Remedies/ cure for tonsilitis/ mouth ulcers

Tonsilitis going around in circles now. Sonny Boy's got it from me I suppose :-( Ugh ugh ugh.
So it's three nights of fever in a row for Sonny Boy. And three sleepless, restless nights for him and me. Coming tired and with a persistent headache to work from lack of sleep isn't exactly exciting.

What do you give kids when they have a persistent low-grade fever? It's not high enough to even give the gunky Calpol. And I sometimes belive the fever should not be suppressed. But it tires him out.... Ugh.

Raising a kid, specially a toddler is SUCH a tiring thing. How did our grandmas have four and five kids? Did they never tire? Did they never scream "Enough!!!"?

My attack of tonsilitis/ulcers/sores in the mouth has finally come down. But Sunday and Monday were hell. I couldn't speak or eat -- two things I LOVE.

Here's my list fo things to do to reduce the discomfort of tonsilitis/ulcers/sores in mouth:
1. Coconut oil: Use a sterilised cotton swab. Dip it in coconut oil and paint the insides of your mouth with it. IT REALLY HELPS. BIG TIME. Just don't eat or drink anything for a few minutes after that.
2. Gargle, rinse, swish your mouth with warm (not hot) water, salted with rock salt. About half a tea-spoon to a full glass. Do this at least twice.
3. A germicide gargle will help. But if teh ulcers are too severe, it HURTS. Ouch!
4. I've read it several times on the Internet. Tried it for the first time -- make a decoction of fenugreek seeds (methi seeds/mentya) by boiling it in water and rinse your mouth/gargle in throat with it.
5. Milk!!! Milk --- warm or room temperature helps, when sipped slowly. Some soothing effect. In India it's believed ulcers are caused by "heat". So any food that's cooling, without essentially being cold (refridgerated) -- a ganjee(conjee) of moong dal (hesaru bele) and milk, or rava (semolina) and milk. If you DON'T have tonsilitis along with ulcers, for ulcers alone the usual recco is tender coconut water/ buttermilk.
6. Over-the-counter analgesic mouth gels. But there's one danger. They temporarily numb the pain, but are so strong, can sometimes burn the tender skin lining your mouth. But they can NUMB the hell out of your tongue, and allow you to eat a few bites sometimes.
7. Don't talk. Not moving the tongue helps!
8. Brush, brush, brush your teeth, prefereably after evrey single meal.
9. Try nibbling on a few pods of cardomom (elaichi/yelakki). Take the black seeds inside the pod and pop them in your mouth, suck on the juice. I think it's a natural analgesic and numbs the pain. It also helps counter bad breath that comes with mouth infections. And it doesn't burn.

A for akshee, B for blob in nose...T for tonsilitis

Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
I'll never see the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel will I? I mean, I'm forever groping around in the darkness of the tunnel, going around in circles and coming back right there.

If the whole of last week wasn't bad enough for Sunny Boy with the sniffles and the leaky drippy nose, now it's full-blown tonsillitis and a chest congestion. Why-o-why-o-why? The poor soul can barely swallow food. Won't eat much. Keeps sneezing and coughing . I want to really fly up in the sky and pull out dear Sun who's hibernating behind the clouds in Bangalore these days. I mean I haven't seen a bleaker week in my entire life in this city.

But, he's been a good boy and takes in some home remedies very willingly to ease the congestion.

And before I forget, I'm putting down all anyone can do to ease the child during such illness (I keep doing this putting down things for myself, because whenever i ask my mom what she did for me when i was a kid she says she just can't remember. And me being forgetful me, I haven't much hope). I also help anyone else struggling in a similar situation can make use of it and find some relief.

1. Give lots of warm fluids -- ganji/kanjee made of roasted rice and boiled with some daal give sustenance and strength. Is warm soup for the soul and is easy on a swollen throat. Add some veggie from squash family -- pumpkin (white or yellow), or doodhi/sorekai (bottlegourd). Cook it in the ganji and mash so nutrition goes down as masked (hopefully) as possible.
2. Warm water to drink. This must be a fairly cooled down version of water boiled with some turmeric, tulsi and ginger in it -- a light decoction. (Thought he would puke it out. But, as surprises go, he loved it!) Best thing first in the morning.
3. Steam inhalation. Easier said than done. My boy is never going to go through this even if i try conning him, tell him he's going to play with water and steam up the bathroom. That's the ONLY time he doesn't wan to play with water!
4. My friends do this often; I've tried it sometimes and it helps, but my brat just resists everything (so pls understand my frustration as i crib and weep over and over) -- apply some lukewarm milk with a a few strands of saffron as a thin film on chest and forehead. The "heat" of the saffron absorbs the congestion. (For adults we use a mix of ginger/turmeric but that would be too strong on a baby's skin).
5. Another alternative to No. 4 is strapping on a strip of cloth (this is only for the chest) in which you've rolled up some crushed garlic -- some pods with skin peeled and crushed. (I tried this on Sonny Boy, who promptly pulled off strip after much wailing). But if you have a very willing baby (like the rest of the world seems to have) please try it. It eases congestion/phlegm built up in the lungs.

All these are tried and tested grandma's cures used for generations in my or friend's families. Just be careful. Whatever you apply, never near the child's eyes. Best applied after they are fast asleep if they are the rather unwilling kind.

I'm just oh-so-depressed. Can't take leave from work because I have almost none (saving the few for the rest of the calendar year). Can't concentrate on work because I'm thinking of the poor dear. Can't sleep peacefully because I keep waking up when he struggles to breathe.
And just sad, sad sad :-(