Sick, sick and more sick OH and contests too!

Sicky notes for the day: Kaley bug is home today sick. She's seriously snotty (hope you're not eating right now!), has a fever and a croupy sounding cough. It's very easy to predict/tell when she's about to get sick. Her eyes are the window to her cooties! She gets major bags under her pretty little eyes. It's pitiful. So all morning we've been snuggled up on the couch, watching tv & doing puzzles. At this exact moment, she is on the computer playing games on Playhouse Disney so I'm typing away on the laptop while sitting on the floor beside her.

On to our eldest chick. MRSA is evil. It has been our personal nightmare. Yesterday we saw ANOTHER specialist - pediatric dermatologist. He seems to think that the MRSA was able to get into her ears because of acne/blackheads in her ears -basically like foliculitis in her ears.

Time out - gotta go help with Goofy's Shoe Round Up....

OK - back to business. He gave her two creams to use. One to use twice daily - it's a combination of a topical antibiotic (clindamycin - the same she is taking orally) and a steroid. The other is to use if any more spots become inflamed or infected looking. Our next step is an appointment on Friday with a pediatric ENT. The infectious disease doctor highly recommended we go see both so away we've gone.

In addition to the ear pain associated with having staph infections in BOTH ears, she now has pretty severe stomach issues from being on heavy duty antibiotics for five months. They are pretty sure that all the good bacteria has ben killed while trying to kill (unsuccessfully) the MRSA. She has lost SEVEN pounds in two weeks - weight she has no business losing. She hardly eats because when she does she gets severe stomach pains/cramps. She's pitiful too.

THANK GOODNESS middle chicklet is all well. He's had a couple of days with stomach issues, but Pumpkin & I think it has a lot to do with his chili consumption!! What goes in must come out(again - hope you are not eating!)!! He's crazy busy right now. It's that time of the year when basketball is ending & travel baseball is practicing like crazy getting ready for their season. Add on the middle school day/schedule and it makes for long days! However, he certainly finds time to play Xbox. Heaven help us if he can't get his "fix"!!

Now - on to the contest!!! Bellaziza's Favorite Things has another SWAG ALERT - Get it together with momAgenda. I LOVE LOVE LOVE momAgenda. I have the mini daily, and it's my sanity. Maybe that's debatable, but moving on... I desperately want a desk pad, wall calendar, weekly menu/grocery pad, permission slip pad, etc....... The list goes on. I LOVE (did I say that already) momAgenda! Check it out when you get a chance and go over to Bellaziza's Favorite Things and comment to enter the contest!

Sick, sick and more sick OH and contests too!

https://jayefamily.blogspot.com/2009/01/sick-sick-and-more-sick-oh-and-contests.html

Infectious Disease Doctor

It's taken me a while to get on here and give this update, but here it goes.

The main result from today is he left Brittney on the same meds she's been taking - Rifampin & Doxycylcine - but he upped the dosage & extended the length of time she is on it. He also told her no more cosmetic jewelry earrings - only posts/studs & they must be sterling silver or gold. She has to soak them in alcohol every night & then coat them w/the antibiotic cream before replacing in her hear. She stays w/the antibiotic cream application of 3x per day in her ears. Showers only & must use Dials soap.

So the good news is that it is a "nuisance" infection. Yes, it's still MRSA & dangerous, but it's NOT in her lungs, bloodstream or gut. We have to continue to aggressively treat it, but it IS treatable right now & not deadly. Bad news is since it is in the outer "tissue" of her ear, there is limited bloodflow in that area of her body. Breakdown - take longer to heal. ARGH! (Think nuisance. Think nuisance.)

Other good news is he gave her a clean pass for school and back to normal cheerleading activities. As you can imagine w/MRSA (dangerous, highly contagious staph infection) - there is a bit of pariah status that goes with it. However, the ID doc said that since she is being aggressively treated, SHE is not the danger. It's everyone else who can be dangerous to her. She is a MRSA carrier - will always be. Likely what happened, according to the doc, is someone else at school who is having an outbreak gave it to HER! You can imagine what a load that took off of her mentally! It's hard enough being a 16 year old these days. Add in having a contagious "disease", watch out!!

So - we are back to playing the waiting game. She'll be on the meds for another 14 days. Let's start counting...

Infectious Disease Doctor

https://jayefamily.blogspot.com/2008/12/infectious-disease-doctor.html

News of all sorts

Well, first the GOOD NEWS!!! Miss Kaley slept in her bed ALL NIGHT LAST NIGHT - from about 9:15 to 9:00 this morning! YAHOO!!!! We finished the bedtime ritual (bath, book, tuck in, deciding which sound from the noise maching) around 8:30. Pumpkin & I both expected lots of tears, sobs, etc., but boy were we surprised - there was NONE! She maybe called for us or came out of her room 6 or 7 times until she just curled up & went to sleep about 45 minutes later. NOT BAD at all for her first night!! She came to get me around 9:15 this morning. She had changed into clothes and was grinning EAR to EAR! She couldn't wait to call her Daddy and let him know that she slept in her bed all night long! She kept saying how she was a big girl and wasn't scared anymore! YAY KALEY!!!!!!!

Next news isn't good or bad - just another step in our journey with Brittney's MRSA. The new antibiotics (round 4) aren't working at all. Her right ear is getting worse. SO - today we have an appointment with the infectious disease doctor. We went to see them during the last episode, and it wasn't effective. We're hoping for a much different outcome this time. Her appointment is at 1:30. I'll put something on Twitter from my phone.

Final news is not mine to share, but she knows who I'm talking about. S - I am sooooo excited for you! What an answer to A LOT of prayers! YAHOO!

Please feel free to comment on here rather than emailing me. You'll have to sign up for an account, but it's quick & easy.

News of all sorts

https://jayefamily.blogspot.com/2008/12/news-of-all-sorts.html