To go to the ER or not?? (28)

I would monitor her temperature, and go with your instinct. She might be getting an ear infection, but it is difficult to tell - fever is a very good indication of an underlying infection. Since she doesn't have a fever, you might have to wait a long time in the ER - but any health professional would tell it is your decision to take her to the ER...good luck! :)

Hi Tracy,

When I was raising my daughter - I had a "tough it out" attitude and I did not take her to the doctor. When she was eight years old - she was sick and weak enough - that I took her to see the doctor. Her lungs were 3/4 full of pnemonia. I will never forget the way that the doctor looked me in the eye when he gave me that diagnosis. My daughter could easily have died from pnemonia - because I was being a "strong (stupid, in hindsight) mom".

So, as I wrote last message - take your daughter to see the doctor. I could have lost my daughter because I was "too proud" (too stupid) to take her to see a doctor.

Let me know how things go. I care,

Lorraine.

Well said Lorraine - think of it this way Tracy: would you rather put up with the doctor's looking at you the wrong way or having something serious happen to the child?

Hi Bob,

Thanks for your message to Tracy. After I read your message I thought "my God - after all - we Do live in Canada". We can take our kids to the Dr. or the hospital "for free". What a blessing it is to be Canadian!

Cheers,

Lorraine.

Ya i would defintely be making an appt with my family doctor if it were my girl. With the coughing you want to rule out a chest infection (which if there is one...requires antibiotics unfortunately to clear it up). If she is wheezing lots and her flem that is being coughed up is yellow/greenish that is sign of infection. If the cough is clear it is probably just a cold. If these signs are there then go to ER dont wait til you can get an appt. She will need medication more than likely.

Well we just got back from the ER. Thanks guys for the messages and encouragement.

I am glad I took her to the ER after all. Turns out she has an infection in her left ear. No wonder the poor thing was inconsolable. So they gave her some antibiotics at the hospital and the doctor gave me a prescription.

She just went to bed and as soon as I know she is sound asleep I am off to bed as well.

Again thanks everyone!

Lorraine...Sorry to hear about what happened to you and your daughter. I am so glad to hear she is okay.

Hi Tracy,

I am glad that you took your daughter to the ER. I hope that both of you are resting better because of it.

My daughter is fine. She is now a young, very independent woman who lives a life completely separate of me.

Regards,

Lorraine.

Thanks Lorraine,

As for my daughter. She isn't that much better in my opinion. Her cough has gotten worse. She had a fever on and off since last night. She even threw up her milk last night and was up most the night again.

I tried giving her her first dose of meds last night and she spit it back out. She never usualy does that with medicine. But I think she has a sore throat because she was even refusing solids and I had a hard time getting her to drink her formula.

What baffles me and even baffled my pharmacist was that the ER doctor only prescribed antibiotics for her for 2 days. So only 2 dosages of meds for her ear infection. Does that even make any sense??? Normaly its for 10 days and not 2. I am going to take her either to my family doctor tomorrow or the ER again. Because so far its not doing much of a difference in her health. I will be sure its a different doctor she will see as well because I really didn't like the doctor we had. I had to ask a nurse to repeat what he said because he was mumbling the whole time. Even the pharmacist said the doctor didn't even put an effort in writting the prescription and he had to call the hospital to ask the doctor himself what he wrote.

But anywho sorry for the whinning. I have not slept much since tuesday and I am at the point that I am very irritable and can not even tolerate myself.

Last night my little guy spiked a 101 fever. A couple shots of banana kid's tylenol, killed the fever by this a.m. If that didn't work I would have taken him in. Ya can't mess with sick little ones. Fot real little kids who cant keep a thermometer still in their mouths, use an armpit, then add 1 degree to that reading for actual temp.