With ANOTHER post like that, I’m seriously puzzled as to whether it’s the the travel, China, the season or a toddler’s life? Can you believe that we spent a whole month in Malaysia yet the little fella was fine?

We’d actually stopped over in KL a few days before flying back to China to break the journey home and let Lucas rest a bit but now, he’s down with a flu, cough and diarrhea now!

Granted that a) his twin cousins were coughing, coughing and coughing WITH runny noses and b) it rained almost everyday during CNY, I was hoping that he’d escape it esp as I ensured that he ate his regular meals, fruits and he took his vitamin C and multivitamin supplements (and he wasn’t a fan of CNY stuff anyway other than homemade prune cake and Sun Drop orange juice)…

Although I wanted to keep him away from his sickly cousins I couldn’t since we’re living under one roof. And of course, nobody bothered about the fact that we’re coming back to China in a few days and the last thing I wanted was for him to fall sick!

I just feel so MAD somehow now that he’s sick although I’m not sure WHAT or WHO I’m mad with.

Guess it’s frustrating to see our happy and plump toddler (with all the delicious Malaysian food) all tired, drained and skinny again SIGH SIGH SIGH

I’ll attribute the flu to the germs he got from spending time in closed quarters with his cousins. However, they didn’t vomit with their coughs despite being hyper-active that I suspect Lucas has the croup again, only this time with a fever.

On Wednesday, the runny nose started so I quickly gave him Polaramine syrup.

On Thursday, the nasty cough showed up (lots of thick phlegm that brings out his food in 1-2 coughs) so I dosed him with Rhinathiol (carbocisteine & promethazine) and Ventolin syrup (salbutamol). Both of us had diarrhea, which I think was due to the take-out food I ordered i.e. rice, hot pot tofu and sweet and sour fish.

Lucas REFUSED either the Smecta or oral rehyrdrating salts. Thankfully, he’ll drink his water and the hot barley I boiled. I’m too tired to cook our regular meals but I fixed a simple potato and brocolli porridge for him. No milk for him.

On Friday, he wanted milk but of course he had diarrhea again that I told him he can’t take milk. I also forced him to take 1 pack of Smecta, which he agreed. He refused the ORS and I worried that he’s losing so much fluids I made him the AMWAY Protein Drink (berry flavour).

* Stupid me…I didn’t think to read the list of ingredients thoroughly because the protein drink contains fruits like guava besides soy protein.

On Saturday, he was still coughing badly and vomiting his food that I decided to try Actifed expectorant (tripolidine HCl, Pseudoephedrine HCl and Guaiphenesin) instead of the Rhinathiol and Ventolin syrup. I also gave him 5 mg of Promethazine, which is recommended for “allergic reactions, nausea and vomiting”.

Today, he’s slightly better and took in a bowl of leftover potato porridge I made with the pork bones soup.

I also gave him some soya milk we bought from the fresh market this morning. Poor guy - he liked it so much, he wanted more but right after downing the cup, his cough brought all of it out again!

His fever is not that high that I didn’t give him Panadol today. I think he’s been drugged enough already…

After reading ALL the medicine leaflets again, I think the combination of 5 mg Promethazine and Actifed made him really drowsy yet he can’t take a proper nap. He’ll doze off and then wake up again crying for “Mummy”. He dozed in and out of lunch that he missed the afternoon dose.

For dinner, I’m going to make a plain potato and sweet potato porridge again coz that overnight one tastes horrible! I’m also going to give him the usual Rhinathiol + Ventolin syrup.

How is he?
Overall, he’s OK but he’s quite weak now. He can still be as stubborn as a mule when it comes to the meds resorting to delaying tactics like drink water, rest first, rest one time and etc esp when some of the meds is not nice.

Of all the meds, the Ventolin syrup tastes the best, Panadol is OK and Rhinathiol is OK. Actifed and the 5 mg Promethazine are definitely NOT NICE.

If he doesn’t improve tomorrow, I’m gonna bug Hubby to take him to an English-speaking doctor - I hear a Philippino doctor charges US$100 per session!!!

How am I?
Dosing myself with echinacea and vitamin C every day, I’m holding up well. Been tired of changing sheets, cushion covers, nappies, wiping up vomit on the carpet, washing butt and changing undershirt/sweater/disposable diaper/pants and socks though!

I’ve been sneezing all morning that Hubby suspects I’m catching a cold too. He let me sleep this afternoon, thankfully.

I’m really glad that a new cleaner I found from Hunan is coming tomorrow morning. Keeping my fingers crossed that she’s really as good as she claims.

NOTES:
1. I’d mentioned the croup to his paed when he got his chicken pox vac and she warned me that it could strike again, sometimes with a fever. She’d advised me to give him the usual meds.
2. Stocking up on meds in KL, 2 pharmacists recommended me Clarityne, Actifed and Clarinase. I’ve taken Clarinase when I was pregnant to ease my blocked nose so I’m familiar with its efficacy. Costing RM26/60 ml, I bought a bottle because it’s good for flu and coughs minus the drowsy effect, which means kids can take it and still attend school.

However, Clarityne and Actifed are both NEW medicines to me. Anyone tried them before? Let me know your experiences, please? Also, I’d appreciate any feedback from doctors/pharmacists reading this. Many thanks in advance.

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