Oz is out of control

Quick one since I'm at work --

Oz's asthma is a little out of control. I feel like he's been gray and coughing for the last four weeks. He's certainly had a runny nose, so I would say -at the very least- that he has a sinus infection.

He thew up after his first swimming lesson yesterday, and has been coughing ever since. This morning, he was coughing until he gagged, and it took a dose of Claritin and a double-dose of Combivent to alleviate the cough.

He's also been waking up and coming into our room every night for the last week. Twice a night, at least. Seriously annoying, especially since Ig, who was sick last week (virus - not asthma-related) has been up, as well. I suspect it's because he's not satting well overnight.

Calling the PP today for a checkup. Don't know if we need to adjust meds, or if it's even just upper-respiratory, but poor Ozzy really is a mess!

Happy holidays and quick update

First off - Happy Holidays to everyone! Hope you've all enjoyed whichever of the many December holidays you celebrate, and (if I don't post before then) that you have a wonderful and HEALTHY New Year!

Just a quick update on the boys --

B didn't have the flu after all. Typical of me to panic like that, right? He was fine the next day, but he has developed kind of a nasty cough over the last few days. I have him on Combivent for the first time since September. Funny how he only develops coughs like that when we come to Canada. Must be something with this fresh Ontario air...

Oz didn't get the stomach virus, but did develop 102 fever and a lovely grayish skin tone as soon as we arrived in the Great White North. He's still not looking all that well, but he isn't coughing, either. He's just congested, puffy-eyed and pale, and he does seem to be retracting a bit. So he's on Dimetapp and albuterol for the time being. We'll see the peds when we get back.

Ig (who turned two last week - did I post that?) is doing well, but is a total toddler. Little tyrant!! Good thing he's so cute... He has a bit of a runny nose and loose cough, but he looks really good. Just keeping an eye on things, but he really seems OK. His lips have been blue a few times, but I think it might just be because my in-laws have cold floors. (Albuterol's always handy, though!)

That's about it. I'm happy to be away from work and focusing on the kids...and actually READING a BOOK. Fiction. Nothing on asthma, Aspergers or business - just pure entertainment.

Now THAT's a vacation!

Could B have the flu?

It's a little early in the season, but I was reading this article on the CDC site...and it could be.

Should probably check with the peds before taking him over the border. It would SUCK to make the news because we started an international flu epidemic, y'know?

Too Sick for the Road Trip

B woke up this morning complaining of a stomach ache. I knew he was serious - he never complains about his health. Ever.

And we were supposed to leave to see the in-laws in Canada this morning. Not only was he incredibly psyched to see his grandparents, he was even psyched for the DRIVE. Seriously -he was all about watching DVDs in the car, stopping at Dunkin' Donuts and McDonald's....I guess I never realized how cool road trips are when you're 6.

Anyway, he threw up his whole breakfast, so we didn't leave today. Rob took him to the peds because B will occasionally vomit when he has strep, and we definitely needed to start antibiotics right away if he had that.

But while the strep test was negative - at least the rapid strep was - he did start running a fever later on in the day.

We'll keep an eye on him tomorrow, and we'll see what his temp is, etc. before we leave. (This will be very had for Rob who would have us loaded in the car at 7:00AM regardless. I totally don't get men and their arbitrary schedules. Is there a hockey game or something tomorrow night?)

Meanwhile, Oz is looking poorly and has a funny rash around his nose and mouth (please let it not be perioral dermatitis again...) and Ig's been breathing noisily and coughing a bit.

We'll see. Hopefully, we'll make it to Canada before Christmas Eve. It would suck if the kids couldn't spend the holiday with the grandparents. Especially since they've got all the presents!!

Keep ya posted...

WEGO Health Recommends....Me!!

Just a little gloating...my blog's currently recommended on WEGO Health.

Let's hear it for the Mama!

NJ's New Mandatory Vaccine: Mama's Angry All Over Again

It's not that I'm against vaccines...I'm not. I think a lot of vaccines are necessary. Polio, for example. Mumps. Measles.

What I have a problem with is vaccinating kids for EVERYTHING. And worse yet, FORCING me to have my kids vaccinated for everything.

Let's give this some context. I'm the mother of a child on the autistic spectrum, as well as three asthmatic boys.

While there's no 100% ideal link between vaccines and autism, there is enough circumstantial evidence - and enough questions have arisen - to give me pause. For one thing, look at the rise in autism diagnoses in recent years. (And sorry - no, I don't believe it's all because of the new diagnostic criteria.)

First of all, why in the world was anything even remotely related to mercury used to bind any vaccines? And no, it's not in the MMR anymore - but is still in the flu vaccines. Seriously.

We'll recall any toy with lead-based paint on the outside chance our kid might chew on it, but we'll inject thimerosal directly into our kids' bloodstreams.

Can someone explain this to me?

Secondly, have you looked at the American vaccine schedule lately? 10 different vaccines before a child's first birthday. Does that seem a little extreme? The UK requires THREE.

But who has the bigger pharma lobby, I wonder?

This just drives me CRAZY.

Now New Jersey, my lovely home state, is requiring me to vaccinate my kids against the flu, as well other illnesses including whooping cough and meningitis.

But let's think back to last year. Anyone remember flu vaccine recalls? How abou the the year before. And hey - didn't Merck just recall the Hib vaccine?

At the end of the day, here's how I feel.

• I will absolutely vaccinate my kids for diseases that pose a dire risk to them and to the public -- Measles, Polio, etc.
• I will not vaccinate my children with predictive vaccines that may or may not be safe or carefully tested.
• I will not allow my children to be injected with vaccines bound with thimerasol.
• I do not think it's necessary to vaccinate my children for non-life-threatening illnesses they're perfectly capable of fighting on their own, like chicken pox.
• I protest the compulsory vaccination of 9-year-old girls for sexually transmitted diseases.
• I DEMAND that vaccinations not be mandatory because pharmaceutical companies have enough money and power to lobby to make it so.

I'm tired, and this may or may not make sense...honestly, I'm not a freak, I'm not a conspiracy theorist. I'm the mom of a child with an autistic spectrum disorder, of three asthmatic boys, who has a LOT of dangerous questions.

Oz & Ig - still not better

So...Ig's being treated for for a double ear infection. FUN - it take two full-grown adults to administer the antibiotic drops for my 23-month old. And he's still got a tight, nasty-sounding cough in the early AM and at night.

Oz has a much looser cough, but he's got enough goop around his nose for me to think he may have a sinus infection. I don't think it's cleared up since he had that flare a few weeks back.

So I think we may end up at the peds tomorrow morning.

In other news, I've got a call into the developmental pediatrician because B, whose asthma is 100% under control with just Singular these days, is exhibiting some odd behaviors. No time to get into right now, but we think it's Aspergers-related stuff.

I'll try to post again after I talk to the doctors...

No RSV but...

We have a double ear infection!

Here's how it played out:

1. Ig was fine by the time we go to the PP on Thursday.
2. Oz was coughing like mad on Friday, so both of them were home and on nebs.
3. Ig was tapered down and went back to just the albuterol MDI on Saturday.
4. Oz was tapered down and went back to just the albuterol MDI on sunday.
5. They both went back to daycare today, but both were meant to get albuterol at 12 and 4.
6. Ig was SO happy to see me when I picked him up today, but then wouldn't stop crying when we got home...and wouldn't eat, either.
7. I noticed fluid draining from BOTH ears (remember how he has tubes now?)
8. I gave him Motrin and Floxin after paging the peds, and then I put him to bed.

Fortunately, Dad can work from home tomorrow. (I was home Thursday and Friday.)

Ig & Oz Update

If was up to 40 breaths per minute this morning (despite a greatly reduced fever), so I took him to the peds. pulomonolgist this afternoon.

Spent the whole day wiping blood-streaked mucus off that kid --his nose was like a little, hideously disgusting faucet. And we went through two shirts because he kept wiping his nose on his sleeves. Really GROSS.

But of course, by the time we got to the PP, he was fine! No wheezing, moving air well, normal resp rate satting at 97%. Not that I'm not happy that he's better, but the kid pulled a total Michigan J. Frog on me.

Nonetheless, she tested him for RSV, and while we haven't gotten the results yet, the respiratory therapist was pretty sure he had it. So I'm not ruling out an overnight nosedive, and I'm definitely keeping Ig home again tomorrow for a rigid neb schedule!

Oz, on the other hand, woke up congested and coughing - just a bit - this AM. I started him on nebs, too, and given the liklihood that Ig has RSV, I'm glad I did.

We'll see how he is in the AM, but I'm not optimistic. But am I ever, when it comes to RSV?

Read this blog and tell me if that's unreasonable.

Ig May Have RSV

Ig was up the last two nights, fussing and congested. He started coughing last night, and sound pretty bad this morning.

I brought him to daycare this morning, knowing that he probably wouldn't make it the whole day. He had no fever, but the cough was a little rough and
he just wasn't himself. He didn't eat breakfast, but he wasn't as congested as he'd been either. I really didn't know what to make of his state, but I had that feeling that he really was getting sick.

Last night, btw, he had me cracking up . He woke up at 3:00 AM (!) crying, calling for me to come get him. I didn't get him right away (3:00 AM, I remind you) so he came up with some GREAT lines to lure me in. Mind you, he's 23 months old now. Here's what I heard:

• "Mom? Want up-up."
• "Mom? Want up-up. 'Kay? Kay."
• "Mom? Want juice."
• "Mom? Want cheerios."
• "Dad? Want juice."
• "Mommy? I smell poopies."

That one got me.

Back to today...he woke up from nap at daycare with 101.9. I went and got him, and he looked SO BAD and sounded so awful that I took him straight to the peds.

The peds noticed he was retracting, but didn't hear anything concerning beyond his cough, which she called a "typical asthma cough." Ears were fine, throat was fine, etc.

She did mention that they've already seen some RSV, and recommended we keep the nebs up and DuoNeb if necessary. I told her we'd watch his resps, too, and she reminded me about hospitalization for RSV. (As if I'd forget staying at the peds hospital with #1 son for five days!)

Keep y'all posted....

Asthma, the kids, and the past few weeks

In a nutshell...'tis the season for peds asthma!

Oz: Had a bad cough the weekend before T-day, as well as a horribly runny, icky nose. He actually had to miss a birthday party because he was such a mess that Saturday. Many nebs later, he's much better and finally off albuterol.

Ig: Just getting sick now. Lots of yellow ick all over his face, but no cough yet. Also just found out that the always-sick (and constantly dosed-and-dropped) kid at daycare just had croup and coxsackie (and probably STILL DOES even though he's there today) so the future's looking a little gray on that front. He was also up SCREAMING last night, and I thought he sounded a bit wheezy. No cough (yet), though.

B: Told me he had a cold this morning. Sigh.

We'll see how it goes over the next few days.

Rethink your Tamiflu Stockpile...

Someone just emailed this to everyone at work in response to an invitation for everyone to get free flu shots:

F.D.A. Staff Recommends a Warning on Flu Drugs

By BLOOMBERG NEWS

Published: November 24, 2007

Makers of the two most common drugs used to treat and prevent flu should add warnings that they may cause psychiatric side effects, federal regulators have recommended.

The report, by staff members of the Food and Drug Administration, was posted yesterday in advance of an advisory panel meeting scheduled for Tuesday to review use of the antiviral medications Tamiflu, made by Roche Holding, and Relenza, from GlaxoSmithKline.

Five Japanese children who took Tamiflu and became delirious died, and there were reports of abnormal behavior among some children using Relenza, mainly in Japan, where the drug is widely used to treat flu, the documents noted.

There have been no fatalities in the United States, the F.D.A. report said.

Regulators are not sure if the deaths and abnormal behavior were caused by the drugs, the flu virus or a combination of both, the F.D.A. staff members said in a memorandum written Nov. 9. They did not propose any new limits on use of the drugs. While governments worldwide have been stockpiling the drugs in case of an influenza epidemic, sales have slipped in recent months amid concerns about the safety of Tamiflu.

Tamiflu generated $257 million for Roche in the third quarter. Sales were down 62 percent from a year earlier. Relenza generated $58 million for Glaxo in the third quarter, down 7 percent.

Roche, based in Basel, Switzerland, says studies show the flu, not the drug, causes the reported side effects, but a company spokesman, Terry Hurley, said yesterday, “If the F.D.A. concludes that it is valuable to place additional details on the label with regard to specific adverse event reports, then Roche is open to that consideration.”

Officials for Glaxo did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Tamiflu’s prescribing information was updated last year to tell doctors they should monitor patients for signs of abnormal behavior. The label should be revised again, the F.D.A. staff members said in the Nov. 9 memorandum, to alert doctors and family members that psychotic side effects may happen quickly and can be fatal.

Everyone's Coughing

...it's the "in" thing to do!

Ig's been coughing for days, a croupy sounding number that rips through my heart every time I hear it. (He actually asks for his medicine. He's 22 months old, and he asks me for "ap-icine." How sad is that?)

Oz is doing better, but still coughing at night. Looser than it was, thank goodness.

I'll be unreachable, working a trade show Monday and Tuesday, so I hope they're OK by the time the weekend's over.

Combivent and Nighttime Fears?

Granted, we may start watching Ghost Hunters too early some nights, but since we started the Combivent, B seems to have some odd night time phobias. The past three nights, he's begged us to leave the light on his room.

Has anyone else seen this with fast-acting inhalers at bedtime?

Over Albuterol - We're Reaching Straight for the Combivent

B started coughing slightly a few nights ago...so slightly that I (bad mommy!) didn't bother starting albuterol.

Well, ha-ha and me (and pity on him!) he was coughing so badly last night that he was begging me for Dimetapp! I had given him 2 puffs of albuterol, and then 30 minutes later, another 2 puffs, but it hadn't worked. He was coughing his head of most of the night.

Today, when I picked him up from school, he was coughing a bit. It wasn't alarming in frequency, but it sounded SO BAD.

When we got home, I couldn't find the nebulizer, so I gave him two puffs of Combivent.

I swear, he's coughed maybe twice since then.

I'll look back, and I'm willing to bet I've written this before, but giving this kid albuterol is a waste of a perfectly good pharmaceutical. It just doesn't work on him anymore.

I called the PP for a refill, but I'm not sure if they were able to get it to the pharmacy because I called late...I probably have enough to get through the weekend. Just.

'Roid Rage in Your Asthmatic Child

Every now and then, I get a comment like the one I just got from Tami. She's got a son with severe asthma who needs to be on Pulmicort or Flovent, but goes a little psycho when he's on the stuff.

It's a horrible situation to be in. Unfortunately, steroids are considered the strongest weapon in our anti-asthma arsenals. And as a message board buddy once put it, she'd rather have a kids who "kicks the dog" but can breathe than one who's in the ER every other week.

I think we'd all have HAPPY kids who can breathe.

At the end of the day, when we're not happy with the results we're getting from our doctors, the first checkpoint should be other doctors. I realize that some of my friends here don't have the luxury of being in major metro areas like me, but if you can find another pediatric pulmonologist or asthma/allergy specialist, get there. If you've only been dealing with your regular peds -- take the 2 hour drive to see the specialist. You'll never regret it.

Tami, I don't know what other meds your son is on, but you sound smart and I imagine you've been asking all the right questions and tried lots of different things. We're doing well with Flovent, but I know others who've seen positive changes by switching to Qvar and other brands of similar steroids. Maybe your son can do Singulair instead of steroids? Worth asking...

We've got lots of smart moms around here -- I'm sure someone can offer grounded, sensible advice. (Ahem!)

One note on the eczema -- there's a boy in my kids' daycare who had THE WORST eczema I've ever seen. He was constantly scabbed and bleeding. So sad! Recently, I noticed a drastic improvement, and I asked his parents about it. Would you believe their miracle cure was VASELINE? That's right -- they switched dermatologists, and the new doctor recommended that they bathe him every day (seriously!) and coat him with Vaseline within 2 minutes of getting out of the tub (and barely drying him off) to seal in the moisture.

Worth a shot, right? (With your doctor's permission, natch!)

Loving the Autism Diva

This woman is SO on my blog roll! (Some of you may know that my oldest son is on the autistic spectrum - so this is always something we're looking to learn more about.)

Anyway, here's a bit of the Diva's take on the recent hullaballoo over Jenny McCarthy's possibly "cured" autistic son:

Evan went from being a 2-year old (diagnosed) autistic boy (with seizures)to a 5 year old autistic boy apparently still on meds to prevent seizures, in 3 years. This is supposed to be an amazing thing. It's not. Not unless we are to believe that all autistic children stagnate at their two year old level and can never learn anything or develop skills beyond that. Jenny doesn't attribute his
development to, uh, development, but to her magical mystery cures that she got by way of quack dox and quackery promoting autism websites which of course, she discovered by doing "Google research." Oh, but she's a heroine for saving her son, from... what? From being a 2-year old, low functioning, psychic with a few too many autistic traits? Jenny seems to have a hard time keeping her story straight.

This woman is FIERCE and FEARLESS. I love it!!

All of us asthma/autism moms have tried something crazy at some point - the smartest women I know give their kids fish oils, have them on gluten-free diets, have given chelation a shot...I have hand the Autism Diva the feather boa for being the voice of reason in this clearly insane world of parenting special-needs kids.

Stay tuned for a rant on RSV awareness...!

Oz - a little better

Oz is a little better today -- just doesn't seem as...sick. Still whiney, still *definitely* has a cold, but seems improved overall.

Called the PP's office and spoke to the nurse-practioner, who I love. But sometimes I feel like they believe I'm such an "old pro" that it's just not helpful. "There's a virus, low-grade fever, dry cough or really chesty, congested cough. Some kids it lasts 2-3 days, other kids are sick for up to 10 days. You know what you're doing though...just keep up the Xopenex. If he's not coughing a lot, you can drop it down to 1-3 times a day. You'll be fine"

Is that REALLY helpful? And TEN DAYS? Are you freaking kidding me? Ugh.

Up with Oz

I've got a feverish, wheezing little Oz at my side as I type. Poor guy. We'll be at the peds tomorrow morning for sure. :-(

Some quick updates -- if I haven't posted in a while, there are two good reasons. First, we were on vacation the last week in August. Second, B's started Kindergarten at the elementary school, and I am/we are all adjusting to the new routine.

By new routine, I'm referring to getting up at 5:45 AM, getting myself ready for work, getting B ready for school, Oz and Ig ready for daycare and getting everyone out the door by 7:40 every day. Then it's two drop-offs before work, a full day of marketing for four companies, two pickups, dinner (at the table, with everyone) baths, making lunch, and then maybe, if I'm lucky, 30 minutes on the treadmill before washing or folding laundry and going to bed.

Aren't you SO jealous of me???

As for that vacation, let's just say it was everyone ELSE'S vacation, because for me, it was just like every other day, only touger. We rented a cottage on a lake in northern Ontario. My husband found it online, and failed to notice that a) it had steps (and we had no gate) and b) the walk down to the lake was pretty steep!

Ig was a bear....I was carrying him around every second, pretty much. Between the steps everywhere and his seemingly unthwartable desire to walk into the *middle* of the lake, it didn't seem safe to put him down! He didn't sleep well, and when he finally went down for a nap every day, I took a well-needed break by running 2 miles down a secluded dirt road. Believe me, it was my only alternative to running into the woods and screaming!!! I love that baby, but MAN was he tough.

In his defense, it turned out he had Fifth Disease (Parvo virus) but honestly, I still think I had it rougher than he did!

One more thing about that cottage -- every square inch was either carpeted or upholstered. EVERYONE was coughing. B develped a phlegm-y, resonant cough before we left for vacation, and it only got worse while we were there. It didn't go away for weeks, and we finally had to put him on Singular again. :-( Anyway, at least he's still off the Flovent, right?

Anyway, enough feeling sorry for myself -- back to poor Ozzy. He needs some snuggles, and isn't that what moms are for?

FDA Warning on Cold Meds for Babies

I heard this on the radio yesterday AM, and my cousin just sent me a link to the FDA Public Health Advisory (thanks, Sam!). And while I'll freely admit my parental dependency on Dimetapp (stops non-asthma-related coughing, promotes sleep) I doubt I'll give the stuff to Ig anymore.

Honestly, I find that Dimetapp is the only thing that works. Pediacare, Benadryl and Claritin have all been pretty useless for us. And of course, I can't ever give them cough supressants...

Anyway, here are a few highlights from the FDA Advisory:

FDA announced today that, in October, the Nonprescription Drugs Advisory Committee will discuss the safety and effectiveness of cough and cold drug product use in children. Questions have been raised about the safety of these products and whether the benefits justify any potential risks from the use of these products in children, especially in children under 2 years of age. In preparation for the meeting, FDA is reviewing safety and efficacy data for the ingredients of these products...

What should parents know about using cough and cold products in children?

• Do not use cough and cold products in children under 2 years of age UNLESS given specific directions to do so by a healthcare provider.
• Do not give children medicine that is packaged and made for adults. Use only products marked for use in babies, infants or children (sometimes called “pediatric” use).

Read the entire Public Health Advisory from the FDA site.