Sunday, 24 November 2013

Sick baby, NHS 111 experience


This week has been really tough. My son got sticky eyes and a sickness bug last weekend, and after projectile vomiting on the rug twice, in his room and down me he finally stopped being sick by Tuesday. Wednesday night he was coughing quite a lot, but I put it down to a cold as he was able to sleep through it. Everyone seems to have a cold at the moment. So, Thursday he was back in nursery.  However when I picked him up he'd had a temperature and they had given him calpol. He was also coughing significantly more. He'd lost his appetite from the sickness bug, and it had never really picked back up again. Poor thing was really not very well. 

Thursday night was awful, he couldn't sleep.  He was constantly coughing and every time he did fall asleep he'd manage about 10 minutes before the cough woke him up. My husband tried walking him in the pushchair, as we thought a more unpright position might help. But again, every time he fell asleep he just woke up coughing. 

It was 12.30am by this point and Reuben was just so tired but constantly moaning with pain. We called  NHS 111 as he just wasn't right. The lady asked us lots of questions and decided he needed to see a doctor. She made us an appointment at a health centre about 5 miles away, and by 1.30am Reuben was being checked over by the doctor. 

He gave him a thorough examination, temperature, breathing rate, oxygen in blood, capillary test and listened to his chest. He diagnosed viral bronchiolitis. Unfortunately as it's a virus all we can do is wait for his immune system to fight it. The doctor did give us a salbutamol inhaler to help with Reuben's wheezing. 

We had never used the 111 number before, but we were so grateful to the quick way we got to see a doctor and the friendliness and professionalism of the doctor at 1.30am.

Our friends have been great offering lots of advice. I didn't realise warm, humid air helped but a friend just dropped over a humidifier for Reuben's room. 

Reuben is on the mend. He still isn't eating much and wants lots of cuddles but this morning he started pulling things out the the kitchen cupboards, his favourite game, which is a sure sign he is feeling better. 


Me, Roo and Panda having a duvet day on Friday. 

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