About medicine and ear infection

Just so I never forget how it is different with the medical system here and back in Sgp, I better note this down.

In June 2008, we got the Infant formula of Tylenol from Walmart as recommended by the doctor we brought AN to at Urgent Care. According to Dr Bean (which was also what I read online), manufacturers of such medicines were instructed to take products for children under 6 off the shelves because they have not actually done studies to prove these ingredients work as they should on young children. So that was why Mr Liow wasn't able to find anything for AN's cold few days back and had to get one for kids abv 6.

We showed Dr Bean what I had been giving AN last night and he said I could continue giving it to her if I want because the ingredients are completely safe (it's homeopathic) but he wasn't sure how effective that will be. He suggested giving herbal tea, or any tea that's decaf or super diluted at the very least, mixed with honey. Honey has healing properties that soothes the itchy throat. He also mentioned Ginger being a good relief. Food intake is not of utmost importance now. Hydration is. He suggested we feed her soupy food so as to keep her hydrated, and humidify the room so that the dry air does not cause more discomfort to AN and make her cough.

So, for dinner, I made AN super soupy scallop porridge with brocolli. I threw in 3 thin slices of Ginger and stirred in a teaspoonful of honey. She did not eat much, but I wasn't expecting too much.

Seems like the honey & ginger worked! Much better than having to wake up every 20 mins to feed her the cold relief (which I doubted worked coz AN still coughed badly last night).

Dr Bean prescribed antibiotics for AN's ear infection and with Mr liow's help, she had her first dose. I wondered how I was supposed to feed her the second dose for today given that AN was super resistent to taking medicine and the amount she was supposed to take was 5mls (2 times more than the Tylenol we fed her he day before and 10 times more than her homeopathic cold relief last night).

The pharmacist said no to diluting when I asked if I could put the antibiotics in her food or something. But then the detailed information suggests we can put the dose in milk or formula!

So, I did. I put 5 mls of it in her milk and she did not even realise it tasted different! If I read that earlier, we could have saved AN of the terrifying moment of making her take nasty tasting medicine this afternoon.

The milk must have made her cough coz she did soon after she finished her milk. I made honey water for her but she didn't like it. She frowned at me and said: "mummy put medicine in my water!" But as much as she did not like the honey water, she would more readily sip it (than take medicine) when I insisted she did whenever she started coughing.

It's been almost an hour since she fell asleep and hasn't coughed yet. Thank God!

And about her ear infection, I was surprised I didn't know she had that! I see her everyday and she tells me everything. She mentioned nothing about ear discomfort. Only during dinner a while ago did I notice a red patch behind her ears and she was constantly scratching at it. I hope it's as mild as Dr Bean said. Even the outside of the ear looked so 'inflammed' I dare not imagine whAt it looks like inside.

Now what we know how to feed AN her antibiotics fuss-free, I hope the infection will recover soon.