Joshua is such a wonderful baby, that I guess there has to be something that's not perfect, and that's his health... Nothing too serious, just that he has been almost constantly sick with a cold (sometimes getting a bit more serious) for months now.
So when it flared up again last week I made an appointment to see the paediatrician to see if it was allergies, and just in general what to do going forward.
So Tuesday morning I took some time off work (always the up-side to things like this) and off we went. The doctor asked all sorts of questions, did a general examination, and then said he wanted Joshua to have some blood tests to test for allergies, and then also to come back in 6 weeks once his ear infection should be cleared up with the antibiotics.
So downstairs we went to Pathcare... Quite a long walk when you know that your child is not going to enjoy what's on the other end (and I was also carrying Joshua, and anything over 10kg's makes life difficult...) The sisters were really nice, but they couldn't get a vein in the first arm they tried, so that was a whole lots of crying and screaming for nothing. Thankfully they got blood on the second arm. I don't think I could have taken much more. Joshua was swaddled up in a sheet so he couldn't use the rest of his limbs to obstruct the process, and I was lying next to him, just holding his head and singing to him to try and calm him down. I felt so helpless and absolutely horrible for putting him through this. But the wonderful thing about children is that as soon as it was over and I could take him in my arms he calmed down and (because he hadn't slept yet all morning) fell asleep, and slept all the way to Debbie's place.
This is when being a parent is so horrible and unfair... But your child forgives and forgets completely, and that makes it all bearable.
The paediatrician called me back yesterday to say that all the allergy tests came back negative - so no allergies! And what I'm especially happy about is that there are no food allergies (I was really, really hoping that wasn't going to become part of our life). But his immune system is low because his antibodies are a bit lower than they should be... So that's why he's getting sick all time. So we have to go and see him again for him to explain our strategy going forward. He said very definitely though not to lose any sleep over it because its not overly serious, and we can sort it out.
So... Despite the panic, all is well, and at least now we know exactly where we stand!
Thursday, November 20, 2008
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I feel your pain. Noah was sick for over four months straight, his first winter. He was eventually diagnosed with asthma and has inhalers, so at least he isn't coughing through the night every night any more.
His second winter was the same - just a nightmare. He was sick constantly. He'd get over the one illness and then get the next.
Last winter was slightly better, and this year, so far he has been fine (TOUCH WOOD!)
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