All About Your Child

When I was hanging out the laundry today, I saw this :

My neighbour staying below my unit, was sun-bathing her daughter’s Winnie the Pooh Bear. Something so cute dangling 9 storey high, must be quite scary for that huggable.

Carried my 3-year-old to see this uncommon sight.

“Mommy, why got Winnie the Pooh there?”

“He is sun-bathing.”

“Why?”

“Maybe he just bathed.”

“I want to bathe my bear-bear too. Then I can hang bear-bear out sun-bathing too.”

Wriggled down and ran to the room, took his white bear, dump it into the basin and turned on the tap. In less than 2 seconds, “Ok! Hang bear-bear out.”

And so I did as I was commanded. Almost at that very moment my hands left his bear, Binbin said, “Bear-bear very scared.”

“You want bear-bear to come in?”

“Mm.” Nodding vigorously.

Took the bear in and handed it to it’s owner, who hug it a little and frown, “But he very wet! Hang him out again.”

“But you said he is very scared, right?”

“Nevermind, he so wet, he can’t sleep with me. Hang him out. HUmph!” Crossed his arms and stomped out of the kitchen, as if to avoid hearing the plea from the bear ‘don’t hang me out, don’t hang me out….’

Its amazing how he can make decision logically more than emotionally nowadays….I love handling 3 years-old, their characteristics are just so fun.

Has the illness-lightning strike on my house? All of a sudden, everyone seems to be contracted with a sickness that is unheard of in the family. First, hives and now this….

But still it always feel good to know why you are sick. Another good thing is I am not bedridden now (like I mentioned in my previous post). Also, I found out that I have glandular fever. Did a little research from this site. Lots of stuff to read, but at least it ease my mind. Extracted some main info here: –

Symptoms
Many people, especially children, have few or no noticeable symptoms of glandular fever.

If symptoms do occur, they usually include:

• swollen, enlarged lymph nodes;
• high fever (temperature above 39C or 102.2F);
• very sore throat;
• swollen tonsils, with a white coating;
• tiredness and lack of energy;
• loss of appetite and weight loss; and
• muscle aches and headache.

Causes
Glandular fever is caused by the Epstein-Barr virus. It is passed on through saliva and the mucus produced in the nose and throat….. A person with glandular fever is most infectious when they have a fever. (maybe I got it from Keatkeat, remember he was having night-fever)

Treatment
In the mildest cases of infection with the Epstein-Barr virus there are few or no symptoms, so no need for treatment.

When symptoms do appear, treatments are aimed at soothing them, as there isn’t a cure for glandular fever. The virus usually runs its course within a month, as your body produces antibodies against it, and many people will recover without treatment within a week or two.

When you are feeling unwell, tired, or have a high temperature, you should rest and take plenty of fluids such as water. Paracetamol or ibuprofen (or child equivalents) can be used to reduce pain and fever. Antibiotics are not given because glandular fever is caused by a virus…..

Self-help measures for a sore throat include gargling with salt water or sucking on throat lozenges. In rare cases when swelling in the throat is severe, and interferes with swallowing, or if the nervous system (brain and spine) is affected, treatment with corticosteroid tablets such as prednisolone may be used.

Complications
Most people recover from glandular fever within a few weeks, but occasionally serious complications can occur, including:

• damage to the nervous system, such as inflammation of the brain (encephalitis or meningitis);
• ruptured or damaged spleen;
• hepatitis;
• pneumonia; and
• anaemia.

Its estimated that around one in ten people who have glandular fever go on to have long term, chronic fatigue syndrome, with occasional fever and lymph node enlargement.

Not going to focus on the complications….just focusing on getting well in a week or two….wish me luck again…