Saturday, June 5, 2010

Here we go again.

Jack had another rash show up earlier this week. I decided to watch it for a while before heading to the doctor. He had no fever and always said no when I asked if his tummy or throat hurt. He had no symptoms other than a rash. And in general, if the rash is accompanied by nothing else it's not a big deal. Besides, Jack has had mild eczema since he was tiny.

But after a few days it wasn't going away, so I took him in. Better to be safe than sorry. Especially with our recent doctor's visits and the things we've learned about how diseases spread in this small town.

Because they fit us in at the last minute we had to see a new doctor. She seemed to think I was crazy. She was practically rolling her eyes at me when I was describing the lack of symptoms aside from the rash, even though he had recently had scarlet fever. She told me that it wasn't anything to worry about because there were no other symptoms. It was just heat rash. But that she would run the labs anyway just to make me feel better. (I hate arrogant doctor's. Especially because I rarely take my kids in to the doctor except for well visits unless I'm really worried.) Anyway, she sent us home and said that IF the tests came back with anything she'd call.

Of course I felt stupid for going in when it was probably nothing and called Jason and my mom to let them know. I hadn't even left the parking lot when the doctor's office called me back. It was scarlet fever. Again. Just about a month later. I asked if there was anything I could do (besides the antibiotics they were calling in) to keep him from getting it again. They gave me a list of things we already do (wash hands often, don't go out when we're sick, take all of the medicine until it's gone, blah, blah, blah) and wished us luck. Ugh.

So we started the medicine last night after dinner and put kids to bed. Jack still seemed fine at that point. After a little while I could here him coughing hard in his room. Poor kid. He eventually woke up from the hacking and came downstairs to find me. He could hardly breathe. And it wasn't like he was congested. It was something else. I don't really know how to describe the shallow, strange way he was (hardly) breathing without you hearing it. It scared me to death! Thanks heavens changes have been made at Jason's work and he was home with me.

I called my mom and asked her what she thought I should do. (I always have to have someone tell me to go in to the doctor. I really hate going in for nothing.) We figured it couldn't be pertussis because he's had all of his shots. It didn't sound like pneumonia (more wheezy) but I couldn't be sure because I've never actually heard pneumonia. It could be croup, so I took him outside to see if the cold air helped him at all.

While I held Jack out back Jason gave him a priesthood blessing. It started to rain, so I brought Jack back inside and opened up our big family room window, wrapped him up to keep him warm, and sat with him by the open window to help him breathe. Eventually his breathing calmed down enough for him to sleep but I was too scared to sleep the rest of the night. I stayed awake and just watched him. Sometime after I gave him his medicine again around 2 am I finally crashed. It was a long night, but he seemed a little better this morning and throughout the day. He's still a sick little boy, but his breathing has been okay at least.

I have been reading up and pneumonia can be a complication of scarlet fever, but his cough sounds more like croup to me. Either way, if it gets bad again tonight I'm just taking him to the ER. I'd rather be safe than sorry. So keep my baby boy in your prayers, please. I just want him to feel better and be my silly, smiling, active boy again. Especially with his birthday coming up.

10 comments:

womanoforangerinds8 said...

Yikes. And I thought I had problems. Poor poor Jack! Oh, and that arrogant doctor...never go to her again. Ever. What a punk! I think it's better safe than sorry, especially with younger children who are around more illnesses and diseases. Doctors usually give me weird looks and don't take me seriously when I go in and tell them everything I have. They probably get a lot of people just looking for drugs. I know you don't live in Utah but a Utah doctor gave my grandma a large prescription for pain meds when she had some kind of hemroid thing...and when I go in with a history and CT scan with kidney stones, they don't give me anything. I hate doctors sometimes. I hope Jack is okay. How are you guys all doing? Email me: ahathaway8@gmail.com

Hilary said...

I'm so sorry McKenna! Poor little guy. Sometimes I really feel like asking for my money back at the Dr.'s office. They can be so arrogant and condescending sometimes.

I hope he gets feeling better soon and I hope you can get some rest too. Worrying about and taking care of a sick little one is so draining physically and emotionally. You guys are definitely in my prayers!

Unknown said...

I'm the same way. I hate taking Chelsey to the doctor if it's not a big deal. I can't believe he had scarlet fever even once let alone twice. Good luck!

Erin said...

so sorry mckenna! that's scary! hope jack gets better super fast! do you think i need to be worried for my little ones?

Lindsey Melton said...

AWww.. poor lil guy!! Isn't it horrible when your kids are sick and ya feel helpless?? Jett had this same thing happen a few weeks ago. He has asthma and gets croup often. Well, we just figured it was another incident like that. Then that night it sounded like he was trying to breath out of a coffee straw, it was SOOO hard for him to breath. I was in a panic as well and called my Mom, Enoch gave him a blessing and I gave hima breathing treatment with the nebulizer and took him in the bathroom with a steamy shower going then wrapped him in a blanket and took him outside and he finally fell asleep and didn't have that hard of time breathing ever since... THANK GOODNESS. So scary! He didn't have scarlet fever I don't think though. Get better cute Jack. YOu're such a cute MOmmy!

Kylee Clark said...

Cooper just got over broncitis he had weezing and a bad cough. sometimes so hard that he would throw up. we took him to the ER and they did chest x-rays and a few abuterol breathing treatments. i have heard that if it rattles when they breath out it is asthma and if its a rattle when you suck in its in the lungs chest. I hate it when kids are sick. It makes the whole house a nightmare. The Dr gave cooper a steroid and within a few days and a few more breathing treatments he seemed to be a lot better. Good Luck!

Steffani Dastrup said...

You were so right to take him in Mckenna! Dr.'s may know all the facts and symptoms about sicknesses, but they do not have your mother's intuition! I've heard too many terrible stories about mothers not going because they were embarrassed and having something irreversible happen to their child! A Dr. should understand that, even if it is a false alarm!

r said...

Oh no!! I'm sorry you have to deal with this all over again! I hope he gets better soon. And that that pompous doctor realized what a jerk she was in dismissing your fears. You guys are in our prayers!

Denise said...

Arrogant doctors suck, and I'm glad you were vindicated. Not glad that he's sick, of course, but glad that the doctor got taken down a peg. Maybe she won't be so quick to dismiss symptoms the next time.

It's so hard to know what to do about sick kids! Always a guessing game. But I'm glad you took him in. I hope he recovers quickly. Poor thing.

vaneblu said...

I hate arrogant doctors too!!
Get better soon Jack, we are praying for you here :)