Help - what is this stuff my child just coughed/threw up?

[justonemorethread]

DD 4yrs has had a stomach bug since Thursday, vomiting and diarroeah.

Before that she had a bad chesty cough that she seems to get regularly, it used to be regular croup now it's just swollen tonsills and chesty cough about every 6 weeks.

I've felt fed up about this for a long time but put it down to growing up, catching bugs at school.

But this morning she had a coughing fit and threw up a huge white blob (size of a child's thumb) with a yellowish core in the middle.

She hasn't really eaten properly for two days.... Anyone else had this before?

She's not to ill in herself, no fever, just huge red tonsils.

Phlegm with the start of a chest infection?

I would pull her out of school until her health settles, if she is below the legal age for attendance. She sounds so poorly.

Well it was more sponge like than phlegmy but I agree it looks phlegm-like. Def not going to school tomottow. She had a chest infection 1 month ago - surely not again? ? !
She's just gone off to sleep again she is so weak poor little thing.

I think she just needs a a good rest, lots of top quality food, some mollycoddling and a sympathetic GP to work with you getting her resilience up. All easier said that done, of course. But that sort of thing is what mummies are good at.

If you really get worried, presumably the GP can test for nasties like cystic fibrosis and asthma and so on to rule them out and put your mind at rest (I know nothing about all this, but that's what would be going through my head as I was trying not to Google, btw).

Thanks BoffinMum, unfortunately you have put in writing what has always been a hidden fear of mine, I can't even bring myself to write it... but part of me thinks I'm being melodramatic and no-one in my family seems to be overly concerned. Definitely staying away from google.

Definitely time to go to the GP with more straightforward attitude! I tend to go and mumble 'eh, just a cough, just making sure, you know...'

I was hoping for lots of replies along the lines of 'ah yes, we had that once', unfortunately not.

Obviously by the time we get to the GP tomorrow morning DD will be bouncing with health.

And a last little bump in the vain hope of some replies.. sorry!

Your poor DD, sounds miserable for her :(

It's hard when they get rundown, hard to get them picked up again.

DD1 was poorly this winter for about 3 months and was looking grey and couldn't shake it off. I took her to the GP who prescribed antibiotics. A few days later she was on the up.

Really hope the GP can help tomorrow, make sure you tell him just how poorly she's been.

Thanks debka. Fingers crossed.

It'll probably be a build up of mucus. I once had something like this when I blew my nose after a really bad cold. I looked in my hankie and was quite shocked by this great big lump (sorry tmi) that had come out. Never seen anything like it.

Did your dd have the heel prick test as a newborn? I think it is a routine test for all newborns. They test for cystic fibrosis with that blood test. I got worried at one point because my dd had lots of chest infections, but then I remembered her bloods came back ok, so it put my mind at rest.

She was born abroad, I didn't know what a heelp prick test was, can't remember if it was done or not, don't have the paperwork from the hospital with me in this house (in my mum's house abroad) (mum not there at the moment) so no way of checking!!!!

If I had that as a reassurance then I wouldn't be worrying at all!

Anyway, I'm going to stop fretting, and just be level headed, I'm sure it will all be fine!
Thanks!

I used to get bad bouts of tonsilitis as a child and often coughed up nasty smelling pellets of a cheesy substance. I was told that it was food debris that gets trapped in the crevices of the tonsils. Maybe your dd will need her tonsils out.
My dd used to get tonsilitis about 8-10 times a year with high fever but since having them out at the age of 9 she hardly ever ill.

Well gp didn't seem overly concerned but she understood why I was when she saw the size of the thing (i had kept it in a sandwich bag!) Honestly it was almost 2 inches, bigger than just a pellet!
Phlegm from the lungs apparently. (sorry tmi)
Dd chest sounded clear and her cough
has much improved today.
Thanks for all your replies. (composes self after irrational wobbly moment)

Glad she's better ... and glad you saw the GP.