Twice in Two Weeks?

So, for the second time in as many weeks, we spent a few hours at the local urgent care facility this weekend. 🙁

 

Hannah’s cough turned into an all-night affair on Saturday night.  And, even with a few doses of cough medicine, I think it actually got worse as the night went on, not better! 

 

We kept her home from church, again, in order to prevent sharing the love…I mean, the germs.  (I am a firm believer that there is no such thing as “just a little cough.”  What might be just a little cough to one child, could be a major ordeal for another…)

 

She started the morning with a low fever, which, by the time Jason got home from church, had risen and then hovered somwhere between 103-104. :(  The poor thing was absolutely miserable.  I think it took all the energy she had just to snuggle on the couch with one of the kitties and cough.  So, not wanting anyone to endure a repeat performance of the previous night, we were off to Urgent Care again.

 

While I was more than convinced that this had gone beyond your typical cold/cough, going in to the doctor’s office, I fully expected to hear, “It’s just a cold.  Give it time, and it will go away.  There isn’t anything we can do.”  So, I was sort of surprised that the doctor agreed with me!  He diagnosed her with bronchitis, and sent us home with antibiotics and an inhaler.  (I always feel somewhat vindicated when the doctors actually agree with me that something isn’t right…makes me feel like less of a worry-wart, over-protective, hypochondriac sort of mom that calls the doctor at every little sniffle and sneeze.)  

 

He also informed us that the “magic age” for over-the-counter cough medicine is actually 6-years-old, and not 4, like I had thought.  Oops!  Although we usually do try to wait it out, and see if we can get through an illness without medicine, I do sometimes give in…especially at night!  My personal (completely unqualified, and medically unsound) theory is that cough medicines, especially nighttime formulas, don’t really do anything for the cough.  They just put you to sleep.  And, the way I figure it, it is the sleep that helps you get better, not the medicine!  So, especially since the cough medicine we did give her the night before didn’t seem to help, I was interested to hear what he suggested using instead…a humidifier, hot chicken soup, hot tea, and a spoonful of honey were among the things he listed.  Imagine that…Good, old-fashioned, home remedies! 🙂

 

And…they seem to be working!  She has had 2 doses of antibiotics so far, and, we have gone a few rounds with the inhaler for some really bad coughing fits.  But, what has seemed to be the most help, in terms of immediate relief, was a spoonful of honey!  (Mary Poppins would be proud! 😉 ) 

 

Well, I’m off to do a little reasearch on natural home remedies… :)  If you have any home/family remedies that work for you and your family…I’d love to hear about them!!