When 8 months old, the same thing happened, but this time it was 5 days after his first swimming session at Four Seasons Hotel with some friends. Again, only paracetamol was administered. Again, his fever subsided within 24 hours, and all's well.
We have been scratching our heads what caused the fever, and could only conclude its either the jab or a virus caught from the swim, and somehow his body fought it himself without anything else except paracetamol. I was total breastfeeding that time, and I felt so thankful my breastmilk protected him and kept him strong to fight the virus, without falling sick.
From 8 mths to 17mths, he was perfectly fine and healthy despite me falling sick when he was 11mths old, and I was sick for a total of 2-3months. I stayed in the same house as him, still total breastfeed him (but wearing a mask), but sleep in different rooms. I was again grateful my breastmilk (though I was sick) kept him strong coz the antibodies protected him.
I stopped breastfeeding at 15mths.....and then, somehow......at 17mths, the inevitable toddler flus and colds started. sigh....
During CNY, 3 days (20 Feb) after the fun afternoon at Auntie Grace's Jovann and I came down with cough, then flu. He has phelmy cough, with mucus from nose, and with less appetite than usual. Next day, we took him to the PD, he refused cereal, and only ate fruits. We started medication and tried to let him eat more food.
At the PD.
22 Feb, his fever started. He felt warm throughout the night, but his temp was 37.5deg, which we know is higher than his usual body temp but is not considered fever in the medical sense yet. But we fed him paracetamol to be safe, and in the evening when we reached my mom's place where he was that day, he felt hot. We sponged him down and changed fever pad. His face was very red from the heat, but he was still active.
For the next 3 nights, he had fever in the middle of the night, ranging from 38.5deg to 39deg. He moan in his sleep but is alert and contented when we wake him up to feed med and sponge him. He was so cooperative and cheerful during sponging. But his eyes started being covered with a layer of dried eye discharge, and his nose was so dry from the dried mucus. Been feeding him more fruits and more watery porridge and liquids these few days.
Then 25Feb, saw PD again. This time Dr Ong checked his throat, ears and nose after we tell him about the eye discharge. and we were shocked to hear that the infection in his nose has caused his eyes discharge to block up, thus causing the discharge. And he is having middle ear infection coz his nose is blocked. His throat is also red.
But this nottie boy is still so active and happy, which we are mighty glad of. He even did a dance with Barney while waiting for Dr Ong. We love this video, so cute!
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His condition sounded so worrying. But doc gave antibiotics Augmentin, and Jovann had antibiotics for the first time. It kinda smelled good, like chewing gum. With the antibiotics, and the fact that that night itself I gave him the steam bathroom treatment, plus the fact that we switched off aircon at night and let him sleep in fresh air, his condition improved very fast. He recovered before the end of the antibiotics course. So glad so glad....still a bit of dry cough occasionally but it was not supposed to be a concern coz no running nose and his appetite improved.
What an experience......Thinking back, its really amazing how many things you learnt from internet and textbooks and friends last time that you thought you know, but totally forgot once its YOUR kid who is sick. e.g. steamroom treatment and not sleeping in aircon room when with running nose,. all this I knew but SOMEHOW i forgot about it when my kid fell sick. Only when a well meaning friend reminded me did I kick myself for it. I also should have know, such high fever is usually not viral causes. So I shld have brought him to the PD earlier when I saw the eye and discharge. Fortunately the middle ear infection wasn't too serious.
During this episode, we brought out his new THomas and Tank watter bottle which I bought from the Taka Sale 2-3 mths back, and slinged it around his shoulders. He seemed so pleased with it.
I wish to note here that if not for hubby and Jovann's Daddy, this period of time would have been more difficult. Sam turns out to be such a capable daddy when Jovann is sick. For more than 3 of the nights during Jovann's episode, I had to stay in my mums house nearby overnight coz I was also sick and do not wish to stay so close to J throughout the day for fear of aggravating his condition. Samuel was solely responsibly for feeding Jovann breakfast, preparing his lunch and sometimes feeding him lunch, before bringing him over to my mums plc. At night, he brings him back home himself, washed him up singlehandedly, changed pyjamas, read a book, make his milk, and put him to bed. Throughout the night, he constantly checked Jovann's temp and fed him med when needed, and sponged him when his fever appeared. He updates me through phone calls and sms during the night when this happens. And both of us worry at the same time, but I am not there to help him. He breezed through it without complains, and with a better and closer relationship with his son then ever. Though Jovann calls for me sometimes, it was clear he is closer to his Daddy now after all this, and its so heartwarming to see. I am proud of my hubby!
I am also very proud of my son. He was happy and cheerful throughout the illness, and did not complain when his fever was high, when we were sponging him. Initially, feeding him med was hard, he will struggle and cry and it will need me to pin him down while hubby forced the med through the syringe into his mouth. But, miraculously, on the 6th day that we started antibiotics, Sam was alone at home before his bedtime, feeding him med. He tried letting Jovann walk to towards him without coercion, and he did! Jovann walked up, opend his mouth when asked to, and tilt back his head when asked to. And down went 1, 2, 3 sometimes 4 syringes of med with sips of water in betw! From then on, thats the way we fed him med. And he took it without complains! sometimes even doing his version of the "good" sign... I am so proud of him.
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