Tag Archives: illness

Feed a fever, starve a cold?

Or was it starve a fever and feed a cold? Is it chicken soup, or pile on more blankets? What’s a mother to do when someone gets sick? We get all kinds of advice from well meaning sources. But sometimes it’s best to listen to our own common sense and instincts. If someone has a fever their body is showing a reaction to its battle with an infection. If the fever is just slight (below 101 degrees) you really don’t need to do anything. When it gets higher than that it’s advisable to try and gently bring it down. The … Continue reading →

Projectile Vomiting and Your Baby

This is hardly a pleasant topic to write about much less mention, but I’ve seen both of my nephews go through similar problems involving projectile vomiting. Remember, spitting up is actually fairly normal for most babies whether they are breast or bottle-fed. We use towels and more to protect our clothing from these minor incidences. But what do you do when it’s not just a little bit of spit up? What if it’s not just some gas pushing a bit of the meal up and your baby is actually vomiting up everything they eat? Yes, It’s Scary It was far … Continue reading →

Primary Time: Wellness Etiqette and Nursery

If you have a child in Nursery or Primary, you may be concerned when the winter months hit. This is especially true in the nursery, where little ones are being exposed to germs for the first time. It is important that you follow the proper etiquette and exercise consideration for those around you when your child is sick. It can be very frustrating for your child to come home and gets sick a day or two after nursery class. The same basic guidelines should apply as if you were sending your child to school. If your child has a fever, … Continue reading →

It’s Hard Not To Hover

When your spouse has been gravely ill or injured, it can be hard not to hover over them as they are recovering. After all, it’s an eye opening experience to realize that you could lose them and it could be that unexpected and surprising. Appendicitis is easily corrected through an appendectomy, but in the hours and sometimes days it can take to recognize what it is can make those hours and days some of the longest you have ever spent. It’s hard to take a step back when they come home. It’s been hard for me. For my daughter it’s … Continue reading →

When Should You Not Vaccinate Your Baby

When it comes to vaccination, it’s ideal if every baby gets them, but there are some babies who shouldn’t be vaccinated. The following describe some situations and conditions where you should not vaccinate your baby (be sure to always consult your pediatrician on the following): Allergies to Gelatin or to antibiotics like polymixin B, streptomycin and neomycin in your baby? Be sure to consult with your pediatrician so they can do tests to identify some alternative vaccines Illness, whether moderate or severe, including vomiting and high fever are good indicators that you should wait before getting your baby vaccinated; if … Continue reading →

Taking Care of Your Baby When YOU’RE Sick

Taking care of your baby when you’re sick can seem impossible. I remember when my son was nine-weeks-old, I got a stomach virus and literally could not hold him for three days. It was terrible. My husband had to take off work and all I could do was lay in the fetal position myself, while he took care of our baby. I was lucky that time that he was able to take the time off work. Usually there’s a one-day limit. If I’m really really sick, he can take off one day, but that’s it. Tell me, who gets better … Continue reading →

The Days of Nyquil & Lozenges

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He’s irritable, he won’t get up and his tone of voice is only slightly better than that of the five year-old. He wants soup, he wants more medicine and he asks for odd things late at night. He’s difficult, demanding and altogether more petulant than you’ve ever had to deal with and you find yourself wondering where is the man you married? Who is this stranger? He’s My Husband And he has the flu. There’s been this nasty virus running rampant through our house. I am so ready to tent the building and start wearing facial masks. The virus begins … Continue reading →

Taking Care of the Caretaker

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I am one of the primary caretakers for my eighty year old grandmother. Some days are better than others; some days are very frustrating and make me want to scream. If you are responsible for the care of another person — be it a parent, child, or friend — don’t forget to take some time for yourself. Being a caretaker is not an easy job. You risk emotional depletion from dealing with an ill or incapable family member — you give and give and give and expect very little in return. You may become isolated because you are spending so … Continue reading →

Planning for Family Emergencies

One emergency that you need to prepare for is a family emergency. By family emergency, I mean an emergency that affects one member of your family, which in turn could complicate the normal flow of events in your family. One example of a family emergency is that one member ends up in the hospital due to a sudden illness or accident. If you have young children you will need to have a plan so that they will be taken care of during a highly stressful time. You don’t want to be scrambling around when all you really want to do … Continue reading →

Social Phobia – Treatment

Earlier we looked at the problem of social phobia from the viewpoint of a fictitious character named Jeff. Let’s now look at some methods Jeff can use to make life a little bit more bearable. Not too many years ago, the prescribed treatment was to throw social phobics “in at the deep end” by advising them to join a speech-training organization like Toastmasters. This probably provided help for some sufferers, gradually allowing them to build enough confidence to cope better in their day-to-day lives. But for others, such a step was just too great, with each Toastmasters meeting becoming an … Continue reading →