Cold and flu season hit our home hard this year
Caring for sick kids isn't easy, especially when one has Pompe disease
For the past two weeks, my children and I have been unable to catch a break from the common cold. It all started with my 6-year-old son, Cayden, who brought home an illness from school. It’s inevitable during cold and flu season, but it sure makes for a miserable experience.
First, Cayden had a cough and runny nose, and then he developed a low-grade fever, causing him to miss a few days of school. I hate when that happens. Cayden already has to miss a day of school every other week for his enzyme replacement therapy infusions, which treat his infantile-onset Pompe disease.
Aside from infusions, Cayden also has to miss school for medical appointments and related matters. He typically has to see at least one of his specialists every month. Because of that, I try my best to send him to school unless he absolutely needs to stay home. Last week was definitely one of those times he had to stay home.
Just as Cayden started feeling better, my 5-month-old son, Kylan, caught the awful cold. I was concerned about him because he just wanted to sleep all day. He didn’t even want to wake up to eat! I worried he’d become dehydrated. That’s not something I have to worry much about with Cayden because we’re able to push fluids through his feeding tube.
Along with the fatigue, Kylan was also running a fever, so I decided to bring him to the emergency room for an evaluation. Thankfully, everything checked out fine, which eased my worries. I was concerned about Kylan developing pneumonia because Cayden has dealt with it on multiple occasions, and all he wanted to do in those instances was sleep nonstop.
The staff suctioned a ton of snot out of Kylan’s nose, and then sent us home with instructions to return if Kylan got any worse. Luckily, he didn’t. He’s been a bit miserable, but that’s expected for a baby dealing with one of his first bad colds.
A few days later, I ended up getting the yucky cold myself. It’s been pretty brutal taking care of the baby while also caring for myself. However, I keep telling myself that this too shall pass. This cold will leave just as quickly as it arrived — hopefully sooner than later!
Note: Pompe Disease News is strictly a news and information website about the disease. It does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website. The opinions expressed in this column are not those of Pompe Disease News or its parent company, Bionews, and are intended to spark discussion about issues pertaining to Pompe disease.
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