That is what my baby boy has been dealing with for the past ten days. Just plain yuckiness. Yucky nose, yucky wheezing, yucky cough and then to top off the yuckiness - a nice, yucky puss filled ear infection! Ugh!
Of course the worst of it came while I was out of town and my parents were here taking care of my younger three kids. Poor baby, spiked a fever Thursday night, cried quite a bit, and had to make a trip to the doctor for a diagnosis. "Nasty" ear infection.
I just wanted to share a little of how we have been treating this, in case anyone is interested. Remember, I am NOT a doctor. Also remember, that I did take my little one to a doctor (a "real" doctor) while he was sick, and I followed that doctor's instructions. Finally, if you do not agree with how I have treated my son from a medical standpoint, then also remember that you do not have to read this blog at all. (I say that with all kindness!) :)
P started coughing a little over a week ago. It was mostly the kind of cough that comes from too much mucus build up and he would cough to clear it out. I had started giving him a liver cleanse about a week before, and I have come to the conclusion now that the initial snottiness was a detox symptom. The liver cleanse was to clear up some major eczema he was dealing with and for some other private reasons. Anyway, he got super snotty over the next few days and was whiny and just not himself. I gave him an immune booster tincture, extra Vitamin D3 (3-4,000 IU daily), and 500 mg of Vitamin C. He didn't want to eat a lot, but he was taking all of his bottles and sleeping ok the first few days. The third and fourth days were rough and on the fifth day I took him to the doctor to see if he had an ear infection. He didn't, but he was wheezing a little. I gave him nebulizer treatments a couple of times per day.
About a week after all this started, we left for New York for J & B's birthday trip. Baby spiked a fever the night we left of about 101.5 and cried quite a bit that night. My mom called me the next morning and I made another appointment with the doctor. They did not give him anything for the fever except homeopathic Belladonna. This will not break a fever, but it will bring it down some. They also put him in a warm bath.
The doctor visit revealed a "nasty" ear infection. They left with a prescription for an antibiotic, but instructions to wait a few days before using it as most ear infections clear up on their own. (Have I mentioned that I LOVE my pediatrician!?!) They started using and ear oil mixture made from garlic and eucalyptus oils. This typically draws out the infection and soothes the pain.
Saturday morning they took him to our chiropractor who drained his lymph nodes and worked on his ears. He ran a fever over the next two days, but overall seemed to feel ok. We got home Sunday afternoon and his fever was 99. By bedtime he was cool as could be. Still snotty, and still pulling at his ear some. I kept up the herbs and ear oil and added homeopathic Pulsatilla for the snot. I also made a big pot of chicken soup. I'm not sure whether it made any difference or not, but I always do it with my others. I added TONS of fresh garlic to it and Patrick ate quite a lot of it over a two day period! Monday he was still whiny, but he slept good Monday night and today he definitely turned a corner. We made one more visit to our chiropractor tonight and he came home and went straight to bed. He ate really good today and right now his snottiness is greatly improved. His ear is still red, but definitely clearing up.
I am a firm believer in alternative remedies. I have seen them work time and time again over the past 9 years. I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that our bodies are fearfully and wonderfully made and have the ability to heal themselves in the right environment. That environment needs to be as toxin free as possible, full of healthy foods (a large portion of those raw), very limited sugar intake, lots of sunshine, fresh air, and pure water.
I am incredibly thankful that God has allowed me to learn so much over the past several years about the way He designed our bodies. I am also thankful for the wonderful medical professionals He has put in our lives.
I want to end by saying again that I am not opposed to medication when little bodies need some extra help. I would have given the antibiotic to my son if he had not started to get better and I will give it to him if he relapses. The problem is that in many situations antibiotics are ineffective for the ailment and in that case they do more harm by killing all the good bacteria in your gut that works to keep you healthy. Most childhood sicknesses just need time and rest to heal on their own. Especially if you are nursing, your baby has most everything he/she needs to heal. God designed it that way!
Hope you are all having a very Healthy Spring!!
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