How to Help?

September 9, 2011 by Rieshy
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Pondering parenting.

I've been searching for articles about how to help children with chronic illnesses deal with fear.  Most of the advice is so basic that it could have been written by a hamster.

I want nitty-gritty, in the trenches advice. -From people with experience, not just a deadline to post a feel-good upbeat article.

My 5 year old woke at 12:30 a.m. with an earache last weekend.  Normal childhood stuff, except with his medical condition he's been hospitalized at least 3 times for metabolic de-compensation kicked off by a simple ear infection.

I did what I could to make him comfortable and to support his metabolism, but he was too wound up to sleep.  I put in the most boring movie I could find and snuggled with him on the sofa.  He chatted/asked movie questions non-stop until 4:30 a.m.

Out of the blue around 4:15 a.m. he confided, "I'm always asleep and then I wake up and have to go to the hospital when I feel this way."

5 year old logic: staying awake=no hospital.

After he explained his fear we talked and he relaxed, and fell asleep.  I just wish I could have figured out the issue 4 hours earlier.

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2 comments:

CristyLynn said...

Thanks for the nitty-gritty. You're a good mom. Hope he feels better soon and doesn't have to go to the hospital!

Rieshy said...

Ughhh, Cristy- I have nitty-gritty perhaps, but no advice.

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