My head is wobbling on my neck. My eyes feel like black holes, weighing at least 10 times their possible weight. Sleep is eluding me. Insomnia is my constant companion.
I’m not a good sleeper to begin with. I have mom brain. I must think all the thoughts before I can unwind and sleep. If anything disturbs my unwind process, I must start from the beginning. The first thought. And think all the thoughts before I can again unwind and go to sleep.
This is difficult every day. It’s been more difficult each passing week that Dave is still stuck in the states, waiting on the visa from HR to return to Germany, to start his new job. It’s even more difficult the last 5-6 nights as Tess burns up with fever, pain and sickness. She wakes up every hour, sometimes more, and I wake up with her. I do what I can.
She is still fighting the ear infection from January. It comes and goes, just like the hives (internal & external) come and go. Since Friday it’s been bad. Her head hurts. Her ear. Her neck. Her throat. Her eyes. Even her hands have a rash. We’ve been to the ER twice. She’s sick but they won’t give her antibiotics. After allergic reactions to three different antibiotics, they feel antibiotics are worse than her illness. I don’t really disagree.
It sucks watching her just lie there. She’s exhausted. Hot. In pain. It’s a fight to get water, tea, juice, anything down her. She is, however, eating lots of fruit salad liberally doused in yogurt. The yogurt here is sooooooo amazing. It’s a win-win. She eats all the fruit, and every day I get to escape to the store for a couple of minutes of me time to buy more fruit.
This morning her fever is under 37°C! Wooooohoooooo! I’m praying this continues. I’m praying she’s turned the corner and going back to healthy. Once she is healthy she’s going for a full allergy work-up, not just antibiotics but all the things. First, we have to get her healthy. We’re getting there.
It’s appropriate that my favorite photo of her showed up in my newsfeed yesterday. She’s such a beautiful girl. Inside and out.
My heart aches for you! I have similar things going on here with teen daughter’s health (not to mention the accompanying insomnia for me!). Not an infection, but something that also comes and goes and turns her world upside down. She, too, is having bad reactions to medications to the point that they have said medicine is worse than no medicine.
I share this you because they have referred her for genetic testing in addition to allergy testing. Apparently, there is a form of genetic testing that can be used to determine medication sensitivities and what might work best. I am not sure about the availability of that process in Germany, but I thought I would mention so you can add it to the mama files in your brain for future reference if needed. I don’t have a lot of details on it yet, but I can follow up with you once I know more if you would like the information.
Prayers all around! Remember – You are a strong, confident woman who loves her family passionately.
Honestly, I was hoping for some words of wisdom. Thank you Julie! I am so sorry your daughter is struggling with this too. It is horrible not having a solution to what seems a simple infection. I am excited to hear more, google more, about genetic testing. My mom has many drug allergies as well, it sounds like Tess could benefit from this too. Thank you for taking the time to share your struggles and finding with us. Please do let me know anything else you learn.
I have to tell you that our visit with the geneticist was VERY informative…before any testing was done even! After about an hour and a half of questions, measuring, physical examination, and basically an odd game of simon says – a diagnosis we weren’t even looking for: Ehler’s Danlos Syndrome. As she described and explained, all sorts of pieces clicked into place. We have had to follow up with a cardiologist (good results) and a neuropsychologist (still working through all of that, so no results yet).
So we also did genetic testing for how she metabolizes psychiatric medications (I was left with the impression that there are other medication grouping profiles that can be tested, but it isn’t what we needed). When those results came back, I want to say I was amazed, but it rather just confirmed that a few of the odd medication reactions she had were related to her genetics and how she interacts with those meds. We now have a list of medications that she is “more likely” to tolerate, and some that if the doctor needs to use them need to be used at a much higher or much lower dose than normal…and some that just should not be used at all. It is a godsend. Our health insurance did not cover the testing, which has a very high price tag, but they have an income-based maximum that they will charge the patient directly. We have ended up paying about US$350, but I think that in the long run, it will save us money (not paying for medications that will cause her problems, avoiding hospitalizations and additional doctor appointments).
HUGS I know how heartwrenchingly awful it is to helplessly watch a child suffer with sickness, we had quite a close call with Garrett recently too. I’ll be praying for her (and you too! ❤) love ya, Sherah
Poor Tess! I hope she gets well soon.
Have you tried natural remedies? Full-fat yoghurt or pure aloe vera applied to the skin helps with rashes, warm sautéd onions in a patch of linen and taped behind the ear over night can help with ear infections, honey is a natural disinfectant and horseradish contains natural antibiotics. There are probably lots more but those come to my mind right now.
If she’s eaten these things in the past without any allergic reactions it should be safe to try…
All the best wishes!
Yes. Luckily Germany is very good with holistics medicines and we are using multiple remedies. I have not used the aloe vera for her skin, it was minor compared to the rest but I will pick some up for her today. Thank you!
Look up recipes for Elderberry Syrup online. There is one that is made of dried elderberries, stick cinnamon, whole cloves, whole star anise and raw honey. Good stuff. Or failing that look on Amazon for Allibiotic…all natural and everything in it is anti-viral and anti-bacterial and immune system building. I depend on it and use the syrup if I do happen to feel as though I might be coming down with something. Hope poor Tess bounces back soon and hoping you can get some shut-eye before you get sick too.
I am giving her a concentrated dose of Sambucus Nigri (black elderberry) to build her macrophages. She also gets raw honey from our bee farmer next door. I’m new to holistic healing, but I’m reading up a storm to try to heal her. All information and advice is super helpful and needed. Thank you!