OK, I feel like a bad bad Mommy. I thought I had learned never to trust Doctors, and always double check any information I was given, especially if it comes from a plain old pediatrician. But no, life gets busy, and somehow something I should have done slips by the back burner.
It all started when I called our local pediatrician to arrange flu shots for my three sweet young things. As I was talking to the nurse on the phone, she informed me that all three would be eligible for the flu mist instead of the flu shot. I asked her if even Conor could have it and she left for a second and then came back assuring me it was fine for him.
So, we head off to the Doctor's office last Wed, all excited to be misted and not shot, and still get our immunity to bad bugs. Everyone got the mist, and not a scream or yell was heard from the bunch. Natalie even thought it smelled kind of good!!!, And we went on our merry way to go on with our busy lives.
On Friday I picked Conor up from school, and he was secreting, hacking and sneezing to no end. Confused as to what could have brought on such an attack, I went home and drugged him and nebulized him for a few hours. After much hacking, sneezing and secreting, he fell asleep for the night, and then woke up in the morning perfectly fine, and well enough to score 2 goals at his soccer game. For the life of me though, I could not figure out what caused this sort of reaction in him, as there was nothing out of the ordinary in his day that I could put my finger on.
Later that Soccer filled day, I was talking to another parent whose son also had asthma and even goes to our same awesome allergist. I mentioned Conor had asthma also, and told her we had gotten the flu mist instead of the flu shot. This other soccer mom looked at me and told me her Dr. had said that kids with asthma should not get the flu mist. I was a bit disturbed on hearing this, as my son has asthma, and even had some sort of reaction a few days after having the mist. She told me it was even on their package insert in bold letters. OOOPPPPPSSS!!!!!
After all my distrust of doctors, I failed to double check a recommendation given not by my allergy son's allergist, but by the local pediatrician and his nurse. I feel so bad that I put Conor through an evening of fun. I subsequently went on line to check this myself, and of course it is clearly stated everywhere that the flu mist should not be given to those with asthma. Thankfully Conor only had that episode of hacking, etc, but I have still learned my lesson about double checking everything doctors tell me!!!
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