D-Day: Thoughts of a dengue survivor’s dad

The whole point of being a dad is to be the hero: you’re the one who makes the “ouchies” and the “boo-boos” go away, the only man your daughters can trust, and the proper role model for your sons. This is what my father taught me, and this lesson was surely passed on from his father, and his father before that. When the time comes, I will definitely do my best to convey this to my 6-year-old son, Miggy.

My role as a “hero Dad” was put to the test very recently when Miggy came down with dengue.  It was a relatively uneventful Saturday when Miggy complained of a headache.  When I felt his forehead, I noticed his temperature was high.  This flipped an alarm switch in my head because during the school week, my son related to us how many of his schoolmates fell ill to dengue.

Recommendation

Good thing I remembered a banner ad stating that the World Health Organization and the Department of Health recommend paracetamol for fever that may be caused by dengue.  Other traditional fever meds like aspirin and ibuprofen cause blood thinning, and actually worsen the symptoms. This is precisely why I bought paracetamol (Calpol), several bottles of an isotonic drink to prevent dehydration, and a treat for Miggy for being such a brave little soldier.

I researched to confirm his symptoms and the following information created further anxiety: “Dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF) is a specific syndrome that tends to affect children under 10 years of age. It causes abdominal pain, intense bleeding and shock.”  I immediately called the family doctor and set an appointment.

“First things first,” I said, “Does he have dengue?” The doctor replied that he would need to check Miggy out further in order to make a better assessment.

Reassurance

After a series of questions and examinations, the doctor half-confirmed my suspicions. “It looks like he might have dengue, but we need to perform a blood test to be sure.” Miggy’s dengue was confirmed but the doctor reassured me, “You caught the symptoms early, and you administered the correct type of medicine.” With that, the doctor again reminded me to always administer paracetamol for Miggy’s fever based on his weight, and not just for his age.

Weeks later, Miggy was a happy, healthy kid again.   Nowadays, we keep insect repellent on hand at all times.  Moreover, to give us that added peace of mind, we solved the stagnant water issues that we had around our house, thus making it safer for our kids.

I feel like a hero whenever I look at my kids, and like any other parent, I would move heaven and earth to give them the best.