When we went to the doctor’s office on Thursday, our nurse practitioner repeated Minnie’s RSV and flu swabs, even though she tested negative on Tuesday. The lab batches flu and RSV tests, so sometimes we get results right away (like on Tuesday, when we got three negative results while we were still in the office), and sometimes it takes awhile. We got Thursdays results on Friday, while Dorothy and Minnie and I were getting ready to leave for the girls’ appointment.
AN ASNWER!! This is why she still feels bad and gets fevers! BECAUSE SHE ALSO HAS A VIRUS.So many layers of sickness in the last few weeks for poor Minnie!!!
Dorothy still feels kind of yucky and has either the very beginning of a bacterial ear infection or the very end of a viral one and probably also has RSV. She wasn’t swabbed since she was fever free and sounded great upon examination and is getting better. She should be able to go to school and dance on Monday! Yay!
The Rocephin shot was really good for Minnie. On Thursday, her throat was still red and covered in white spots, and her left ear was STILL INFECTED. She got the shot at 4:20pm on Thursday, and by Friday at noon her throat and ear looked great, and her breathing sounded so much better. She has not been on the wrong antibiotics, but she has maybe not been on the right doses to fight all of the infections, especially since her diagnoses have been piecemeal— an urgent care ear infection here, an urgent care strep test there, another urgent care pneumonia here, etc.
Is her pneumonia bacterial when she has a respiratory virus? Maybe? Are major antibiotics the best course of treatment no matter the answer to the previous question? Yes because she was SO SICK and had a couple of other bacterial infections going on at the same time. Am I worried about c. diff? I MEAN YOU GUYS KNOW ME BY NOW. (But will she eat the absolutely delicious kiddie probiotic gummies I bought? Of course she won’t. SHE IS THREE).
A couple takeaways:
1. Even though her nursery school is part day and caters to the SAHM crowd, people are still sending their sick kids to school because what kid DOESN’T have a cough and a runny nose right now? How many times since Halloween have I noted Minnie’s gross boogers when I picked her up on the playground??? So. I am going to be way more conservative about sending Minnie to school when she feels even a teeny bit cruddy. I thought since she was well into her ear infection antibiotics and fever-free, for example, she was OK to go to school even tough she had a snotty nose. WHERE SHE GOT RSV on top of all of the things.. Our nurse practitioner said she could go back when she has been fever-free without meds for 24 hours. I asked when she should go assuming childcare is not an issue, and she said she’d keep her home until the cough fully resolves, which could be 2-4 weeks. So the plan is to start her winter break now :)
2. I am going to do an even better job of making sure to call the doctor during business hours and requesting a pediatrician or pediatric nurse practitioner because Minnie got much better care this week versus last week’s urgent care experience. I know this is not always possible because of the timing of symptoms, etc, but I’m going to try.
I am super sad to miss her in-class holiday dance performance in her cute little preschool hip/hop and ballet class, and I feel really bad missing swimming lessons so many times in a row, but we are just going to stay home and get fully better. (She will have to come to campus with me for a meeting on Thursday but it’s going to be fine).
She still does not feel amazing, is doing a nebulizer treatment every few hours, and got a fever last night in the late afternoon. Her nose is stuffy, and she is coughing a lot. But! She is SO MUCH BETTER than she was on Tuesday-Thursday.
Matching masks at the doctor’s office
BLANKETS for the second night of Hanukkah— loving this cozy themeSo there you have it— better but not all the way and hanging in there for a weekend at home.(the nurse practitioner gave me a hug and said she was so relieved that she made the right call to not admit Minnie on Thursday and lost actual sleep over the decision, and I felt SO VALIDATED in my EXTREME worry)
Also, you guys need this TJ’s delight:
SO glad to hear Minnie is on the mend (title of a new kids' book, maybe?)!
ReplyDeleteAnd the "cozy" theme for your Hanukkah is lovely--I'm waiting to see what the rest of the week's presents will be.
This is Lisa. I am so glad Minnie is starting to feel better! Phew! And it’s great that you can keep her out of school for an even longer break to make sure she doesn’t pick up some other virus. I wish we were able to do this but we are so busy at work that we had to send taco back as soon as he was well enough/fever free. But he was home for over a week since he got sick over Thanksgiving. I can’t really do my job with taco around since I have so many client meetings. I am really hoping the worst is behind us and we get a nice long break from viruses - and I hope for the same for you guys!!
ReplyDeleteGaaahhhhh RSV!! Been there, last year. Not fun, but you did all the right things! Hugs!
ReplyDeleteSarah, I have been thinking about you guys non stop. I am so glad you have an answer, and tears about that wonderful nurse practitioner who lost sleep over Minnie. God bless those amazing health care workers who care and have so much compassion. Okay, so she is on the mend - yes, sad to miss the holiday stuff and swimming, etc., but once she is fully better, it will be so great. Shit, it's already December 9, why not start winter break. If you can swing it, why not. I hope that this means she will have an immune system of STEEL after all this. Big hugs, Sarah, caring for such a sick little one is so hard. Oh! And sweet Dorothy! I am so glad she's doing better too.
ReplyDeleteOf course you know I love your matching masks.
So glad the PNP figured it all out. I think your plan going forward to get the peds people is the right move. Yeah, it won't be all the time, but if you can tilt things in that direction, do it. (And also... the fact that the NP lost sleep over it just says to me what a wonderful practitioner she is...) Go, rocephin, go Sarah, and go Minnie. You did right by your kiddos this week. I hope you get some sleep. <3
ReplyDeleteAn answer finally... but what an ordeal. I hope Minnie is on the right treatment now and it'll go up from here on out!! Fingers crossed.
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad you finally have some answers and that the combo of antibiotics is FINALLY offering some relief. Poor Minnie, poor you, poor everyone in your family. What a horrible, long stretch of illness.
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad she's able to have an extended break from preschool to give her immune system a break and hope it doesn't make things too chaotic on your end with wrapping things up at work before the holiday!
Sending hugs <3
Oh hooray. It sounds like things are progressing in a positive direction (FINALLY) and Minnie is getting better. Poor little thing! I'm sure she'll be happy to be home with you for some extra vacation time. Good call not to send her back to her preschool- the last thing you want is her being exposed to SOMETHING ELSE right now. This way she can heal up and be healthy for Christmas.
ReplyDeleteOh my goodness- I’m so sorry you’re all having such a rough time! Best wishes for a speedy recovery! Xo Ricki
ReplyDeletePediatrician here. You are so making the right call about trying to get in with the pediatrics office whenever possible, particularly with a kid as young as Minnie. The vast majority of urgent care providers (whether doctor or nurse practitioner or physician assistant) have very little training with kids compared to even a brand-new pediatrician. I've seen a LOT of kids following up after urgent care mis-management.
ReplyDelete