Feeling like the worst mom in history

[audrinasmommy88]

So Audrina has had cold symptoms for about 5-6 days. Cough and runny nose and not sleeping well. I thought it was just a normal winter cold so I've been giving her tylenol and cough medicine. She never complained about anything else bothering her except her throat. Well, this morning I was getting her dressed so we could go get my MIL a birthday present. I went to brush her hair and noticed it was stuck to her face. So I looked and she had orangish-red junk draining from her ear and down her face. I immediately called the doctor. We just got back home. She has a TERRIBLE ear infection. She is on an antibiotic by mouth and also antibiotic ear drops twice a day. I feel HORRIBLE! If I would've taken her earlier this wouldnt have gotten this bad. The doctor said the reason why she hasn't complained of pain in her ear is because she isn't feeling any pain. She has tubes in her ears so the tubes are draining out the infection instead of her ear filling up with pus, so there is no pain. He told me not to be so hard on myself, but its really hard. I just feel like an awful mom. I should've known there was something else going on :sad::tears2::cry1:

 

[poiema]

you are NOT a horrible mommy!!! you took her to the doctor as soon as you knew it was something more than tylenol could deal with. that is exactly what excellent mommies do.

 

[audrinasmommy88]

Thanks poiema. Im just really upset because I always take her right away to the doctor. This time I didn't because I thought it was just a cold. So I convinced myself to wait it out and see what happened. She never got worse. She never complained of pain. Nothing. Mommy instinct told me to take her but I blew it off because I thought I was just being paranoid. Then this happened. I just feel horrible about it. If i wouldve just taken her sooner... I have never seen anything like what her ear looks like right now. I was completely astonished and had no idea what it was when I saw it this morning. I literally held her and cried while I waited for the doctor to call and kept telling her I was sorry. She kept saying "its ok mommy dont cry" which made me cry more. Im sure some of it is pregnancy hormones....

 

[Imbrium]

awww, that's so cute she was trying to make you feel better... seriously, try to stop beating yourself up! audrina thinks you're a good mommy! you did the best you knew how to do - hard to diagnose an ear problem early if the tell-tell symptom (ie pain) doesn't happen. you rushed her to the doctor and she's gonna be all better before you know it! (so sorry she's sick again, poor girl's been through a lot lately!)

 

[agnesthelion]

Don't beat yourself up! You are NOT a bad mom being a mom is the hardest job in the entire world and we are human so we can't be perfect. I have tons of things I've felt guilty about with my son too.

 

[audrinasmommy88]

She has been through a lot lately. I'm hoping that she is just getting all the sickness out before the baby gets here. I meant to update y'all on the chicken pox. It wasn't chicken pox at all. It was eczema. Dry skin. I will never take her to urgent care again. Her pediatrician office called me an wanted me to bring her in for a re-check because the urgent care had faxed them paperwork. So I took her and the pedi laughed and said "this child does not have chicken pox, she has dry skin" they wrote me a prescription for a cream for her skin and it cleared right up. I hate urgent care. Now if I can just get her past this ear infection, we will be doing ok

 

[gmas rabbit]

wow, you have been through the ringer. I would be hesitiant to take her back there too. Quit being so hard on yourself. The symptons of an ear infection are extreme pain, fever and sometimes chills. So are the flu for fever and chills. Unless you knew she had an ear ache how could you possibly connect the two. Now adays they let the ear explode rather than puncturing it as it heals more effectively. You were seeing what happens when an ear infection advances and then does what nature intends and explodes. Having the tubes just allowed it to do just that. What with her illnesses, pregnancy and the storms, I would say that you are coping pretty effeciently. Give yourself a hug and credit for being a caring mommy.

 

[Anaira]

Oh for crying out loud. Hand, foot, and mouth, to chicken pox; then it's eczema! I can see why some people stay the heck away from doctors, my mum included. Don't worry about the fact you didn't take her to the doctor right away; she didn't suffer any pain, and it was only a couple of days.

 

[fuzz16]

it happens to the best of us. My daughter threw up sunday night but wanted to go to school monday..no fever and she was feeling better so ok. So i drop her off at school yesterday and drive to walmart which is about 25 minutes away then half way done i get a call from school where shes got a 101fever.

took me 40minutes before i could get there and she was passed out on the office couch. its hard to know how bad they are when they cant communicate it to us. I check my girls ears daily after bath though. My oldest had chronic infections growing up so i made it a habit to be safe.

 

[agnesthelion]

Omg eczema!! That's crazy! However I do remember those pics and that sure didn't look like eczema to me. My son has chronic eczema (we have prescription lotion and shampoo) and its a pain to deal with and I feel so bad for him sometimes.
Hope her ear is better soon!

 

[audrinasmommy88]

It didnt look like eczema but it surely felt like it. The pedi had me feel her skin and it was dry/scaly/flaky...he said the reason it looked so bad was because I had been putting calamine lotion on her. The calamine dried her skin even more. But not even 2 days after we started the topical cream, her skin was back to normal

 

[dungeonbunnies]

My son has eczema too, and a couple of years ago the doctor told us it was bedbug bites! Imagine my horror, I didn't know where he'd be getting them, unless it was at his biological father's house. That caused a huge, melodramatic fight, and a lot of stress.

I've also had symptoms of that psuedotumor for years, and all doctors called it anxiety, or blood-sugar issues.

They aren't fool proof.

I'm glad you have it all figured out, and that she's on the road to recovery now. Hopefully no more mis-diagnosis in her future!

You're an excellent mommy! Don't be so hard on yourself.

 

[kmaben]

It's no laughing matter but if that's the only "mistake" you make with your kid you'll end up with a mother of the year award. A bad mommy wouldn't have taken her to the doctor or felt this bad about it. Time for some chocolate and a bubble bath me thinks.

 

[audrinasmommy88]

Thanks everyone. I feel much better. Now if i can just get her to take her medicine without fighting me and kicking and screaming we will be doing okay.