This Year’s Medical Goodie Bag

• Alternate Tylenol and Ibuprofen every two hours
• Alternate daytime / nighttime cold / cough remedy OR
• Allergy antihistamine – whatever seems to work well or that particular kiddo
• Vicks Vapor Rub (aka Mentholatum for other ‘old school peeps’ like me) on the chest and slathered about the feet at night with socks
• Warm mist humidifier
• Cold damp cloth on the forehead
• Albuterol breathing “treatments” as needed for wheezing
• Antibiotics when they’re finally granted

This is my new routine – my sick routine of the last month or more. It started with J’s strep which was quickly and painfully eradicated with a bicillan injection. This was followed by B’s development of Bronchitis, C’s development of the same. Finally rounded out with O’s more dramatic version – Walking Pneumonia.

With everyone well and this mama’s amazing ability to bobb and weave past all the coughing and mucus thrown my way, I considered packing up my medical “goodie bag” and corresponding playbook…until J tapped me on the shoulder, cashing in his extra immunoglobulin tokens and began what looks like his version of a bronchial journey.

The poor kid is sick. The fever wrecked him for all of day one, leaving him lethargic and unable / unwilling to eat or drink anything. He’s straying away from needing breathing treatments even though the cough and drainage are growing. Not to mention “other” unmentionables. My only hope is the next round of IVIG treatments scheduled to begin today.

Ironically, I never thought I’d be happy that J gets Intravenous Immunoglobulin infusions (because of his epilepsy). But this infusion could very well give him the boost he needs to get well faster and easier than everyone else in the family. An unforeseen benefit? We’ll take it!

Maybe then, my body will rest, I’ll get sick and someone else can pick up the sick-routine playbook and medical goodie bag and take care of me! I could use the break!

Tagged as: Gina St. Aubin, special needs, taking care of caregiver

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Gina St. Aubin is a mother of 3, one diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy, PDD-NOS, Sensory Processing Disorder, and Landau-Kleffner Syndrome (a rare epileptic disorder causing verbal aphasia) . A former Victim's Advocate turned advocate for those with intellectual and physical challenges, Gina believes being a 'Special Parent' means to discover, embrace, educate, advocate, encourage, treasure and laugh.

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