I hate people...

[cedardryad]

Sooooo, to all those who have already read my last thread about my problematic life, know what my situation is.

Well I went for an interview for a temp agency. Currently there are no jobs for me. So that quick moment of happiness I had quickly died away. I applied for two other jobs, but heard nothing yet. I totally messed up my feet trying to walk in new shoes that I got for this interview.

Now my daughter has this horrible cough and is all mucusy. I want to bring her in to her doctor, but guess what? State can no longer cover me because I make too much fucking money. I finally received an insurance card from my job and was elated only to find out that my daughter isn't covered because I only work part time. So what am I to do? Let my daughter just die? I can't even give her a damn flu shot. Every time I want to get her the shot she comes down with something. This is pissing me off so much. So now I can't get state help or help from my job.

Thanks to this my chest is killing me, not my boobies, and I just want to quit my job now. I'm still going to bring Cass to the doctor and see what happens.

FUCK THESE PEOPLE!:evilangry

[Jack Zodiac]

I hate that shit, when you're poor and work your ass off, but you're apparently not poor enough to get free help from the government, while all the super-poor lazy people get all kinds of free shit. That "middle ground," right in between the crack shit. :mad:

Sorry, Cedar. :\

[Matt Algren]

Sooooo, to all those who have already read my last thread about my problematic life, know what my situation is.

Well I went for an interview for a temp agency. Currently there are no jobs for me. So that quick moment of happiness I had quickly died away. I applied for two other jobs, but heard nothing yet. I totally messed up my feet trying to walk in new shoes that I got for this interview.
That's the problem with temping. They're a bit unreliable on the front end. Don't blow them off yet and bug them once a week or so until something comes up.

The shoe thing sucks, too. I hate it when I get a new pair and have to grin and bear it until I get my new callouses.

[hellokittykat]

Sooooo, to all those who have already read my last thread about my problematic life, know what my situation is.

Well I went for an interview for a temp agency. Currently there are no jobs for me. So that quick moment of happiness I had quickly died away. I applied for two other jobs, but heard nothing yet. I totally messed up my feet trying to walk in new shoes that I got for this interview.

Now my daughter has this horrible cough and is all mucusy. I want to bring her in to her doctor, but guess what? State can no longer cover me because I make too much fucking money. I finally received an insurance card from my job and was elated only to find out that my daughter isn't covered because I only work part time. So what am I to do? Let my daughter just die? I can't even give her a damn flu shot. Every time I want to get her the shot she comes down with something. This is pissing me off so much. So now I can't get state help or help from my job.

Thanks to this my chest is killing me, not my boobies, and I just want to quit my job now. I'm still going to bring Cass to the doctor and see what happens.

FUCK THESE PEOPLE!:evilangry

I'm so sorry Cedar.:(
But with you daughter having that cough, take her to a state hospital-they can't refuse you treatment even if you don't have insurance.
I hope things start to look up for you soon.

[Cam63]

I know a Dr. Nick who works for food.

[Cam63]

....and good luck, Cede'.

[Infra-Man]

Hope things turn around for you, cedardryad. Hang in there.

Have you tried giving your daughter honey for her cough? I heard on NPR awhile ago that honey may be helpful for soothing soar throats and remedying coughs. So long as your daughter older than one, honey may help for the time being.

[Erik Burnham]

Sooooo, to all those who have already read my last thread about my problematic life, know what my situation is.

Well I went for an interview for a temp agency. Currently there are no jobs for me. So that quick moment of happiness I had quickly died away. I applied for two other jobs, but heard nothing yet. I totally messed up my feet trying to walk in new shoes that I got for this interview.

Now my daughter has this horrible cough and is all mucusy. I want to bring her in to her doctor, but guess what? State can no longer cover me because I make too much fucking money. I finally received an insurance card from my job and was elated only to find out that my daughter isn't covered because I only work part time. So what am I to do? Let my daughter just die? I can't even give her a damn flu shot. Every time I want to get her the shot she comes down with something. This is pissing me off so much. So now I can't get state help or help from my job.

Thanks to this my chest is killing me, not my boobies, and I just want to quit my job now. I'm still going to bring Cass to the doctor and see what happens.

FUCK THESE PEOPLE!:evilangry

I'm with ya. Love the state of healthcare. I was offered insurance at work... it would've done about as much good as borrowing twenty bucks a month from a stranger and paying them back thirty...

But I digress. The *only* thing that may help the mucusy cough is some Mucinex. And that's really just kind of a band-aid on a gusher, especially for what they charge.

Prayers are with you and the daughter. (I'd offer to blackjack the doctors until they saw fit to cut you a break, but NY is a mite out of my stamping grounds!)

[Solaris]

Take her to a doctor or a hospital. An outstanding bill is far less important than her life---and with little kids, sometimes that's what it comes down to. (If they're assholes and won't see her unless you have insurance, demand that they tell you somewhere to take her where she can be seen regardless. If that doesn't work, fuck it and LIE.) *hates American healthcare system's fucked up setup*

Bad cough with mucus. First, DO NOT GIVE HER ANY MEDICINE THAT CONTAINS A COUGH SUPPRESSANT. Our pediatrician said that for Finn even when he was 5---because with small children, often the suppressant drives the infection inward into the lungs and results in pneumonia.

What you want is some form of *expectorant*---something that will loosen the phlegm and thin it out so she can cough it up easier. Not many brands out there are *without* the suppressant, so read your labels carefully. One that contains no cough suppressant, but does have expectorant, is the Yellow Triaminic liquid. I also found that Target has a generic "Children's mucus relief cough" liquid in a cherry flavor that's fine.

Another note on the over the counter meds: Pay attention to how much and what kind, if any, of pain reliever is in them. Some contain none, but many contain tylenol (acetaminophen) or advil (ibuprophen). (And I'm sure by now some doctor has told you NOT to give your daughter children's aspirin, because of the risk of Reyes' Syndrome.) Thing is, you want to monitor how much and what kind of pain reliever you're giving her... because too much is a bad thing. My middle daughter almost died of a Tylenol overdose (it was a suicide attempt, but in that, I learned the dangers of what it can do). Tylenol affects the liver; Advil/Aleve affects the kidneys. Both can work for pain and reducing fever in a child... but you don't want to give too much at once, or doses too close together. There's been times when I'd alternate between the two, giving a dose of one, and then 4-6 hrs. later, a dose of the other. Main thing is that you want to know how much is okay, and how much is TOO much for your child's WEIGHT. Weight is a bigger factor than age, since some two year olds may weigh 20 lbs. and others 40 lbs.

For non-medicine remedies...

First, drinking very warm (not too hot, for a 2 yr. old) *anything* is good. Chicken soup, definitely. Also, chamomile tea---it's so safe, some doctors recommend it to pregnant women, because it crosses the placental barrier and helps calm an overactive baby at night, so pregnant mom and fetus can get some rest at the same time.

Here's an easy one: pretty much any grocery store carries Celestial Seasonings Herbal Teas. Find their section and pick up the "Tension Tamer" tea---it has a dragon on the box. It's got chamomile, several herbs that are like licorice (anise seed, IIRC) that soothe the throat, and some other good stuff. It has a bit of a peppermint taste, so she might not even want a sweetener in it, but if she does, a little honey or splenda or sugar is fine.

Further, you can combine that tea with one of the teas which have hibiscus flower and rose hips---the latter has vitamin C, and the former tastes sweet/citrusy. Always read the labels carefully on herbal teas---some contain things like valerian root, which are not good to take in quantities, and something I really wouldn't give a child. Stay away from saffron, too, for your daughter. Don't give her anything with real tea in it, because the caffeine in the tea will keep her wakeful.

If she has a dry-tickle cough, or a sore throat, add in a tablespoon of oatmeal to the tea when it's steeping. (You can strain it out later for her to drink, or put it in a teaball, or even use a cheesecloth, or an old *clean* cloth cotton diaper. (Cotton cloth diapers, the very thin kind, are great with cooking---acts just like a cheesecloth for straining stuff, and it's lots easier to find.) Just tie up the oatmeal in a corner of it and set it down into the water, along with the tea bag.

Point is, the oatmeal is a very mild soothing agent, and helps coat a raw throat.

Important point: if she has a fever of up to around 101-102 degrees, and a sore throat, she may have strep---that REQUIRES antibiotics, and can cause some nasty complications if it's left untreated.

Another thing that should help her is to get a steam vaporizer (not a humidifier)... and some of the inhalent liquid for it. The modern versions of this device (Kaz and Vicks are the two big names) have a little indentation on the OUTSIDE of the vaporizer---THAT is where you put the inhalent liquid, NOT inside with the water. The steam blows out through the hole and over the inhalent, picking up the oils from it and carrying them into the air. I've found that steam works much better than the cold water humidifiers. If your water is soft, you may need to add some salt to it---read the vaporizer's instructions carefully.

Hmmm. Rubbing a bit of Vicks ointment on her chest might help too. Older people often put a bit under their noses... but I'd advise against that with a little one, since they might eat it off their upper lip. The chest should be fine.

Keep us posted on how she does, okay? And I hope those suggestions help her---they've helped me when I was a kid with bronchitis, and all of my family including my kids when they were little.

[Erik Burnham]

Luckily, doctors nowadays seem to be going the "give us $50 today" route for office visits if you've no insurance. If they get stiffed for more, they still get a good chunk. I don't know if this is all over or just localized, but surely they aren't going to deny care to a child.

(Maybe I do need to drive out with my blackjack.)

[Cam63]

Nice work, Dr. Chris.

[Solaris]

Nice work, Dr. Chris.

It comes from being a mom of long standing. :D I read a lot, have talked with a lot of other moms and herbal healers, and pay close attention to what our doctors say.

[Cam63]

Hoorah to that.

[Nick Soapdish]

Sorry about all the stress and the lovely no-man's land that you're stuck in.

Solaris' ideas sound solid to me.

Definitely get her into a doctor or the hospital.

Even without insurance, doctors are still human and should generally be more willing and able to help than the bureaucrats with the government or insurance agency. They're generally a bit further away from the problem and its easy for them to get the caring burned out of them and replaced by cynicism.

[Paradox]

You don't hate people, you hate governmental bureaucracy (and rightly so, of course). Trust me, I'm very misanthropic. ;)

And, yeah, that "middle ground" is the worst. Been there almost my entire life. :(

[Reverend Smooth]

I have to add to solaris' post: in health food stores, you can find pau d'arco tea. It's safe for kids, it's an anti-inflammatory, anti-viral, anti-bacterial, etc. I haven't been able to go to the doctor for anything in the last 8 years or so, and that's been all that's effectively worked for me and members of my family.

(It also knocks down inflammation from burns, bug bites, etc. Indispensible in my house. Has fixed up infections that even prescriptions -- for the others, our cats -- can't get.)

[Solaris]

I have to add to solaris' post: in health food stores, you can find pau d'arco tea. It's safe for kids, it's an anti-inflammatory, anti-viral, anti-bacterial, etc. I haven't been able to go to the doctor for anything in the last 8 years or so, and that's been all that's effectively worked for me and members of my family.

(It also knocks down inflammation from burns, bug bites, etc. Indispensible in my house. Has fixed up infections that even prescriptions -- for the others, our cats -- can't get.)


Since you endorse it so highly, I'm having Troy pick some up---he's going to the health food co-op today for some barley to add to his breakfast oatmeal (apparently, barley's been shown to help regulate blood sugar). He's had recurring problems with pressure in one ear---low level irritation inside keeps fluid from draining that way, and his eardrum has some scarring that's keeping it from draining out the other way. Nothing the doctor has prescribed has worked, and he's talking ear tubes. I'm thinking that maybe this tea will help---and since his ear is stopped up right now, it's a good time to try it. :D Sometimes he gets a terrible earache with it, and always when it's stopped up he can't hear with that ear.

[Reverend Smooth]

If it's safe to administer some kind of liquid treatment, maybe swab the ear inside with the stuff, and/or drip it inside, too. It's how I got rid of a severe eye infection.

I take chromium picolinate with every meal, and strictly avoid carbs, to regulate my blood sugar. Don't know if that would work for others, but it sticks to between 80-120 instead of 180-300ish otherwise.

[Flamebird]

I have to add to solaris' post: in health food stores, you can find pau d'arco tea. It's safe for kids, it's an anti-inflammatory, anti-viral, anti-bacterial, etc. I haven't been able to go to the doctor for anything in the last 8 years or so, and that's been all that's effectively worked for me and members of my family.

(It also knocks down inflammation from burns, bug bites, etc. Indispensible in my house. Has fixed up infections that even prescriptions -- for the others, our cats -- can't get.)

Is that tea fairly easy to find? I've never heard of it, but am willing to try pretty much anything at this point.

After three rounds of antibiotics, my chest and sinuses have more or less cleared up; but my ear is still so bad that I'm afraid I'm gonna lose what's left of my hearing.

I've tried all the "family" home remedies and while some reduced the pain, nothing seems to help with the actual problem.

[Reverend Smooth]

Health food stores in california and colorado seem to have no problem stocking it, I suggest calling and asking?

[Flamebird]

Health food stores in california and colorado seem to have no problem stocking it, I suggest calling and asking?

Curse you and your infernal LOGIC!!!


Granted, I'm so spacey, I probably wouldn't have thought to do it. :o

But still; CURSES!!!

[Reverend Smooth]

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