Children = Sickness!

[Nifty-Chicken]

As some may remember my oldest daughter had a scary alergy / asthma attack about 2 weeks ago.

Things went back to normal after a few days, but Monday night my youngest daughter April (1.5 yrs) threw up and kept throwing up through the night. Tuesday she seemed a bit better but threw up again this morning.

I got home from work and my wife said she felt ill and she threw up a few times. A few hours later I hear Alana (4 yr old) wake up and found her sitting on her bed right after throwing up.

Sooo... lot's of fun at our house right now. I'm just praying they get better and that I don't get it.

The last time Alana got the flu she ended up throwing up so much she got to the point of total dehydration and was almost comatose and had to go to the hospital for re-hydration / nutrients.

My wife was given an anti nausea / anti vomiting suppository to give Alana if she got sick again. I want to wait to see how she does over the next few hours before we give it to her... The thought of fighting her to put something in her back end doesn't sit well with me at all.

Any advice from parents who have gone through this before? I'm really getting tired of my poor beautiful girls getting sick!

Here's little April:

 

[mamaboyd]

Aww, your poor girls!! Sorry to hear your family isn't feeling so great. Well, with 5 kids, I know what your going through, we've been through the flu many, many time,yuck!!
Have you tried Pedialyte?? Don't give Gatorade or sport drinks, or sweet juices....too much sugar in them, and it can cause diarrhea, which can dehydrate more.
Give very small amounts of fluid at a time, too much at one time can make them throw up more as their stomachs can't handle it. If your youngest daughter likes her milk, you can still give it to her if she won't drink anything else, because nothing at all will cause dehydration. How bout soda crackers or dry toast?
If you end up having to give a suppository(which really isn't that bad, make sure your daughter is lying on her left side, we were told that when we had to give our son one, for some reason it's more comfortable. Keep her distracted when you give the suppository, it will help relax her.
If you want less laundry to do, make sure you have a thick towel over the pillows and sheets so you only have to remove the towel and not change all the bedding, and for your older daughter, a waste can with a plastic bag in it to catch the vomit helps.
It doesn't take long for dehydration to kick in, so just keep an eye on them, if they are pale,listless, etc, an E.R. visit would be advisable, and make sure if that happens, that they check their blood for all the values ie) salt,potassium levels etc.
Hope everyone feels better soon!!
Take care, Trish

 

[eggchel]

Awwww Rob, That really really stinks! Having sick kids is bad enough, but when the adults start getting sick, too, it really compounds the problems. Nothing quite like a kid sitting in a bed covered in vomit, bleh!
How did I miss your Asthma post? Duh! Im so sorry Alana had to spend so much time in the hospital. It is especially exhausting for Mom and Dad, too. I know, my son had asthma, too, as a child and it was very frightening at times. And he was one of those kids that would barf right after we forced the medicine down his throat. Gaaaaaah!

Chel

 

[schmoo]

I hope she gets better soon and you don't get the darned bug. That pic- what a little sweetie.

 

[bantymum]

Hi sorry to hear this,
can you get Zofran Wafers? they are on a prescription from the Dr and children put a little wafer on their tongue and it melts quickly with no taste and it relieves nausea very quickly. I hope you have this in USA, it should be there.
Also there are iceblocks that you can get from a drugstore that replace electrolytes and hydrate rapidly, they should also be there. because Australia generally follows behind the US in pharmacy terms in my view!
Hows about dry ginger ale? thats gentle on the tummy, because water is very heavy to an empty tummy and usually just comes back up again.
I really wish you luck and that they get better very quickly.

 

[bantymum]

Im sure there is a doctor or 2 here that can possibly give more suggestions!

 

[Chickerdoodle13]

Lol, it seems that's the way things go. One child gets sick and they all do!

The best thing I can suggest is giving them regular gingerale. The carbonation in it for some reason feels good to the stomach, but they should only sip it in small amounts.

Try not to give them any kind of substance with milk or cheese in it. Those are too heavy for the stomach. Instead try cooking some noodles and adding chicken broth (or vegetable for vegetarians). I've lived off the stuff for days until I felt better.

I'm a diabetic, so stomach viruses were always bad for me. The gingerale however, would help keep my blood sugar up while also keeping me hydrated.

It sounds like they have a 24 hour virus though, so it should pass soon! If it doesn't, please call a doctor!

 

[Chickerdoodle13]

Oh yeah, to avoid having throw up everywhere, you can make a "throw up bucket" out of almost anything. My mom always made them out of the large clear containers for the deli. We kept them in our night tables and would pull them out if we ever felt sick. They would be right near us at all times. Then when we would throw up, she would just dump it in the toilet and rinse with soap and hot water. She started this with us at a very young age and now we're almost trained to doit. I still have and I still use it when I feel sick. lol, Much more convenient than running to the bathroom!

 

[wegotchickens]

Ginger ale is good for more than just hydration. Ginger is a natural stomach-soother. The crystalized version is recommended for expectant moms and those who get car sick to chew on to soothe rebellious tummies.

 

[jenichick]

I just wanted to say I hope everyone makes a quick recovery and to give you some hope. After raising 6 kids I saw a pattern.....

the main caretaker (the only one not sick) doesn't usually get sick when everyone else is

and

the older they get, the less sick they'll be (if they're normally healthy)

every time my whole family got sick I didn't or if I did hubby didn't

Once the kids reached about 10 or 12 they stopped getting sick so often - I guess we become immune after exposure to different strains

Give everyone a big cheap tupperware bowl with paper towels in the bottom, and lots of Sierra Mist, Sprite or Ginger Ale and crackers if they can hold them down, it does help keep dehydration away...

I'll keep your family in my prayers.