probably influenza...

I talked with my cousin yesterday. She said that her son had the same symptoms as our kids and that the doctor told her the same exact things that they told us to do.

Here are the kids' symptoms:
--I. started a fever on Friday (well, it may have been before that time, but I didn't take a temp. until Friday morning.). She was 102.5 in one ear and 103 in the other. The doctor said, "She sounds clear. She has a virus. She'll have a fever for 3-5 days. Watch her VERY, Very carefully! Switch the motrin and tylenol every three hrs. and tepid baths* past the belly button to control the fever." Then, she high-tailed it out of there (she's a talker, so this wasn't very normal).

So, Sunday comes along and now H. and A. also have it. (So, we didn't just ditch church for no reason.) I treat them with the advil, since that worked for I., but A.'s fever persisted so we are doing tylenol and advil with her. I had to give all three tepid fever-reducing baths last night.

Every three hours I had an alarm set on my phone for taking temperatures and giving meds. During the night, I.'s temp stayed around 99, so I didn't give her advil. H. needed advil once. A. needed advil and tylenol all night and I needed to give warm water compresses to evaporate the fever, too (I didn't think she'd go for a bath in the middle of the night twice).

This morning, I woke up with the alarm again and went to do my rounds with the thermometer (thankfully we have the ear one...I can't even imagine having to put the thermometer under the arm that many times). I. was around 100. A. was about 101. H. was 104.5. SO, back to the bath.

I called the doctor to get more appropriate instructions and this is what I learned...just in case we get influenza A (I assume it is because my cousin's son had the test) again, I want it documented in a better place than on the back of some random paper.

Here goes:
if fever is above 102.5, give a DOUBLE dose of advil.
after 3 hrs., if fever is persisting, give SINGLE dose of tylenol.
after 3 more hrs., if over 102.5, give a DOUBLE dose of advil.
repeat.

If, the fever continues for more than 5 days or isn't getting lower each time it is treated (by meds or tepid baths or warm water compresses) then you need to go back in.

If the cough that comes with it persists and isn't just from the throat like post-nasal drip, go in for a bronchitis test.

If diarrhea, nausea, cough, etc. come on, too, then call.


When asked about meds that they can take, this is what I learned:

Continue with the allergy meds.
Treat the post-nasal drip.
Treat the cough to avoid pneumonia...pulmacort and xopenex 2xs daily for a week and then wean.


Crappy, huh?


Oh, and one more thing...no contact with other kids for 7 days. So, we won't be seeing you for a while...and thankfully, we didn't go anywhere this week (except soccer, but there's no contact in soccer, right?????)


*tepid bath = 97-99 degree bath past the belly button for 20 minutes, or until the fever has dropped a degree. Do this when the fever is over 102.5