Paranoid

So Steve and I are always debating if we are too paranoid with Addison, I mean I wash my hands so much that they are constantly bleeding. We have had this debate a lot with the upcoming holidays, we really want to spend time with our families and friends and I even asked her Doctor about going around people and he said it was a risk and basically we had to decide if we wanted to risk it, but then he said you can't keep locked up all winter you'll go crazy so I was like yeah your right. Saturday was Addison's 2nd RSV shot and the nurses there had me in tears by the time they were done with their educational training. They showed us pictures of what Addison's lungs and airways look like compared to a new born and hers are so narrow and closed off already, if she got RSV the chances of survival are minimal. Something else interesting we learned is most viruses can only live on a surface for a max of one hour but RSV can live on surfaces for up to 14 hours, so they said that we needed to change our clothes whenever we go out and come home because it can live on clothes and then we can pass it to her this way. Who would have thought?




It isn't a great picture but the picture on the far left is a full term newborn with RSV and the picture on the right is a pre term baby with RSV

More RSV facts
This is for parents with babies, RSV is a common cold in most adults they wouldn't know they have RSV but in a child it is severe and most children have had the virus by the time they are 2. There are shots to protect your child but unless your child is high risk insurance companies will not pay for this shot. The shots are not vaccines they are just a shot that basically goes in and covers the babies receptors so that RSV can't attach as easily.
Always make everyone wash their hands right when they come into your home.
Make sure you always wash your hands and don't let anybody touch your babies hands.
The nurses said do not take your baby around anyone that has been sick within the last 2 weeks.

I'm sure you all think that I am a freak and overly paranoid but if you have been through what I have, with all the lectures, the papers in the mail, the phone calls and at least a dozen medical providers telling us that Addison wouldn't live if she were to get RSV this first year I hope you'd be the same way. I just want all these little babies to be protected, they are so fragile.