To be well and truly fed up of DS been constantly unwell

[Anxiousally]

DS is 18 months, he had bronchiolitis at 6 weeks old and since then it's been a constant battle with chest infectuions and every time he gets a cold it ends up on his chest. Summer was brilliant as we went about 3 months with no coughs, colds or chest infections but now since the start of November we've had about 10 days (not consecutively) where he's been well. Today he's started with abother cough cold and high temp and I feel drained, not jist for me as sleep in none existent when he's poorly but for him too. I've had to cancel abother play group this morning and keep him in I feel like he is losing out on so much.

He has a salbutamol inhaler and takes Montelukast every night to help his chest the specialist said he will grow out of it bit when? Has anyone else experienced this? I feel guilty that I cant do anything to help and my babys 1st years have been spoilt by constant hospital admissions (theres been ALOT) and trips to doctors rather than play groups and friends

Sorry for the typos tired mum on mobile with fat fingers

Oh I feel for you- my second one was the same, although not from such a young age, but we had 3 hospital admissions within 6 months, always requiring oxygen and once a feeding tube- was not fun. He did grow out of it though, and touch wood is a healthy 5 year old with no breathing issues. I hope your little one improves soon. Xx

My twins were exactly the same (had bronciolitis at 5 weeks then every time they got a cold it went to their chests and turned into infections). Thankfully they grew out of it around their 2nd birthday and neither have been on antibiotics since

We had a rough time about that age with my youngest. I remember he had 6 doses of ab’s In 4 months - over the summer! His weakness is his ears. Although that summer we had chest infection, urine infection, 2 lots of eye issues due to sinuses and an ear infection.
When he turned too it was as if he turned a corner. It really was amazing the difference and I think he’s only had 1 or 2 lots of ab’s Since.
He’s actually poorly just now but that’s a rarity. I remember at the time being embarrassed having to cancel things again because he was ill. I thought people wouldn’t believe me!!

It does get better.

I also tried cranial osteopathy which he got around the same time as his last does of an around his 2nd birthday.

I can’t say really if it helped or was coincidental but might be worth investigating

Sorry you are having such a rough time, it really does suck when they are ill so much. My second DD who is 2 has a rare genetic syndrome and seems to catch everything, not sure if it's linked to her syndrome or not but DD1 was never like that. She has had flu several times (and yes, it was flu as swabbed and tested for at the hospital before anyone tries to say otherwise as per the norm on here) tonsillitis several times, several ear and chest infections, bronchiolitis, croup, viral wheeze... It's bloody soul destroying at times! I hope he grows out of it as it's hard seeing them so miserable so often

My DS was similar, bronchiolitis at six weeks and a succession of chest infections, antibiotics, inhalers, physiotherapy ... the only time he was healthy was in summer. The paediatrician said he would most likely grow out of it by the age of three, and he did. Now six, he gets no more than a normal number of coughs and colds, and they no longer automatically turn into bronchitis.

I just do feel so sad for him. The nurses in a and e know it's him as soon as they see his name and the doctors are always so impressed at how he sits to be examined because it happens so bloody often!
Really glad your little ones grew out of it that's really reassuring. I'm also looking into the cranial osteopathy as I've seen it mentioned on 2 threads today so I'll research that, thankyou!

My son also had one upper respiratory infection after another until he was about 2 1/2. He was referred to ENT, they considered inserting grommets, had unlarged tonsils and poor thing was always poorly.

The good news is that it stopped all of a sudden and has been rarely ill since and is now 15. He still gets the tonsillitis, once a year, maybe a few times twice, but didn't get any of the things going around when he started school that all others seemed to catch.

Sympathy. It's crap isn't it.
I have two kids, age almost 2 and just turned 4. The little one has constant ear infections (5 in a 7 week period) and the eldest constant tonsillitis. Gp always says it's viral and they'll both grow out of it. We have only had a few days with neither being ill since October and it really grinds me down. It's horrible seeing them being ill/in pain/ uncomfortable and it's exhausting being stuck indoors because one or other child Is ill and so can't go to toddler groups / softplay / playdates /preschool. It's also tiring being up constantly in the night to check temp/dose calpol/change fever soaked sheets/ clean vomit off
Carpet / comfort unhappy poorly child.

I hope your little one gets better soon.

Aw gosh that's sounds awful for you all why were due a baby in may and I'm praying she isn't poorly like he has been! Really hope your little ones get well and grow out of it too!
Its reassuring to see there are others in similar situations as awful as that sounds!!

I distinctly remember the day I realised we were out of the "always ill" days. Such a relief! And so much less snot! My DD used to get wretched chest infections all winter that were impossible to spot as she never seemed ill, doctor always commented she didn't look poorly at all then listened to her chest!

Not long now OP and hopefully you'll turn a corner - your little one sounds like he's had everything particularly badly but it is normal for small children to be ill all the time.

You know you have spent too much time in hospital when you show up at A&E and they know your name and send you directly to the children's ward. That was me. Bronchiollitis, meningitis, pneumonia, seizures and more. It was a nightmare. We never developed close friends for their age and they missed a lot. They have an older brother so I had a support network already.

Major admissions stopped around 2. They are 8 now. We have been hospital free for 2 years.

I sympathise, and it does get better.

DS has a congenital airway deformity meaning his trachea and larynx collapse and he goes into respiratory distress, very susceptible to colds, borderline ok immune system and borderline ok cilia so can't clear his lungs as well as most. He also has asthma and allergies, has had a pneumothorax, and amongst the many many chest infections he's had one of the multi-antibiotic resistant infections.

After being on a ventilator after birth he spent his first year and a half with emergency admissions to hospital approx every 3 weeks, with chest infections and respiratory distress. We were on first name terms with the A&E and children's ward. He is pathetically docile with doctors as he's so used to having his sats measured, stethoscope etc. If he sees one he pulls up his top, even now.

He missed so much of the normal baby life DD had, as he was either actively ill, and needing round the clock nursing, or he was well and we were told to keep him out of the usual sing n sign etc, because he was too vulnerable.

He didn't grow properly because he was poorly all the time and his speech was delayed. He has caught both up now, but it added more apps and worries to the operation, procedures, testing for various life-limiting diseases... that became our life.

After the age of about 1.5 the hospital admissions decreased a lot and I was able to go back to work with him in a normal nursery (with special precautions). Then a couple of years with maybe 2-3 emergency admissions. Now 4 yrs old and only 1 admission in the last 9 months, so think we're finally getting there!

Can you discuss emergency plans with his consultant and GP? We were trained to check his chest using a stethoscope, and basically nurse him. We keep charts, monitor pulse rate, resp, rate, temps, capillary refill etc. So can monitor him and make better decisions, as well as provide a good handover when we do have to take him in.

We are permitted to keep a supply of his antibiotics at home for those awful Saturday night/bank holiday breathing troubles. Meant we can keep him at home - if we phoned 111 for out of hours we'd end up with an ambulance whatever happened, because he sounded so awful. With the skills we were taught (and I've done a lot of first aid stuff in the past), we were able to judge his condition better and lead a more normal family life, though we always check the location of the nearest paed A&E when we go on holiday.

It's really tough and you feel like he's lost out on so much fun, and nice time with you in that first year, and you feel like you didn't get that lovely maternity leave with time to bond with him, and make friends, and go to do lots of things together. If it's any comfort he's now a very well adapted little boy, and settled beautifully at nursery, made friends etc.