Printable Medicine Tracker – Preparing for Cold & Flu Season

It’s the beginning of cold and flu season. . .already. My 6-year-old was sick with a cold and a fever just two weeks ago during the last week of summer camp. The sickness seemed to then move through the house taking on a bit of a different form for each of us. Blah. If there’s one thing I can’t stand more than anything else, it’s germs!!

I was happy that we were able to get over our family illness before the start of school, but the morning I dropped him off for his first day of 1st grade, I looked around at all of the other kids and I had a slight panic attack. I knew the little bout of sickness our family just went through was unfortunately just the beginning.

Since my husband and I both work full time, our kids have always attended daycare. So, you can imagine that they’ve already been exposed to quite a bit. Any of the common viruses you can think of, we’ve probably had. I try to look on the bright side. . .since they’re being exposed to lots of germs early on in life, I’m hoping that their immune systems just keep getting stronger and stronger. Each year they’ll become a little less susceptible. Believe it or not, I’m seeing that happen already.

That doesn’t mean that I’m any less vigilant come cold and flu season, however. I always have my little medicine box stocked and ready to go. And I stock it EARLY. Have you ever found that when cold & flu season hits hard, stores are sold out of the medicines you need? That used to happen to me all the time, until I finally got smart about it and started stocking up on the medicines that work well for our family BEFORE the rush. That way I always know that I’m set if a “bug” happens to make its way into our home.

Among the old standbys like cough drops and a thermometer, there are three things that I make sure I have on hand at all times:

1. A quality probiotic to help deter tummy bugs (and to lessen the severity of a stomach virus if it hits)
2. A pain reliever and fever reducer that lasts up to 8 hours to help keep your child comfortable even throughout the night.
3. A cold and cough medicine that’s non-drowsy and actually tastes decent so kids don’t dread taking it (so important!).

I used to run my kids to our pediatrician or to urgent care the moment the thermometer detected a low grade fever. Please tell me you’ve been there, too, in your early mommy days!

I’ve learned my lesson over the years. What happened is that I was taking them into the clinic too soon. They may have had a low-grade fever, but no other symptoms. Since the illness was still in its early stages it was hard for our doctor (or any doctor) to accurately diagnose what was going on.

Now that I have a bit more experience, at the onset of an illness I observe, I record and I keep them as comfortable as I can. I’ve managed to keep our medical expenses down a bit and my sanity in check the past couple years. To make things easy, I created this Printable Medicine Tracker. It helps me stay on top of the care I’m giving to my kids and accurately tracks the medicines I’m administering. I can also take notes on reactions, additional symptoms, etc.

Note: If the illness seems to be getting worse instead of better over a period of a few days, that’s when I call the doc. The medicine tracker comes in so handy when they start asking me questions. I’ll often just take it along with me if I need to take one of the kids in to the clinic to be seen. 

In addition to the items I mentioned above, this year I’ve added one more tool to our family medicine box – a SayAhh! Sore Throat Exam Aid. So many childhood illnesses start with a sore throat – 90% of which are viral. I’m hoping to bring our family medical costs down even more this season with this helpful new addition!

The SayAhh! Sore Throat Home Exam Aid was designed by a doctor and is recommended by pediatricians, family physicians and pharmacists nationwide. It helps parents and caregivers observe, compare and report to their doctor what’s going on in their child’s throat and mouth and can help determine if a trip to the doctor’s office is necessary.

The package includes a:

• Patented, scientifically-designed oral retractor and flashlight to help parents and caregivers easily observe a child’s throat (especially children with a strong gag reflex)
• Medical-grade illustrated chart and clear pictures and descriptions of six common throat ailments (strep throat, coxsackie, mononucleosis, etc.), providing the user a solid basis for comparison to what should be seen in a normal throat
• Health management program at its website (www.sayahh.com) and the new SayAhh! Exam Guide App (available in the Apple App Store and coming soon to Google Play), containing in-depth information and photographic reference for the six common throat conditions I mentioned above as well as answers to FAQs, general notes from doctors, and more

Help is just a click away and I love that! The aid isn’t intended to diagnose or prevent any diseases, but rather, to encourage parents and caregivers to observe their child’s throat accurately, compare what they’re seeing in their child’s mouth to the SayAhh! medical grade illustrated reference chart and report those observations to their healthcare provider.

If it can save me a visit to our pediatrician this season, I’m all for it!

Did I mention that it sells for under $10?! It does! And right now you can save $1.00 more on your purchase with my special promo code “mom441” AND get free shipping (through November 1, 2015) when you purchase the new SayAhh! Sore Throat Home Exam Aid online at http://sayahh.com/purchase.html!

So you like to save. . .do you like to win, too?! I thought so. Here’s the rest of the deal. . .

Now through September 18, 2015, enter the SayAhh! Cold Season Survival Stash Sweepstakes for the chance to win a $25 American Express gift card to stock up on cold/flu supplies.

Fifteen winners will be randomly selected on September 18, 2015. AND AS A BONUS… if the SayAhh! Facebook Page reaches 1,500 FAN LIKES by the time the giveaway ends, we’ll prize a $200 American Express gift card to an additional (1) Grand Prize Winner!  Learn more about the new SayAhh! Sore Throat Home Exam Aid at www.SayAhh.com.

Be prepared for any illness that may strike and join the SayAhh! community on Facebook for more information and tips on taking care of your family during cold and flu season!

This is a product-provided, sponsored conversation that contains affiliate links. All opinions, text and experiences are my own.