DT boosters and school nurses; GRRRRR!

[HunnyPots]

My 15 yo dd had a dt booster today. She was supposed to have had it at 12 but slipped through the cracks somehow. They had a free clinic at school today so I let her get it there instead of missing school, paying a $20 co-pay, etc.

ANYWAY, after the shot, she got dizzy and started to feel sick. She went to the school nurse, who called me. The nurse told me dd wanted to go home but she could assure me that she was fine and just "being emotional". I talked to dd and reassured her that she would be ok and just to go back to class. Well, she wasn't ok. She kept feeling worse. Couldn't eat lunch or stand the site or smell of food. DD called me again later to let me know about band practice and I could tell by her voice that she just wasn't right so I went to get her. She was GREEN! She is so dizzy and nauseous all she can do is lay on the couch with her eyes closed.

I am so angry! First, at myself for listening to the nurse instead of my daughter and for not remembering that she always got sick after immunizations as a small child. Second, at the idiot nurse who said dd was just being emotional and later said she "just didn't have time to mess with this today". Third, myself again for not having an appropriate response to that statement!

OK, now I feel better! Thanks for letting me vent!

Does anyone know if this is a normal reaction to the dt booster at her age? I understood that they use a lower dosage for adults and teens that produces fewer side effects. Also, she was sick last week with a stomach virus. I wonder if that could have made her more sensitive? I'd call her doctor but he is out on Thursdays, which is, of course, the only day my kids ever get sick!

 

[FantasticDisFamily]

Oh Honeypots! Not a fun thing. I'd probably have to restrain myself from bodily attacking a school nurse that acted like that. Oh wait - we don't have actual nurses in our schools anymore.

Not sure if it is normal at that age but if you find out that it is from the doctor please let us know. All 12 year boosters of tetanus have been suspended in Michigan due to lack of vaccine. Only giving if there is an incident. Which worries me because my DD lives in a barn...

Hope she feels better soon! ((((Hugs to you both))))

Deb

 

[FOJMO]

Originally posted by FantasticDisFamily
Oh wait - we don't have actual nurses in our schools anymore.

That's exactly what I was thinking too! A school nurse is a rarity these days. I know my DD never had any school nurses in all of years in school.

But, it your school nurse is gonna be that way, you may as well NOT have a school nurse for all the good she's doing!

That's terrible. I hope she's feels better soon. I really don't know the answer to your question, though.

Take Care

 

[SeaSpray]

First of all, I hope your DD is feeling better by now. Did you call the pediatrician to see if this is a common reaction?

Secondly, we've been fortunate to have real nurses in our schools here, 5 days a week, full time.

HOWEVER, DS-almost-12's school got a new nurse this year. Back in the fall, I got a phone call saying DS wasn't feeling well and wanted to speak to me. I could tell he wasn't doing well at all, so I went and picked him up, and brought him home. He was practically in tears. He told me that this was his THIRD visit to the nurse that day!! Twice she sent him back to class. I got very angry. But I very CALMLY called the nurse the next day and told her that I want it on record somewhere that I want to be called IMMEDIATELY when DS shows up in her office. I told her that I understood that many kids go to the nurse's office for all kinds of minor things, and that she hadn't known my son for very long to see if he was one of those kids or not, but MY DS does not do that, he only asks to see the nurse when he is really feeling sick. She was nice about it, but I made it clear that I found it unacceptable that my DS was there 3 different times that day before she called me. Not EVERY illness shows up with a fever, and that was her reason for sending back to class, because he didn't have a fever.

 

[HunnyPots]

Yes, she is feeling better now. She slept for three hours and when she woke, the nausea was better but she was still very dizzy. Her arm was also hurting pretty badly. Hopefully, the tylenol will take care of that. I am going to call the doctor tomorrow when he is back in his office just to find out if her reaction was normal.

 

[disneychrista]

My DD's both seem to do fine with the immunizations, thankfully, so I can't help you there.

But I can sympathize with school "nurses." The "nurse" at my DD's school, will generally send kids back to class if they do not have a fever. IMO, it is not up to the school to decide if a child should stay at school if they are not feeling well (not all illness leads to a fever), that should be up to the parent.