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Help!Need Hw friends to work their magic. Grandbaby has flu.

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Posted 1/28/2013 8:50 AM (GMT 0)
I know the strength this forum has in sheer numbers with your prayers and positive thoughts so please if you will.

My 10 month old granddaughter and my daughter her Mother has the flu,type A.

The little one had 2 of 3 vaccines and was due Tuesday for the 3rd but my daughter got the flu first and the baby had 30 percent chance of getting it from her and she did.

They live in Texas an I in Florida so I may end up having to go help if my son- in- law gets it or is too much for him alone.

In the meantime I sit and worry. So please I could use some prayers or whatever for them.

Vickie
Posted 1/28/2013 10:03 AM (GMT 0)
You got it, Vickie - your precious granddaughter and daughter went to the top of my prayer list! Babies are very resilient and much stronger than most people think - she is going to be fine. And so will your daughter. I know it's awful, being so far away from them! But they'll be better before you know it. They will be in my thoughts and prayers.
Posted 1/28/2013 10:35 AM (GMT 0)
Vickie,

Praying for your family now.... as you said - there's power in prayer and positive thinking.... I've got two little miracle babies because of that.....

Please keep us updated.... I'm sure it's very difficult not being right there to be able to help - especially when you are so worried. But I hope this passes quickly for them both of them.

--Tina
Posted 1/28/2013 10:41 AM (GMT 0)
Oh Vickie, so sorry to hear this so will say some extra prayers for them. At least the baby has had 2 of the 3 shots, that had to help. Who is taking care of them during the day while hubby works?

Keep us posted please.... Susie
Posted 1/28/2013 12:30 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks Tina and Splashdancer and Straydog!
Her husband is a stockbroker so he can do alot from his home office and he has been doing that and then his Mother lives about an hour away and she went up for the weekend and helped out,she is a pathologist and the lab where she and her husband work require them to have the flu vaccine as well as a number of other vaccines so they are both protected against type A and should be safe being around them.

I immediately wanted to hop a plane and my daughter started freaking out since I am one of those who cannot take the flu vaccines. She said Mom please stay away I dont want to have to worry about you getting it and I would and the extra worry wouldnt help me any. She is right of course.

Her husband has been wearing a mask the hospital gave him but their primary said he most likely had already been exposed by the time they knew they had it but so far he hasnt showed any signs of it,we will see. If he gets sick too his Mom said she could take some vacation time she has to just go up and stay for the duration.

They did put my daughter and the baby on the Tamaflu and my daughters fever actually has been down since yesterday around noon, I take that as a good sign.

The baby however is still running pretty high. The Peds Dr on call over the weekend for her own Dr told her that unless her fever was 105 not to take her to the ER? I had 6 kids of my own and been a nurse for over 25 yrs and I think she shouldnt wait untill its that high. We were told if it is 103 and you cannot get it down in an hour with meds and tepid bath to take them in. I have been retired out for 11 years now and my oldest is 15 but have things changed that much?

My old Peds Doc I had with my kids said rule of thumb, if it is 101 and they are acting normal,playing and eating,drinking good do nothing,if it is 101 and they dont eat,lie around,cant get them to drink or even eat a popsicle,then you take them in. Always worked well for me.

Anyway hoping my daughter is past the worst of it and hoping the tamaflu works as well for the baby.

Thanks again guys as I know strength that flows from this place is awesome.

Vickie

Post Edited (nvrthesame98) : 1/28/2013 5:33:23 AM (GMT-7)

Posted 1/28/2013 12:36 PM (GMT 0)
i really hope they recover quickly....pal pete
Posted 1/28/2013 1:09 PM (GMT 0)
Sending prayers your way Vickie.
I hope your grandbaby recovers quickly.

Keep us updated.

UA
Posted 1/28/2013 1:30 PM (GMT 0)
Thank you Pete and UA and I will keep everyone updated. You read so many news articles about the death toll from flu and when it happens to yours you just panic!

Vickie
Posted 1/28/2013 3:26 PM (GMT 0)
I sure hope things improve for your granddaughter. Many many prayers and well wishes, If it was my daughter and grand daughter I' d want to be there too, but it sounds like they already have a household of people, but maybe you can make plans to visit them for Easter.
Many prayers
Posted 1/28/2013 4:20 PM (GMT 0)
Vickie...

Can't remember what kid of mine it was at this point, lol.... but one was a baby when the rest of us had the flu -- and they gave baby the Tamaflu. He ended up getting a very mild case... but it did help.

Now - the fever part? I'm w/ you - I personally would NEVER hang in w/ one of my kids until a fever reached that high. As it approached a consistent 102 - I'd be at the ER for sure!

I forgot you were one of us that can't get the flu vaccine (me too).... so it makes complete sense for you to stay away. I know you want to be there..... but, like you said, you getting it would be the last thing that any of you need.

Will continue to pray..... and please keep us updated. Love, Tina
Posted 1/28/2013 4:55 PM (GMT 0)
Will be saying prayers...(Looks like I stayed logged in overnight again by accident so just got back home from the Dr.)

I think that that is just to high of a fever to wait to go to the ER..

I really hope that they will recover quickly...
Posted 1/28/2013 5:45 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks Chartreux, Tina and SB. My daughter has said many times how young her Peds Doc is but she seems to like him. I thought maybe things had just changed or evolved as they tend to do in medicine. I told her to not wait for that high if a temp as the ER staff would much rather you come in and they waste a little time giving more tylenol and playing with babies in the bath then to wait and they come in seizing from a high fever.

He also said not to hold her formula and let her eat whatever she wanted but immediately after drinking a bottle of formula and being given the tamaflu she had projectile vomiting yesterday so I told her to go to clear liquids only and definately no milk or formula? That was always a given since it is pretty common sense to know that if your internal bady temp is 102 your definately going to curdle milk right? She started her on pedialyte and good old jello water and she didnt vomit they meds anymore so far.

My daughters sick as well but much better entering her 3rd day of the flu meds but she is worried about her baby and I know that feeling all to well. Her husband said she wont let anyone else take care of Boo and I know how that is as well.

One strange thing she said and I cant figure what might be causing this but she said after the baby went to bed last night she woke up several times screaming and at that time her fever was down and she said she didnt act like anything was hurting her bad enough to warrant a blood curdling scream. Said she was easily comforted back to sleep but that a few hours later she did it again. This continued thru the night and when she went down for a nap awhile ago she did it again.

Could the Tamaflu be one of those meds that cause nightmares or night terrors possibly as my daughter said it was more like a scared scream versus pain or lonely baby scream.

I want to again thank all of you as I sit here worrying so far away from my baby and hers,no matter how old they grow to be it still is hard not to be there for them. I dont want to worry her more by exposing me to the flu should I run down there and end up getting it. And I would we have that kind of luck.
Posted 1/29/2013 4:06 AM (GMT 0)
No it's best for your health for you to stay put, make sure she reports the night screams to the ped doc if they continue and that if the fever get to 102.1 she should just go to the hospital. I know how worried you are my daughter has a heart condition and has bronchitis up at her University and we cannot be there for her right now, but I will say prayers and I believe those do help...
Many Prayers and well wishes, hope things improve soon.
Posted 1/29/2013 4:26 AM (GMT 0)
Thoughts and prayers are being sent her way! Hoping that they both have a speedy recovery!
Posted 1/29/2013 7:17 AM (GMT 0)
Hi again, Vickie! I hope your grandbaby and daughter are feeling better. They are still on my prayer list! I just saw what her pediatrician said about the 105 temp. I'm sorry, but I don't agree with that at all. In fact, just 1 degree more than that and brain injury can occur. I don't know WHAT he was thinking when he said that. And a febrile seizure can occur at 102 degrees and above. They are more likely to occur if there is a sudden rise in temperature. When one of my sons was a baby, he had 3 seizures of this type and his temperature never reached above 103 (give or take a tenth). Ibuprofen is the 'miracle' drug for fevers, even with a high temp like that.

Please let us know how they are doing. Hope you have a peaceful day......
Posted 1/29/2013 9:10 AM (GMT 0)
Thanks Blue,Splashdancer,Chartreux so sorry about your daughter. I also suffer chronic bronchitis and abnormal heart rhythm and know personally the impact coughing has on me when I have a flare. Hopefully she is taking care of herself and trying to rest as much as possible.I will add her to my already frequent prayers.

My daughter is much better and has been afebrile for going on 36 hrs so looks like the tamaflu worked great for her. The thing with it is it only works if you take it in the first 48 hrs and after that it's success goes down greatly,,very important to see a doctor at once if you even suspect you have it and you can be given the med if you know you have been exposed to prevent it.

My daughter called the Peds doc and he said the tamaflu causes mania in some children accompanied by Hallucinations,nightmares,abnormal behavior,and even reported fatal self injury. Wow! He said to make sure they used safety gates,seat belts in carriers,and these all are abrupt occurrences. Seems kids on tamaflu just freak out without warning but those were rare and isolated cases.If she was older I would worry more about those but the screaming probably night terrors.

Got to weigh the benefits here and the flu could be fatal to a baby. Also odd was it said recommended for children over 1 yrs old she's not but 10 months but she met the wt guidelines,she's a big girl.
Waiting to hear how she did thru the night but since I got no mid-night calls or texts I'm figuring she did OK.

Always hate to see sick babies. My daughter posted a pic on my Fb of a close-up of her in the car coming back from the Dr and you can actually see how sick she is in her little eyes. Tons of emails stemmed from the pic as mothers saw it and recognized the look.

Thanks guys your the greatest! I will post after I hear from them this morning.

Vickie
Posted 1/30/2013 12:55 AM (GMT 0)
Quick update,they both are doing pretty good today so it seems the meds are doing the job. The baby is better,temps staying in a low grade range and other then side effects of the tamaflu my daughter says she's acting pretty normal. The med causes some diarrhea and stomach upset and they are treating those as well.

Thanks to all as I'm certain meds alone didn't keep them safe!!

Vickie
Posted 1/30/2013 1:37 AM (GMT 0)
Thanks for the update....the biggest thing now is making sure that they both stay VERY well hydrated...Dehydration is actually one of the most dangerous parts of having the flu or any illness like this. Especially when having diarrhea....

Do not give anything sweet as this only causes more nausea.

I know it sounds like I work for the company but I don't:) But for adults, the drink VitaCo-Co is a thousand times better than anything like Gatorade which is high in sugar. VitaCoCo is all natural coconut water (and natural flavors like orange puree for the fruit ones) that has needed electrolytes and as much potassium as two bananas in each serving.

Anyway...I actually even mix this with water and it's best to just take small sips every 15 minutes. And with the Pedialyte and water for the baby...same thing...make sure she is giving them sips every 15 minutes.

We can be without food for quite a lot of days but staying hydratedd is imperative....

I pray they continue to get better:)
Posted 1/30/2013 9:41 AM (GMT 0)
Thanks SB I will tell her about the vita-CoCo,this daughter is actually the pickiest eater I have. She eats absolutely nothing green and I mean nothing. Besides potatos I cant think of any vedetable she eats accept carrots mashed in the potatos when you broast them in with a roast. She eats lots of fruit and yogart but is lactose intolerant as she is Native American and missing an intrinsic B factor.

Sorry for all that info but what I was getting to was she loves coconut and its milk so that might be something she can use all the time as I worry she doesnt get enough healthy foods in her diet and she always had to take vits as a little girl.

Vickie
Posted 1/30/2013 6:39 PM (GMT 0)
Vickie so glad to read the temps are coming down. Gotta take that as a good sign. I am with you 105 is too high, that is when seizures can hit. Its just awful when those little ones get sick like that, just breaks your heart, I am a granny too, lol. I only have one and he is now 7, but to me he is still my little baby,lol. Lets hope they will be be getting on the mend soon.

Keep us posted...Susie
Posted 1/30/2013 8:19 PM (GMT 0)
very happy the temps are lower! I am a previous paramedic and I was always taught febrile seizures can occur at temps lower than 105. When my son was three he had a temp of 104 sustained; it would not react to any meds. I sat in the hospital with him on a cooling blanket and I could not touch him because my body heat would raise his. This was probably the most helpless I've ever felt. I would suggest that you notify the attending or ped of the night screams. Sometimes this is a reaction to meds sometimes the brain's response of flight or fight.

I know I'm responding a bit late; I have limited computer time so I can't allways be around here. But you mentioned potatoes as one thing she will eat. Maybe a good time to introduce sweet potatoes. While they are not white they are not green either. Plus anti inflammatory and antioxidants might help. I am new here and sometimes I want to help others but can't. Know that I am praying for all of you.
Posted 1/31/2013 12:49 AM (GMT 0)
Well thanks everyone for all the prayers and help with advice.

I thought they were both doing good and my Daughter text me at 4 and said she had a horribly sharp pain on the right side under her breast and it literally stops her and she has to take little breaths. Not constant,comes and goes.

She said she didn't think it would be pneumonia as she felt fine other then this pain. I told her to call Dr and walking pneumonia didn't always make you sick and it could be pleursy but either way she needs an xray She said they called back said pretty much what I did and she has an xray scheduled for the morning.

The baby is cranky but so far doing better.

Vickie
Posted 1/31/2013 5:29 AM (GMT 0)
What you are describing of your daughters pain could be multiple things but it almost sounds like a gallbladder attack as it comes & goes and it's hard for her to breath.. Is it worse after eating? Gallbladder attacks are so painful, I had mine removed on my birthday last year. Happy birthday to me! wink

Please continue to update us, I will keep both in my prayers!
Posted 1/31/2013 6:04 AM (GMT 0)
This topic has made me very thankful that my 3 year old son has never had the flu. He was sick once briefly but it passed.

Just reading this has made me emotional and grateful. However, I will pray for both nightly. I know how much of a blessing a child is and how much a parent/grandparent will worry. I am sure everything will be just fine. Babies are very resilient.

Brett
Posted 1/31/2013 6:58 AM (GMT 0)
Thanks hold17 and Brett you are so right. This has just scared me to no end. Of course my daughter's 25 and this is her 1st child,we use to say she would be the one that would never have any to. She has turned out to be a remarkable mom. That's what was so strange when they got the flu,my daughter is lucky enough to be able to be a stay at home mom and they rarely go anywhere as she doesn't drive,she can just won't.She's so careful with my granddaughter that she has never took her out around lots of people and church is the biggest.

Now this with her and I am not there to see for myself they are ok and that drives me nuts.

Never thought about gallbladder but your right that pain will bring you to your knees. She has never smoked and she said she didn't have a cough with this bout of flu so it certainly could be gallbladder and I will ask her to have them check also.

With 6 children and having lost one when she was a baby I probably worry more then usual. There is always going to be the pain and hurt of the loss making me feel like it can happen again and I wouldn't survive this time.

I so appreciate all of you for your support and kind words..Just reading them keeps me grounded and that means more then it says as I probably would have already hopped a plane and got sick myself and I don't do well as I did smoke for 35 yrs and have copd so need no flu!!

Vickie
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