around the same age. I'd hold her on my lap and we'd use it without the mask completely covering her face; I'd hold it close enough that she was getting the majority of the steam, but not put it all the way over her face, which is what she didn't like. She only used it for a day or two, and then it seemed that being in a hot steamy bathroom was good enough, and far more enjoyable, so we spent a lot of time in the bath for the next few days. You could find some new and interesting videos for him to watch while he sits on your lap breathing too. Maybe build a little fort out of sheets and sit under that with him. You won't need to hold the mask as close because all the medicated steam will be held in, and he might really enjoy being in a fort with mom.
>
> Sometimes, unfortunately, there are things you're child will find unpleasant but which are necessary--make the experience as pleasant and calm as possible. Do it with all the gentleness and love you have. Use a soothing voice to help it not seem like a major ordeal.
>
> Brie
>
>
>
>
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>

Meredith

"bellumswife77" <stefanie@...> wrote:
>
>> He is rejecting ALL of it. Doctors and nurses send him into screaming fits. X-rays, breathing treatment, medications etc. involve him screaming until they leave the room. I give him vitamins without issue, vitamin s, echinacea etc, he just struggles with colds and especially viruses.
************************

If it's easier on your son, ask that you be allowed to do as much of the hands-on stuff as possible, and for the medical staff to show you how to do things you don't know - like injections. If they've gotten to know your son from repeated visits, they may be understanding ;) but even if not, be firm that this is the Best way to handle things.

Also, look for ways to help your son Feel in control - tricky with a younger child, but you might be able to bring a special toy or develop little rituals around certain proceedures so he feels like he has a role to play in his own treatment.

---Meredith

oneredpoppy

--- In [email protected], "Angela" <argwolff@...> wrote:
>
>
> >> He is rejecting ALL of it. Doctors and nurses send him into screaming fits. X-rays, breathing treatment, medications etc. involve him screaming until they leave the room. I give him vitamins without issue, vitamin s, echinacea etc, he just struggles with colds and especially viruses.<<
>

When you do have to go to the hospital, you can ask if they have a child life specialist on staff, and if yes, ask that the specialist be present. The child life specialist's role is to prepare children for procedures, offer coping methods, and to provide therapeutic play. If there is one on staff, you and your son can meet with the specialist when your son isn't in an emergency situation as well. They are a great resource and are the one non-medical staff children usually look forward to seeing in the hospital. (from a mom whose younger son spent a large portion of his life in hospital settings.)

If your hospital doesn't have a child life specialist, you can ask the hospital or your doctor's office for a bag of hospital supplies that your son comes into contact with, like breathing treatment masks or tubes, syringes for the delivery of medicine, etc. so that he can play with them at home, in a non-threatening setting. You could also have other medical play equipment at home for him, like a doctor puppet or a doll/stuffed animal upon whom he could practice treatments, etc.

Well wishes,
Jen in Michigan
Mom to Cutter, age 11.5

Natalie

This is just coming up for us, but a different situation. Trinity's baby teeth are not falling out, and her perm teeth are coming in behind them. she hasn't been in any discomfort until now. Her father experienced the same thing as a child. He had to get his teeth pulled. Trinity is really scared that she is going ot have to do the same thing. She is willing to go to the dentist. I don't know what our options are going to be, but I want to support her and also prevent any bad side affects from happening. Has anyone gone through this? How do I help her make the best decision?
Thanks, natalie

--- In [email protected], "Angela" <argwolff@...> wrote:
>
> Hi Stephanie,
>
> What part of the medical treatment is he resisting? My oldest son got croupy with every single cold from the time he was 6mo old, but only had to go to the ER twice. My middle child rarely got croupy, but we had to take her to the ER to get her oxygen levels up on multiple occasions. Their different temperaments caused us to approach the croup and treatments differently.
>
> I can toss out some suggestions of what we did to keep them healthy while still respecting them, but it would help if I knew more about what's going on.
>
> Best,
> Angela in NJ
>
> --- In [email protected], "bellumswife77" <stefanie@> wrote:
> >
> > My youngest son is two and has croup. It's amazing to me that he can be so sick and yet so strong. We went to the ER because he was struggling to breathe (O2 levels in 60' s and 70' s). They got it up with steroids and and nebulizer treatment for croup. My son was a preemie and has been hospitalized for rsv and pneumonia. How can I respect him and get him the medical treatments he sometimes requires?
> >
> > Blessings,
> > Stefanie in AK
> >
>

Angela

Hi Natalie!

Do you have a dentist you know and trust? If not, find a good, child-friendly-though-not-patronizing dentist. I'd probably want to talk to her/him first to make sure I thought s/he would be a good match, and then have the dentist talk to Trinity about the options and risks and benefits of each one. If she knows the worst case scenario -- having to get teeth pulled -- and is still willing to go to the dentist, it sounds like she's in a good spot to make this decision on her own. And there's a chance that what may have been done as a course of routine when your husband was a child is not what they recommend now.

good luck,
Angela in NJ
with Joseph, 9; Hannah, 7; and Miriam, 4

--- In [email protected], "Natalie" <mothers_dance@...> wrote:
>
> This is just coming up for us, but a different situation. Trinity's baby teeth are not falling out, and her perm teeth are coming in behind them. she hasn't been in any discomfort until now. Her father experienced the same thing as a child. He had to get his teeth pulled. Trinity is really scared that she is going ot have to do the same thing. She is willing to go to the dentist. I don't know what our options are going to be, but I want to support her and also prevent any bad side affects from happening. Has anyone gone through this? How do I help her make the best decision?
> Thanks, natalie
>
> --- In [email protected], "Angela" <argwolff@> wrote:
> >
> > Hi Stephanie,
> >
> > What part of the medical treatment is he resisting? My oldest son got croupy with every single cold from the time he was 6mo old, but only had to go to the ER twice. My middle child rarely got croupy, but we had to take her to the ER to get her oxygen levels up on multiple occasions. Their different temperaments caused us to approach the croup and treatments differently.
> >
> > I can toss out some suggestions of what we did to keep them healthy while still respecting them, but it would help if I knew more about what's going on.
> >
> > Best,
> > Angela in NJ
> >
> > --- In [email protected], "bellumswife77" <stefanie@> wrote:
> > >
> > > My youngest son is two and has croup. It's amazing to me that he can be so sick and yet so strong. We went to the ER because he was struggling to breathe (O2 levels in 60' s and 70' s). They got it up with steroids and and nebulizer treatment for croup. My son was a preemie and has been hospitalized for rsv and pneumonia. How can I respect him and get him the medical treatments he sometimes requires?
> > >
> > > Blessings,
> > > Stefanie in AK
> > >
> >
>

Joyce Fetteroll

On Feb 22, 2012, at 10:06 AM, Natalie wrote:

> How do I help her make the best decision?

Don't think in terms of deciding. And especially not best decision.

Think in terms of giving her options so she can make choices. *Her* choices. She doesn't need to make "best" choices. Give her information so she can make better choices.

> Trinity is really scared


Because she doesn't have enough understanding. And she's filing in the gaps with fear and scary stuff.

Have a meeting with a compassionate dentist who can talk about what's involved. Let her come up with questions before hand. Write them down. (A good idea any time you're going to a doctor for a concern :-)

Joyce

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]