I don't know if I'm being, I dunno what the word would be, paranoid? ever since the weekend of July 16th and 17th which was my middle daughters birthday, my kids have been getting sick. That weekend we were out of the state for the bday and my oldest got strep throat, and very severely at that. my other 2 kids did not get it btw. after she got it took antibiotics I don't think it went away. one important thing to remember in this. our kids respond to meds the same way I do. very well and quickly. We also rarely give them meds unless we have to. they also haven't been sick but maybe once or twice a year. yes they all go to school but this was during the summer. and we have lived here for a year aug 28th. so to get back to it, they all 3 of our girls have had the following: pink eye (few times), bad cold w/ fever, ear infections (few times) and strep throat of which only my oldest had. this is all in nearly 2 months time. that does not seem normal, at all. They get flipped around to different doctors at the practice we are at.
forgot sometihng!! the other thing is that I clean extensively. I clean houses and keep our house the same way as well s teaching our kids good habits like washing their hands.
we've been with this place about 10 months.I feel like they are being overlooked and nobody(doctors) are looking at this much further. This shouldn't still be happening! all 3 of my girls drank breast milk for the first year, and only had 2 slight ear infections between the 3 of them until this summer. our old doctor was fantastic and knew my girls inside and out. I'm looking into another practice. but what do you think about the entire situation?
sometimes all it takes is that one bug and a visit to the dr. then one of them catches something else at the dr, and then again. I've gone through viscious cycles of back to back illnesses and then looong periods of good health. Its normal no paranoia neccessary
Sounds normal to me, I don't see how this is the doctor office's fault at all. it's pretty normal for large practices with multiple Dr.s to have a new or different one each visit. My sister got strep throat multiple times a year and none of the other kids ever did. Pink eye can be gotten anywhere and is contagious, which is probably why they keep getting it and passing it around to each other. Could be an infected toy/pillow or something still lying around.
I'm all for breastfeeding, and it does help with the immune system, but these are older school aged children. Breastfeeding doesn't guarantee they wont get sick or will not be susceptible to illness.
A lot of kid's immune systems get stressed easier during the summer or right when school starts. These illnesses just might be going around in your neighborhood. If you have moved to a new area or house, there could be seasonal allergies, mold or whatever as an underlying influence. But if not, I would continue to treat and not be as paranoid.
I don't think this is too out of the ordinary for most families. Pink eye is EXTREMELY contagious and you are lucky you yourself did not catch it. Same with strep throat. During the same time period, my son caught a very nasty cold as well, and from what I have noticed in this area, something was definitely going around. I'm not sure about the ear infections though. Have your children been feeling a little more stressed than usual, or had diet changes (such as more unhealthy foods because of vacations)? these things can all affect a child's resistance to colds etc.
Back to school is always a sick fest for about a month for our kids. One comes home with something, then gives it to the other. They get well, then something else gets brought home and the cycle repeats. I chalk it up to their immune systems getting used to being around so many kids on a daily basis again after having the summer off.
Maybe try to schedule your appointments with the same doc each time. Personally, I think you build a relationship with a doctor and when they see you, they may remember certain things about you or your kids, that a new doc wouldn't unless they read their whole charts.
Pink eye, strep, and mono are going around like wildfire at my daughter's elementary school right now, and that school is diligent about kids washing hands throughout the day.
Good luck and hope your children get well soon!
Other than the cold those are highly contagious viruses. It sounds like bad luck not a bad doctor.
So far as the doctor goes I would never keep seeing a doctor I was not comfortable with. In other words I wasn't confident in his decisions and opinions. Just based on that you should switch doctors.
Are you saying that your girls have been sick this often because they're seeing different doctors each time? If so, that is not a reasonable assessment in my opinion.
I wonder why you don't insist on making your appointments with the same doctor. I'm guessing that you see different doctors because your appointments are same day appointments and you have to take the doctor on duty for those. Perhaps you can, however, ask to make a non-urgent appointment with one doctor and work to get one doctor as your primary care doctor.
I also suggest that your girls may be getting sick so often because of their environment at the moment. Who do they play with that are also sick? Are they getting enough rest, good nutrition, and a peaceful home? Does the family follow hand washing rules?
I know from experience that we often go thru spells of illness followed by spells of good health. I was ill so often one year that my employer sent me to their doctor for evaluation. I had my tonsils out and was immediately healthier. I suggest that your girls' immune systems are compromised by the repeated illnesses and it will take time for them to recover.
Do change clinics if you're not happy with this one but please don't blame the doctors for your girls illnesses. That is just not reasonable.
How could one doctor have made a difference?
Was the house checked for mold? or anything like that? I've heard this can cause different kinds of illness, I'm not a doctor and claim no rational knowledge or statistics here.. Have you been to an allergist? It is allergy season and all. (at least it is here)
These illnesses go hand-in-hand, and if they have one thing, it lowers their immunities to other things that come along. About mold- mold does NOT cause colds or strep or ear infections. Viruses and bacteria cause illness. Mold can irritate allergies, and allergies can potentially lead to pinkeye but you did not mention any allergies here. Having a cold also makes it easy for pinkeye to develop, and colds also lead to ear infections. You mentioned you don't like giving medicine but it is important to help a child's sinuses dry out when they have a cold so that ear infections are less likely- however you choose to do that (with medication or homeopathically). I wouldn't freak out about that. You mentioned keeping them clean but what about nutrition? Do they take vitamins, do they eat a balanced diet, are they getting enough vitamin C? May be look into some foods that help boost the immune system. Also, if they've been so healthy, then their bodies have never built immunities to these things. I wouldn't freak out. On the other hand, it sounds like you are unhappy with your doctor. Shop around. You've been in town long enough to have met some people who might recommend a good pediatrician. Good luck!
I don't know what to say about your doctor situation other than if you aren't comfortable with your care, for any reason, you should move on.
I think sometimes there are times that illnesses just linger for whatever reason. I know for the past couple months my boys and I have all been fighting ( slowly) ear & sinus infections. That is unusual for us, we are generally pretty healthy. My oldest son who is always the sickly one, hasn't had any issues, oddly. I've heard that this has been a bad season , concerning allergies, some of my friends from other areas who have never suffered, say they have this year. Maybe that is contributing to the the increased illnesses. Just a thought. Hope you all get to feeling better.
I think you should go with your gut feeling. Try another practice (because it's obvious you don't feel comfortable where you are) and keep pushing the issue until you feel satisfied that this really is nothing more than the kids going through a bad few months of catching different viruses. The worst that could happen is that you feel silly for making a mountain out of a molehill. Totally worth it when our kids rely on us to keep them safe and healthy! Why not call their old pediatrician who knew them so well to get his/her advice?
I think there are tons of things you need to consider.
Where did you move from? I noticed that you're in VT which has had some very servere weather since last spring. It could be all the dampness and possible mold.
As far as the strep there's a good chance that your daughter never got over it. Did you have her retested?
Pink eye can be very difficult to get rid of if everyone in the house gets it, as its extremely contagious. It's something that you can just give back and forth to each other. So I wouldn't be concerned about it.
Too much cleaning is a bad thing, especially if you're using antibacterial soaps and cleaners. You need to be exposed to those germs in order to build up immunities.
It's obvious you're a great mom and are concerned about your children's health. But IMO these are things that just happen.
Our last apartment we lived in my kids came down with every odd virus you could think of and were always sick with pink eye, strep, etc... i used to joke that someone from the CDC must have lived there before when they come home from the office testing all the sicknesses...we moved and they are never sick anymore... coincidence?? i dont think so..
Dear J.,
First of all, you are right. It is too much. You are right to be concerned. Your children need intensive immune system boosting.
I recommend you see a Naturopathic Doctor to guide you because they look more holistically than the symptoms in front of them but here are some things to consider and ask about:
-BASICS
-children getting plenty of sleep?
-children not stressed by home or school/day care adults under stress?
-indoor air quality at home is good (fresh air, filtered air? no mold in basement or in walls?)
-water quality is good?
NUTRITION
-children getting plenty of fatty acids (cod liver oil or quality omega 3 fish oil?)
-children getting Vitamins C & D in adequate amounts?
-avoiding sugar and processed foods?
-getting enough probiotics (friendly flora found in gut) through cultured foods like yogurt or supplements?
-taking immune boosting herbs like elderberry syrup in honey?
HEALTH
-recent tests for strep negative? it can reoccur.
-history of immune disorders in family?
--possibility of exposure to lyme disease or other immune disease disorder (e.g. mononucleosis)?
Good luck. I wish you only the best.
