Jayden is going to two years old and he hardly falls sick. This is something I feel very grateful and happy! He is about 18 months now, and he falls sick less than five times. I think he is really a very healthy, energetic, cheerful boy! I never expect or prepare for worst things that could happen...
Lately, I started of a weaning program for Jayden, a harsh one. I stopped night time breastfeeding totally and insisted him to drink milk from bottle. He resisted to it, but I didn't care. He started having "ugly" poo-poo every night after he drank milk, became more manja than before, refused to finish off his milk from bottle, and not having a good night sleeps. Yet, I still didn't realise the problem.
Until last Thursday morning, he woke up and looked for me. He was having fever! I gave him medicine and let him sleep with me. Next morning, he was still having fever. But he was still as energetic as before, I thought nothing serious. I thought he should be fine if he continued taking medicine every 6 hours as instructed. But he wasn't! His body temparature didn't went down but up. He didn't have appetite and refused to food whole day.
I was worried, it was abnormal. He had fever once before this, but not as bad as this time. I suspected something wrong with his stomach. I went back early to bring him to doctor that evening. We were heading towards the clinic. Jo was driving, I was sitting besides Jayden and he was sitting in his car seat. We turned on his new favorite nursery rhymes. He was singing, reading the nursery rhymes book. He looked normal, but a little bit tired. And just few kilometres away from the clinic, I realised Jayden was really not right!
His eyes turned white. His hands, legs and lips turned purple. I quickly unbuckled him and carried him with me. He was making some sounds, I felt he was very uncomfortable. His was holding fist, so hard that I couldn't open his palm. I kept calling his name "Jayden, don't scare mummy. Mummy is here, mummy is here... Jayden don't be scared, mummy is here......"
Jo was alerted by my reaction. He looked back from the front mirror, and saw the scene when Jayden's eyes turned white. He was shocked and very worried. We stormed into the clinic the moment we reached there, and into the doctor's room. I think there was still another patience in the room, but we didn't bother.
Doctor immediately injected something that stopped him from convulsion, which also made him sleeps. Jayden was lying sideway on the bed, moaning unconciously. I felt he was feeling very uncomfortable and painful. I saw saliva coming out from his mouth, then realised my shoulder was also full of his saliva. When everything was slowly back to normal and Jayden was awake from the medicine, doctor explained to us and taught us what to do if it happens again.
In fact, it is very common for kids between 2 - 6 years old. Some kids may be very sensitive to changes in body temperature and the body will react when body temperature goes too high or too low. It is not life threatening if we do the right thing. And most importantly, kids do not feel any pain when they are in convulsion. But if things do not turn better, it could be meningitis.
We went home, hoping things would turn better as what the doctor told us. And it did! Jayden was still very weak but he started asking for biscuits that night. We let him had a few bites, fed him medicine and let him sleep. By the time we settled down, it was nearly 12am. After went through so many things, and knowing that Jayden was recovering slowly and sleeping comfortably on his bed, both of us broke down and cried. We were so worried and scared until we didn't know how to react when things happened. Our emotion was accumulating until we couldn't hold anymore and burst.
I feel so thankful when I see my cheerful boy now. He has totally recovered from that fever. He is happier than before and better appetite as well. But I will never forget that scene in the car... I am more alert than before, especially to his body temperature. And I started breastfeeding again. Somehow I feel it is because of me that makes him fall sick. I will just breastfeed until he wants to take bottle again.
