I'm sick of these SICK germs going around!
Moms View Message Board: Parenting Discussion: Archive January-June 2003:
I'm sick of these SICK germs going around!
For a month now, it's been one battle after another! Fluid in the ears, to a virus with the fever and vomiting, then to a cold. NOW, last night she was back with the fever and threw up again! I give up on how to keep her healthy! (Not to mention I am getting over a sinus infection! Ick!)
Please send some HEALTHY vibes our way! Thanks.
I'd send healthy vibes, but I'd be afraid that some germs my stick to it and go along for the ride!  What is going on lately??? We've had at least one sick kid for the past 5 weeks!! Make it stop!! LOL.
Misery loves company, right Eve? LOL, whine to me any time you need to...and I'll whine right back!
Sending prayers for a quick recovery, and continued good health.
And a little advice. There are 5 of us in my family. If one person brings something home it used to make the rounds a good 3 or 4 times before finally being gone. However the last few times we haven't had this problem, since January we have had 1 person with a stomach virus (that noone else here caught before it was gone), and another with and ear infection (these usually spread like wildfire in my house, not this time). And that is the only major illness' we've had.
I dunno if this will help you or not, but here is what I started doing when someone would come home sick. After antibiotics were started, or if a virus, after it had almost played out. I would scrub my house top to bottom. I would mix 1/4 bleach and 3/4 water into a spray bottle. The same again into a mop bucket. I wash counters, door knobs, sinks, bathtubs, refridgerator doors, anything we touch with the spray. I mop the floors with the water in the mop bucket. And I use those Clorox wipes to wipe down the computer keyboards, phones, every button that we touch on the computer (power, speakers, joysticks, mouse, everything).
I dunno if this will work for you or not, but it has helped ALOT here. Also make sure you do it on a fairly warm day so that you can open the windows for ventilation. The scented bleaches are better, because when you are finished your house just smells clean, not like bleach.
Before I started doing this we were ALWAYS sick. I spent 3 weeks solid in the Doctors office one time. All 3 of my kids were sick and so was DH. I am a fairly hardy person, and I rarely get sick, but I was tired of taking care of sick people, too. I don't do this all the time, usually just my normal cleaning. I only do this when someone has an infection, or a virus.
Just trying to help.
I agree about treating the house to get rid of reoccurring illnesses. Last fall, I started spraying Lysol on the door knobs, phone, etc. plus we had our duct work cleaned. We had only one episode of bronchitis this year. Everyone had it, but was contained to a 7 day span.
Just something that sometimes people forget....either get her a new toothbrush or run the one she has through the dishwasher!! That might help!
I have a house fan and I've been running it and opening a window. I wipe the door knobs down. Not the phone though! I don't always think of that! Thanks for the tips. I've been trying to change the sheets often. (I'm already a little compulsive about that! LOL!) Also, not using towels more than once. Man, oh, man, I think this weekend I'll do a good scrub down of everything!
I'm glad to know it works for you all! I guess I better get the routine down! LOL!
How do you handle the toys and books?
Toys: Honestly, usually wash them in the sink, or I have even run them through a cycle in the washing machine (not alot of hard stuff, or things with small parts that can come off). Main thing to remember is HOT water. Or at least for me. The preschool I used to work at would soak them in a solution of clorox and water, but I don't remember how much they used of each. I think it was like 1 cup of bleach to about 6 gallons of water (maybe more they had a big tub), and then let them dry in the sun.
Hard books, I wipe with a damp rag , not wet, in fact almost dry. I use the same solution, only less. LOL What I mean is I use most of the spray on all of the fixtures in the house, etc. Using a normal sized bottle I fill it up and when it is down to maybe 1/4 of an inch left in the bottom, I refill it with straight water. Use this for anything kids play with. (401 bottle, that size) Soft books....I wipe the covers and, well, I pray alot .
PS...I also wash only the most handled toys. They ones that I know they played with daily while they were sick. If problems persist then I'll wash everything, but that hasn't happened so far. THANK GOD.
I like to wipe down the remote, fridge handles, sink handles, tv stereo buttons too.
You might already know this but when you take an antibiotic it not only kills the bad bacteria but the good bacteria too. The good bacteria is the stuff that keeps your immune system up. After antibiotics it is good to try and replace your good bacteria, either eat yogurt or if your child won't eat yogurt you can buy aceidolphilus (spelling?) at healthy/organic type stores. They can take this even if no antibiotics, just a way to try and keep healthy.
Hope you and your family are healthy soon! Don't worry spring is almost here!
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