Having a constantly sick child is horrific for the child, and extremely stressful for the parent as well. It certainly takes it’s toll on everyone.
BACKGROUND
Those of you who follow me on Snapchat (happymumnz), or Instagram (or even follow my Happy Mum Happy Child Facebook page), will know that my daughter has a chronic cough.
We are currently investigating what it could be, and have so far ruled out Asthma and Whooping Cough.
One of my BIGGEST concerns is that it’s environmental. Our house used to be extremely mouldy, before we moved in, but my husband replaced most of the walls, so it hasn’t been a problem since. However, it always plays on my mind that perhaps this is the cause of her cough.
She has a cough. A persistent one. She’s had it for a little over 6 months now. It rears it’s ugly head at 1am. Or 4am. Or when she’s got a cold – then it’s worse.
I have been to the doctor a crap load of times, and feel my doctor is pretty onto it. He knows I am worried. So we have gone through several things to see if anything helps.
She has been diagnosed three times with Croup – which occurs when she gets a cold. And that’s a lot ????
But regardless of when she gets sick – she still has a chronic cough.
We’ve tried a nebuliser, and herbal cough syrup. We’ve raised the head of her bed, and tried eucalyptus oil. We have given her teaspoons of honey, and I have just started giving her probiotics to start healing her system from the inside. I have swapped my kids around – so my boy is now in my girls room, and she’s in the boys room. Just to see if it made a difference – a week in, and it hasn’t.
Our next step is to test her for allergies.
I have a wonderful following who care very deeply for me and my children, and as such have been inundated with suggestions as to what it could be that is causing it. Or even offering suggestions as to how to fix it.
A beautiful person is sending me some therapeutic grade essential oils, to see if that will assist.
You guys have no idea how much it means to me that you care. I see and hear all of your suggestions and take it all in.
I don’t even have it that bad – having a chronic cough is hardly the worst problem in the world, but for me – by golly it’s exhausting. My poor girl suffers, I completely and utterly understand that. But as parents, we are up with her at all hours of the morning trying to get her to go back to sleep and to alleviate the cough.
If she’s not asleep, we’re not asleep.
And we worry. Oh boy do we worry.
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TODAY
Today she coughed non stop for 4 hours straight. She coughed so hard she vomited three times. And I didn’t know what to do. I tried calling my GP’s nurse but she was at lunch. So instead I called Healthline (0800 611 116) and was told “go straight to hospital”.
So for the first time in my life, I went to the Emergency Department at the Hospital, rather than the A&E or my GP.
Everyone was so amazing. The nurses, the doctors, everyone. I felt bad for being there – like I know that place is reserved for true emergencies.
It was Croup, again. So the appropriate drug was administered, and we chatted about the way forward.
I have an allergy test booked for my daughter in about a month (all booked until then!). And the Hospital Doctor said what my GP was doing was right – which was reassuring. Although I fully trust my GP so already knew that haha
Right now, 7pm, my daughter is STILL coughing. If I’m honest it doesn’t even feel like the drugs made any difference.
All I want is for her to not have to deal with the chronic cough. To get some kind of relief. Because at the end of the day, she is the one suffering the most. And that breaks me inside.
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Just want to add a couple of things – a load of people have suggested that I use a vapouriser, but I’m not really keen on that because our house was already damp before we came in and I’m really not wanting to make it damper. I’ve tried a vapouriser before and wasn’t happy with the moisture left in the room.
Also – if your child is sick and you are worried, please call Healthline and chat to the nurses. The phone number is 800 611 116. I have called them several times over the last 4 years and found them nothing but helpful. You can also call your GP’s nurse (if they have one). Just bouncing ideas off someone, who is a professional, is very very helpful.
Thanks for reading this. Just wanted to get it off my chest about what happened today. It’s so hard seeing her sick ????
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