Friday, November 21, 2008

Ugh The Bug Is Here

Gameboy and Bossyboy are pretty much down and out with a cold. We haven't been "plagued" ever.
I know what your thinking. Your kids have never been sick ever? Technically yes and maybe no.
Gameboy and Wonderboy have pretty much had perfect attendance since kindergarten, despite maybe a 24 hour stomach bug. They've never been home sick due to a cold.
I know it's crazy.
Bossyboy has been plagued with ear infections all his infancy, but never an actual cold, that I can remeber at least.
They have been in daycare 95% of their life. Exposed to germs and everything else and never been sick with a cold. Stomach bug doesn't count and it didn't happen but maybe twice a year.
You think I'm bragging don't you?
I have a theory (2 theories actually) and you will probably roll your eyes.
Theory one- since they have been exposed to so many kids and germs through daycare and school for so long, they've become somewhat immune. Plus the daycare was excellent about constant disinfection.
Theory two- They lived in East Texas since infancy. A little note about East Texas, it's probably the holy grail for allergies. Pollen, Pine trees, and more pollen. Somehow maybe with a mix of day care germs and pine and pollen they were able to endure super immunity.
Now your saying ok so what changed? Alot
Their bodies have not been exposed to those germs to help their body build constant immunity and now the immunity has died. There are no trees here at all (sad really, I miss my pines) and we haven't been around other kids at all except when the boys go to school.
There's a different strain of germ here that they've never been exposed to.
It could also be that my house is not quite as disinfected as say the daycare..but we wont go into that theory.
I think that when I was home with the oldest two when they were babies, we were sick more and yes had colds. The preemie doesn't count, he had his own issues. This was before school and daycare. No immunity was built.
That's my theory and I'm stickin to it.

Luckily school is out all next week and I'm hoping that they can beat it and not spread it. Time to break out the Lysol.
On that note. I'm not the greatest expert when dealing with colds. Due to my lack of experience.
Do you let a cold run its course, when do you say ok time to see the doc? Keep the cough syrup coming? Is there some kids type cold medicine that works great? Tell me oh Internets I heed your advice.

*Updated*
You should read Shayla's comment about cough medicine. She knows what she's talking about. She's an ear doc.
Look at her getting in the groove of the blog/comment thing.
PS Here's my poor baby. We are watching Scooby for the 2nd time today. Something tells me it wont be the last time today either.

PSS Do you see the black and yellow object below. That would be the dog trying to talk Bossyboy into some throw the ball. Just in case you were wondering.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

I think even just moving can cause a kid's immune system to go out of wack a bit, and I think you are right about being exposed to more can build up an immunity.

I don't have a ton of experience with colds but I *think* as long as they can breathe okay and they are keeping things down you can probably let it run it's course without calling the doctor.

Anonymous said...

I think your theories are correct!

My simple piece of advice:

Since a cold is simply a virus, there is no point in spending even a copay to see a doc for it. There is absolutely nothing that they can do at this point. A cold can sometimes cause a secondary infection i.e. ear infection, sinus infection, breathing trouble. Now those things need to be treated, but they don't usually happen until the "cold" is pretty much over. Anything that goes on past 14 days, you can suspect has moved into a secodary issue. This past year the Academy of Pediatrics issued a statement saying even cough meds and other cold meds are pointless and they actually recommended that all be taken off the shelf. I was so glad to hear this, b/c this is what I have thought all along. There is nothing better than a little bit of Tylenol to ease the aches and some warm green tea to loosen the secretions! My boys love it and they feel so pampered. I will rarely ever give them any other meds. Basically, a cough syrup has to have a narcotic (such as codeine) in it to have any true effect on suppressing a cough. They don't give that to kiddos! Now we can see why they used to give sicks kids a drink of whiskey and put them to bed!

tracey.becker1@gmail.com said...

Cool. So, we can give them whiskey?? I like that remedy.

I don't take them to the dr for a cold, but if ever I look at my kid and feel scared, I know I need to call someone. It helps to have a doctor that will actually TALK to you on the phone instead of insisting you come in.

Krista said...

This is exactly why I love the fact that my best friend is a nurse and one of my hubby's good friends is an ER doc!
My son gets colds all the time. We go to church and play group and the gym and Bible study and it seems like he has a cold every other week. So, I don't know about the building up the immunity thing... is there a point when they stop getting sick so much?

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