Prescriptions and common sense - read the instructions....

Did you know that the average American can only read at about a 6^th grade level – this means an average of 7 words per sentence and 2-3 syllables per word.  Shocking I know – but also works into the idea that the average American has an IQ of 100 or less (though my friend in education says it is way lower – and she wasn’t talking about the students, mostly the administration).

Now, when I say all this – I am not talking about YOU because I know you are much brighter – but here are only a few examples of what people do with their prescriptions….and all of these are true stories.

• Story 1 - Customer gets an antibiotic prescription for a child’s earache – Instructions are  “Give one teaspoon by mouth twice a day”…Customer calls back later to ask how she can keep her kids ear from getting all sticky – and  says that she is having a hard time giving a whole teaspoon.  Pharmacist knows immediately he customer has been putting the medicine into the child’s ear.….

• Story 2 - Customer gets a prescription for a suppository.  Instructions are “Unwrap suppository and insert into rectum every 6 hours as needed”.  Customer calls back later to complain that the suppositories are very uncomfortable. Pharmacist knows immediately that the caller did not UNWRAP the suppository before inserting it into the correct place….

• Story 3 - And again - customer gets a prescription for a suppository.  Instructions are “Unwrap suppository and insert into rectum every 6 hours as needed”.  Customer calls back to complain about how bad “those pills taste” or “those pills you gave me are really greasy”.  In this case the pharmacist is clear that the customer unwrapped the suppository but ate it instead.  Perhaps the customer did not know what “rectum” meant…. 

In fact, story 3 has happened with ear drops, vaginal medicine and topical medicine etc. – when the customer failed to listen to or read the instructions, then ate the medicine rather than putting it where it should go.

Actually the most common failure of medication administration is the customer that uses a teaspoon or tablespoon from the silverware drawer to give one “teaspoon” or “tablespoon” - neither of which are accurate as both give about half the medicine that is supposed to be taken.  In most cases – an oral syringe or other accurate measuring device is given by the pharmacy along with the medicine – and some doctors have started writing in milliliters to force the customer to use an accurate device.  This however, does not stop some customers of doing it wrong. FYI – if you didn’t know, a teaspoon is 5 ml (milliliters) and a tablespoon is 15 ml (or 3 teaspoons). 

• Story 4 – Customer comes in to get a prescription filled.  Pharmacist tells the customer that insurance won’t cover the prescription.  Customer becomes irate – stating that the physician prescribed it, insurance has to cover it…becoming louder and more agitated.  Pharmacist again tells customer that the insurance will not cover it and that if medicine is wanted, they will have to pay cash.  Customer says “How do you know that MY insurance won’t cover it?” and squints eyes at pharmacist who (now exasperated) says “It’s called technology”.

Actually, some of the best stories have come from my nursing and paramedic students – which are truly gross and mostly involve “lost” articles and food such as a tuna fish sandwich “lost” in the folds, a sweet potato “lost” in an orifice resulting in leaves emerging from said orifice, or a “massaging device” lost in an orifice in the “on” position…really a subject for another time…believe me there is more where that came from.

A desperate try for a treatment for Eczema….

So a lot of my postings are about topics I have needed to research for myself or family and friends – or about something I saw that interested me while perusing the news or staring at the television.  In any case, I always have a personal interest in what I research and write about.

Today’s topic is eczema – also known as “the itch that rashes”.  This is in direct opposition to other kinds of itchy skin like contact dermatitis – where your skin comes into contact with something irritating or that you are allergic to.

Eczema happens like this – you get an itchy spot on your skin, with no reason in sight.  The itch becomes severe enough that it disrupts your day and can even wake you up at night (very disturbing for a mother of three since I need all the sleep I can get).  Then after a few days – you have scratched so much that a rash can develop – and if you keep scratching – you can get claw marks in your skin – which can actually get infected.

Keeping with the personal interest thing – A month or so ago – I had an attack of extreme itchiness on my shoulders – spreading down my arms.  I have had eczema in the past – unusually on my forehead and on the tops of my shoulders but this was actually worse.  It also started happening on my scalp.

No one really knows what causes eczema – it is most likely an immune reaction to “something”.  That “something” can be cold weather, hot weather, humid weather, dry weather, stress, sleeping, being awake, sunlight, darkness, genetics, clothing, not wearing clothes, water, dry skin, oily skin, clean skin, dirty skin…you get the picture.

I think mine is actually triggered by stress.  OK – more stress than usual.  I had my first noticeable attack while I was pregnant with twins….then when I was pregnant with the third kid in 13 months. This time – it was a financial, work and family crisis (as work and money often lead to a family crisis).

In any case – the itch became bad enough that I was wakened at night and it was starting to make me cry out of desperation.  I was slathering on over-the-counter hydrocortisone cream mixed with “Caladryl” lotion – which incidentally smells like aftershave – SEVERAL times a day and during the night.  Frankly – it wasn’t working that great.

I happened to have a doctor’s appointment scheduled for another reason and told him about it – at which time he gave me a prescription for triamcinolone – a stronger steroid cream.  It worked a little better but not great – my number of uses daily went down by about half (even though the doctor said twice a day – I was at more like 6).

A few days later, I called my sister to complain (bitch) about a family member who had caused me a great deal of stress (contributing to the problem).  In the conversation, I told her about the eczema and she launched into a natural health discussion about coconut oil and essential oils.

My sister actually has a Master’s degree in Fine Arts – but through a massive number of random and odd illnesses has needed to use natural medicine.  In short – she has become a near expert on a lot of natural remedies – she is very “crunchy” as she likes to say – referring to granola.  Also she is a medical anomaly – and ends up with conditions that doctor’s refuse to recognize – so she often solves them on her own with natural treatments.

Her husband is a chef – who has developed an allergy to raw chicken protein and seafood – great thing for a chef, right?  Anyway he takes Benadryl (a lot), has used every cream on the market – and still breaks out in a rash – sometimes with no apparent cause because the allergy has triggered a whole bunch of other problems.  She has been using a combination of coconut oil and several essential oils for topical treatment on him.  She uses a massively expensive brand but I went the cheaper route – and ordered them from Amazon…

Oddly – another friend of mine called and during the conversation, she mentioned using coconut oil for her husband’s itchy skin – said it was working great.

Here is the “recipe” for the treatment my sister recommended:

• Coconut oil – can be purchased at grocery store or from healthfood store.  Coconut oil has some anti-inflammatory activity – may have some anti-infective activity – and helps to keep the moisture in your skin. Also coconut oil smells better than lard...I used about 2 ounces – enough to fill up a small plastic jar. 

Two or more of the following essential oils ( few drops each):

• Rosemary – increases blood supply to the skin – the smell is either pleasant or stinky – depending on whether you like rosemary or not, used in European folk medicine for eczema – also has antioxidant, antiseptic and antispasmodic properties.
• Lavender – has anti-inflammatory and anti-infective properties, also most varieties smell pretty decent - used for centuries for tons of stuff (insomnia, nervousness, fatigue, headaches, nausea, gas, skin infections, burns, eczema, psoriasis…etc)
• Peppermint – also has anti-inflammatory and anti-infective properties – smells just like you think it should, has been used for all kinds of GI complaints, headaches, stress….I tried the tea for morning sickness when pregnant with the twins but I puked it up – I might possibly have tried smoking it but it didn’t help (don’t do either).
• Sandalwood – has anti-inflammatory and anti-infective properties – I was excited about this one because being kind of a hippie kid, I really like the smell of sandalwood, only to remember that not all varieties smell the same – oh well
• Frankincense (yes that one) – supposedly encourages calmness, serenity and relaxation which would indicate anti-inflammatory activity - no comment on the smell since by this time I had a whole bunch of crap in the mix, but I do seem to recall that I didn’t like Frankincense incense (haha) perhaps partly because it was either gold or black – used for burns, rashes, cuts etc – and in anti-aging treatments
• Myrrh (yes that one) - has anti-inflammatory and anti-infective properties – again no comment on the smell– has been used a lot for mouth sores and irritation – sores, ulcers, gingivitis, strep throat, stinky breath….
• Tea tree oil – actually my sister did not recommend this one – but it is a favorite of mine – I have used it for all kinds of skin ailments, rashes, bug bites, acne, seborrheic dermatitis – and hear that it helps prevent lice – most people think it stinks but I don’t, though I can understand why they do - my husband hates it but I usually don't listen to him anyway

I didn’t follow her recommendation exactly (I usually don't follow anyone's instructions exactly - or at all....) – I used a little of all of them - So by this time – I had a pretty goopy mess which actually kind of stank – and I had two bottles of essential oil left – orange oil and lemongrass.

• Orange oil – is a natural insecticide – but CAN NOT be put directly on plants because it will kill them immediately (I know this because I did it) – should not be applied to skin full strength or consumed like that…..but it smells good
• Lemongrass – normally I hate lemongrass as it is present in a lot of Asian food and I think it tastes like citronella – actually that is where citronella comes from and every time I eat something with lemongrass, I think I am eating an anti-mosquito candle – this bottle smelled good though

So because they smelled good – I added a few drops anyway.  Didn’t help the smell.

I mixed it all up – and put this oily, stinky stuff on my shoulders and arms.  

On a side note – notice that 3 out of 6 oils that she recommended are of the mint family (rosemary, lavender and peppermint).  

Wow –it is really greasy – but it kept the itch at bay for at least 12 hours.  Problem is, I don’t know which ingredients helped. I did end up having to store it in the fridge and hack off a little piece each time I use it.

The point is – though I would say that something in there is working for me, I would not recommend this particular experiment – really you should always try one ingredient at a time – but I was desperate and this worked so I will keep on doing it – and my shoulders are really smooth.  Probably won’t rub it on my whole body though….

AND remember I did NOT tell you to do this – my advice really is – listen to the advice you get from odd places and then check it out for yourself…..

You might be able to treat your cold without regular "Medicine"...

A couple of days ago, I came down with symptoms of a cold – the “common” cold.  This was after all three of my kids had or were already infected.  It probably started with my oldest kid – who in turn probably got it at the local germ cesspool known as a school where a whole bunch of other germy kids gather on a daily basis.

This cold was a little different as it took almost two weeks for me to get it after he had it – which meant the “incubation” time was 7-14 days – longer than most colds.  Probably it was Respiratory Sincytial Virus (RSV) which can be dangerous and even deadly in small infants.  In older children it causes a fairly intense cold and in adults it usually causes a minor illness – doesn’t really mean you don’t feel like garbage, you just don’t feel like you are going to die.

RSV is one of the most common causes of “croup” which is characterized by a barking and sometimes spasmodic cough.  In children, this often leads to a buildup of congestion – which can lead to infections such as ear and sinus infection, along with pneumonia.  I say it was probably RSV – but it could have been an adenovirus, a parainfluenza virus – or a number of others.  Point is RSV is not an emergency except in small children.  You should take your kid for treatment if they can’t breath, have a high fever, have been sick for more than a couple of days…etc.  Use your common sense or someone else’s if you have none of your own (apparently a lot of people don’t).

Aside from waiting until the bacteria have grown in the stagnant mucous – and aside from the over-the-counter meds that you can give or take, there are also a number of home or natural remedies that can help treat a cold – or even a worse infection such as the flu.

• MOST OBVIOUS – wash your hands frequently with soap.  DON’T touch nasty tissues or drink after someone else.  If you have touched something or someone – WASH YOUR HANDS and DO NOT touch your face or eat.
• Spending a little time in a steamy room – can help to moisten and liquefy mucous so that it can

Why can’t "they" cure the common cold?

Let me start by saying - geez, I hope there are no typos in this....

So if you have been reading – or not, a few posts back – I said that my oldest kid had a cold.  Since it was a few weeks ago, I thought the other two (and mom) had escaped the bullet.  Not true this time – since I have a cold and have two kids at home with the same cold.

As normal with a cold – the symptoms are: stopped up nose, slightly runny eyes, mild fever – and this time a barking cough.  In babies, this would be known as “croup”.  A lot of people think that croup is “whooping cough” or pertussis.  It is not.  Whooping cough – truly sounds like the “whoop” of a crane – the noise also occurs on inspiration – and not when they cough.  The croup cough sounds like a barking seal and is also called “bronchiolitis” – which simply means that the bronchioles are inflamed - and likely infected.

In either case - in small infants, it can be troublesome and even dangerous.  This is why “they” insist that all children should get the pertussis vaccine - usually several times (in addition to the other 100 or more vaccines they now “require”).  The problem with the pertussis vaccine is that pertussis is “dangerous” in infants under the age of two months – and the baby can’t get the vaccine until 2 months or “out of the woods”.  The idea behind making kids (adolescents and some adults too) get the vaccine is to prevent babies from getting it….huh?

I digress, the common cold is caused by any one of a number of viruses.  Symptoms are usually less severe than the “flu” which is caused specifically by an influenza virus.

Why is my kid screaming? Sensory Processing Disorder, colorblind too

I have three children - they are now old enough to wipe their own butts, tie their own shoes, wash their own private parts which has frankly freed up enough of my time so that I can work again (joy).

At one time in my life I actually had three kids under the age of two and I was way too old for it (36 when I had the last one).  I had twins - and as if that wasn't intense enough - I managed to get pregnant right after they turned one with a third.  Needless to say, even though I had traveled full-time and been a high-level manager in a very stressful job – this was the hardest thing I had ever done – relentless – and really it still hasn’t ended.  These are the things that even though someone probably told you – you can’t remember when your body is saying “Have a kid….HAVE A KID” – that is what I wanted – A KID (that would be ONE KID) but instead I got three – all at once.  I didn’t go to the grocery store without a second adult for almost five years.

All of my kids have behavioral quirks - one more so than others.

Mental Health Issues: It might be you and not “them”

Since last week was Mental Health Week – I know this not because I am self-aware but only because I have seen several postings from Nikki et al at “Moms Who Drink and Swear” – which is a nationally recognized phenomenon now - (a blog, a book and a facebook page - probably soon a cable TV show - since there is so much swearing it has to go on cable), occasionally quite nasty blog, offensive to some but always funny and true - anyway, MWADS had several blog postings on the subject of Mental Health. Anyway it made me think - about my own journey - and that of my friends and relatives - and those small-ish and irritating people who suddenly developed an opinion about the age of two.  Also - lets not forget my husband - he has issues too.

According to the National Institutes of Health, about 1 in 4 adults are at any one time suffering from some sort of mental health issue.  As with many government statistics – this is certainly vastly under reported as this is likely based on those who are actually diagnosed – or who answered a survey.  In fact there are certainly thousands and thousands more with issues that they either will not see a doctor about – or refuse to admit it even to themselves – even if family and friends already know.

Unfortunately in today’s judgmental society, admitting that you have a mental disorder can disrupt many facets of your life.  First, it will likely affect your friendships – once your friends know that you have a mental disorder, they can hold it against you – be patronizing – disregard what you say, etc.  It may also affect your family relationships – "if you disagree with me, it must be because you aren’t taking your meds" – "are drunk or high" or "are just plain crazy which is "bull$hit" – or "I must make sure you are limited in your exposure to the outside world and therefore you are not allowed to drive or go anywhere by yourself" - or all of the above.

Valerian Root – Natural Antianxiety and Insomnia Treatment – or Just a Big Stink Bomb

 

 

So, since I am perimenopausal (I like to continue to claim that, so I can avoid saying I am actually menopausal), I am having a lot of anxiety – and insomnia.  I am currently trying an herbal regimen including: Valerian, 5-HTP and sometimes Melatonin. 

The problem with this particular regimen is that you have to take Melatonin several hours before bedtime in order for the Melatonin level to be high enough when you want to sleep.  Melatonin is good for jet lag and shift work.  I am not currently experiencing jet lag – as I refuse to fly over the ocean – and I am not a shift worker as I found out years ago that working nights will actually drive me insane-r than I already am – but it is also reported to be a natural sleep aid if taken appropriately.  The problem with this is two-fold.  The fact that you have to take it at the same time as your kids are going insane and tearing $hit up – AND that the instructions for taking it are very blurry.  Most recommendations are taking it at 3-5mg but some people recommend up to 60mg.  Anyway, I have a bottle of 3 mg which is actually not open yet.

The 5-HT is a precursor of tryptophan (you know the natural stuff that was banned several years ago) that is contained in high levels in turkey and warm milk – which is supposedly why those foods make you sleepy.  I am not sure of the effectiveness of either of these treatments as I think the post-thanksgiving nap is usually due to overeating and laziness – and warm milk makes you sleepy because it is already night time and you should be sleepy.  I digress and am trying it anyway.

The other thing I am taking (more often than the recommended dose of 1 capsule daily – usually two) for anxiety and sleep.  Valerian root supposedly works on the GABA receptors, the same receptors that benzodiazepines such as Valium, Ativan, Xanax – etc. work on.  It seems to be working .  I have been faithfully taking the Valerian – yes, without a consultation with a physician.  The problem with Valerian – is that it stinks – and I don’t mean just smells kind of bad – it STINKS – kind of like toe cheese, smelly feet or really bad stinky cheese that is actually a food product.  BTW – do you know what cheese actually is?  It is moldy milk.  Kind of gross.  But I digress again.

Valerian capsules are so stinky that the offensive odor lingers in the air, on your hands (even after you wash them) and causes your daughter to exclaim – JAS, wash your feet!  Seems to work though – or maybe it is the 2 to 4 or possibly 6 Benadryl (diphenhydramine – also now in Sominex – and in Nytol), an antihistamine that has high sedating effects that I end up taking.

Either one of these treatments  - Valerian at the near intended level can actually exacerbate migraines – which I don’t want because I had them during puberty and beyond but they finally went away when I broke ddown and started taking medicine for my blood pressure – which brings up another story which I will get to in a minute but don’t want to get side tracked.  On to the story – Benadryl, though sedating and very useful for giving kids at night – doctors used to recommend it for long car rides, plane trips or if you just really needed the kid to go right to sleep at bedtime – plus it is the best antihistamine, anyway – Benadryl can cause – a disturbance in REM sleep – which means your sleep is not “quality” sleep.  It can also cause tinnitus – or ringing of the ears.  I experience this as feeling like I am in a tunnel made of aluminum foil. 

I rationalize continuing to take these medications – natural or otherwise as I am experiencing extreme insomnia – developed over a period of years.  Since the late stages of pregnancy with twins (where I was only able to get 30 minutes of sleep at a time after my belly swelled to the point of two watermelons) to the birth of said twins – where I was able to get about 2 hours of sleep – ending every morning at 4:30 am since the boy was an “early” riser – meaning the crack of o’dark thirty – to the birth of the 3^rd kid – and then I was way too busy to sleep with 3 kids under the age of two.  Through the toddler, beginning school, I gotta catch the bus but refuse to do anything to help and later I don’t wanna go to bed days – to the now hormonal, I can’t sleep through the hot flashes, night sweats, severe anxiety, anxiety related eczema which actually wakes me up and I have to slather on a steroid cream which oddly causes insomnia – not to mention the same kids who get up on the weekend to watch cartoons.  These are the same kids who won’t get up during the week.

In any case – I have been sleep deprived for now – about 13 years, give or take.

It turns out, no matter what the side effects or how much the medicine smells like dirty feet – I will continue to try anything – including Kudzu root – you know the voracious vine of the south which will even grow over a small moving cow?  Well I tried that anyway – didn’t work.  So I stay with the Valerian root and Benadryl regimen for now – until I find something that lets me sleep (I am now up to about 4 hours).

The eCigarette – Is “vaping” better or worse than smoking?

I am ashamed to admit that I have been a 1 pack a day smoker for nearly 20 years.  If you know that I am well over 40 – even with rounding - simple math will tell you that embarrassingly, unlike most other smokers – I didn’t start when I was a teenager.

I tried to start smoking when I was 13, 14, and 15 – it seemed like a good idea at the time but always resulted in nausea, dizziness and an extreme desire to lay down on the nearest flat surface to recover.  These flat surfaces included a backseat and several episodes of lying on the ground – including places such as a gas station parking lot and my best friends driveway.  In any case – I didn’t actually become a smoker until I went to my TEN year high school reunion – at the old age of 27!  How dumb is that?

By that time I was a healthcare professional – a pharmacist – and well aware of the dangers of smoking.  By that point in my life – I still wanted to seem cool in front of these people who had haunted me in high school and beyond even though I really had nothing in common with them but my adolescent past.

Smoking, in particular nicotine is one of the most addictive substances on the face of the earth.  It is more addictive than cocaine, alcohol, marijuana, amphetamines, anxiety medication, muscle relaxants, pain medication – and yes, even heroin.  In fact, even heroin addicts will tell you that though heroin withdrawal is immediately painful – if you can go through the withdrawal – quitting heroin is easier long term than quitting smoking.  By contrast, quitting drinking or quitting anxiety medication can be life-threatening but still not as hard as quitting smoking.

To be fair to myself – I hate smoking – it is one of the nastiest, smelliest and downright disgusting habit a person can have and I have tried just about everything out there to quit.  This list includes the patch, nicotine gum, lozenges and lollipops, plain candy, herbal cigarettes, exercise, abstinence and prescription medication – to no avail.  My husband has also been an intermittent smoker for his entire post-puberty life (possibly before) and has an extremely “addictive” personality.  He can “quit” at any time with seeming no negative effects from his point of view.  From the point of view of those who have to live with him, in truth for about FIVE days – he is a raving jacka$$.  But I digress.

Because of his “a$$iness” (in general and not just while he is quitting smoking), I have failed at abstinence – because I become a raving B!tch – which he does not tolerate well.  Consequently, I have continued to smoke.

A few years ago, congress voted to add more taxes onto cigarettes – I escaped this monetary javelin for the first year by buying tobacco in bulk, cigarette “tubes” and a machine to make my own which cost about &1.50 per “pack” vs. the near $7 that actual packs were – but then congress wised up and increased the price of my bulk tobacco from $13/can (about a pack) to $45 a can.  So I was stuck paying at least $5/pack with a lot of hassle – but I kept going for reasons stated above.

A couple of years ago – eCigarettes made their debut.  Electronic cigarettes involve a liquid that is heated by a battery device and inhaled.  It provides the nicotine but little of the “other” stuff in cigarettes – the “smoke” exhaled is largely water vapor, quickly disseminates and doesn’t smell.  In fact it can even be obtained in flavors.

I resisted the eCigarette for a long time – even though my best friend (oddly from high school) had raved about how great hers was.  My husband called me one day from the local “vaping” store, saying that he was going to buy a kit.  This included 2 batteries, 2 reservoirs, a bottle of nicotine “juice” and a case – for $129.  You can actually get them cheaper on the internet.  In any case once we paid for the initial investment – we had 2 devices that cost in maintenance about $1/day each, vs. the near $14/day we had been paying for both of us.

He took the bait first – used it for a week or so – and then quit (he was still and a$$ for several days). But he quit with less frustration.  Still I resisted until diminishing financial support forced me to reconsider – so I tried it, costing me about $30/month vs. the $210 I had  been paying. 

About the same time – the medical community and the FDA said they were going to investigate and possibly start regulating eCigarettes because the risks were yet “unknown”, had not been studied and may contain toxins, harmful to human health.  Oddly, the FDA does not regulate the consumption of tobacco which contains literally thousands of toxins – probably the worst of which are carbon monoxide (the same stuff that people use to commit suicide by locking themselves in their car) and tar – which is mostly what gunks up your lungs and causes cancer.

This is a clear representation of the government’s ironical behavior in what they choose to regulate.  Common sense will tell you that inhaling vapor from an eCigarette is much less harmful than smoke.  Any attention to the news will tell you that the government is doing a piss poor job of inspecting tons of crap, including sheet rock, medication and children’s toys that pour into the US by a ton on a daily basis and is sold to the unwitting American consumer.

The medical  community, large pharma and the tobacco lobby cannot stand to have anything that is not under their control available to the public – especially if it circumvents the large number of dollars that are made from both cigarettes and traditional “stop-smoking” regimens.  The AMA and the tobacco lobby are huge, influential entities in Washington – i.e. in the pockets of elected government officials.  Despite all the hullabaloo, even my dad, who still has a drugstore in a small town and who quit selling cigarettes years ago – carries a version of the eCigarette. He said that some people just can’t quit and this is way better.

The point is that nicotine is a very addicting substance – it has a weird mechanism of action where it simultaneously causes a bit of a calming affect while at the same time provides a bit of stimulation – which is why it is hard to quit, because there is a double reinforcement mechanism.

In any case, my journey to quit smoking is on the road – I haven’t touched a cigarette in over 6 weeks.  I can also decrease the nicotine in the “juice”, thereby slowly getting rid of the amount of nicotine in my eCig – and eventually quitting, in a controlled manner which will be a lot easier on those who are forced to be around me in these troubled times (a little melodrama).

Again – the big point is, no matter what alarms the mainstream media reports directly from the government’s health – no matter that adolescent and teenage use of eCigarettes has doubled – they aren’t smoking, they likely aren’t starting with eCigarettes and it isn’t nearly as harmful as the actual smoke.  Notice carefully that NONE of the information is comparing the drop in cigarette use to the increase in eCig use.  That information would actually allow you to think for yourself – which they don’t want you to do. 

In the meantime – I will continue to “vape” while those around me are relieved that they no longer have to smell the cigarette smoke and hear the morning hack.  Just my opinion.

Does your kid “fake” being sick? – Probably…

Last week, my oldest kid woke up coughing.  He didn’t have a fever (which is one of the two absolute reasons you are supposed to keep your kid home) and wasn’t vomiting (the other reason) but he was coughing in a barking like manner.  It truly sounded awful.  Other than that, he did not appear to be in massive discomfort – I kept him home anyway.

In the past – when the kids were younger, I often kept them home for sniffles, clothing issues, sleepiness, arguments that occurred before school, general moodiness and such – as well as fever, vomiting, diarrhea and extreme coughing.  During those times – I pretty much let them do what they wanted if they felt good enough and were behaving. 

As they have grown older – I no longer let them stay home for piddly issues – and when they do, they are required to stay on the couch or in bed, take medicine when I say and eat/drink what I tell them.

Back to the story – the oldest boy stayed home – restricted to the couch.  He was given cough medicine, cough drops and ibuprofen for the throat pain.  Later in the afternoon, he did develop a bit of chest congestion and I think he swallows the phlegm he coughs up.  This is way gross to some people but actually ok with me because the one body fluid I cannot deal with is “sputum” – also called phlegm or “lugies” (loogies?) – what a disgusting thing – makes me wretch.  Anyone who spits up something from their nasal passages or lungs at my house is required to go outside or into the bathroom, WITH the door closed before spitting it up. Phlegm is not allowed in the house (though I still have a hard time convincing my husband of this rule).

OK – back to the story again.  In the afternoon he complained of nausea – ran into the bathroom and said he was going to throw up.  He did not – but then he almost never vomits while I puke at the drop of a hat.  I looked around for some sprite or ginger ale – nada.  We did however have some regular soda (Coke) so I poured a half of a can into a cup with some ice.  The carbonation will help the stomach AND the medicine “Emectrol” for nausea in children is basically coke syrup.

I only gave him half a soda because he is a sugar hog and is massively affected by sugar – no matter what the health professionals and dumb-a$$e$ that spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on such nonsense when you can ask most any mom…in addition, the kid doesn’t need the calories, seriously.

About 2 seconds after he swigged down the half-soda he was given.  He looked around for the other half of the can.  Then he made eye contact with me, ducked his head and ran straight to the bathroom where he “fake” wretched.  He came out and said that his “stomach still hurt” and he” felt like vomiting.” (Imagine mom mimicking giant whining 10-year old boy) Upon hearing this, I replied “No. If you feel like puking, then go do it – you will actually feel much better”.

Surprisingly – he gave up easily – because he was faking.

Basically at one time or another, kids will fake being sick – I did.  Once when I had been sick, I pretended to be sick for several more days – I stayed home a week but my mom still thinks that I was faking the whole time because she busted me.  In Junior High, I used to call home for her to come and get me, this was actually because I was afraid of the highly aggressive girls at school as I lived in kind of a rough town.  My husband discovered that cold milk would make his stomach hurt – so he would put the milk in the freezer to make it really cold, drink it on an empty stomach and then vomit in order to stay home.  The best one was putting the thermometer up to the light to make it go up – problem was that it usually ended up reading something like 140 – kind of hard to believe that one.

A friend of mine told me that he and his brother played sick several times one year – the dad got sick of it.  He went to the drugstore and got some ipecac (which was used to induce vomiting in case of a poisoning – not used much anymore but still available) and gave it to both boys.  It tastes horrible and causes profuse vomiting almost immediately.  The dad said “you wanted to be sick – well now you are” and then went to work.

Even my perfect brother played sick.  It is a normal part of childhood – but you do need to find out if they are really sick or if not, why is it they want to stay home?

Sometimes it is a simple case of boredom – as it was with my perfect brother.  He found “Bill Nye the Science Guy” to be much more interesting than 5^th grade.  He is now a trauma surgeon at the age of 30 – so it didn’t hurt him too much.

Sometimes it is a case of bullying.  Sometimes it is a case of constipation or some other illness that is undetectable.  Sometimes they don’t like a teacher, the food, the building, their clothes, a subject, or a number of other things. 

Sometimes a little tough love is required – get your butt up and go to school….NOW!