Baby's got fever and colds!

My baby Rian never got fever and colds during her first 10 months of life...until now!  Well, actually I am really expecting that sooner or later, she would be sick because she can't be sick-free all her life, could she?  But I wasn't expecting that she would have it now, in the middle of my busy working days (the time I couldn't take another absent for the meantime because I feel like I had taken quite a number of leaves before which were unpaid...because my employment isn't regularized yet, hehe).

She had taken a vaccine last weekend, which the doctor warned us that she would feel feverish for the next couple of days. My daughter became weak (as in matamlay) the day after her vaccination, and she started to eat less (as in  walang ganang kumain). I did not go to work last Monday to personally take care of her.  Good thing she became stronger again the next day.  I thought she was all okay...until my mother-in-law texted me last Friday, telling me that Rian was having a fever with a temperature of 38 C!  I went home as soon as possible after work.

Yup, Rian was all hot and in distress when I saw her.  She was also having colds and cough.  My husband and I couldn't sleep well for the next days because Rian kept waking us up with her cries.  She obviously didn't feel good.  That's why we decided to bring her to the doctor that weekend.

We waited from the opening of the clinic until our turn to see the doctor, which was beyond lunchtime already.  There were so many patients before us, and the doctor was even late for about 3 hours!  Anyway, the doctor (which is not her official doctor, by the way.  We just consulted an available Pediatrician that time in Healthway, Alabang) gave Rian medicines for her colds (but not anti-biotics).  He told us that Rian has flu (trangkaso), and he also advised us to just give her a sponge bath, and make sure she gets lots of water and juices (that's a bit problem for us because Rian wouldn't like to eat and drink anything except milk, which she couldn't even finish).

My mother-in-law brought Rian again to the clinic, to consult Rian with her official doctor, because she her health was still not improving.  The doctor gave Rian another medicine for her cough (her medicine box suddenly became full!).  I was a bit sad to know that Rian lost 1 kg weight (we're aiming for 10 kilos on her first birthday! Now she's back to 7 kg...).  Anyway, Rian's health quite improved because she was smiling and dancing when I saw her this afternoon when I came home from work.  As of now, she is sleeping peacefully beside her daddy (who is also asleep already, also tired and exhausted).  I am hoping that Rian would sleep better tonight, and praying that she would get well as soon as possible.

I love you my baby Rian.  Mommy and daddy will always take care of you. MWAAAHHH!!!!

Busy May Weekends

Summer in the Philippines starts at around the month of March and April.  But for me, my summer just started this May, 2010 (even though it felt like the whole year is going to be summer because of the heat.  It's sooo hot here in our country!)...walang pahingang weekends ito!!!!!

May 1 - Labor Day. I was supposed to have the vaccination against Cervical cancer, but since I had allergies to certain anti-biotic, I was advised not to take it.  So to make the most of the day, my family and I went to Nuvali Park at Sta. Rosa City.  I had posted an article on this.  To read more about it, just click here: I can't take the vaccine...at least for now.

May 8 - PNB HR's Summer Outing @ Baguio City. I wasn't all excited about the trip because I had been in Baguio for so many times.  But then, since it was an office outing + teambuilding, I finally decided to go, but I had to go home after the dinner of May 8 because my family and I would travel to Laguna for Monday's national elections. The whole day of May 8 had been tiring but fun.  I was asleep during the entire ride back to Manila (I took Victory Liner bus, at around 2:00 am of May 9).  Below were some pictures of our summer outing:

Balance! balance!

After dinner (with the PNB Human Resource Group)

A scary thing actually happened to us on the way to Baguio.  Click here for the story: Scary Photo (On the Way to Baguio)

May 9 - The bus from Baguio City finally got to Manila at around 7:00 am.  My hunny was already at the bus terminal, waiting for me.  When we got back at Alabang, I gave my baby Rian a big hug then slept for a while.  Around lunchtime, I packed baby's things (and also mine) because we're going to Laguna (Rian would take a 3-week vacation there with my parents and siblings because my father-in-law would take a gallbladder operation, therefore, our relatives here in Alabang would be busy taking care of him for a while).  I would also sleep overnight at Laguna because of the national elections on May 10.  However, my husband would return to Alabang that day because he was registered in his hometown (and he was a poll watcher.  Raket nya kasi may Php 500 sweldo per meeting cya dun!).

May 10 - It's a National Holiday because it's our country's Presidential Elections.  Time to vote for the one we think could run and manage our country best.  We spent the whole day outside our precint because the line had no system at all and the poll watchers were so pasaway (means they go against the rules).  When the police came over to organize the voters, the flow of voting became fast (at last!).

The line outside the voting precint (before)

 

The line outside the voting precint (almost 8 hours after)

After the voting session, we finally went home.  And it was the time I left my baby, Rian with her grandparents (on my side) fo a 3-week vacation.  My heart ached when I walked away, while Rian was watching me with quizzing eyes.  It was the first time we wouldn't be together for a long time.

May 15-16 - It was also a mother's day last May 10, and it was my husband's birthday last May 13.  But we never did celebrate them because my husband and I planned to have an overnight summer getaway at City of Springs resort at Laguna.  We just visited baby Rian on the morning of May 15 at my parent's house, but my husband and I took off to the resort by lunchtime to check in.  We rented the room with an indoor pool (which later we realized that the water was hot because Laguna is well known to have hot springs resorts).  I would write more detailed story on this next time. :) The next day, we said bye-bye to Rian and left for Alabang to my husband's parent's house where we are currently staying.

May 22 - My husband took a leave on a weekday before this weekend, but he just stayed in the house for the whole day.  That's why he wanted to go spend the day in a mall (specifically Trinoma).  It was also a very hot day, and going to the mall to cool off was one of the greatest idea we could think...and the cheapest one, basta hindi kami magsshopping, hehe.

May 29 - My husband and I traveled back to Laguna on the night of May 28 (Friday) to take baby Rian with us (her vacation is already over).  Then we went to the hospital in Alabang for Rian's check up and vaccination (PCV, Pneumococcal vaccine).  Baby Rian cried a lot and aloud when the shot was given to her!  And she had slight fever the next days due to the shot (and sobrang mukha siyang matamlay), I had to absent from work on Monday to take care of her.

Well, that's the summary of our family's activities during the month of May, 2010.  Summer's ending and we're giving way to the rainy season.  Goodbye hot sunny days! :)

I can't take the vaccine...at least for now...

I planned to take the vaccine against Cervical Cancer eversince my OB told me about it 3 years ago after I had my first pap smear exam (which the result was normal, thank goodness!).  But since I got pregnant, I couldn't take the vaccine (and it was expensive--- about 4000+ Php x 3 because it's composed of 3 shots.  I can't afford it back then).  So now that my baby is 9 months old and I'm done breastfeeding her, I realized it's time to consult my OB again and ask for the vaccine, she told me to come back after 10 days because I'm red alert that time (meaning, I had my menstrual period).  After 10 days, I didn't get to visit her again because the company where my husband works had a promo for Cervical Cancer vaccine for their employees and dependents, wherein they can take the 1st shot for only 1500 Php.  My husband eagerly scheduled me to take the shot, since I'm his dependent.  He scheduled it on a Saturday.  I was so happy because I could get it at a lower price.  I really would like to be protected from the cancer.

So we went at my husband's office this afternoon, about 1:00pm.  We brought along our daughter.  He, with our daughter, left me in their clinic to talk with the male nurse (he would be the one to inject me).  The nurse asked me if I'm allergic to eggs and chicken skin, I said "no".  He asked me if I'm allergic to an anti-biotic, I said "yes".  I told him also that I'm allergic to the anti-biotic, Amoxicillin.  Then he had second thoughts on giving me the vaccine shot and there were no doctors present who could give me precautions or explain to me the reactions I could have when I had the shot.  He called their another clinic in another comapny building and the caller also hesitated to go on with the vaccine.  So to make sure, I called my OB instead and told her my situation and asked for her comments.  She told me that I could take the vaccine but if ever I could have a reaction to it, I could take anti-allergy medications (or the worst scenario woud be I could end up in the hospital!).  She had no comments when she learned that the nurse would initiate the shot...because she knows that only doctors have the right to initiate it so that if there are any complications he or she can take full responsibility of it and can give the correct medicine. But she also said that I will not know if I would react to the vaccine if I wouldn't take it.

After the call, I excused myself and searched for my husband and daughter, whe were at his office.  I asked my husband about the situation and he told me that if I don't know the complications, I might as well not take the vaccine.  We can't risk myself ending up in the hospital bed...that's more expensive than the vaccine itself!  And anyway, I also can't risk to take another absence in my work because I do not yet have sick leaves (I'm still in my probationary period because I'm just new the company I'm currently working)).  My 2-days absences last week were unpaid, even though I was absent because I was sick.

So my family and I left the company building, quite disappointed because the allergic reactions was not explained to me by my OB before.  If we just knew about it before, then either we wouldn't waste time and gasoline to go to my husband's office on a Saturday or at least, we would know what to expect and how I can manage the allergy if ever I would have one.

Anyway, the best I can do is to take pap smears (recommended is yearly) and be monogamous in bed (both my husband and I).  I really would like to take the shots because the promo is a good once in a lifetime shot...and being protected from the deadly cancer can save my life, for the benefit of my family, especially our baby and our future children.  But probably not today.  I hope my doctor would explain to me the reactions of the vaccine in detail when we meet for my pap smear exam.

Well, anyway, we still had a nice Labor Day (May 1 holiday) because my family and I went to Nuvali, Sta. Rosa, Laguna to stroll in the Nuvali park (which has lots of shops and a boat ride on the big fish pond).  Our baby was not in a good mood, however, because it was soooo hot and she was torn between sleeping and people watching.  Though she had a great time watching the fishes in the pond which look like they hadn't eated for 10 years because they were really pushing each other (and even swimming on top of each other) just to get the fish foods!  Stampede ito!  Then after that, we ate at KFC at South Expressway gas station, then we finally went home at Alabang.

Fishes on stampede! This what happens when you give food to a school of hungry fishes!

Taken at Nuvali Park, Sta Rosa Laguna

Find A Reliable Pedia!

My hunny Jeff, our baby Rian and I went to Healthway in Festival Mall, Alabang yesterday afternoon to visit a Pediatrician because we planned to get a new doctor, since we're now staying here at Alabang.  It's a hassle for us if we would travel back to Batangas (which was almost an hour away from Alabang) for my baby's regular check ups and immunization shots.  Since we didn't know any doctors here, we scheduled a visit at Healthway Clinic (which has good service and more comprehensive check up results from doctors than a regular provincial hospital--- as I observed). 

I forgot the name of our new Pediatrician (sorry about that...I'm not good at remembering names...but she's a female doctor).  Anyway, when she asked why we wanted to consult a Pedia, I told her the reason.  She asked for my baby's medical history, and I gladly gave her our baby book (where our former doctor wrote her findings for every check up).  I also let her browse the immunization checklist which is written at the last pages of the baby book.  When she read it, she asked us if we weren't informed about the Rotavirus immunization because according to the immunization checklist, it was not yet given to my baby.  I told her that our former doctor didn't say anything about the Rotavirus shot.  Then our new doctor said that it was too late to give my baby the Rotavirus shot because she already surpassed the age when the shot should be given to a baby.  Silently, I felt angry because our former doctor should have said about that vaccine before.   My husband and I are first time parents and we really trust the doctor on check up results and immunizations.  But then, the trust and respect I had for our former Pedia is already lost because of that information...and I fear for her present and future clients because her service is not that reliable.

Anyway, it's the past and we have a new doctor now, who seemed like more reliable because she explains to us in detail the results of the check up.  She told us that our baby's present height and weight are within normal range and that we should aim for 75 inches height and 10 kg weight on our baby's first birthday.  She told us that 8 month olds can already sit alone (yes, our baby Rian can already sit alone for a long period) and that they have fear of strangers (well, Rian cried a lot when the doctor held her!).  The doctor also checked her ears and throat while Rian was crying aloud).  And she cried harder when she was given the Measles shot! Guess what made Rian calm?  The famous political campaign jingle / song today in our country--- "Hindi bawal mangarap ang mahirap, basta't maaabot ito sa malinis na paraan.  Hindi bawal mangarap ang mahirap, basta's may tiwala sa Maykapal, at may paninindigan.."  Haha! I guess, every kid in the Philippines knows that song.  Even my baby glues her eyes on TV and smiles a lot whenever she sees that commercial and hears that song.  If every kid can vote, well, that politician would surely win!  (and oh my, I actually memorized that song too, just to entertain my baby.  But I'm not that politician's supporter. Hehe).  The moment Rian heard my voice and sang that campaign jingle, she stopped crying.

After the shot, we scheduled another check up with our new doctor (which is on May 8).  She will again give another vaccination to Rian next month (which will be worth P4,600).  Oh, the Measles vaccine costed us P1500.  Our new doctor told us also to take extra care of baby especially in what she puts into her mouth to avoid severe diarrhea (since our baby didn't have the Rotavirus shot.  Rotavirus is severe diarrhea).  I really pray that my baby would be extra healthy so that she wouldn't have diarhhea.

Then we said goodbye to our new doctor, who, hopefully is a better one than the former.

After my baby Rian's check up with her, we went to another doctor...the Ob-Gyne...for my regular check up.  But that's another story.  I'll share it with you next time.

P.S.  Lesson to learn for new parents: Find a reliable Pediatrician.