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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To keep DD off school today.

29 replies

MissAliceBand · 18/03/2013 09:15

She has a raised temp, 38.5 (she is normally under 37), a bit of a nasty cough and she looks pale.

BUT she is a acting normally as in as typically annoying as your average 5yr old

So I phoned her in sick to school, but now I am a bit Hmm because she's not acting ill particularly.

But otoh she's one of those children who almost never acts ill. I've taken her to the docs before with a massive temp and raging tonsillitis and she proceeds to dance for them Angry

AIBU for keeping her off even though she seems OK?

(OH and I are wfh so we're each taking half a day to watch her so not really an issue)

OP posts:
MarianForrester · 18/03/2013 09:17

YANBU. Much better to keep her off IMO.

someoftheabove · 18/03/2013 09:18

YANBU.
Keep her off - you've made the decision. The raised temperature would decide it for me.

fluckered · 18/03/2013 09:19

i personally would have sent her in and then if school phoned collected her. then again you know your child best. if your gut was to keep her at home then so be it. for the record i have a ds that only "acts" sick when he is very very ill. at times i think he is too hardy and often feel so guilty when i realise how ill he is.

Catchingmockingbirds · 18/03/2013 09:19

She has a temperature and a cough, keep her off. Sending her to school could make her worse and other kids could catch her bug too.

DeepRedBetty · 18/03/2013 09:20

I'd have kept her home at that age with the symptoms described.

Original poster
MissAliceBand · 18/03/2013 09:23

I think that's my issue fluckered there have been a couple of times when she's been really quite poorly but she just carries on regardless.

So now if there is an obvious symptom I tend to assume she is Shock ILL!!!

It's almost certainly tonsillitis, she's had it 13 times already Angry

OP posts:
ChristmasJubilee · 18/03/2013 09:24

I've kept ds3 (6) off today. He was off for two days last week with a high temp, cough and sore throat but went back at the end of last week. Last night he was crying with a sore ear and had a temp again. Today he woke with two sore ears. I have given him ibuprofen and now they are "only sore when I cough" and he seems fine. in his defense he does look very pale!

I have taken a days annual leave. Sad

Theas18 · 18/03/2013 09:27

you do know that if you keep her off for the morning and she actually seems OK if is fine to take her in after lunch don't you? THat would be my strategy

fluckered · 18/03/2013 09:30

wow 13 times? how old is she? perhaps a doc visit to confirm and then you will be able to get on with things. sounds like may need a tonsilectomy poor divil.

wigglesrock · 18/03/2013 09:45

She sounds like my 5 year old Smile who never shows or complains of feeling ill until she actually can't move or wakes up at 3am crying. She has also had a run for about 18 months of infected, inflamed tonsils, sore throats.

We have now eventually got a referral for ENT consultant to start down the tonsillectomy route. If you think her tonsils are going to be a problem, start getting the GP on side and start logging every sore throat, raised temp etc.

I'd have kept her off too.

fluckered · 18/03/2013 09:48

agree with wigglesrock start getting her illnesses recorded if its tonsilitis every time. and snap on the waking up crying ... thats how i know ds is very ill. hope she is feeling better soon but definatley start recording her illnesses with GP and get ball rolling on getting her seen.

Original poster
MissAliceBand · 18/03/2013 10:03

She has a referral to ENT, her appointment is in April. I am in two minds about tonsillectomy though. A couple of friends of mine (DR's) have advised against having it done unless it's really necessary, especially in a child so young.

She's lounging next to me watching Mr Tumble now I am lying next to her planning all the ways I would do away with Mr Tumble

OP posts:
TheSeniorWrangler · 18/03/2013 10:06

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

wigglesrock · 18/03/2013 10:08

Funny enough I was on my hands and knees praying for dds appt. She has hers first week of April Smile

fluckered · 18/03/2013 10:10

its worse as you get older having tonsilectomy. why are they so reluctant?

mabongwen · 18/03/2013 10:17

You know you can still get tonsalitus even if you have no tonsils. It causes the tounge and throat to swell.

My mum never had mine out, im in my early 20's and still get tonsalitus 2/3 times a year but I prefer that to colds and chest infections. I dont seem to get any bug except D and V I get tonsalitus instead. They are a vital part of the immune system. Our GP advised against having them removed too.

fluckered · 18/03/2013 10:25

i got mine out when i was 6. i am 33 now and got tonsilitis last year. i laughed and said how was the possible? GP said it was because when i got them out the practice was to cut them and it left a bud of a tonsil and thats what got infected. nowadays apparently the practice is to solder them. anyways a GP will advise you, and if you are not happy can get a second opinion.

lougle · 18/03/2013 10:33

NHS Guidelines are temp >37.5c = stay at home.

Original poster
MissAliceBand · 18/03/2013 10:33

That's true. The only other illness she's had is chickenpox. She's never even had D&V and it keeps going round her school. But she does get the tonsillitis 2 or 3 times every winter. Badly enough to need anti-B's at least once a winter if not more.

My concerns for not having it are that anti-B's may become less effective as she has them so often. What if she does get something else that requires them and they don't work properly. Until now she's not been east school (she's reception) so not really a problem. If she continues to get it this frequently that could be a lot of time off school...

For having it, concerns are general anaesthetic and excess bleeding (she was born with thrombocytopenia so I am a bit twitchy about that sort of thing). Plus they are clearly doing their job in preventing other infections.

OP posts:
Original poster
MissAliceBand · 18/03/2013 10:35

east = at Confused

OP posts:
noisytoys · 18/03/2013 10:38

Sounds like my 4yo DD. I took her in and she projectile vomited all over the playground Sad

RooneyMara · 18/03/2013 10:39

I don't think it's ever wise to send a child with a temperature anywhere - not over 38 anyway.

It can make you feel really rubbish, and can easily get worse quite quickly even if you don't know what's causing it initially.

You've done the right thing Smile

BrainSurgeon · 18/03/2013 10:46

OP I would recommend the tonsillectomy if she had it already so many times. As long as the docs are aware of the risk of bleeding they will monitor it closely. As for GA - same thing, I believe they are really carefully monitoring everything nowadays.
Personally I think I would be a pity to keep DD's tonsils, with the associated complications, because a GA worries you - and I mean that in a nice supportive way.

mabongwen · 18/03/2013 10:58

Its personal choice, im sure the dr's would nit key anything bad happen alice best bet is to discuss it with them.

I dont have antibiotics for mine, im allergic to penicillin but also like you im worried about the over use of them. Mine get bad like 2 big pussy golf balls Sad I just gargle 3/4 times a day with diluted TCP does the trick to stem it all till my body figures it out.

mabongwen · 18/03/2013 10:59

Not let*

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