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[zuzu_]

My five-year-old has H1N1. They gave him Tamiflu because he has a tendency to get pneumonia/bronchitis. We are using the nebulizer. It is hard not to get sucked into to all of the fear-inducing headlines. Like this one on WebMd.

[marigolds]

Oh, gosh, zuzu - how scary.  Mine just has a regular old cold, but he's prone to bronchitis too and he's honking away merrily - I'm really on the fence about whether to take him to the State Fair tomorrow, but he's been looking forward to it for weeks.

Does the Tamiflu shorten the course of the disease for H1N1 also? 

[zuzu_]

Does the Tamiflu shorten the course of the disease for H1N1 also? 

Apparently so. My kid is better already and back at school.

I hope your little marigold recovers quickly with no bronchitis or flu.

[tenured_feminist]

Zuzu, glad to hear about the recovery.

[colette_capricious]

Zuzu, it's hard to see the little ones sick. My kids have all had that flu. The oldest has asthma, too, so it goes right to her lungs. Everything does. :( It gets easier when they can manage their own inhalers and take their antibiotics.

My middle one is ALWAYS sick.  Always. I have had her to every doctor, psychologists, therapists, more doctors. I'm at my wit's end with it. She always feels vaguely bad. Headaches, stomach aches, tied.

We're not sure if she suffers from depression or ADD both of which run in my family. And both of them can have physical symptoms. I sometimes wonder if she is just too focuses on her body and the way she feels. I mean, we all feel kind of bad and good that comes and goes during the day. Mostly we ignore it. Or note it and go on with life.

[lemonbar]

Oh my gosh, my son had a terrible winter last winter. He was sick from late October through May. He ended up in the hospital with rotavirus at one point, had pneumonia, multiple ear infections and everything else under the sun. It was a nightmare. He's been ok so far this fall, so I am hoping he's going to have a healthier winter.

But, another little one is on the way. So I expect we will deal with the same thing once she's born and has to go to daycare.

[punchnpie]

My son had H1N1, got better and went back to class. Then he got sick again with a high fever and cough (he's hacking away as I type) and the health service diagnosed him with walking pneumonia. Not only is he home with me, but 1) is so incapacitated (to hear him tell it), that he can't do any work around the house while he's home and 2) needs special foods that apparently only mom and Blue Bunny can make.  Yay.

[zuzu_]

My son had H1N1, got better and went back to class. Then he got sick again with a high fever and cough (he's hacking away as I type) and the health service diagnosed him with walking pneumonia. Not only is he home with me, but 1) is so incapacitated (to hear him tell it), that he can't do any work around the house while he's home and 2) needs special foods that apparently only mom and Blue Bunny can make.  Yay.

Punchpie: how is Junior doing? That pnuemonia is some nasty stuff.

On a somewhat related note, if anyone requires a nebulizer, BUY YOUR OWN ON EBAY. They are SO CHEAP--way less than renting/buying from a medical supply store, even with a insurance coverage/copay. We now own a nebulizer for our house, and it has save SO MUCH money. We bid on used ones for under $20, but eventually bought a NEW cute penguin-shaped one for $30.

[georgiaprof]

As for nebulizers - also talk with friends who have older children.  We had one for years.  GPjr eventually grew out of his asthma and we passed it on to a friend who has since been passed on again. 

[molli_sols]

My kid probably has a mental illness/behavioral condition but given her young age (4) I am having a very hard time getting her diagnosed with anything.  That would be ok if we could still make some progress on getting her through a normal day at preschool.  I am so frustrated because I can barely keep her in school and all the kind "you didn't cause this" stuff from the MDs and therapists is not helping us to help her.  On top of that, the therapist makes suggestions but the teachers don't really follow them.  So she's doing better at home but worse at school. 

~sigh~ off to call the therapist back again. 

[zuzu_]

My kid probably has a mental illness/behavioral condition but given her young age (4) I am having a very hard time getting her diagnosed with anything.  That would be ok if we could still make some progress on getting her through a normal day at preschool.  I am so frustrated because I can barely keep her in school and all the kind "you didn't cause this" stuff from the MDs and therapists is not helping us to help her.  On top of that, the therapist makes suggestions but the teachers don't really follow them.  So she's doing better at home but worse at school. 

~sigh~ off to call the therapist back again. 

Hang in there. Have you jumped through the necessary hoops to qualify her for special education services? Then, the teachers will be legally required to follow the established behavior plan.

[molli_sols]

No, we're still in preschool so the special Ed stuff won't kick in until next year.  But, the school is overall very cooperative.  They just don't understand how big a difference some little things are so they don't follow through. 

I feel better just getting it out and venting a bit.  Overall her behavior has improved in the last 6 months but there's a long way to go before kindergarten.  I may not have a job by then but that's another bridge for another day.

[zuzu_]

No, we're still in preschool so the special Ed stuff won't kick in until next year.  But, the school is overall very cooperative.  They just don't understand how big a difference some little things are so they don't follow through. 

I feel better just getting it out and venting a bit.  Overall her behavior has improved in the last 6 months but there's a long way to go before kindergarten.  I may not have a job by then but that's another bridge for another day.

I am assuming this is a private preschool? States have public preschools run by the school districts for preschoolers who qualify for special ed services. You can get these early childhood services now--just google your state's name and "early childhood education" intervention. Better yet, if you are worried about your family's finances, thise ECE programs are free for kids with documented special ed needs.  For example, here is some information in New York: http://www.vesid.nysed.gov/lsn/ecdc/qa.htm

[embitteredhistorian]

The son of a friend of mine got H1N1. He's also 5 years old and, as 5yr olds go, pretty week.

After about a week, he was fine, and it actually turned out to be pretty minor as far as symptoms. I wouldn't worry.

[irhack]

I am assuming this is a private preschool? States have public preschools run by the school districts for preschoolers who qualify for special ed services. You can get these early childhood services now--just google your state's name and "early childhood education" intervention. Better yet, if you are worried about your family's finances, thise ECE programs are free for kids with documented special ed needs.  For example, here is some information in New York: http://www.vesid.nysed.gov/lsn/ecdc/qa.htm

Yes to this. My son, also 4, is in private preschool but has been receiving speech therapy through the public schools for the past 18 months, and occupational therapy for the past 6 months, all free of charge. He has no diagnosis per se, just some "delays." It might be worth checking out.