Potatoes and Fever

For over a week now we have been struggling with Isabela's flu symptoms: cough, little appetite, runny nose, stuffy nose and fever of 101 to 103. But it could also be she is teething. We have been giving her Motrin every 8 hours until we found that Croatia does indeed have Tylenol except it is called Lupocet.And so we are alternating every 4 hours. After a third visit to the pediatrician a blood test was finally done and confirmed no bacteria infection and therefore no need for antibiotics.

We have been doing every trick in the book to have her eat and drink. She had chicken soup with a medicine dropper another time I disguised the motrin with applesauce then yogurt and we have every type of cup available:sippy cup, lid with straw, lid with no straw and a regular bottle.

I won't deny I am feeling quite frustrated with the health care system. Yes it is free and should not complain. But I am starting to see a trend here. Pediatricians are not very fond of "prevention". I asked a second opinion about the seasonal flu shot, the same flu shot that USA advocates giving at age of 6 months and so on. Here in Croatia the doctors see as a waste of time, an unnecessary poke.

Home remedies are quite popular though. At this point I am willing to try anything, including my mother-in-law's advice about using potatoes for the fever. It won't hurt Isabela and why not try it right? Well try explaining to your 18-month old why she has to walk around with potatoes slices drenched in vinegar on the soles of her feet. At first she squirmed and kept saying "socke," her word for socks and then she was stomping around trying to dislodge the potato slices from her feet. It was funny at the time and somehow we managed to distract her from them and you know what? she forgot about them and ended up walking all afternoon with the potatoes on her feet! Did it help with the fever?? Hard to say with all the medications she was taking and that evening she still had a 101 fever. We tried putting a new batch of slices in the evening but this time she cried and refused we opted for a warm bath.

Hope we are on our way to recovery. Over all she remains her active self and that is reassuring. Do you have any home remedies you would like to share? Like I said, we are willing to try anything and everything.