Hi all. I just needed to vent. We have been fighting illness since the beginning of October!! It all started with my 6 year old "catching a cold". It seems like whenever this happens and I take him to the Dr. they say it is a URI and to treat with over the counter meds. (and I've wasted a 30 dollar co-pay!) So, I didn't take him in, was just gonna ride it out. Then my 3 year old gets the same thing only added in crusty watery eyes to the already thick green nose and cough. So I finally broke down and took her in. (she had RSV as a baby so I always get a little nervous) Dr. said exactly what they always do-URI treat over the counter BUT she has pink eye. Ok-well one day later no red eyes still has the "cold & cough". Tylor was in the office when Heather was and if I would have seen our normal doc he would have checked them both for no copay but he wasn't there. SO 1 week later, Tylor STILL has the cold that he had 3 weeks before. Finally take him to the doc because he is getting "spots & scabs" around his mouth. He looks pathetic with the raw red nose and green snot. Still a major cough. Take him in after going to school all week (because it is always a URI right?) and what does he have? Strep, impetago, and you guessed it a URI. Duh!! Amoxicillan for 10 days.....no more sore throat but still green snot and cough. Looks like poor guy has been hit by a truck. So I call doc again and nurse says "it is probably a URI and just keep treating him over the counter. if he isn't better by next Tuesday give us a call." I am like "HELLO-HE LOOKS AWFUL!!" I mention that Heather is still fighting the same thing although not nearly as bad. They tell me over the counter meds for her too. Then they call back a couple hours later after doc has read what they told me and decide to put Heather on some amoxicillan because they are still fighting it and she hasn't had any antibiotics yet. Tylor is way worse than she is! So, I work for a dentist who can prescribe antibiotics and he phoned some in for Tylor too. I am not gonna wait another 5 days for him to be miserable. Christmas is coming and his programs and party is next week. I feel so bad for him. He looks terrible. His little nose is just raw and now he is getting really chapped lips and the whole thing. I noticed in another post about people complaining about those parents that send their kids to school sick. I too hate that but if I kept him home he would have been out of school the last 2 months. I felt terrible when I found out he had strep and had been in school all week. The thing was, he didn't complain of a sore throat. He gets strep quite often and usually vomits when he has it and he didn't this time. :confused: I tell you, I am so sick of everyone being sick!! In all this mix with the kids, mom ended up with a sinus infection and larangitis and about 6 weeks later, I still have the cough. DH has a lowered immune system due to his condition and meds he takes and once again is catching "the cold". I swear, it is just a vicious cycle. We too have been doing lots of handwashing, and antibacterial stuff and lots of lysol!! Please say a prayer for us that we will be healthy by Christmas! Sorry I typed so much but I just needed to vent REALLY BAD!! :D

My daughter just got a cold again. I went to the doctor myself and they said I had strep, I think it was just a cold myself. Then my daughter gets the green snot nasties! My mom gets bronchitis both times that I get sick and then my dad gets sick. It seems to happen when my boyfriend stays for a week. Both TIMES I get sick then my daughter gets sick then my mom gets sick. My dad has only had the bronchitis once thank goodness. It's like i'm taking care of 3 babies :/

Last year DS had a boogery nose and was miserable and they tested him for RSV -- turns out he didn't have it. A few days later he got crusty eyes. Called the doc and explained the symptoms -- he figured it was a sinus infection and asked if we wanted anything for it. Duh! Yes! Gave us a script for an antibiotic and it cleared right up. Usually we try to let the sinus thing run it's course, but once he gets crusty eyes we call and get something for it. We've had it enough times to know what it is.

BTW, when I was little we had the summer of colds and strep. My siblings and I kept getting it -- turns out the little boy next door had it and once he started feeling better, his mom stopped giving him antibiotics, so he'd give it to us again. Once my folks kept us away from him, we stopped getting sick. And I once heard a bizarre story about a family who kept getting strep throat and it turned out the DOG had it or was a carrier.

Last year DS had a boogery nose and was miserable and they tested him for RSV -- turns out he didn't have it. A few days later he got crusty eyes. Called the doc and explained the symptoms -- he figured it was a sinus infection and asked if we wanted anything for it. Duh! Yes! Gave us a script for an antibiotic and it cleared right up. Usually we try to let the sinus thing run it's course, but once he gets crusty eyes we call and get something for it. We've had it enough times to know what it is.

BTW, when I was little we had the summer of colds and strep. My siblings and I kept getting it -- turns out the little boy next door had it and once he started feeling better, his mom stopped giving him antibiotics, so he'd give it to us again. Once my folks kept us away from him, we stopped getting sick. And I once heard a bizarre story about a family who kept getting strep throat and it turned out the DOG had it or was a carrier.

I heard the thing about dogs, too. Some dogs can carry streptococcus in their mouths without getting sick and when the dog licks someone face (kissy, kissy) the person gets strep, too. My pediatrician just told us about that last month. :p

This may be of help to you. I was in to see my doctor this morning and have tracheal bronchitis. Doc told me to wash my hands often and stay away from others. It can be contagious for 2 weeks.

Sounds like your little folks are passing the bugs around to each other.

Try washing your hands often, sing happy birthday 2 time while washing will get rid of germs. Keep paper towels handy to dry hands. Common towels are good ways to spread germs. Not sure what you do about little ones wiping their noses on your clothes, change often I guess. My little ones are now big ones with their own little ones! Be sure and wash your hands between care of each child, you may be transfering the germs from one to the other.

Do not let children or yourself eat from each other's plates. Spray Lysol thru the house off and on day and night. I just made a pass from room to room with Lysol spray here and will do again this evening.

We have been doing LOTS of hand washing and sanitizing. Lysol too!! LOL They are actually both starting to improve since on antibiotics. HOORAY!! We do not share cups or silverware or anything. Too many germs! Hopefully this will be the end of it for awhile and we will be healthy for Christmas.

We have been doing LOTS of hand washing and sanitizing. Lysol too!! LOL They are actually both starting to improve since on antibiotics. HOORAY!! We do not share cups or silverware or anything. Too many germs! Hopefully this will be the end of it for awhile and we will be healthy for Christmas.
I fell your pain... I have a post under too many antibacterial products about this very thing. I am convinced it is a scam to get two co pays and two office visits. Also the same people that make the prescription meds also do "over the counter" I think IMO that it is a huge scam to make more money!!! First get them in and tell them "it's viral OR allergies" if it's not better in two weeks come back! Another co pay and about 30 bucks at walgreens for all the "over the counter" crap that didn't work! Then comes the antibiotics that cost another co pay , for me usually twenty bucks. Mean while back at the ranch your other children have caught it this = more co pays at the Dr. more over the counter meds etc.... I had my Dr. tell me to send my daughter to school with a horrible cough last week hummmm send to school more kids come in?? I have resorted to just calling in a asking them to call in meds.. Every time I take them in they pick up something else. One more VENT why on earth do they have toys in Dr. offices?? Talk about germs. Sick kids come in get germs all over them, babies put them in their mouths??? Bad idea? :nono:

My kid now has green mucus coming from her nose since late last night. She woke up every 2 hours and I had to try and dry off her nose for her. This morning it was dried all around her nose then later it was just nasty. I don't know what to give to her and I have no car, my grandmother took off today cause her husband went hunting and both my parents work. I hate hearing her cry all day and I can't do anything to ease it for her :/

You didn't indicate how old she is? Does she have a fever? Or is she just really boogery? What you could do is get the bathroom nice and steamy -- run the shower for a few minutes with the door closed. Then run her a nice bath. The steam and warmth of the bathroom should get those boogers moving. Also, do you have a bulb syringe. I got one from the hospital when DS was born. You can use it to suck some of the boogers out. Don't stick it too far up her nose, just a little bit.

Yay grandmother just called!!!! She's gonna go buy one of those nose bulbs for me!!! My kid doesn't seem sick, just that green mucus now she's stopped crying. I hate feeling so helpless when she's sick :/

she's 11 months old and I have SEARCHED this house for her nose bulb that she hates with a passion. I had two of them I think she hid them from me though :/ She doesn't have a fever thankfully. I've been burning my phone up calling my grandmother to see if she can go buy one for me quick since I can't drive. Right now she seems fine, but I know it's gotta be driving her nuts. I gave her some children's tylenol and she took a 15 minute nap. Gonna give her a bath soon after I feed her so I can let her have some fun while eating then get a good ol bath to make her feel better.

I had family visiting on the 19th. My mom has bronchitis, her mom has Pneumonia and there was 2 sick kids and my aunt was sick again. I could just scream at them all for being so sick around my kid, but it's the holidays. She's had her first flu shot before they came in so i'm sure it's not that probably just a cold again!

Well now she's so hoarse she can barely cry, took her to pediatrician with green ick coming out of her nose and he said she'll be fine and it's just viral. My mom threw a fit later saying I needed a different pediatrician. Probably do, but not because he won't give her meds.

Is she breathing really fast when she sleeps -- DS usually breathes about 24-30 breaths per minute when sleeping. I'd ask your doctor about the possibility of RSV. My BIL told me when his kids had it, it was lots and lots of snot.

Well now she's so hoarse she can barely cry, took her to pediatrician with green ick coming out of her nose and he said she'll be fine and it's just viral. My mom threw a fit later saying I needed a different pediatrician. Probably do, but not because he won't give her meds.
Have you tried a Saline spray??? I have had great luck with those for drying up the "snot". I use it about 4 times a day and then try the bulb. My kids are 9 and 5 and can blow now. As far as Dr.'s go.... I have learned to insist on meds.. especially if it has gone on for more than two weeks and has turned green :eek:

She freaks when I go near her nose. Nothing like seeing her with snot running down to her mouth *shudders* I try to get rid of it before it gets that bad but sometimes it's sneaky. Her breathing sounds normal when she's not all snotty before bedtime. I try to help get rid of her buggies with a tissue, but they so wet that it's hard to keep it clean. He gave me a list of OTC stuff to give her. Saying she should be getting better soon. She's not as hoarse now, but her nose is driving me batty.

DS is battling something similar. He hates the saline, but he thinks the bulb syringe is pretty funny. I've also been steaming up the bathroom and giving him a bath right before bedtime. I also lay him on our bed while he's sleeping and sneak attack with the bulb syringe and then try to drop a couple drops of saline up his nose without waking him.

Well Mom's both my kids have gone through this. It lasted a month with my daughter who is 5 and I am going on week three with my 9 year old, his seems to be getting better.
I got a med (prescription) called Histex HC that works great but I can only give it at night as it makes them real tired.
I just try to "dry" it up during the day with Sudafed and lots of Saline Spray. I also put a vaporizer in their room with Eucaliptus Oil at night and Lots of Vicks Vapor rub.
Another day time product that helps with drying it up is Clariton, that is what My Dr. recommended.
I feel your pain, that cough starts to sound like Nails on a Chalk Board after a while. I for one am ready for a cough free house :bouncing:
Good Luck

Well I tried the saline and bulb it was a horrible experience. Her nose drained so much she sounded like she was choking. I kept trying to bulb her to help her, but she fought me all the way. She ended up sweaty and half asleep by the time I was done. And I only bulbed her a little bit most of it was her just fighting me. She HATES the bulb with a passion, but has no problem with grabbing it and chewing on it. I just snuck in a bulb attack on her to and she didn't fight as much and got her nose cleared a bit so she could nap. Gave her some triaminic and hoping she'll sleep a while.

Are you squirting or dropping the saline in and then letting it set for a few minutes, then compressing the bulb syringe and inserting it into her nose, letting it go to suck out all the boogies? You don't want to use the syringe to apply the saline, just to suck out the gunk.

I let it drip :) I only use the bulb for getting stuff out, never putting things in. I feel as if i've traumatized her enough with the bulb as it is :P