According to Philippine statistics,the Department of Health has monitored 62,503 dengue cases from January to Aug. 21 as of this year. The virus, delivered by a bite from the Aedes aegypti mosquito, has so far claimed the lives of 465 Filipinos.
Who would have thought that my own son would be one of those inflicted with the virus? Sometimes, like any paranoid mom, it somehow crossed my mind but I never gave it much thought until now. At around 2am last Sunday, while Rai and I were busy unpacking boxes and rearranging our stuff in our new home, Khym woke up crying, complaining of a tummy ache. We reassured him that it would soon go away and that it must be because of something he ate the night before. He went back to sleep but after 30 minutes or so, we then heard him whimpering,teary-eyed..and complaining again that his tummy bothered him. I thought, since Khym is prone to hyper-acidity, maybe just maybe, it was one of those days. I gave him his medicine but seconds after, he threw up. I knew something was wrong. By morning, he had fever that never seemed to go away. We took him to his DR Monday morning. DR did a series of examinations and platelet count seemed normal. He, however warned us that come Wednesday if all was still not well, further examinations and probing would then be administered. Come Wednesday morning, fever was still high and paracetamol did little to quell his discomfort. And so,off we went to DR..again. Results confirmed my earlier suspicions, it was indeed the dreaded Dengue virus. Platelet was slightly below normal. It was only a slight drop but DR was worried that the virus might have attacked Khym's liver. Thus, the tummy ache. He then had to be admitted to the hospital. Khym disliked needles and howls when pricked. So, it was usually a struggle come needle pricking time. I tried to think and think some more, where he got bitten by the mosquito carrying the virus. Since Khym usually spends his weekends at my mom's place and plays with other children in areas densely populated with trees, tall grasses and plants, and where there are mini swamps, maybe he got it there. But I never failed to apply mosquito repellent on my kids and when they're away,I try to remind the people who are with them to do so. I just don't know. It happens when it's supposed to happen, I guess though you're extra careful. Looking back, I remembered I was Khym's age when I had dengue! The only difference was that,at that time dengue was somewhat unknown if not popular and I was one of the first cases in my place. So, it was sort of instant popularity I guess. :) But now, the virus has gone deadlier through the years. So, it's not really a laughing matter. It 's just too bad that the deadly virus isn't seasonal and the the Philippines being a tropical country had to really endure the burst of dengue all year round. Damn those mosquitoes!! But I learned that:
Who would have thought that my own son would be one of those inflicted with the virus? Sometimes, like any paranoid mom, it somehow crossed my mind but I never gave it much thought until now. At around 2am last Sunday, while Rai and I were busy unpacking boxes and rearranging our stuff in our new home, Khym woke up crying, complaining of a tummy ache. We reassured him that it would soon go away and that it must be because of something he ate the night before. He went back to sleep but after 30 minutes or so, we then heard him whimpering,teary-eyed..and complaining again that his tummy bothered him. I thought, since Khym is prone to hyper-acidity, maybe just maybe, it was one of those days. I gave him his medicine but seconds after, he threw up. I knew something was wrong. By morning, he had fever that never seemed to go away. We took him to his DR Monday morning. DR did a series of examinations and platelet count seemed normal. He, however warned us that come Wednesday if all was still not well, further examinations and probing would then be administered. Come Wednesday morning, fever was still high and paracetamol did little to quell his discomfort. And so,off we went to DR..again. Results confirmed my earlier suspicions, it was indeed the dreaded Dengue virus. Platelet was slightly below normal. It was only a slight drop but DR was worried that the virus might have attacked Khym's liver. Thus, the tummy ache. He then had to be admitted to the hospital. Khym disliked needles and howls when pricked. So, it was usually a struggle come needle pricking time. I tried to think and think some more, where he got bitten by the mosquito carrying the virus. Since Khym usually spends his weekends at my mom's place and plays with other children in areas densely populated with trees, tall grasses and plants, and where there are mini swamps, maybe he got it there. But I never failed to apply mosquito repellent on my kids and when they're away,I try to remind the people who are with them to do so. I just don't know. It happens when it's supposed to happen, I guess though you're extra careful. Looking back, I remembered I was Khym's age when I had dengue! The only difference was that,at that time dengue was somewhat unknown if not popular and I was one of the first cases in my place. So, it was sort of instant popularity I guess. :) But now, the virus has gone deadlier through the years. So, it's not really a laughing matter. It 's just too bad that the deadly virus isn't seasonal and the the Philippines being a tropical country had to really endure the burst of dengue all year round. Damn those mosquitoes!! But I learned that:
* It's better to be safe than sorry. So, I loaded on mosquito repellents to deter those pesky dengue-carrying mosquitoes. Natural-based are better than those with pesticide.
* When playing outside, kids should be in jeans or jogging pants. Self-explanatory.
* One should mosquito-proof homes. And clean surrounding areas.
* When you get dengue, it doesn't mean there's a lifetime immunity. Dengue strains ranges from 1, 2, 3 and 4. So, when you catch one, there's 3 more to go if you're not careful. Bummer.
* Dengue mosquitoes usually come out early mornings and around late afternoons.
* I learned to never disregard any complaints from my children. A tummy ache, ear ache or whatever. Sometimes, being a paranoid and over-reactant mom saves your kids from further health risks. Maternal instincts are really helpful.
* I learned to embrace natural remedies coupled with modern medicines. I learned to actually mash papaya leaves and squeeze out its juices because it helps to increase platelet count when administered to patients with dengue.
* I learned to choose the right DR for my children. I never replaced my kids' DR. He has always been proven and tested through the years.
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| Khym at the hospital still smiling with fever at 39.5*Celsius |
Khym is somehow okay now. Still at the hospital but is slowly recovering. No more fever but blood platelet is still below normal. Hopeful that all is well and it it is, he's due to check out from the hospital come Monday.
2 comments:
Hope Khym gets better soon! :)
Thanks Kitten. He's better now and will be out by today!yay!:)
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