Comments on: Tuesdays are Your Turn – The Sick Box

By: The Sick Box | MotherMirth

The Sick Box | MotherMirth — Mon, 13 Sep 2010 14:05:30 +0000

[...] my surprise when I came upon the wise words of my friend Amy, who is The Asthma Mom. Amy wrote an article last year about packing a sick box that contains all the supplies you’d need were a short-term illness [...]

By: Allison

Allison — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 14:09:00 +0000

Wow, these are all great ideas. I live 15 miles from town on a dirt road, our first snow just arrived, and my husband just left on a 2.5 week business trip. I definitely need to get my sick box together!! We seem to be H1N1 free up here so far, but I know it’s coming. The school vaccine clinic is scheduled for Oct. 30th. Here’s hoping we get to that date before the H1N1 arrives…

By: Amy

Amy — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 13:21:01 +0000

Her Grace–Thermometer! There’s another thing I forgot–and I can never find my thermometer when I need it. And the cough was pretty bad–AG took approx. 15 days past the first onset of symptoms to be cough-free.

Roe–I love the new video/new toys idea, too. Hoping your grandkids start feeling better soon & I’m sorry you can’t be with them.

Ang–Tweezers & calamine are great, too. *sigh* I think I need to write a Sick Box, Pt II post.

By: Ang

Ang — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 03:54:37 +0000

I do, it’s a plastic box that is oval with a handle. It has EVERYTHING-med-wise-for every illness home-treatable. For asthma we have a backpack. It holds the neb, albuterol, emergency pediapred for both kids, inhaler, mask/chamber, extra peak-flow, etc. This backpack goes everywhere with us. I do mean everywhere. We have had to use it at McDonalds, parties (bbq smoke-bad), and other random places. We are going to buy a converter for our van so we can use the neb there when needed. For whatever reason-perhaps because we live in the dessert and the air is so dry-my kids do better w/ the neb then the inhaler. Our sick box is important-we have everything from zofran to tylenol to cough drops to tweezers to calimine lotion in there-but that backpack is our lifeline and security blanket.

By: Roe

Roe — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 02:57:37 +0000

When my five were little, I loaded up on paper towels, baby wipes, cleaners/ sanitizers, small plastic grocery bags and paper grocery bags(easy to grab when tummy trouble is imminent), some soft towels to line the sick bed( usually the sofa) and a supply of ginger ale. Also pretzels, saltines and a fresh supply of cinnamon and bread for toasting. I also kept some spare coloring books, puzzles and a new video or two to make their down time a little better to face. Gosh, someone mentioned Pepto Bismo. My mother always had a bottle around and it actually made me feel sick just smelling it! BTW, I wrote earlier this weekend about my little first grade grand-daughters fever-less bout with pneumonia(started 9-26 ) and after being back at school 6 days, she started a stuffy nose and tonight needed a neb treatment. She just finished her pulmocort on Friday! She says there were two kids who vomited in class today…. NOW WE BEGIN AGAIN….!
Also, my 8 yr old grand-daughter who had regular flumist 5 weeks was to dr today with high fever and eye/head pain and they said could be H1N1. Little bro has fever tonight too. We live 3 hours away and wish I could be there to hold them. Looking forward to SUMMER and better health for the kiddos!

By: Her Grace

Her Grace — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 00:06:33 +0000

I superstocked our pantry over the spring/summer, when we weren’t sure where this was headed, but in the last few weeks I’ve noticed we’re out of a lot of the things I’d need if we all got sick — soup, gatorade, etc. Figures!

Thanks for the list. I stocked up on fever reducers but didn’t consider the GI stuff. Also, my preschooler has walked off with the new thermometer. Back to the store tomorrow!

My best friend and her son are just recovering from this. She spent two days on the couch and is better, but just can’t shake her cough (two weeks now). He had a thick cough and was violently ill (GI). He’s rebounded a lot better than she has.

By: Amy

Amy — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 21:03:37 +0000

Karen–That’s a good idea, to make sure household stuff is stocked up, too. Detergent is the last thing I want to run out of w/a stomach bug in the house, that’s for sure.

I keep adults’ and kids’ pepto for GI stuff. It has some anti-nausea effect even though it’s more for stuff like heartburn, but I’ve noticed it helps a little for mild nausea. The suppositories are prescription only, unfortunately. AG’s prone to stomach issues on a good day and gets GI viruses pretty badly, so she’s been prescribed them 2 separate times. (yet she managed to keep the Tamiflu down a couple of weeks ago–go figure)

Gina–I love the freezer and the car kit tips! Using the freezer for emergency supplies, too, didn’t even occur to me. Thanks for sharing.

See what I mean? I’m not kidding when I say I lack the preparation gene.

By: Gina

Gina — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 20:11:57 +0000

We DO have a sick box (well, closet shelf since there are five of us, so it’s a lot of stuff). I recommend having Feverall acetominophen suppositories for the kids. Those were good when swine flu hit my son and he couldn’t get that 104 fever down b/c of the vomiting. I also keep an extra loaf of bread and some mashed potatoes in the freezer at all times; those are good once you have a little appetite back.

And don’t forget a “vomit kit” for the car–I have a child prone to carsickness so I’ve always needed one. It has Lysol wipes, paper towels, ziplocs for dirty clothes, extra clothes, bottle of water, etc.

By: karen

karen — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 19:47:10 +0000

Remember when I said proactive paranoia? The first week of school I went out and got a lot of these items plus staying way ahead on general household supplies like dishwashing soap, laundry soap etc.

I am wondering what you have for OTC meds for GI virus? I am not familiar with any suppositories? I have some culturelle (probiotic) that I mixed with a little gaterade and gave my son the other day when he had a mild stomach bug but would like to know any other suggestions specifically.

Not related, I am just bummed I found out my older son can not get the H1N1 shot at school via the county nurse when it is available because of his egg allergy… we have to go thru pediatrician so am hoping they do not have a supply issue.