200% FREAKING OUT!

[6pksummer]

Alright...so my mind is going 200% on over drive right now! Please, bare with me...there is a lot of stuff that I need to tell you so you understand everything! A few weeks back, my son had a fever 102.1. I kept him home from school. That same morning before school, he had lost a tooth. He was totally acting fine, and I never would've known that he had a fever if I hadn't touched him before he left for school. I actually took him to the doc cause I thought it was something to do with his cough. Negative, the doc said he was fine...could be his body is fighting something off and won't get sick, or these are signs of something more to come the doc said.


So, we got past all of that. My youngest had a nasty cough too, but never got a fever. So, I was totally fine, and he only had a fever that day. Since about that time, my yongest has been complaining about her "who-who" hurting. Thought nothing of it...UNTIL I gave her a bath this Wednesday night. As I was washing her, I noticed that her "Who-who" was red, irritated looking so I was gonna put some butt cream on it. Well, when I looked at it closer, she has 2 boils!!


Now, we need to back track a little bit about boils. My father-in-law has been getting them for about 1.5 years now. My mom-in-law for maybe 8 months. My son actually had them terribly inJune of 2005. He was on 2 different kinds of antibiotics. They are extremely painful..so bad that he could barely walk. He has been fine since his last breakout, however father-in-law has had another one this January...they are contagious, possibly hereditary. Needless to say, my 4 year old has them in the worst spot possible. I take her to the doc immediately, and she squeezes one open so she can relieve the pressure and get a culture. She is on augmentin for now. If the culture comes back the same as my son, which was MRSA, she will need to go on clyndamyacin. As well as everyone in my house getting put on a nasal antibiotic spray (that is where MRSA hangs out)


Last night, I was at Wal-mart with my mom and my kids and my son had a wet fart...he didn't want to tell me, but he finally did...kept asking me if I was mad at him, and I wasn't just irritated...cause I can tell the difference between and wet and dry fart...but he is only 6. He ate great all day long yesterday too. Wet fart could've been caused from the fries from Cousin's subs. He was cute though...told me that I was as mad as a shark at him; cause sharks get real mad. So, now I am called shark mom.


The one with the boilshas been fine, feeling great, other than she complains that it hurts, and she walks funny. Today, which is Saturday, the kids were with my mom all day cause I was at work. Hubby and I had gone to parents house for dinner. He wasnt really eating his food. It was steak, probably not a kids favorite food. He ate McD's for lunch, like a champ...and finished most of his food and inhaled all the desserts he could fine, cherry turnover, strawberries, and ice cream. Then he looked tired, his cheeks were real red which could be from baseball today (was cool and windy here) Then he told me he had a headache, the PANIC then set in. I felt his forehead, he was warm. Took his temp, 101.5. GREAT!!! FREAKING OUT NOW!!! Says his tummy doesn't hurt or anything, just his head and his throat. Ran home, cause the kids are staying overnight at my mom's again cause I work in the morning and hubby is at work now. He was sleeping by the time I got back, and I woke him up to give him some meds.


So, I am hoping he isn't getting a sv*. I AM FREAKING OUT!!! I did some research...about the boils. Boils can cause a fever...but I don't see anything on him at all. So, I don't know if it is from his throat hurting or what. He ate so good and last time when he got sick...he did

[sage]

summer, hun...your anxiety about all of this could be contributing to your kids' low immunity to infection. honestly. try to remain calm. of course a boil or mrsa bacteria can cause fever - fevers are all about infection after all. a little tylenol will go a long way to helping them with fever and pain.


perhaps mum should consider some anti-anxiety medication? (the latest study by the american psychiatric association showed that treating mums with anxiety helped the kids not get diagnosable emotional disorders). I'm thinking if you were calmer, your kids immune systems might work a little better.


but don't take my advice - talk to your doctor. seems like the anxiety is perhaps too much to handle right now.


take care

[6pksummer]

thanks sage...it is really hard for me. And I do want to see someone about it, cause I know I have a problem with it. but I won't go till the summer (less people are sick them) The nice thing is, my kids don't see me freak out (at least right now) I am home alone, with my puppy. Kids are at my mom's house. I am a bit relieved for that, but still...it sits in the back of my head...the what ifs...hubby just tells me its just a fever, give him some tylenol and he will be fine, but he doesn't understand how it just makes me feel! I hate it...i want it to stop...I don't know how much more of it I can take. I just hope its not a sv* and I hope it is just his body trying to fight off boils that he MIGHT catch from his sister.

[crimgoddess]

Wow- seems like you have a lot on your hands right now.


If his throat still hurts tomorrow, bring him to the doctor's for a throat culture. Strep can cause a high fever (when I had it the last time it was almost 103), and once it is diagnosed, he can be given antibiotics that will make him feel 100% better. Or, it could be likely that he is fighting something off- our glands often get swollen (which can lead to a sore throat) when our bodies are trying to get something out of our systems (which is probably related to the boils- poor thing!).


Definitely call the doctor tomorrow if he is still not 100%- even if there is nothing he/she can do about it, you will at least have some piece of mind that it isn't something that warrants further medical attention.


As for yourself....are you in therapy of some sort? In order to be the best mom you can be, you also have to take care of yourself. A good therapist can probably help you better manage your anxiety. No one should have to live like that.


*amber*Edited by: crimgoddess

[6pksummer]

amber...I will take him on Monday if he isn't feeling better. I hope to god he pulls through the night without any issues. I am not in therapy, as of yet. I have been talking about going for about 5 years now...and everytime this happens, I won't go cause it is usually the "sick" season, and I hate going to the doctor cause there are usually sick people there. I hope to god I will go this summer.


Do you or did you go through these anxiety attacks? And if so, what did you or are you doing amber?

[crimgoddess]

Well- if you are seeing someone in the mental health field, you really shouldn't worry about the 'sick' people. When someone is physically ill, it's not likely that they would go see their therapist- and you can likely find someone that doesn't practice out of a hospital that isn't exclusive to mental health, if that is what you are uncomfortable with.


Also, it's easy to make justifications for not going- in the winter it is the 'sick' season- but in the summer it will be nice out, which makes it easier to say 'well, it's too nice to spend time on something unpleasant', or 'well, my kids aren't in school, I should really be spending more time with them'.


I know for myself when the panic overwhelms me, I head outside and pretty much walk off the anxiety. I find that it makes me shakey and I end up with a lot of excess energy- walking helps me to burn off this energy., and focus what it left on what is really important (the fresh air doesnt hurt either). If I can't leave the situation, I will head into another room for a moment, close my eyes and take a few deep breaths. When I exhale I try to picture myself exhaling the anxiety- relaxing my body so it feels as though it is drifting out of me. Then I try to focus on what I "need" to do- not what I want to do. If it is a situation I need to take care of (sick child, family member, etc.), I try to focus on their needs and how I would feel if I was in their situation, and then head back in there to do what is needed.


Are you feeling any better? still panicked?


*amber*Edited by: crimgoddess

[6pksummer]

Thanks amber...your words are very helpful. I have to go to my normal doctor to get a referral to see a therapist...so that is the hold up there. That is why I haven't gone in the "sick" months...I can't wait for summer to come, looking forward to being with my kids and swimming in our pool! I try to take deepbreaths to calm down, I will have to try how you do it.


I am feeling a little better, folding some clothes, and watching some tv...it does help that he is at my moms, out of sight out of mind I guess. I feel so bad for him though...just hope he isn't going to get boils again, I know how painful those were for him. I hope he isn't getting anything to be honest. The only thing I can think of if maybe strep throat, since he did complain about that.


Thanks againamber, you have been helpful.

[crimgoddess]

You're welcome


Maybe you should get some books on relaxation techniques- ways of breathing, smell, thinking exercises, etc. They may be of some help.


Hope your little dudes are okay, and mom too!


*amber*

[surfjunkie]

I can completely and totally relate to every emotion and thought that you
are having right now. It always seems to help when my kids are with
someone else with a sv. But, from the sounds of it, it doesn't sound like
that is what is going on with him. It seems with a sv, the yucky stuff
comes first. Then, the fever and sore throat. My kids seem to always get
a headache, fever and sore throat with strep. Hardly ever any of that with
the sv. I know that when I take them to the dr. and they are positive for
strep, I do a little dance in my head, thinking "Phew, they probably won't
be v* with that!"

Hang in there! Summer is almost here! (I am a summer nut, too!!! The
chlorine in the pool water usually kills every germ imaginable!!! [img]smileys/smilies_01.gif[/img]

[6pksummer]

Hello everyone! Thanks for your support...my son has made it through the night all ok...and my mom says that he is totally fine today. He ate great this morning, and is feeling fine...fighting with his sister.

[6pksummer]

alright, so I am going mental right now...now my son has a fever, nothing too major 99.7. But still, today he sounds like he has a cold, and there were about 6 used kleenex on his floor this morning, so I am thinking it is from his cold. I hope. What do you guys think? I did find out that my youngest does have the MRSA boils and is now on clyndamyacin, and we will all be on nasal cream that is an anti-biotic, cause that is where MRSA hangs out. Dr says that I would see the boils before a fever. So, I am hoping that it is just a cold, what do you guys think? PLEASE SOMEONE MAKE ME SANE!!!

[samara's on tv]

I'm sure everything will be fine. I'm certainly not as comforting as CrimGoddess...LoL Cause I don't always know what to say, but it doesn't sound like an sv cause wouldn't he have already V*ed if it was? I don't know much about sickness but there were A LOT of times when I was a kid where I would get a fever and not V*...then again I can only remember a handful of times when I actually DID V* as a kid. I think he'll be fine, do what I do when I get panicked. Take in a DEEP BREATH through your nose...hold it for 10 seconds then let it out and hold it for 10 seconds. Do that a few times, that breathing technique is what I use before I meditate to calm myself. It might help.


~Monica

[6pksummer]

Thanks Monica...really hard for me to do anything now, I am work...sneaking on this site, cause it makes me feel a ton better. My hubby is with the kids, which makes me feel a bit better...out of sight, out of mind, but at the same time, I know what night brings, and I do think that he would've v* by now.

[surfjunkie]

I have 2 kids, 8 and 5, and I have seen this situation with them before. If
it is at all like my kids, it is a good ol' cold. When my kids present with
those same symptoms, I usually do a dance because I can almost
guarantee that it isn't a sv*!!!! So, rejoice in the fact of a cold!!!! No
worries!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am almost certain that if he were going to v*, it would
have happened by now!!

[purpleteacher]

It sounds like you are under so much stress right now and I admire you for being able to share your stresses with us on the board. Just telling someone about what you are going through will help some.


*hugs* and just stay as strong as you can. Make sure your children's doc know they are running a fever again and do your best to comfort them. Your time to freak out is after they have gone to bed. Get online and find one of us - there is someone online almost round the clock (because we all live in different time zones) and I know almost anyone would be willing to talk with you if you beeped them.


Do keep us posted. The boils sound the scariest of what you are going through, but your son could just have a cold on top of everything else. *hugs*

[6pksummer]

Thanks Julie and purple teacher...you guys have made me feel a ton better, and he does have just a simple cold. There were a ton of kleenxes on the floor again, an dI can hear it in his voice. So I am a bit relieved, but still, it sits there in the back of your mind