September is just around the corner. I find myself enthusiastically thinking about the crisp autumn air, vibrant leaf colors, and our annual beach trip. Along with all those happy thoughts, I also find myself starting to panic about cold and flu season. Yes, panic. I saw this today were a 2 month old died from pertussis, aka whooping cough. So sad and another reminder on the importance of vaccines!
No parent likes to see their kid sick, but in some ways, you just come to understand that it's par for the course. They all get sick; they bounce back. They build their immune system. You may lose a little sleep for a couple days, but all-in-all it's no big deal.
With Will, we're terrified for him to get his first cold. I already constantly walk around feeling his head and begging Carlton to see if it feels like he has a temperature. I'm sure Carlton would pay a hefty price to never hear me utter the words, "does he feel hot to you?", ever again. I analyze every sneeze, every sniffle and every tiny bit of congestion. Paranoid much? Yep, I am.
It makes me feel a little crazy to be so scared about Will getting sick, but I know with Jeune's kids that it's ridiculously important to keep their lungs healthy. The lungs need every chance to grow and any setback can lead to issues. This is why we're thinking of getting Will Synagis® shots to help protect him against RSV infections. The issue is that it's a big series of shots and they carry a hefty price tag if insurance isn't willing to pay. We are hoping that our insurance will understand the importance of these shots for Will, but we also know we probably need those DNA results before we can make a compelling case to the insurance company.
I fired off another email to our geneticist at Duke today to see if there was any update on his DNA testing and to request her guidance on how best to protect Will this fall and winter. Ohhhh, how I'm looking forward to these next few months. I am going to predict the following: 1) I drive Carlton crazy with my worries about Will being sick...., 2) Emme becomes an expert at proper hand washing and hand sanitizing, 3) We become hermits until the spring.
I also need to remember that God is in control and I need to relax a little. I need to be vigilant and take precautions, but I also can't forget what a miracle it is to even have Will here. The same faith and prayers that got us this far can help see us through these next few months, too.
One day at a time, Mary, one day at a time. Anyone got any tips for keeping us all healthy this winter? Should we just become hermits?!? ;)
Oh, I know this fear too well. My daughter had RSV at two weeks old. she was hospitalized for 9 long days. Thankfully she is a healthy little girl now but her daddy and I were emotionally scarred and still get nervous when either little one is sick. It's so scary! We were on lockdown when we had my son. We just minimized contacts and we made it clear that we did not want any sick visitors. People just don't understand what danger that is to infants and those with compromised immune systems.
ReplyDeleteI would go with 2... Emme will love her hand sanitizer, I am sure. And yes, I am dreading the winter too, whatever Fi catches, it lingers on for months, because her airways are that much smaller, she just seems to get congested for weeks and weeks and I am up every night suctioning her nose to help her breathe.
ReplyDeletePaper towels after hand washing instead of cloth towels that get shared.
ReplyDeleteA friend had triplets and their insurance didn't pay either. I think they ordered it from a pharmacy and then had it administered. (actually dad was an MD) It was much more reasonable in price that way. Worth looking into. Some pharm. co will also give breaks to consumers if they are not insured for certain things.
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