That's Amore'

This past week {since Monday} my little sugar beet has been battling a pretty bad ear infection.

She woke up at 2am on Monday with vomit in her bed.
And continued to do so sporadically for the next twelve hours.

After realizing it was not another flu virus, I started doing some research online about ear infections and found out that most of them are not caused by a bacteria, but instead come as a side effect to viruses often associated with the common cold or flu. Which the other kids had gotten the week before.

Great.

So I just gave my little sugar beet this antibiotic. Something I highly detest.
And for what? Antibiotics don't kill viruses.

So she could have loose bowel for a good two weeks or more, and be even MORE susceptible to getting another virus or bacteria because she is wiped clean of all bacteria in her little body, good and bad?

I am beyond irritated at this point that I was even prescribed an antibiotic.

But being that this is the first time that I have ever even had to deal with an ear infection, I trusted what her pediatrician said, because at the time I was willing to do anything to make her feel better.

Remember the post about her recent sickness, the retractions, and short breathing... and then having to do breathing treatments in the doctor's office to get her O2 sats to come up?

I was inexperienced this round. {Yes, that can happen. Even as a mother of three}
 The other two never got sick.

 Like ever.
But it was never anything serious if they did.

And after a night of little sleep because I was nervous that my "mommy medicine" {you know the one: nurture, diet, comfort, and homeopathic methods I remembered from Nursing school} just wasn't cutting it, I decided that I needed the big guns to take care of this one. Or at least see what was the matter.
That is why I succumbed to the doctor's office.
And I don't regret going, because her nebulizer totally beat the bronchial issue back after just a couple treatments. Which made everyone sleep easier.

Since last week though, when her runny stool diapers started I have been left dealing with the effects of an unfinished bottle of antibiotics. Which means she still has that ear infection that was diagnosed at the doctor two weeks ago because clearly the antibiotics I gave her didn't work. My fault I am sure, since I missed a dose and then couldn't give her any Monday because she was ralphing, so the cycle was done.

There was no more fighting. And it probably started building resistance even.

So instead of trying to finish the bottle after a brief stop, I just tossed it.
{I know. I know. You don't start a regimen of antibiotics unless you are going to finish them...}

Deciding to go back to my au natural approach instead.

Enter Tuesday.

Per some info I had read about natural ways to treat ear infections:

I cut raw onion pieces.

Warmed them in a saucepan.

And then tucked them gently in the auricle of her ear.

She didn't really even notice.

And it seemed to help her.

For a while.

She went to bed with a dose of Ibuprofen, because she was just so irritable and didn't sleep well at all, from having seven to eight episodes of dirty dog diapers {pure water, orange in fact, from all the Pedialyte she had} all day that was now causing a rash.

Wednesday.

{Cue the Italian music, please}

I smashed two cloves of garlic in the bottom of a saucepan and added four tablespoons of EVOO.

Let it simmer together for a good five minutes before pouring the solution over a paper towel covered tupperware, to let the oil drip through.

It was still warm at this point.

So I took the paper towel and let three to four drops slide into little sugar beets ear. 

She wasn't happy about it.

But I had her cradled in my arms and was walking around with her, shushing and singing little nothings to get her mind off the fact that she had an ear full of oil.
And she smelled. Like a really busy Italian restaurant.

Five minutes later I tipped her over, and poured her out.

And within about twenty or thirty minutes she was babbling again.
Happy almost. Just crawling around and even played with some toys!

Woot!

Did I fix it?!

Did the garlic oil help?

I do believe. But we ended up in the bath {shower actually} together later that night to try and give her some relief. Her rash was getting bad, and she was irritable... to say the very least.

Thursday.

The bowels are starting to calm down. Not as many. And no blow outs! Yeah!

She is eating more solid food.

Is having a milk bottle only again {as opposed to the Pedialyte}.

And I did the garlic treatment on her other ear.

She woke up twice last night. With a full {dirty} diaper each time.
We just can't seem to stop that part yet.
Since she is slowly eating again to include yogurt and bananas, I am expecting a change today or tomorrow. 
Anyways, I washed her in the tub each time, since her rash is still bad.
And she was lulled back to sleep in my bed, while My Sweet slept upstairs. {Lucky dog!}

Aside from the lack of sleep, I think things are finally on the mend.

I would certainly use and recommend the garlic oil treatment {again. although I do not ever want to deal with another ear infection!} because I think it helped her the most.

 

*Plus side to sickness, is always that you get to cuddle a baby who at this age would rather be down crawling around, exploring, playing. I would say I got my fair share over the last couple of days. Juggling a pile of clean clothes to the couch to be folded {and put away}, going pee, making dinner, sweeping the carpet, picking up toys in the living room or the basement... all while holding little sugar beet. Who weighs 20 lbs 5oz per the last doctor visit two weeks ago!

Here's to a good weekend!

Oh, and go Ravens. {my pick, since the Bears are not eligible of course}