Sorry for the lapse in posting. It's been busy around here and I've been tired and when I could have posted I opted to instead watch one of the many shows that have been piling up on the DVR.
If you've been reading my blog for a year or more or if you are a preemie mom you will understand what I'm about to write about.
It's RSV time again. Can I here a collective yuck? Anyway, for the past two years we have had to be very careful with who the boys are around. Sick people and children were a big no, no and we avoided most public places. Last year was not as severe as the first year of their lives. The first year we literally didn't take them anywhere but to the doctor, that sucked big time.
This year is the first year the boys will be going more places during winter, more specifically this is the first year that the boys will be in a setting with other children, the nursery at church. This makes me nervous. Since they boys won't go into the nursery alone yet, I've been going in with them. This has allowed me not only to interact with the children in the nursery but it has also allowed me to see just how other children play and interact. What I'm really trying to say is it's allowed me to see all the sick children and how often kids put things in their mouth or rub their noses and eyes. While in there I've not yet seen really sick kids, just a little runny nose here and there, but kids have those alot, I'm assuming that most parents are responsible and if they know their children are sick they won't knowingly bring them in and expose them to the other children. The problem with RSV is that it mimics a cold to an extent and you don't always know what it is. To most people RSV is no big deal, but once again being a preemie mom it is drilled into us when we bring our babies home just how dangerous it can be to preemie lungs. While, the boys lungs seem to be fine, I still don't want it. Kolton has asthma and RSV could be harder on him. Karter had BPD and although he does not have asthma he still has some scaring on his lungs and I supposed that could affect him as well.
So, basically what I'm saying is I don't want the boys to get RSV, I worked really hard the past two years for them not to get it, but knowing what I know it is very highly likely that this could be the year they get. They will be out in public more and they will be around children more. While I do think it's very important to get on with our lives, I am amazed yet again just how much having preemies has affected me.
Do you think I could talk the nursery staff and kids to use my hand sanitizer that I carry or better yet get a huge bottle and place it just inside the church doors and to enter everyone has to sanitize? Because folks it's that time again, time for those words that annoy you so. Please use the hand sanitizer.
To all the preemie moms just starting this journey, I feel your pain.
5 comments:
My kids started daycare at 6 months and I would get SO STRESSED when the toddlers with runny noses would lean into them or hand them toys. Then they started crawling and could touch other kids and things that had been in other kids' mouths themselves. Sadly, I don't think it's avoidable. I just keep telling myself it's good for their immune systems in the long run, but I agree it's stressful in the short run. Good luck!
I really hope your winter stays sickie and RSV free. Shenzie got it at 7 months old (despite the 8 months of Synagis RSV shots she got totally thousands and thousands of dollars). It was SO very stressful. I am glad that at least now they are older if Heaten ever gets it. Keeping my fingers crossed for all of us!
I work at a church and we sanatize every time we work. Ask your church nursery to take preventative steps to avoid most germs. Wash hands after sneezes/coughing, have sanitizer on hand, and ask how they keep the nursery/rooms clean. Everything should be sanitized and if anything goes in the mouth it should be sanitized. Let me know if you need more "fuel" to talk to the nursery/toddler room/people with :)
~Elyse~
Hey Bran, Dr. Obrai actually told me yesterday that hand sanitizers don't really work as well as you think they do, so just make the boys wash their hands more often. She said that nothing ever works as well as just plain old water and soap.
I don't mean to be rude because I am very sorry that you had a premie. I understand that your children can get really sick. I worry about my own baby and she is very healthy. However, you cannot really think that you can make your church staff take a bunch of extra steps like people are suggesting. It's not their problem it's yours. Keep them home if your that worried about it.
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