*This is a sponsored post. At the end, you'll find an invitation link to an upcoming talk about children's health and fever related information by Dr. Meg Meeker, hosted by Vicks. The stories, however, are all to true and any opinions are the authors own.*
By Valerie Terry
The first, and by far greatest, example is the stomach virus that ripped through us while on a "girls only" road trip. Starting with 10 month old Elise and touching everyone in our wake with a serious internal shaking mess of illness I remember desperately raiding the health isle at a Wal-Mart in Washington because I didn't bring a thermometer (or any thing else illness related for that matter). Oi.
Then there was the time we escaped to Hawaii--before the little girls turned 2 and we would have to purchase airfare for 5--and the morning we were to leave we pulled two warm-with-fever 18 month olds out of bed and onto an airplane. I'd have to say, the flight was quite easy as they just wanted to snuggle and sleep. But when the fever reappeared in big sister on the road to Hana, it was not quite so fun. Once again, we had to use our best judgement and old fashioned forehead feeling to tell how she was doing.
So it should come as no surprise, to me at least, when over Christmas time I picked up Elise (who is usually "patient zero") and felt the tell-tale whole body warmth of a fever. We were visiting Grandma and Grandpa in Idaho and of course our new-weeks old cousin and her big brother had just arrived for their visit as well. This time I had at least brought some children's ibuprofen, but once again I was left without a thermometer. I like knowing how high a fever is. I like being able to track the progress. I try not to go over board with fever suppressant because I know a fever is a natural germ killer. But when the numbers creep up, I also like to be able to give my little ones some comfort.
Now Grandma had a thermometer. And old-fashioned mercury filled glass thermometer. And Elise would have none of it. She screamed and would not close her mouth, she flailed about and wouldn't let it get placed under her arm. And I wasn't even going to try the third option with a hysterical 3-year-old. At home, we have a temporal thermometer. I love it. It's an easy swipe across the forehead and you're done. Even the faster digital thermometers can't compare for ease of use. But I don't remember to throw it into a suitcase when we leave the house. Doh. So we just watched her, let her rest, and kept her away from the baby. I'm lucky that with my girls we have never experienced a febrile seasure.
It looks like I need to start packing up a better health kit.
And good thing for me there is an opportunity coming up on Thursday February, 2 to listen to Dr. Meg Meeker speak on how to help keep your kids healthy during cold and flu season. Including all about fever and taking your child's temperature. Advice I think I might need. You're invited, too. Click on the invitation link below if you're interested for full details on attending the luncheon talk.
You're invited to a Winter Warm up with Dr. Meg Meeker--Hosted by Vicks
In the spirit of full disclosure: Mad About Multiples was contacted to help spread the word about the Winter Warm Up series of talks by Dr. Meg Meeker. The event is sponsored by Vicks, the maker of a new behind-the-ear thermometer and other health related aids. The talk is open to local San Francisco Bay Area bloggers and their non-blogging guests by RSVP. Please RSVP through the above link if interested. Mad About Multiples is not hosting the event and has no other connection to Dr. Meeker or Vicks.
