I'm on the edge...of glory? Nope. Of sheer despair. Have had a terrible week with R & Z being sick, sick and sick again and I've reached the end of my tether. We've had coughs, colds, conjunctivitis, crankiness galore around here. Yes, my dear readers, today I am writing to let you know that you are not alone in the overwhelming frustration that is not being able to quickly cure a sick child (or worse -ren). Despite my going on and on about how great natural remedies are and how efficiently they work, there are a handful of times where those awful germs are so damn stubborn, it takes an army and a half to get you all through the ailment.
I'm going through one of those times right now and boy do I hate it. Here's my list of reasons why this hatred is especially heightened this week:
-- I hate seeing my children sick for so many days. It breaks my heart to see them lethargic and not their usual funny, hyper and crazy selves!
-- I'm in my second week of a new job. A new job = no more work from home = commuting into the city daily = I cannot afford sick children, especially not in the first few weeks!
-- I got zapped by the bug this time around too. Mom sick = whole house upside down.
-- The kids are on winter break, J & I even have a few holidays and we haven't done ONE single fun thing since it started not to mention we've had to miss out on getting together with friends on more than one occasion.
-- I HAVE NOT SLEPT PROPERLY IN DAYS!! (this one, as always, deserves a line of its own)
-- It really upsets me to let the bad guys win. Yes, I'm taking this fight too seriously and yes I'm a geek. Thank you, tell me something I don't know.
Anyhoo, my long winded way of cutting a long story short is to declare that PREVENTION IS BETTER THAN CURE!! Don't let those preventative measures slide and even when it seems like your child is getting better (as was the case with R&Z) keep dosing, applying your oils, whatever rocks your boat, for a few days after. In fact, I would say a week at least.
In an attempt *not* to make this post solely a space to vent my mommy frustrations, I will endeavour to share some more naturallysta tips on getting through the winter season.
- Ask, no make, your kids wash their hands often. I know, I don't like being OCD on such things either but for a few months a year, it is totally warranted and completely needed! If nothing else, keep a healthy sanitizer (I like the EO one) on hand and at least clean before your child eats anything, ESPECIALLY after playing in a public place
- Keep Oil of Oregano on hand and massage a few drops (dilute in olive oil if pure) into your child's back, down the spine and on the soles of their feet. This is a natural antibiotic and keeps those nasty germs away (safe for babies as only external)
- Vitamin C and tons of it. Start at the beginning of the winter and carry on 'til the end. I would recommend at least 2000mg a day and if (unlikely but just in case) you notice loose stools, you can cut down a little to find the optimal level your child's body can absorb. Don't worry about overdosing as Vit C is excreted easily from the body and is not toxic
- Flu with weary body and fever? Administer a dose of Oscillococcinum, a homeopathic remedy, at the first sign of symptoms
- GSE! See my earlier post for more info. The time to give GSE is before your child starts to suffer major symptoms because once they're feverish and lethargic, getting them to drink juice frequently through the day will be hard
- Humidifier with some drops of Eucalyptus & Lavender added to the water. Eucalyptus will help your child breathe and Lavender will relax
- Stay positive and don't panic! Reassure your child, give them lots of hugs and let them sleep in your bed if they need to!!! A loving touch goes a long way to heal
- Don't be in a hurry to medicate fever. Fever is the body's way of getting rid of toxins and if you suppress that mechanism, you're likely to prolong the illness Keep your sick child cool with wet washcloths and make sure they keep sipping water
- An interesting tidbit I picked up recently was the relationship between the lungs and the stomach in TCM or Traditional Chinese Medicine. The theory is that the two are related and you will find that if one is not functioning at full capacity, the other will not be either. So use the relationship to help you cure a cough/bronchitis/pneumonia - replenish the gut with good bacteria and make sure your child is not constipated or there will be more of a burden on the chest. See my post on constipation remedies for help with this
- Honey, honey and more honey. Add it to teas, give by the teaspoonful and as I did for R's very recent case of pink eye, dilute it in water and drop it into the eyes for instant infection relief
- Oh and I finally tried the onion pack for incessant coughing - it works!!! Heat some freshly sliced yellow onion packed into a cheesecloth - I used Bounty and microwaved, not terribly crunchy but all I had on hand - tape to your child's chest at night (please use medical tape ;-)) and get some well deserved rest
OK, I think that's enough info for today. Pray I survive the next few days, please!
Frustratingly, yet ever crunchily,
~S~
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