I wanted to share with you our story of struggling with health issues with Kayla. Now this isn’t a story of any major illness or disease that others have to struggle with. This is so minor in comparison to 99% of the child health issues I read about daily. But it is our story and a huge part of our family. I am hoping this will help one of you that might have a child with repeated sickness. I haven’t talked any about Kayla’s low immunity issues because I thought it was normal and I didn’t want to come off as a complainer. All kids get sick – I totally get that. But when Kayla gets sick, she gets real sick. She doesn’t bounce back quick at all. And then once she is sick she gets repeated colds, ear infections, and flus over and over again. I am hoping our story might help one of you.
Kayla age 4
On January 19, 2009, God brought our family a new member – Kayla Elizabeth. Many of you have been reading my blog and remember that day. Her big brother Isaac was so excited to have another little person around our house. That first year of life was pretty normal. She adjusted well to life in our house and made all the normal milestones that babies make. Since this will probably come up as a question – yes she was a breastfed baby.
Around 9 months she got her first cold . It is so sad to see a baby struggle to breath being all stuffy and snotty. We did everything we knew to do to help her get better. We took her to our family doctor and he gave us some tips to help make her feel comfortable while her body fought off the illness. Two weeks later she was still sick and it seemed like she was getting worse and worse. So we went back to the doctor and he put her on her first antibiotic. I didn’t know much about antibiotics or the effects of them and I blindly trusted that this was the correct course of action. I took antibiotics as a kid and I came out fine. Meanwhile, she was not a happy camper…
So we started our first round of antibiotics. Within a few days her symptoms weakened and she was on the mend. About a week later she was back to her happy, cuddly self.
She was fine for about three weeks and then the cold came back again followed by an ear infection. Ugh! We went back to the doctor and he put her on another round of antibiotics. The same set of circumstances ensued and she was fine a week later. This process happened over and over for about 6 months and 9 antibiotics later. She went from cold to ear infection overnight it seemed. Then the doctors went from Amoxicillin to Augmentin and then finally they wanted to put tubes in her ears. I had no idea that by putting her on antibiotic after antibiotic I was actually weakening here not strengthening her. That is definitely one of my biggest regrets.
So at around 14 months of age Kayla had tubes in her ears. That seemed to be the ticket we were looking for. She didn’t have another ear infection for like 6 months. However, within 9 months Kayla was sick again and back on antibiotics. I was told by a doctor that her body was forming an immunity to the antibiotics so we had to go stronger. They finally wanted to put her on steroids. There was no way I was going to put my 2 1/2 year old on steroids.
She was so sick at this point. She had a cold, ear infection and eczema covering her chest, back, the crooks of her arms and the back of her knees.
That is when I said enough is enough. This isn’t working. I am not putting my kid on steroids. Doing what we were currently doing wasn’t working. I was so tired of watching her struggle and I felt like her little full-of-life personality was being affected by it. She was becoming crabby, defiant and withdrawn. So that is when I became a woman on a mission. A frantic woman who was desperate to find someone, something or some way of making her daughter healthy. I started doing research trying to figure out some alternative to the hamster wheel we were on to help my beautiful baby girl …
I am going to guess you had her checked for allergies. My son’s allergies were diagnosed at about 3 or 4 years old. He was allergic to everything except dust (thankfully!). He had tubes put in in 3rd grade. He had allergy shots from 4 years old to this past January (he is 15 now). He was also diagnosed with asthma but never had the classic symptoms. After that many years being on the allergy shots, claritin and two inhalers each and every day, he now is pretty much allergy free and not taking any meds.
I’m on antibiotics right now and the doctor strongly warned me to take a probiotic every day and eat lots of yogurt to help my immune system bounce back quicker. What I was told is that when you take an antibiotic, it weakens your immune system for about 6 months. Crazy that to fight sickness and infection we have to weaken our immune systems, huh? Hopefully your story has a happy ending for Kayla!
WOW Beckie… I had no idea that antibiotics could do that. I’m so sorry that Kayla has had to go through that. It’s so easy to blindly trust our Dr’s, but we’re lucky we live in an age that we can finally do some research ourselves! I can’t wait to hear about how your Mamma Bear came out to resolve things.
Sharing stories is what helps others find answers. Just by reading little miss momma’s story of how her oldest had his adenoids taken out so he could sleep better was exactly what my friend needed for her 2 year old son who woke up 8 times a night. My friend would’ve never known had I not happened to read and send along LMM’s story.
Thanks for sharing, I look forward to reading more!
I’m anxiously waiting the rest of the story!!!! My son was really sick but his body fought it off. We put our few month old on a short bout of antibiotics but it was recommended by a lot of people because she was so young and having hard time breathing. (we do not like putting chemicals into our bodies unless necessary) It’s all hindsight and you did what you thought was best at the time, your story will help a lot of people I’m sure! Can’t wait to hear! Be Encouraged!!!! Your family is beautiful.
I just wanted to say thanks for sharing your story. A lot of what you are describing resonates with me and memories of my own childhood. And then again with memories of the (thankfully few) times my children got sick. They are 4 and 23 months now – it is the absolute worst feeling in the world to have a sick baby who is too young to even tell you what hurts. Despite how much we’ve advanced in medicine and technology the only thing you can do when a baby gets sick (at least at first) is to just wait and see. It makes a parent feel both helpless and anxious. My heart goes out to you for having to endure that for so long. I hope that your family found a solution and wish you all the best.
Beckie!
This sounds so much like my Austin. We were constantly given antibiotics and I knew we could not keep that up or he would form a resistance and have nothing to fall back on later in life if he needed them. He had constant ear infections and I practically had to stomp my foot and demand tubes be put in his ears. Lucky for us and him, that seemed to do the trick. He did require an additional set, but continued on being healthy.
Curious to see what ended up working for you! Shannon
My sister had similar issues with my niece who is now 23; changed over to special milk (can’t remember the type) and she became a new little person! She now is fighting yeast off and on, has to be careful with sugar or she has flare-ups, gets dizzy and nauseous when overstimulated by sounds or visuals. Good luck with your journey.
I am interested to see the rest of your story.
Aaaaw Beckie:( it’s just not fun to have a sick baby, especially for so long. I’m intrigued to hear the rest of her story. On a side note: I was a very sick baby myself, to the point where I’d get sudden high fevers (like 105) and almost pass out, eyes rolled back, the works! This would happen every few weeks-my parents and the hospital staff were like bff’s. Finally they removed my tonsils at age 3 and I’ve never gotten that bad again. Praying for your family and will be back again to read more of little Kayla’s story.
Oh how frustrating! I had an especially grumpy baby, but luckily he kind of outgrew it. It wasn’t really related to anything we could pinpoint. Hopefully sharing your story will help others. Will be back to hear the rest. XO
No illness with our kiddos is easy. I’m so sorry she’s struggling and that you as Mommy have had to witness it. Nothing breaks out hearts like our babies hurting – in any way. Mine are grown and it doesn’t get one little bit easier.
I’m sorry your daughter has such a tough time Becky. I am wondering if she has ever been tested for food intolerances and even celiac disease. I have recently discovered that I have many food intolerances (gluten, dairy, egg, almonds, garlic as the main ones) and these intolerances can wreak havoc on the body and the immune system. Skin conditions such as eczema/psoriasis can be brought about by intolerances to food or even as I mentioned (celiac disease). I hope you daughter is able heal and feel better soon!
I unfortunately feel your pain. I myself have struggled with this same issue, only as an adult. When the swine flu/H1N1 virus came around a few years back, I got infected my my students (I teach 7th grade) and was *thisclose* to being hospitalized. For a couple years after that, I was endlessly sick, on massive doses of antibiotics, to the point of having a hep-lock put into my hand two separate times to get IV antibiotics and steroids for two months. Then I was on Augmentin, 4x a day, 1000 mg at a time for two months. Thankfully I found an immunologist who figured out my immune system and I’m finally a LOT better. I’m so sorry that your little girl has had to go through all of this. It was miserable as an adult, so I can’t even imagine having to go through it as a tiny little thing. She must be a strong little girl. I look forward to reading more and I hope you guys have figured it all out!
xoxo
I’m hoping as your story progresses that you have found the answers you need, but my son had a similar experience and we finally found mold in the house. I had other issues all my life and went to a Naturopath whose appointments we very through and through diet testing found out I had food sensitivities that would never had shown up on regular medical testing.
Best luck to your family and I hope this all has a happy ending
I also have a daughter named Kayla Elizabeth! She suffered multiple ear infections and had tubes put in at 2 and again at age 9. We had our daughter tested and found out she was allergic to milk and nuts. I am so sorry your daughter suffered so. Looking forward to hearing the rest of the story.
Hi Beckie, I am so sorry your little girl has had to deal with all of this. I had a year and a half of ear and sinus infections – antibiotic after antibiotic – the flu in Dec, pneumonia in Feb, you name it, I got it. It’s been awful. I couldn’t take it anymore, and since everyone thought I just had chronic sinusitis, I had sinus surgery in January. Didn’t help a bit. Finally, at an allergy testing in May (b/c no one else could figure me out), the allergist sent me to get bloodwork done to check my immune system. Turns out, my body had stopped making antibodies, and I was diagnosed with Common Variable Immunodeficiency, an autoimmune disorder. I have to get weekly injections of gamma gobulin for the rest of my life, but my IgG numbers (which were almost non-existent) are climbing since treatments and I’m starting to feel better, for the first time in almost 2 years. You never know who your story will reach or help, so I thought I’d share mine, for whatever it’s worth. Had that allergist not sent me in to check my blood levels, I’d still be miserable right now. God bless!
What a beautiful family you have! I am sure you story is going to be helpful to many! thanks for sharing:)
I’m very interested in the rest of your story. It sounds very similar to the story of my boys (now 4 & 2). We see a pediatric allergist immunologist regularly now after being poked and prodded awake and not awake, blood draws etc etc. I agree we have not by any means touched on the trials and tribulations it seems so many other families go through, but it been trying and heart-wrenching for us.
Oh, how I hate to hear about a child suffering. I have no idea what is ailing your baby, but I know that for all of my life I have been severely intolerant of gluten. It manifested in other ways; I had trouble focusing, I was difficult and moody.
I was not diagnosed with celiac disease until I was 45 year old! Doctors kept chasing symptoms even though I always said most food made me sick. I was told I had a blood disorder combined with early heart disease. I was even given lithium (which I flushed down the drain).
Imagine my joy in finding out that all I needed to do was never eat anything with gluten again. I hope your daughter’s remedy is as simple. Today, immunity issues and almost all other health issues have disappear.
The only thing that lingers is my distrust of the entire medical profession.
Wow, I am sorry to hear it took so long to finally get a correct diagnosis. My husband’s grandmother has Celiac Disease also, and I know the dietary restrictions can be quite annoying, especially when dining out. However, how much better than blood disorder and heart disease. Thanks for sharing!
I am so sorry to hear that, Carissa. Please stay tuned to Kayla’s story, as you may find it helpful for your boys.
Thank you so much, Bee!
Thank you for sharing, Liz, and I am glad to hear you are finally feeling better. I can only imagine how awful it must be to feel miserable all the time. Ugh!
Wow, how crazy! The Elizabeth is named after her Mimi, my husband’s sweet sweet grandmother.
I am glad I can say we have found answers, and I am excited to share them. Stay tuned! 😉
Thanks for sharing, Michelle. I can’t wait to share the rest of Kayla’s story with you all.
Thank you. Carrie. Stay tuned to hear the rest of Kayla’s story!
You are soooo right, Sher. It is the worst. 🙁
I am excited to share and definitely hope it makes a difference for others. Thanks, Christy!
Wow, I cannnot even imagine dealing with that as a parent. Thank you so much for your prayers!
Thanks, Julie. Stay tuned!
Thank you, Mary Ann!
Yeah, I really wish I had known about the effect of all the antibiotics earlier. Fortunately, we have finally found something else that is working, which I am excited to share with you all. Stay tuned!
Thanks, Holli. It is definitely heartbreaking to have a sick baby, mostly for us mommas. 😉
Thank you so much! 🙂
Thank you for reading, Mindy!
Ha! That’s a pretty accurate analogy. 🙂
Your poor Kayla! I was that kid growing up. Usually around 8-9 ear infections a year, 6-7 cases of strep/tonsillitis a year and a few colds, sometimes the flu. It was misery!!! What didn’t help was I am allergic to two of the main antibiotic groups, so many times I just had to suffer through it so I wouldn’t build the immunity to the few antibiotics I could take. I had my tonsils taken out and that helped me tremendously. As an adult, I have come to realize that I cannot eat processed food very well. The better I eat, the less often I am sick. If I have a stressed out week where I eat like crap, I will be sick the following week. It’s crazy! I hope you have found out what helps your kiddo.
Wow Beckie, I’m really interested in hearing what you did. We’re military and move around a lot & a few years ago we were stationed in Kansas for a year-the entire year there my boys were sick as dogs…it was horrible. Sever excema, constant ear infections, every flu bug within a ten mile radius. We finally figured out that they were allergic to something and it lowered their immune systems. When we moved to NC it stopped almost immediately and I was able to take them off of a lot of the medications they were on. I’ll be looking forward to reading Part 2, thanks for sharing!
My youngest son had pyloris stenosis. The valve on the bottom of his stomach closed up when he was six weeks old. He was literally starving to death. I knew something was wrong. He was spitting up what looked like coffee with milk. The emergency room doctor sent us home. The next morning I spent four hours at the pediatrician’s office. Leland spit up there and it was blood causing the brown. It took two weeks to see the specialist, meanwhile, every time I fed him he kept spitting up more and more to the point he started losing weight. I kept two outfits for me in the car and depending how long we were gone at least five changes for him for each hour not to mention multiple winter wraps. I got tired of hearing about other mom’s having spitters. My oldest son was a projectile vomitter. I knew the difference. Finally got to the specialist. Ten seconds into the ultrasound we were told to we were going straight to the hospital in Boston, MA. We had to wait another twenty four hours and after threatening to break the surgeon’s nose and leaving to go the a different hospital he had surgery. My poor baby starved for two weeks and burnt he throat and face because he got to the point of vomiting stomach acid constantly for surgery that took forty five minutes from start to finish.
Now he is six, he still complains about his stomach and we are dealing with the problems of being malnourished for so long. He has speech issues, behavior issues and very low frustration level.
She is so precious Beckie! I’m sorry you and your family have had to struggle through this. I was really lucky with my kids, they rarely had ear infections, only had a few common colds, and that was about it. But I remember children at the daycare that my little ones went to when they were young having ear infections and tubes put in. You hear so much about the overuse of antibiotics these days, and you’re right, we trust our doctors to know the right thing to do. That’s one of the main reasons that this country is so plagued with opiod pain pill addiction! Because we trust the doctors to prescribe things to fix us, not break us. I’ll be watching for the rest of the story, looking forward to a happy ending!
I am praying the end of this story has a happy healthy little girl:). My son was born with no IGG1,3 or 4 and his IGA were almost not measurable so I understand how hard it is when they are sick and a simple cough to someone else turns to a hospital visit. I was wondering if she ever had her Igg, Iga, Ige and such tested to know where her little system is. Our son was born very early, 28 weeks, and he had a cold at 5 days in ICU so we knew early what was going to be a life long problem. I am happy to say today he is a happy and healthy 31 yr old! I cannot say it was always a easy road but with prayer,amazing dr’s and a diet that everyone else thought was crazy whelped to rebuild his system. Yes he was also a breast feed baby…well breast pumped baby since he was so early it was the only way to provide my milk for him.
I forgive you for leaving me hanging (I read books in one sitting) so my commentary will be minimal, but me thinks your first step was the best – taking your daughters health into your own hands. Commentary to be continued……
I’m so sorry to hear of Kayla’s struggles. My great-niece Kaylee has battled the same things, multiple antibiotics, steroids, inhalers, hospitalization. The antibiotic and steroid stuff scares me and worries me, so I look forward to hearing what you are doing now.
What a gorgeous and precious little one. I can only imagine your determination to help her. Bless her little -big heart. I do think meds are often more problematic than the illness, as their list of “side affects” can often be staggering and worse than the ailment itself. After all they are chemicals. So…
I do have to share that I use herbal remedies, after my sister recommended them and Have you tried speaking to a homeopath? If not, Please do. They are truly an amazing wealth of knowledge, common sense, logic, etc and what they offer or give you (herbs) has no side affects and WORKS 🙂 The problem is most people want an immediate “cure” and with herbs it initially takes a couple weeks or a few months but it works long term and is much healthier! So, Please make some phone calls and just see what they say, after all it can’t hurt….right? Many Blessings to all of you, especially your darling daughter.
Poor little thing! It is so hard to see your little ones sick, especially repeatedly like that. Thank you so much for sharing your story, Beckie! My now two-year-old had meningitis when he was one month old and was in the hospital on 3 antibiotics for a week. He has since had a similar story to Kayla–ear infections and colds constantly and no antibiotics would help. (I’m guessing because he built up an immunity from being on so many at such a young age.) We did tubes a few months ago and besides a blocked tube at one point, things have been better, but I’m anxious to read the next part of your story in case he too continues with the colds and infections come winter. Thanks again for sharing. Hope you’re having a wonderful weekend!
~Abby =)
I use Golden Seal.
BTW- The medical community isn’t real…ummm….”Receptive” to herbal remedies, but that doesn’t mean they don’t work. There is money to be made if we are led to believe they don’t. But, I am here to tell you I know a ton of people that use them and they most certainly DO work. But obviously it’s an individual choice. I just choose to avoid using chemicals etc.
Have you had her checked for food allergys? Carpeting? cleaners? etc. They rear their head in the oddest ways. (Sorry didn’t read the whole post as I am in a bit of a rush. ) Hang in there and so are we ….. 🙂
I am anxious to read the rest of the story. We need so many more mommas to know about this. We get tired and those antibiotics get handed to us when we are completely fatigued. It looks like the last ray of hope. We have to be advocates for our children and ourselves. the master super bugs we are helping to create have to be stopped .Knowledge truly is power and we must not be that parent that wants an antibiotic for every little sniffle. YOU HAVE DONE A TREMENDOUS SERVICE BY ADDRESSING THIS CHALLENGE. thank you.
forgot to mention what a charmer she is !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
awe, Beck, So sorry your Kayla has gone thru all this. As an adult with multiple auto immune stuffs that have had me on so many drugs, including long term steroids (I know educate EVERYONE about the dangers of even short dose steroids! they are NOT always worth it!!! ( have permanent bone loss-spine, jaw, teeth- and central nervous system is so damaged from them that i’m disabled. not from the the original AI stuff I was being treated for, but by the drugs they used to treat it-namely 2 years on steroids!) and who’s bone marrow finally shut down for a few SCARY weeks last year, I feel for her. And you. It’s the not know what to do… ya know? Prayers for you and her, both. And big hugs.
Can’t wait to read what your solution was…
Good for you for channeling your inner mama bear. You know your children better than any doctor ever will. Both of my children, now 24 and 22, had odd things going on as children. My daughter was allergic to not only cows milk but red and yellow dyes. If you are dealing with anything that looks like and allergy I recommend the book, “Is This Your Child” by Doris Rapp. Here is a link http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/426917.Is_This_Your_Child. My son was hospitalized numberous times due to asthma and every time he got a cold it was very serious. Thankfully they are both healthy as adults but I don’t know what would have happened if I had not been an active advocate for them.
I look forward to reading the rest of her story.
Traci
I am interested to see the rest of your story. I have read the comments. I am a physician and would suggest not only that your daughter see a Ped Allergist but also an Immunologist that works with kids. They may consider looking to see if your daughter has an immunoglobulin subclass deficiency.
All the Best,
Mary
My son too had constant ear infections. The day after a round of antibiotics the ear infection would flare up. He had tubes, then fell out, more tubes. I have found that my chiropractor really helps with his ears now. Adjusting his neck area causes his ears to drain “normally” and not constantly have ear infections. I am hoping we stay on this since both tubes are out again. He is 7 and I am hoping he is growing out of it.
My daughter is 11 and still struggles with croup, too–always major problem breathing and when she gets a cold–it is terrible and takes so long to get over. We have discovered over the past few years it was related to allergies. The big problem is she has bipolar and OCD and cannot take allergy medicine so she continue to suffer. This year we went to a new doctor and he told me most allergy medicines (for her allergies) aren’t highly effective so he prescribe nasal drops–this last year first year without a lung infection!!!
I will try to keep this short, because I’m sure all the advice and info you receive can make your head spin! We went through the very same symptoms with our daughter (who is 13 now). She also suffered ear infections to the point where she had two injections of antibiotitics, then had to go back (screaming in her car seat because she now associated the dr. office, with pain) the next day for 2 more. We switched dr.s, she got tubes, new child for awhile. Then, maybe a year later (when she was about 5 yrs) I noticed when she slept, an extreme raspy, difficulty breathing sound. It was sleep apnea, which for children can have a profound affect on them. Tonsils came out, much better again. I of course am not in the medical profession at all, just wanted to share what worked for us. Best of luck to you.
Thank you for sharing, Kathy. I can imagine sleep apnea is a scary thing to deal with as a parent.
Thank you for your suggestion, Mary. I am excited to share more of Kayla’s story. Stay tuned…
Thanks, Traci. I definitely agree about being an advocate for your child. Stay tuned for more of Kayla’s story…
Thank you for reading and sharing!
Thanks, Brenda. I am happy to say we did find something that is working. Stay tuned…
Definitely check back in for the rest of Kayla’s story. I think it may be a help. 🙂
Thanks so much for the advice, Karen. You will definitely want to stay tuned to Kayla’s story!
I hate to hear that about your little Kaylee. Yes, definitely stay tuned for the rest of Kayla’s story.
Ha! Thanks, Bliss!
Thank you, Amanda!
Sharon, I can honestly not even imagine all that you have endured and wish the best for you and your son.
Wow, that’s crazy. Glad to hear they got better!
We have found something, and I am excited to share about it. Thanks, Erin!
Beckie, I totally understand your regret of having put your sweet baby on antibiotics but please don’t feel that way. You did what you thought was best at the time and had to put your trust in your physician..and he/she probably did what they thought was best at the time too..but it was SO not your fault. We, as mothers, can really beat ourselves up sometimes, can’t we? I commend you for taking charge of your child’s health! I look forward to reading the rest of your story.
Thanks for your sweet, encouraging words, Gina!
Beckie,
My oldest son had very similar symptoms as a baby, and it wasn’t until he was four years old that one of the doctors thought to check his gamma goblulin levels. They were extremely low, so they gave him one shot a month for four months to jump start his immune system, and his health immediately improved. I had two more sons, and on my doctor’s recommendation, checked their levels as infants, and they both had the same condition. They each received one shot, which was sufficient, and thankfully were much healthier as infants. I’m glad to hear your daughter is improving, and will be very interested to see what is helping. God bless.
Thanks for taking the time to comment, Debra. I am glad to hear you were able to get help for your sons. Definitely check back to hear more of Kayla’s story!
I’m sorry that your little one had to go through all that. So thankful for your willingness to be transparent. Fortunately we have a Dr who told us to use saline nose drops and a cool mist humidifier for almost everything.
Thank you, Steph. That’s nice that your doc isn’t so quick to jump the gun with the prescriptions. Fortunately, Kayla’s story does have a happy ending. 🙂
We have a 9 year old who has also had constant illnesses. She was never happy as a baby, she was sick for several days each month and we still struggle with illness issues. We had her tested for every genetic abnormallity and found that she has a ‘autoimmune AND autoinflammatory disease/issue’ and that her body fights off healthy tissues and organs instead of the bad germs that she comes in contact with. The last three years of illnesses have been quite frequent. There are times where her ‘immune system’ has attacked her kidneys, liver, entire digestive system…Most times she gets more than a cold, she ends up in the hospital. The fall, winter and spring are the worst for her.
Although this is maybe not what your daughter has, I can completely understand the frustrations you are going through. For us, it has been test after test after test with our daughter from the time she turned 2. There are things that don’t show up until a child gets older or shows more side effects. Even then, questions still go unanswered.
Our daughter not only has a genetic disease, but also struggles with some major food allergies (Corn- which is in almost EVERYTHING- because it’s any and all forms of corn…and dairy) and has been diagnosed with Chron’s.
It is always so easy to look back and say “we should have done that differently”…and we have regrets. We try to trust in our Dr.s and we always hope they are doing the right things- we go to them because they are supposed to be good at what they do. It is important to trust your mama instincts. We have to be the advocate for our children, because we know them better than any Dr. that spends 10 minutes with them and delivers a quick diagnosis. As parents, it’s so easy to blame ourselves for things that are going wrong- but we wouldn’t be good parents if we didn’t have regrets and think twice about things. Going through this process is hard, but it makes us stronger and more aware and compassionate about other people who are dealing with the same thing.
I truely hope that you get things figured out quickly, get things under control and that your little girl starts feeling like herself again soon! There is nothing worse than having a sick child, especially when there isn’t much else you ca do for them. And when they are young, it’s hard for them to understand why they have to go through it.
I’m looking forward to the rest of the story. Our 2nd child started with the NICU at birth, hospitalized at 5 weeks with basically RSV and then hospitalized another 8 times in 2 years for breathing problems related to colds. We differ from you in that we actually begged the doctor for steroids because it was the only thing that got him over the hump and allowed him to heal. It’s not ideal, but in a bad attack prednisone is all that works. At 2 he was put on a daily inhaler that we really hesitated to use because of the steroid side effects – minor growth stunting, behavior, etc. After a year of that we made the decision on our own to take him off the daily inhaler and see how he did. Thankfully, knock on wood, it appears he is outgrowing his asthma diagnosis – his airways are getting big enough to handle everyday colds. We still have the rescue inhaler and the prednisone on hand for when it gets bad – and we can immediately recognize the signs when it’s going the wrong direction. Parents have to be their child’s advocate!
Definitely, Kim. Thanks for taking the time to read and comment!
Hi Pam, I am sorry to hear about your sweet little girl’s health issues. Please stay tuned as I will be sharing more of Kayla’s story soon. Hugs!
I am not a dr (but I play one on tv, lol). Seriously, there are gamaglobulin deficiencies type disorders. It is our first line of defense, lives in mucous membranes of the nostrils etc. an endocrinologist would be better able to discern the nature of her immune issue.
My 13 yr old was born w a congenital abnormality, heart defect, Hypolplastic Left Heart Syndrome, so while I’m not in any way qualified to offer concrete advice, I’ve spent more than my fair share of time in children’s medical centers and waiting room, both surgical and clinical, speaking w parents of children w different maladies to have heard of this deficiency ( gamaglobulin).
Ive had to give two out of three of my children steroids for serious allergic reactions. I’m suprised that was suggested for your daughter, as it lowers immunity, making them vulnerable to other infections.
I go w my gut as well, I was told not to expect my son to feed normally, let alone breast feed, but i felt it would be best for him, so I tried, cautiously, armed w charts, timers and a scale. I weighed him prior to feeding, after feeding, timed the feeds as well as weighed his soiled diapers. My cardiologist was apopaleptic when I told him we weren’t measuring, using a bottle, nor the ng tube. He weighed him and he had gained more than 30 grams per day, their goal was 30. Sometimes the scientist in them I’ll not allow them to go w instinct, they focus on facts. I prefer a blending of science, mother’s intuition and prayer.
Thanks for taking the time to read and comment, Amy. I hope your son is doing well now.
I was reading this and it is so ironic that I went through this as a child!! I am 22.5 years old and I began suffering from chronic ear infections a little before my 2nd birthday and they put permanent tubes in my ears that would eventually fall out as I grew. At 3 years old I got surgery to get my tonsils AND adenoids removed. My mother swears by this and that ever since then I was sick about once a year, just a little bit less than the average child. Now thinking back through years of school and college (recently graduated), I have always felt that my immune system was just stronger and I was never as sick as my friends. Keeping up with my health, life is almost always sick free, however I have just gotten over a sinus infection (my one for the year haha) and it was the worst one ONLY due to being in the middle ear which somehow gave me the worst vertigo and dizziness. Hope this gives you hope and inspiration knowing that there’s young adults out there who have overcome similar issues and that your daughter will grow into a beautiful flower, there is nothing to worry about. You are an amazing mom! xox cheers
Thank you so much, Nathalie! You are so sweet to share you story and offer encouragement. I truly appreciate it. 🙂
Your niece’s symptoms sound very similar to my daughter-in-laws. She also intermittently had severe abdominal pains which is another symptom. Strength and coordination can be adversely affected when subjected to brighter lights. loud sounds or a chaotic environment like the exuberance and endless energy that a 1 and 2 year old have. It took 8 long months and countless specialists to finally figure out (a few weeks ago) she has POTS syndrome. Definitely something I have never heard of before. Here is a little clip of information on it. If it resonates then you can easily google it for more details. We learned that half of those diagnosed with this symptom can overcome it with the right cardio workouts to strengthen muscles and increase blood flow.
Postural Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS)
What is Postural Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS)?
When a patient’s heart rate speeds up 30 beats per minute or more without much change in blood pressure on standing, the patient may have orthostatic intolerance (OI). Because upright heart rate is usually greatly increased, the more common term used now is Postural Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS). The increase in heart rate may be a sign that the cardiovascular system is working hard to maintain blood pressure and blood flow to the brain.
Symptoms & Signs (for at least 6 months):
Lightheadedness, palpitations and tremulousness during standing
Other upright posture symptoms may include:
Visual changes
Discomfort in the head and neck
Throbbing of the head
Poor concentration
Tiredness
Weakness
Occasionally fainting
Nausea
Chest discomfort
Shortness of breath
Beckie- I never post a reply but just felt compelled to share with you. A friend and myself have been using EO’s over the last year or so and have found great results in different areas. One of the other things we feel strongly about is our chiropractor and the use of probiotics. My friends daughter’s skin clears up nicely when she is faithful with the Probiotic. My children have seen their chiropractor since the day they came home from the hospital. All three have never been on antibiotics for ear infections. My youngest is the only one who has suffered from an ear ache and we have him adjusted that day and maybe warm drops and within 24 hrs everything is great. We are also very blessed to have a chiropractor who practices AK (applied kinesiology) and have solved all of our other health issues this way. We have not been on any antibiotics for years. My daughter suffers from odd allergies that usually show in Spring and with AK treatment we are able to keep her almost medicine free (only natural supplements if needed). The allergy testing is through muscle testing (no shots) and very specific and non-invasive. Definitely something to look into. Jody