Category Archives: Medicine

Home Remedy for Ear Infection

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About a month ago, Bethany came down with an ear infection. Because I wanted to keep her off antibiotics as long as possible, I started doing a home remedy that I learned from my sister-in-law (who learned it from her chiropractor).

The recipe for this home remedy is really quite simple: 1 part tea tree oil and 2 parts olive oil. You put five drope in the infected ear and leave it in for 2 minutes. Let the oil drain out on a paper towel. Do this 2 to 3 times per day.

The day after starting the tea tree oil, I began having second thoughts about not taking her to the doctor because she was in so much pain, even with tylenol. I had tried the tea tree oil remedy before, but usually I used it along side antibiotics. Never had I used it with no other medical treatment.

By the time I took her to the doctor 2 days after starting the tea tree old treatment, she was barely in pain. She had a slight infection, and I was told to continue using the tea tree oil. (We have an awesome pediatrician by the way).

Antibiotics are strongly discouraged by Hasbro, where I take my children. Of course, they use them if necessary, but they have a strong opinion that the human body will fight infection on its own. And they were right! Between the tea tree oil and and the body’s natural ability to fight infection, Bethany’s ear healed just fine with no antibiotics. The next week, Anna got an infection, and the tea tree oil worked for her, too.

Here are a few links about tea tree oil that you might find interesting:

Goal: To Be Hated

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Today I learned who Gianna Jesson is, and I will never forget her. She is a young lady who has made it her goal to be hated (and for good reason). I would like to say more about her, but I think she does the job better herself.

Take the next 20 minutes to watch 2 videos that you will never forget. If you are tempted to skip out on the videos, please just watch a few minutes, and if you are not interested in continuing, you can turn it off. Please watch the videos.

After you watch the videos, if you want to know more, consider reading the book Gianna by Jessica Shaver. It might be a book worth investing in and sharing or putting in your local library. Also, here are a few links that have more information on Gianna.

How to Cool my Heart

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Every once in a while, I get an extended case (like several days) of heartburn…..or at least I think it is heartburn. It seems to have all the right symptoms, but the medicines that are out there (even prescription) do nothing for me.

So I get a light back rub (because firm ones hurt during this time) from my hubby and then sit up on the couch with a pillow on my tummy until I fall asleep. Usually I wake up anywhere between 2 and 5 am, and am finally able to lay down to get some real (as in comfortable) sleep. Then for the next day or two, I am very careful because just lifting my 2 year old can bring it back full force all over again.

Because of my experiences with heartburn, I have been doing a little research on the topic. The most interesting article I read was 20 Ways to Stop Your heartburn Fast. I was surprised at some of the suggestions like eating a baked potato, mustard, raw almonds, bananas, or cooked rice. It also suggested chewing gum. How odd!

So, does anyone have a suggestion of something that is not on this list that I should try when I feel a bad bout of heartburn coming on? I thank you in advance for sharing your suggestions! 🙂

Anna’s First Appliance

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We have known for months that Anna was in need of orthodontic treatment. She took the first step in that direction this week when she got her first appliance (as they call it). She sleeps in a device called a T4K. Since braces are not put on until all the permanent teeth are in, this device was developed as pre-orthodontic care for children between the ages of 6 and 8. It helps encourage the teeth to grow in properly and also helps with facial development and a few other things. To find out more, check out this site.

Anna has to wear the T4K every night one hour before bedtime and then sleep in it at night. She is currently strengthening her mouth muscles and training herself to keep her mouth closed in order to keep the T4K in at night. To do this, she has to hold a popsicle stick or q-tip between her lips with the device in for one hour a day for a month. It is a little sore on muscles that aren’t used to doing much, but after that month, she should be able to keep the T4K in all night.

Honestly, I think the hardest part for her is not being able to talk for a full hour during that hour of exercise. 😀

Doctors and Toys

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Today at Candace’s 2 month check-up, Hasbro presented a solution to keeping kids busy at doctor’s appointments without spreading germs. They give coloring pages and pre-packaged crayons (4 in a pack) to each child that the child gets to take home. What a great idea!! Here’s why.

Less Likelihood of Germs

Sure germs are still around, but at least sick children will not be chewing on toys that well children will be playing with. Also, you don’t have to worry about whether the toys get cleaned often enough. I should point out that Hasbro has automatic hand sanitizer machines everywhere to help prevent the spread of germs. I really like them, even though both Peter and I have had our hair sprayed from standing (or sitting in my case) underneath one.

More Personal

There is something more personal about the nurse personally handing the coloring pages to each child. This is especially true if the nurse is giving them to the siblings of the child being seen because the siblings don’t feel ignored. Plus each child gets to make his/her own creation (even if it is a printed coloring page). And, best of all, he/she gets to take it home to show off to siblings or other family members!

Quiet Activity

Coloring kept my kids’ attention for about 20 minutes. They sat quietly and colored and compared their crayons and pictures. After awhile they began to pretend their crayons were people, but at least they were playing with un-contaminated “toys,” and even then, they were quite quiet. And maybe, since they get to take the pages home with them, they’ll decide to have more quiet coloring time in the car on the way home.

Less Chaos

With toys in the room, children are likely to argue over who gets the “coolest toy.” This is not as much of a problem when they all have identical coloring pages and even all had the exact same color crayons (yes, I know this is also a bit boring because they only had 4 colors to work with). Also, as parents of small toddlers are leaving, they don’t have to convince the child that he/she really wants to leave the toys in the room. They just take the coloring pages and crayons with them!

Good for Everyone

Pediatric offices see patients ranging in age between newborn through teenager. It is difficult to provide toys that work for all age groups. For some reason, coloring works for them all (except infants, of course)! I still enjoy coloring, and I’m…….uh….well, I’m an adult! 🙂 Too bad coloring pages weren’t available for me at the doctor’s office as a child. It would have been neat to come home and show off my artwork.

Have you caught on to the fact that I like being able to take home the coloring pages and crayons? Maybe it is because I like pictures plastered all over the refrigerator. Or maybe I just like seeing a full-length crayon with the wrapper still on it in the kids crayon box from time to time. Regardless of the reason, I am hooked on this activity at the doctor’s office…as long as my young toddler doesn’t leave her artwork (almost) permanently on the walls!

Bethany Too

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We are pretty sure Bethany is allergic to cinnamon. I must admit that this idea boggled me a bit because she has had cinnamon before on occasion and has never had this reaction. Than I remembered that Phillip had drank milk before we knew he was allergic. Supposedly it can take your body a little bit to build the antibodies and react to the allergen.

After a bit of research this morning, I have learned some about the different types of cinnamon. It is very possible that Bethany is only allergic to one type of cinnamon, but because it is very hard to know which type was used in recipes, we will just stay away from all of it. This could be tricky because many times cinnamon is included on the ingredient list as “spices.” We will have to be very careful and always have benedryl on hand for her.

Due to our past experiences with food allergies, we did not rush her to the hospital or call the doctor.We just gave her benadryl and watched to make sure it worked and that no breathing problems developed. But we do intend to tell her doctor for future reference.

These pictures were taken right after we gave her the Benadryl. Click on them to get a bigger picture.

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No More Cold Medicine?!

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The other day I asked the doctor how much cough medicine to give Bethany for a night-time cough. I was shocked when she told me that the FDA no longer recommends giving cold medications to children under 6 years old! She told me to give Bethany warm juice with honey in it. I left the doctor’s office with raised eyebrows thinking “warm juice with honey…this is going to be a long night!”

I try not to give my children too many fluids at bedtime and am not big on giving them something to drink when they wake up at night. But with no other option, I tried it, expecting to have to give her more several times throughout the night. Amazingly enough, I did not hear a single cough that night!! I guess these old remedies work better than I thought!

To read more about the FDA’s decisions regarding cold medication for children read this article.