10 year old with flu-anything else I can do?

[Leedsmom]

Dd has what I assume is proper flu. She’s got a dreadful cough, headache, aches, temp. Has slept for most of the time since Saturday and when not asleep is barely moving around house-even a bath or watching tv program wipes her out.

I’m a bit confused about nhs advice re giving paracetamol for a temperature (ie don’t) but have been giving it regularly for pain.

Her appetite is virtually zero. I’ve managed to tempt her with a bit of pasta, Half a yogurt, half a waffle and couple of nuggets by that’s literally all she’s eaten since Saturday. She says she feels sick as soon as she eats anything but does perk up slightly for about half an hour after she’s eaten so I don’t know how much to push the eating.

She’s drinking plenty of water.

Is there anything else I should be doing? I feel so sorry for her-never know her this ill before

I have had it a couple of times. It took a week before I was over the worst and then another week before I started to properly get my appetite back and feel more normal. It's miserable. She'll forget the worst of it though as she won't be altogether with it. Just keep her comfortable. Help her regulate her temperature (she'll be burning hot and freezing cold), give her plenty to drink and don't stress about food. She'll eat when she can.

Oh, and from memory, the drugs are useless but ibuprofen used to slow down the bone wracking aches a bit ....

I have the flu jab every year now for all of the above reasons.

Oh and I hope she feels better soon!

Thanks-they didn’t get flu vaccinations at school in time sadly. Wish they had!
Yes she is pretty out of it-Lots of sleep and cuddles and very little else.

Think she’s over the worst now. Still v tired and no appetite with a hacking cough but aches and headache seem to have gone.

Wondering whether she needs another day off school or to give it a go tomorrow?

I would go for the bland food recommended for pregnant women with morning sickness as it’s designed to be easy on the stomach:
Banana, boiled rice, toast.

It may be the food she’s eating is too heavy considering how delicate her system is. Toast and rice are usually very good as well as snacking on ginger biscuits. Bananas release energy more slowly. Electrolyte replacement drinks will give her more energy generally to perk her up to kick start an appetite but little and often

(And I know it’s bad but when I’m ill I crave a McDonald’s; chicken nuggets, salty chips and cola to perk back up probably a as I don’t eat any salt otherwise, then once eating I can add other foods in there)

I have had the flu once and was so ill I genuinely thought I might die (and I'm pretty hardy most of the time!) It's hideous and took me a good week to feel even vaguely normal.

I wouldn't push her back to school, one day won't make much odds and you don't want to set her back. I'd see how she goes tomorrow and over the weekend with a view to trying on Monday if she feels up to it.

Managed to get uniform on but said she didn’t feel well enough for school. I called her bluff a bit as she’d been quite perky up until then and she does have form for being difficult to get to school and said back to bed with no tv. She’s still asleep now so obv I was wrong.

She’s lost so much weight.

I feel bad now for pushing her to go but she did seem a lot better (and I should be at work today ) and I thought getting back to a bit of normal routine might help but apparently not.
I just have a bit of a fear that that longer she has off the harder it will be to get her back in as it’s a bit of a performance even on a normal day.

My dd's class had the nasal flu vax and nearly every one has had symptoms like this a months later, so I'm not sure having the flu vax is preventing anything this year. Dd has high temp, horrible cough, feeling hot/cold. Lots of sleep and plenty of water (or juice if they won't drink water) will help.

My Dd had it and was prescribed the medicine for it, can’t for the life of me remember the name. She’d suffered 5
Days before that and it went on for another 10 days. I wouldn’t be pushing her back to school too fast, plus if she has symptoms wouldn’t she spread it?

Sounds like how teen DS is at the moment (apart from the sleeping bit) . He’s barely eating and a stick at the best of times.
I am hoping he’ll be ok for school tmw - was off Fri - but looking at him now I doubt it.

SHe has been better this weekend but still mega tired. I’m worried about how she’ll manage full days back at school.
I reckon she’s lost at least half a stone.
Shocked at how badly it’s hit her. Can see why it can be very dangerous for elderly or already ill people.

The flu is very underestimated in my view, it's actually a pretty serious illness. One of the biggest killers of pregnant women. I was so, so poorly with it. I've never felt so horrendous.

Could you speak to the school on Monday? Maybe she could do half days for a few days or they could send some work home for her?