calling the DIS doctor

[NHdisneylover]

Hey everybody,
DD does have an appointment tomorrow afternoon--they could not fit her in today. I am just curious if anyone has any ideas in the meantime, including ways of making her feel more comfortable until she can be seen.

DD12 has had a headache, been light headed and felt "so weird" since Friday. Friday, Saturday and Sunday she felt prety bad when she first got up, but then mostly okay all day and worse again in the evenings. She has also has a mildly sore throat and minor cough. She initially said the ocugh felt liek her typical "allergy" cough and the throat felt like it was jsut irritated from the coughing.
Last night she did not sleep well, mostly due to teh headache and she kept alternating between being very hot or chilled--though she has no fever at all.
This morning she has a much worse headache, the cough is terrible, the throat is more sore (but she thinks it is still just irritated from the cough). Still no fever, but she feels like she is burning up and is wandering around in short sleeves and it is chilly in here. She says she cannot really describe how she feels but it is "really weird and different and disorienting." She has been drinking lots of fluids and up until today she was eating fine. She has not wanted to eat this morning (but she did have a clementine orange) but she is drinking lots of juice and hot coco (the only hot drink she likes--sooths her throat).
It is almost unheard of for her to remain ill for more than a day or two. The lack of fever is throwing me. Any ideas of what this could be or what I can do for her to help her feel better?
Thanks

 

[claudia]

sounds like a sinus infection....

 

[Christine]

She could have a mild version of the flu, a sinus issue, or anything that's going around but in a milder form.

It's probably wise to go to the doctor as this point to make sure strep is not involved or a sinus infection.

 

[golfgal]

Strep throat is going around. My kids never had fevers with strep-or ear infections for that matter. It is possible she has the flu too, many people are reporting little or no fever with flu-like symptoms-but it is rare.

 

[NHdisneylover]

interesting the no fever with flu or strep. I also think a sinus infection sounds very likely now that someone has mentioned it. Tomorrow afternoon can't get here fast enough! She is so upset about missing school and possibly falling behind (we are new in Germany and she has to really work to figure out all the classes in a foriegn language. She only has chemistry and physics once a week and it is today and she was very upset to miss them).

So I am keeping her well hydrated (lots of OJ, some water and cocoa) and she did eat some chicken soup and an orange and is finally sleeping now. Are there any other good thigns to do if it is, say, a sinus infection to help her feel better until she sees the doctor?

 

[claudia]

have her drink warm beverages such as tea and broth (I see you mentioned that she only likes the cocoa, but suggest to her that these will be helpful)....warm enough to help her nose run. Also you can have her stand in a hot, steamy shower, or run hot water in the sink and have her learn over it with a bath towel draped over her head to keep the steam in. Also, if you massage her over her eyes, nose and bones under her eyes that may help as well.....a warm compress on these areas may help as well.

 

[Christine]

Are there any other good thigns to do if it is, say, a sinus infection to help her feel better until she sees the doctor?

Can you get your hands on a Neti Pot there. Cleansing of of the sinuses would be a GREAT thing to do. If you can't get a Neti Put, you might want her to be in a lot of steam or put her face over a steaming pot of water.

 

[NHdisneylover]

Thanks Claudia and Christine I will have to google to see what a neti pot is (yes, I know I could have googeld for all of this but you get lots of scary info in with the good and I am bad about panicking when I know I should not so it is better for me to avoid google on things like this--so a big THANK YOU to all of you who have offered ideas).

 

[Christine]

Yes, google the Neti Pot!!!

Basically, it looks like a little Alladin's Magic Lamp. You put a salt-water or saline solution in it and you let the solution run into your nostril and out the other. It's weird at first but is GREAT for sinus and allergy issues. I've finally got my 14 y/o son using it and he likes it a lot now after he got used to it.

For people with chronic sinus isses, it is supposedly a Godsend for helping them out.

Many websites have animated demonstrations on how to use it.

 

[Green Tea]

It sounds EXACTLY like the H1N1 kids here have been experiencing. Some were swab confirmed, some saw the doctor and dx as probable, some just by process of elimination. It is an odd virus. I had one sick for 4 days, which is pretty typical around here. One for 2 weeks. Both had chills, intermittent fever, and feeling bad, really bad, not too bad, hot, cold, normal, dizzy, not dizzy. They were all over the place symptom wise. One ended up with a secondary sinus infection after the initial symptoms disappeared. The other did not.

 

[NHdisneylover]

Yes, google the Neti Pot!!!

Basically, it looks like a little Alladin's Magic Lamp. You put a salt-water or saline solution in it and you let the solution run into your nostril and out the other. It's weird at first but is GREAT for sinus and allergy issues. I've finally got my 14 y/o son using it and he likes it a lot now after he got used to it.

For people with chronic sinus isses, it is supposedly a Godsend for helping them out.

Many websites have animated demonstrations on how to use it.

She has lots of sinus headaches with her seasonal allergies (though no infections thus far--unless this is one). This sounds really liek a good thing for her. I jsut walked over to the pharmacy on the corner with a print out photo from the web and asked about it. They do not carry them but think a holistic type healing palce across town might. I will have to try that when I can.

It sounds EXACTLY like the H1N1 kids here have been experiencing. Some were swab confirmed, some saw the doctor and dx as probable, some just by process of elimination. It is an odd virus. I had one sick for 4 days, which is pretty typical around here. One for 2 weeks. Both had chills, intermittent fever, and feeling bad, really bad, not too bad, hot, cold, normal, dizzy, not dizzy. They were all over the place symptom wise. One ended up with a secondary sinus infection after the initial symptoms disappeared. The other did not.

The pharmisist said it sounds like the Swine flu she has been seeing around here too! I told DD that and her first reposne was, well at least maybe I won't have to worry about getting it at WDW (we leave in a little less than three weeks). She has had the regular flu shot but her appointment for the swine flu shot is not for another week (it is optional for her, but DS should have it because of his stham and the dictir would prefer they both get it with the traveling--loweres his chances of it even further). DS was sick in the way that he handles EVERY infection on Friday. Ran a high fever (103-104) for about 6 hours and was totally lethargic and "everything" hurt and then was compltely fine the next morning (the altnernative to fine the enxt day is asthma kicks in and goes haywire). He has never, in nearly 11 years had a cough not related to his asthma, a sore throat, an ear ache, etc. It is very weird So now I am wondering if their sickness are realated

 

[LisaNJ25]

sounds like sinuses to me also.. I am waiting for my drs office to open this morning to make an appt. I have had very similar symptoms for days now. No fever either. I also have lots of pressure under my eyes and an earache that I have been ignoring Nasty headache and lightheaded also.

One my my day care kids tested positive for the flu last week and I had my one daughter out of school or a week and a half with a fever that would no go away. I am surprised I didnt pick up what they had.

I hope she feels better soon.

 

[krcit]

My first thought was sinus infection also. I know when I get one I feel a little 'off', not out and out dizzy but kind of...clear as mud, right lol. I was ging to suggest the things that others have with the hot water and towel and hot as she can stand it showers. I hope she feels better soon.

 

[NHdisneylover]

Thanks everyone; my German is not very good yet so I appreciate being able to ask for advice here as I cannot ask my pediatrician over the phone. She slept on and off all day--the last couple of hours she was tossing and turning and crying out at times in her sleep. I hate not being able to make it all better Took her temp when she woke up (swaety and pail now) and she now has a fever--103 degrees. It is looking more and more like flu to me She is almost never sick and tend not to complain unless it is something serious so I worry when she is so upset and out of it.

 

[KAMKIM]

Yes, google the Neti Pot!!!

Basically, it looks like a little Alladin's Magic Lamp. You put a salt-water or saline solution in it and you let the solution run into your nostril and out the other. It's weird at first but is GREAT for sinus and allergy issues. I've finally got my 14 y/o son using it and he likes it a lot now after he got used to it.

For people with chronic sinus isses, it is supposedly a Godsend for helping them out.

Many websites have animated demonstrations on how to use it.

So you tilt your head back and it doesn't go into your throat?

 

[NHdisneylover]

Just updating for all you kind souls who gave me advice yesterday as we are just back from the doctor.

DD has the flu--most likely H1N1 because it is acting like that--but they are not swabbing now. The doctor is also "90%" sure that DD has a sinus infection on top of the flu (based on how Disney and painful her head is, how she reacts to standing, leaning forward, etc.).
We have a perscription for cough med, and directions for her to take Tylenol and keep drinking lots of fluids and resting. We also have a perscription for amoxicillan for the sinus infection if tomorrow the headahce and dizzyness are the same or worse.

I want to thank you all again. I have only seen DD this sick once before so I was at a loss and it is unnerving not being able to ask the doctor for advice over the phone until the appointment The DIS is great!

 

[Green Tea]

Glad you got in to see the doctor. One of mine had sinus infection secondary to the flu also. Neither were swabbed. Doctor didn't feel it was necessary b/c the test is pretty inaccurate and if they know what flu strain is circulating, they can make a pretty good guess.

I agree-it is better to have it now than when you plan to travel IF they are going to get it. (Which I think is pretty inevitable at least around here)