Disclaimer: The information contained in this post is NOT intended as medical advice. Please consult with a licensed medical professional if you have any questions or concerns related to your baby's health situation.
Chesska, 3.7, barely gets sick, but when she is ill, it will definitely stay longer and even get worse if not attended immediately.
Last week, Monday, she was feverish associated with a nasty cough. She also felt like vomiting every time I gave her medicine. So I decided to take her for a free medical check-up near our village sponsored by a certain congregation which is conducted every Tuesday.
Since heaps of people, including us, were waiting for our turns to be checked, and the fact that it was free, the doctor was rushing checking each patient so she could accommodate everyone. When my turn came, she interviewed us about how the fever and cough started. Then hurriedly patted her stethoscope towards Chesska's chest and back but said nothing. But she advised for urinalysis and cbc, which was performed right away in the mobile lab in front the checking venue (I doubt the facilities are clean).
A few minutes later, we got the result and went back to the doctor for the final analysis. She told me, Chesska had urinary tract infection and her cbc showed fine except that her hemoglobin's score was below the normal level. In other words, Chesska was anemic. I silently asked myself, how come she got UTI, I didn't even give her junk foods, nor I let her sip even a little amount of soft drink. To give her the benefit of the doubt, I still followed her prescriptions (after all she's a doctor).
For her UTI along with her cough, she prescribed an antibiotic, Co-Amoxiclav to be taken twice a day, 7.5 ml, for 7 days and Salbutamol Guifenesin, thrice a day, 5 ml, for 7 days.
However, after taking the prescribed medicines plus the paracetamol I gave her, and on Wednesday early dawn until the sun shone, I noticed that her fever didn't go away. Her cough was getting nastier. Her stomach also got upset that she had to poop several times (around 3-4) for that day. It bothered me even more. My husband and I again decided to repeat the laboratory: urinalysis, cbc, and fecalysis in the hospital that we used to consult every time Chesska got health problems. It is approximately 10-15 minutes away from our house. I was confident that the results were more reliable than the previous one because the examination lasted for about an hour (at least it was examined thoroughly....)
We brought the results to the attending physician (resident doctor) since the pedia was no longer around then (it was already 8:00 p.m). Both urinalysis and cbc were read okay, contrary to the previous results. Meaning Chesska was cleared from UTI and she's not anemic. But we came to the worst part, that Chesska had ameoba. Again, I initially doubted the result. I stubbornly insisted that it might be only the side effect of antibiotic since Chesska suffered from frequent pooping five months ago after taking the same medicine. But the attending physician strongly emphasized that the results were correct (pointing on the paper).
She prescribed a Metronidazole for amoeba to be taken 3 times a day, 7ml, for one week.
But that time, I was so concerned about Chesska's cough, not diarrhea or whatsoever. Because her cough was pretty bad. I finally requested the doctor to check Chesska with her stethoscope. According to her, she heard no phlegm, but I was half-convinced. She advised me to continue the antibiotic and Salbutamol given to her by the first doctor.
While I continued giving the meds, Chesska's cough remained hard, fever persisted. On the following day, Thursday, I went to Chesska's pedia, Dr. Sweet, asking for another opinion. She was actually Chesska's pedia ever since. What I liked about having an appointment with your pedia was that you could discuss things thoroughly. Then she let Chesska lie down on mini-bed and checked her chest with a stethoscope, listening carefully if there were phlegms. She noticed some. Then she had her mouth open, inspecting the throat thoroughly, and gently pressed her tummy. I also handed her the lab results from the previous day, and she saw no indication of UTI shown from the urinalysis, but she confirmed Chesska had amoeba. She told me to continue the med for amoeba, which is the Metronidazole, but she increased the dosage, from 7.5ml to 9ml for 10 days. Plus she shifted the antibiotic from Co-Amoxiclav to Cefixime, to be administered twice a day, 3ml, for 10 days.
Today is our 6th day of medication, and I can see tremendous improvement in her health. I seldom heard her cough at night, unlike in the past few days, it was quite bothersome. I did not also see her poop today, and I hope she will continue to improve until the next few days.
Lesson Learned:
I wish I had gone to my pedia right away when the first symptoms occurred so I did not waste my time and money. It doesn't mean I don't trust the first check-up, it's because my pedia knew well Chesska in terms of her health from the very start, and we have consulted to her several times for years.
Chesska, 3.7, barely gets sick, but when she is ill, it will definitely stay longer and even get worse if not attended immediately.
Last week, Monday, she was feverish associated with a nasty cough. She also felt like vomiting every time I gave her medicine. So I decided to take her for a free medical check-up near our village sponsored by a certain congregation which is conducted every Tuesday.
Since heaps of people, including us, were waiting for our turns to be checked, and the fact that it was free, the doctor was rushing checking each patient so she could accommodate everyone. When my turn came, she interviewed us about how the fever and cough started. Then hurriedly patted her stethoscope towards Chesska's chest and back but said nothing. But she advised for urinalysis and cbc, which was performed right away in the mobile lab in front the checking venue (I doubt the facilities are clean).
A few minutes later, we got the result and went back to the doctor for the final analysis. She told me, Chesska had urinary tract infection and her cbc showed fine except that her hemoglobin's score was below the normal level. In other words, Chesska was anemic. I silently asked myself, how come she got UTI, I didn't even give her junk foods, nor I let her sip even a little amount of soft drink. To give her the benefit of the doubt, I still followed her prescriptions (after all she's a doctor).
For her UTI along with her cough, she prescribed an antibiotic, Co-Amoxiclav to be taken twice a day, 7.5 ml, for 7 days and Salbutamol Guifenesin, thrice a day, 5 ml, for 7 days.
However, after taking the prescribed medicines plus the paracetamol I gave her, and on Wednesday early dawn until the sun shone, I noticed that her fever didn't go away. Her cough was getting nastier. Her stomach also got upset that she had to poop several times (around 3-4) for that day. It bothered me even more. My husband and I again decided to repeat the laboratory: urinalysis, cbc, and fecalysis in the hospital that we used to consult every time Chesska got health problems. It is approximately 10-15 minutes away from our house. I was confident that the results were more reliable than the previous one because the examination lasted for about an hour (at least it was examined thoroughly....)
We brought the results to the attending physician (resident doctor) since the pedia was no longer around then (it was already 8:00 p.m). Both urinalysis and cbc were read okay, contrary to the previous results. Meaning Chesska was cleared from UTI and she's not anemic. But we came to the worst part, that Chesska had ameoba. Again, I initially doubted the result. I stubbornly insisted that it might be only the side effect of antibiotic since Chesska suffered from frequent pooping five months ago after taking the same medicine. But the attending physician strongly emphasized that the results were correct (pointing on the paper).
She prescribed a Metronidazole for amoeba to be taken 3 times a day, 7ml, for one week.
But that time, I was so concerned about Chesska's cough, not diarrhea or whatsoever. Because her cough was pretty bad. I finally requested the doctor to check Chesska with her stethoscope. According to her, she heard no phlegm, but I was half-convinced. She advised me to continue the antibiotic and Salbutamol given to her by the first doctor.
While I continued giving the meds, Chesska's cough remained hard, fever persisted. On the following day, Thursday, I went to Chesska's pedia, Dr. Sweet, asking for another opinion. She was actually Chesska's pedia ever since. What I liked about having an appointment with your pedia was that you could discuss things thoroughly. Then she let Chesska lie down on mini-bed and checked her chest with a stethoscope, listening carefully if there were phlegms. She noticed some. Then she had her mouth open, inspecting the throat thoroughly, and gently pressed her tummy. I also handed her the lab results from the previous day, and she saw no indication of UTI shown from the urinalysis, but she confirmed Chesska had amoeba. She told me to continue the med for amoeba, which is the Metronidazole, but she increased the dosage, from 7.5ml to 9ml for 10 days. Plus she shifted the antibiotic from Co-Amoxiclav to Cefixime, to be administered twice a day, 3ml, for 10 days.
Today is our 6th day of medication, and I can see tremendous improvement in her health. I seldom heard her cough at night, unlike in the past few days, it was quite bothersome. I did not also see her poop today, and I hope she will continue to improve until the next few days.
Lesson Learned:
I wish I had gone to my pedia right away when the first symptoms occurred so I did not waste my time and money. It doesn't mean I don't trust the first check-up, it's because my pedia knew well Chesska in terms of her health from the very start, and we have consulted to her several times for years.
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