It's not the pox

Having had to take Holly out of nursery early yesterday due to suspected chickenpox, Sue has clarified - via a doctor's appointment this morning - that it is not actually the pox. The doctor confirmed what Sue and I THOUGHT it was - heat rash. The bumps apparently don't conform to what the pox would resemble and they weren't all over her body.

This is good news for all involved - but does emphasise how this heat wave is taking it's toll on poor Holly. Even though she's not "poxy", she's still listless, grumpy, has a upset stomach and seems to break out grizzling for no reason. All, apparently, symptoms of being stinking hot.

At the behest of my mum, it really does sound like a good time to invest in an A/C unit for the house.

Chickenpox for Holly

Got a call today from Busy Bees that Holly potentially has chickenpox.

She's been quite moody and crabby the last couple of days, and this would explain her foul mood. I had to race home to pick her up before my call today at 2pm.

I still swear she's had chickenpox before, but I was told that depending on how mild she had it the previous time, she could get it again.

Wonderful.

She's currently quite placid and sleeping, so a little better off than she was the last couple of days.

Emily's Detox Fever

The last 24 hours has seen Emily flush, quite lethargic and very feverish (and not for the flavour of a Pringle!) - to the point where she's asleep again right now ... at 4pm.

We've had her on her second round of homeopathic cleansing (part of the CEASE therapy that is recommended for Autistic people - depending on who you talk to) to rid her of the effects of vaccinations.

The first round of the CEASE therapy, to repair the effects of any antibiotics Sue might have taken while preggers with Ems didn't really garner any results (apart from loose poops from too much vitamin C) and we were really not convinced this latest round would produce any either.

Personally, I'm taking the fever as a good sign that this therapy is working. I just hope for Em's sake it subsides soon as you really don't wanna be burning up any longer than you need to. We have Calpol at the ready and are administering that and water as needed.

Em's also well into her gluten-free diet now, so I don't know if any of this is a result from that. I'd hate to think so as it's really not a terrific advertisement for going gluten-free: a raging fever.

Holly gone done be ill, like

She's been teething for ages and wearing all the hallmarks of that process like a trooper, but after last night it's occurred to Sue and I that Holly is actually ill.

She's been dribbling and having "pink cheek" like any teething baby, even a touch of warmth on her forehead. Last night though, she was restless, really really warm and kept hocking up all we gave her, usually accompanied by coughing fits.

Sue took her to the doctor today and she's actually got a chest infection. In the grand scheme of what we've endured this year, this is really nothing in comparison, but to see the usually happy joyful little Holly reduced to an exhausted listless mess is not nice.

I guess this is all in anticipation of all the wonderful bugs she'll pick up when she starts nursery properly from next week.

"Illness" and language delay

I THINK Emily's ill (maybe).

I don't know for sure as she can't communicate it to me. It's a bit like trying to diagnose a family pet - she's got a runny nose, screams when she eats and cries when she drinks, but she can't tell me if there's anything specifically wrong. She's not hot, per se, but she is warm and looks for cuddles when she's crying (which is quite often).

My 10 cent diagnosis is she has a sore throat. She can't tell me this, so I have to do my best Sherlock Holmes impression. Toast, which is rough, set her off when she had a bite. Apple juice, which isn't rough was OK. She did crack a mental when I proposed to dribble raisins on her cereal though... what the hell is that all about?

Again, she could either be ill with a sore throat (to go with the runny nose) or she could just be cranky and indignant.

Either way, it didn't stop her spilling a cup of apple juice on my parents' leather sofa. At least I could communicate to HER how annoyed I was at that.

Ill again.

Today was up and down.

When Em and I got home, we went through her "100 words" book. Using my finger as a pointer, she actually pointed out wheat and said the word.

Where the hell did that come from?

She got a few other words too, which are par for the course for her right now - milk, eggs, bread, cow, dog, etc. It's funny, about 6 months ago those words would have been major milestones, like wheat was today. Now they're expected. Hopefully we'll see enough progress from Em that in 6 months time, "wheat" will see insignificant.

The night went quickly downhill.

Em's been quite ill lately with a cold. Tonight when she went to bed (having fallen asleep on the sofa) she actually started screaming, in what I assume is pain. A few drops of Calpol later and she seemed to calm down. About an hour later, it was all stations Emily again as she woke herself up screaming. A few MORE drops of Calpol and she's (currently) fast asleep.

Vomit times

We went into town today for a number of reasons. Mainly that I had to get a new coat with a credit note Sue had (my Christmas gift wasn't the right one).

We went to a Mexican restaurant in Covent Garden for lunch and then I treated myself to a few minutes browsing in Fopp.

Then the day went DOWN HILL.

When I came to pay for my goods, I couldn't find Sue or Em anywhere. A quick call from Sue and I found them in the lift, along with a pool of sick courtesy of Em.

The good people of Fopp were incredibly understanding, and in hindsight, it was better in a little used lift instead of all over product they might actually be able to shift.

We dressed Em in my coat, I wore my new coat and we headed off.

Emily, obviously under the influence of some horrid stomach bug, did not limit her wretching to Fopp's lift. We also managed to get a 38 bus soiled, just outside of Victoria station. This time, my new coat was also victim to the guttural stream of delight (as was my current coat which Em was wearing at the time).

When we got home, thinking - foolishly in hindsight - that all was well, we now have half our settee drying by the radiator having had a cushion mopped down to get rid of the sick.

At times like these you really want to point blame and yell at someone. Especially when you're nice, expensive brand new blazer is yacked on and you've not even owned it for four hours.

Like anyone being ill, it's not Emily's fault and I find myself angry at fate or myself.

Of course, Sue and I are really only concerned with her staying hydrated and getting better. We don't really want her going to bed in her bed as choking on vomit can be quite lethal - as we just watched a character in Breaking Bad die that way.

Here's hoping our collective Sunday isn't as brutally horrific as today has been.

Fever turns to rash

Sue and I MAY becoming those types of parents. You know the kind, every little problem is all of a sudden life threatening - her weekend fever MUST mean she has swine flu.

Today Emily woke up with a rash which was one of the questions NHS Direct asked us over the weekend when we phoned. I looked it up on the NHS Direct symptoms guide and tiny red pin prick rash was something they tried to rule out for meningitis.

So Emily's gone from almost (not really) having swine flu to now having meningitis.

NHS Direct feel it's probably whatever virus which caused the fever flailing around in its dying embers... or allergies. Although they did recommend she stay away from anyone with a distressed immune system.

I've already got a doctor's appointment booked for 11am, so I'm going to go down with her.

She's in really high spirits at the moment, although she's rather pale and thin from not really having eaten over the weekend.

I assume all is well and she'll be back with Helen by lunchtime.

UPDATE: Went to the doctor's at 11am and after a very brief review of Emily's symptoms, we got the all clear. It's just the last embers of the fever virus working their way out. Emily's still drained, listless and tired but she's definitely on the mend.

Related articles

• Emily DEFINITELY has the fever (bubbytimes.blogspot.com)

Emily DEFINITELY has the fever

Emily stayed home with Sue yesterday as she wasn't feeling well.

When I got home, I found them both in bed feeling rather exhausted. Emily was incredibly HOT! You could have fried an egg on her, she was that warm. 

We drip fed her Calpol and a few bits of food - blueberries, crisps ... the things she loves so we know she'd eat. 

Around 2am I got awoken by Sue asking to help with Em. She wouldn't take her next dose of Calpol and wasn't cooling down. Her hands were hot, her feet were hot. It wasn't good.

We were on the phone on and and off with NHS Direct, those guardian angels of healthcare, until about 3am ruling out meningitis and going through the procedures we needed to follow - make sure she DOES take her medicine, keep the room cool for her, etc.

People get sick. People of all ages get sick. It's a fact of life. However, while we were on the phone trying to get to the bottom of Em's illness and find out what to do next, my entire brain was screaming "swine flu" for a number of reasons not least being an acquaintance of Sue's recently lost her 5 year old child to the virus on Christmas Day. I was trying to hold off my paranoia and let the nurse on the phone do her thing. 

I still don't think Em's out of the woods, but at least she's taking fluids now (something she refused at 8 am this morning). She's lying in bed not moving, and occasionally singing lines from her songs. She's not in bad spirits, I just wish the same could be said for her body.

Related articles

• NHS Direct 'at breaking point': Flu patients waiting 2 days for help (dailymail.co.uk)
• Pneumonia tragedy of girl sent home by three doctors who told parents to give her calpol (dailymail.co.uk)
• Swine flu: Deaths double to 112 as parents of victim, 3, want all children to get vaccine (dailymail.co.uk)
• Swine flu: Doctor's daughter Lana Ameen, 3, too young for jab dies (dailymail.co.uk)

Emily's got the fever

I picked up Emily from Fennies last night and she was in some new clothes as I was told she was really warm.

She was quite quiet and listless last night and actually fell asleep WHILE I was making her dinner.

Through the night, Sue went to the loo and opened the door to Emily's shining face. An hour later, they both finally got back to sleep. This was 4am.

At 7:00am, I could hear Emily singing to herself, oblivious of the fact that she was awake three hours earlier.

When I went to get Emily she was so hot, I could have dried clothes on her.

Needless to say, she's staying home with Sue today.

There's been a lot of talk and horror stories about the flu lately, and someone Sue knows has lost a child to it already, so there's a bit of paranoia that's probably worth holding on to at the moment. Unlike other things in my life, Emily really isn't very replaceable so I need to make sure I keep hold of this model.

Ineffectual parenting?

Yesterday when I picked Emily up from Helen's, she was tired and listless and not feeling well.

When we got home, I received an early Christmas present - 45 minutes of non-stop crying, fidgeting, runny nose and other actions you would associate with someone who is ill.

All my protestations of "C'mon Em, I know you're ill, it's going to be okay" couldn't resolve the fact that she was tired, achy, felt like crap and had a nose tap switched on that would not turn off.

There's not much you can do in these situations - administer Calpol, wipe the nose and make them comfortable. It just makes you feel useless that there's this little creature obviously in large amounts of distress and you have to sit (almost) idly by and just let it happen.

Short of taking her to the doctors every time this happens, I guess letting it happen is just what I need to do.

Emily the cougher

I woke up this morning around 4.30am to the sound of Emily and some incessant coughing. It was one of those uncontrollable barrages you never wish on anyone.

I gave her a drink and kept her upright - or as upright as you can keep a child you also want to keep asleep.

When I went back in about 45 minutes, she had some odd white drool all over her mouth.

Letting her lie in a bit this morning, she was as right as rain for breakfast, and seemed quite sprightly when we walked to Fennies from the car. Being upright seems to have cleared whatever horrid phlegm that was blocking her chest. I just hope she's in better sorts when she goes to bed tonight.

Emily's full on toddler ill

Those green candle sticks Em was growing yesterday have turned into full blown "ill toddler" today. I had to pick her up early from Helen's as she was crying and holding her ears more than usual.

She's a bit spotty and incredibly listless and limp, and has a cough and just looks the picture of ill child.

I've booked an appointment with the doctor tomorrow morning, so until then it's a steady diet of In The Night Garden, sips of water and baby jollop.

Just hope she doesn't give it to Sue or I.

Head colds in children

Emily's got the candlesticks streaming from her nose at the moment as she's got a bit of a head cold.

Normally we adults would blow our nose, or at least wipe it when the green groolies are creeping down giving us a "snot-tache". Emily, however, has her own trick. She wipes the crap out of it, smearing it all over so it effectively becomes hair gel.

I'm just wondering at what point she'll actually realise this is not a cool thing to do, AND at what point will she actually figure out how to blow her nose.

There's always SOMETHING else to teach them. I was worried about (and still am) teaching her to spit after brushing her teeth... now this. I need a win at some point.

Ill child and work

Last night Emily wasn't herself and we put it down to being overtired.

This morning she woke up hotter than the sun and incredibly listless. I wasn't all that sure what was wrong with her until she vomited down herself.

This proposed quite a quandry - how do I handle to situation? I can't take her to the child minders as no one wants to look after Barfy. I also can't go to work due to point one. Do I have to use this as a sick day for work? As a holiday? Is there a statutory child illness pot of days I can dip into?

I'd love to get some feedback on this.

As much as Sue and I are quite independent, it's times like this that really hammer home the importance of a support network. I'm not saying fob a child off on nana and grandad at the first sign of trouble, but close friends etc. who could share the "burden" if you will.

As it is, I'm trying to work from home and sod's law being what it is, Emily's listlessness has turned itself around and she's now wide-eyed, awake and running around the house, albeit with a temperature and very pink cheeks.

My biggest concern today however remains, I am currently out of coffee.

Tonsillitis one day can be chicken pox the next?

Having fed Emily this evening, apart from her puffy collapsed eye, I also noticed some spots her forehead. I figured these must be dirty pore zit type things and proceeded to wash her (perceived) grubby face.

It wasn't until I went to change her nappy that I noticed similar spots "down below". Lifting her onesie, I was slightly horrified to see that her chest was covered in lovely spots.

This discovery has led me to one of two conclusions - she's either allergic to penicillin (I was asked by the pharmacist when I got Emily prescription from this morning's trip to the doctor), or she has chicken pox. The only real positive I'm seeing at the moment is I was right when I thought she didn't have tonsillitis.

I guess we'll tell what's really going on soon enough when her spots either turn cloudy or she goes into anaphelactic shock.

Emily's throat and puffy eye

Emily's been feeling under the weather the last couple of days - streaming nose, red sore bum - which I put down to teething, especially with the amazingly rosy cheeks of late.

Today, however, her illness upped it's game. Emily woke up with a puffy, closed eye more resembling a boxer than my under two year old daughter.

I quickly packed her off to the doctor to see what the dickens was up with her condition and was told that she has tonsillitis. This is probably one of the more unexpected diagnoses I've been delivered of late, especially when all the symptoms - barring the eye - point to teething and that I associate tonsillitis with teenagers in hospital beds getting fat on ice cream.

We were prescribed a couple of different things - neither of which Emily is happily to have administered to her - and hopefully she'll be on the mend soon.

Through it all, apart from not eating, her disposition has been quite upbeat. Long may it continue.

She's illin'!

There's something wrong with Em. She's really docile and isn't moving all that much. It could be a number of things - jetlag, heat stroke, coming down with mummy's cold, etc.

It's rough being ill on holiday and she really has no concept of jetlag - although she's gone through it enough, with trips to Europe, Seattle, Toronto, and Oz all under her tiny little belt. We've given her Calpol in the hopes it will keep her (tiny) fever down and bring her back to perkiness.

Watch this space.

Emily not doing so good

So I DID take Em to the doctor today after all. Katharine called and said that her temperature had shot up, so I went to collect her and raced to the doctor to ensure there was nothing drastically wrong with her.

Turns out she has a mild chest infection. I got a scrip for some meds and spent about 30 mins waiting for her "bag of help" at Tesco's chesmist. This photo was taken as we waited for her drugs, she not a happy or well bunny.

Still, the doc said as soon as her jollop was administered, she should feel much better.

It's been about an hour now and she's cooled down and doesn't seem so listless.

Vomit damnit

Em's not really been herself the last day or so. Last night at Costco, she was leaning on my hand in the trolley ready for sleeps. This was around 6.30p, sleeps aren't until around 8.15p. I put it down to just general tiredness.

Today I picked her up from Katharine's, to find out that she'd had three sleeps and had just been woken up when I stopped by for pick up. On top of that she was really really warm.

On the way home, she was gagging a bit like she had a fur ball. I felt this odd, but nothing more. When we got home, she had two blueberries and that gag reflex ended up covering me in a melange of white spew and vegetables.

A quick hose down (and dose of jollop) later, and Em was in better spirits than she'd been for ages.

It's funny now I'm a parent, I really worry about things like heat stroke and the flu, etc. When I was free and single I used to scorn those parents who'd take little Johnny to the hospital for every little thing. I don't think I'd rush Em anywhere for anything, but it's made me think twice about dismissing every ailment that comes her little way.

Update: Based on what Katharine said today, I think Em may have a bout of heat stroke. Consulting the web (as one does), I've found this "Sometimes babies can have a heat stroke due to over exposure to the sun. The common symptoms are vomiting, listlessness, headaches and drowsiness. Give your baby plenty of fluids and consult your doctor immediately."

She DID vomit, and she WAS drowsy. Not too sure about the others.

Having called NHS Direct, I got the "don't bother us if you're not dying, as we're terribly busy" message, so we'll wait out the night and see how she is in the morn.