Woah there, when does it stop?
So it's been so hectic I haven't had chance to write! Where do I start? A week ago, the little one woke up in the middle of the night & cried (v unusual for her) so I went in to check on her & could smell straight away things weren't right. Sorted her out then comforted her throughout the night. Friday, no sickness but things were not right at the opposite end so we took her to see our Medecin who prescribed Tiorfan & a rehydrating drink as well as Eosine & Aloplastine to dry up nappy rash. To make it worse, little one wasn't eating or drinking. Eosine was an experience - we didn't really know how to apply it, so we just squirted it on her & red dye went everywhere, she was covered from chest to knees & we were both red-handed too...That was an experience, but we did laugh at how inept we clearly are!
At the Doctors I was also a little surprised when the Medecin asked if she drank Coke or Sirop as so far she's only had water & milk (I thought I was doing right by protecting her teeth) but it appears that it's difficult to disguise the taste of the Tiorfan medecines in plain water. So that night I tried with Sirop...she refused to drink it & then refused to drink anything on Saturday being suspicious of everything we gave her.
During this, we also moved off the trusty English Calpol & onto Doliprane sirop, it looks & tastes the same...not sure if it is or not though but it seemed to have the same positive painkilling effects.
Over the weekend things didn't get any better (we still had pink fingers) so on Monday I called the Medecin again & she prescribed Smecta another version of the horrible tasting rehydrating powders. I explained she wouldn't drink Sirop so was asked to mix it in her yoghurts...she then refused to eat yoghurts which was the only thing she would eat before!
Tuesday & Weds things were looking up, she started to eat small amounts of dry pasta & chicken and she would drink the Tiorfan in water & Smecta in her milk, but by now we were on 7 visits a day & so her nappy rash was awful. On Thursday I called the Medecin for another appointment as the poor little thing was screaming with pain at each visit & upon inspection she had a slight fever so the Medecin referred us to the Paediatric Hospital for an introvenous 24 hour feed to break the cycle of upset stomach. We were now up to a week of sickness which meant it was unlikely to be a virus & was either extreme teething or something else...
Off we went at 7pm having had nothing to eat since lunchtime, we saw an interne at 9pm who ordered blood tests (causing much screaming & tears) and was then advised to go out & get something to eat...nearby at 9.30pm the options were McDo or KFC. We went for McDo...so our little one had her first McChicken Nuggets & potato wedges...how twisted did I feel taking a sick baby into McDo for some nourishment?!?
Weirdly she ate it quite happily?!?! and so we went back to the hospital where they advised despite her sickness she was not de-hydrated & the bloods were ok so she could go home & by the way would you like to try giving her another type of yukky powder & come back in 2 days if she is still unwell. For the nappy rash they recommended Bepanthen.
So on the 8th day we tried the other stuff - rejected, back to Tiorfan. On the other hand the Bepanthen worked wonders & slowly the rash is getting better.
Now 12 days into the sickness, still taking both Tiorfan & Smecta in her water & milk, plastered in Bepanthen & we are not yet back to normal, BUT she is eating again & seems much happier in herself so we haven't subjected her to men & women in white coats again.
Is it extreme teething? Well her molars could be coming through, or was it a nasty Gastro? We'll never know I suppose, but I do know it has been quite stressful & one of those situations where as a parent you feel you should know what to do, but you just don't! Still at least I am now very familiar with handing over my various attestations & explaining that 'no my Carte Vitale has not yet arrived'. Thank goodness for top up insurance, the bill for her medecines & trips so far in 1 week has been over 150 euro (excluding the hospital).
Suzanne
UK Stores Delivering Overseas