CAKEBALLS FOR A BLEEDING NOSE

One thing I have been doing as a preventive measure:  Otrivin.  It constricts the blood vessels.  Just prior to something like gymnastics, where I know they'll get hot, I'll squirt it in each nostril.  Just once.  Not even afterwards.  I only do it once a week so they don't get addicted to it.  Doc says it's okay if I don't do it more than 3 days in a row.  But I never do that.  I use it selectively for when they have strenuous activities and will get hot from working out.     

These were for the lovely secretary at Bebe's elementary school.  
You see, I have a bleeder.  

Since she was 2, Bebe has had nosebleeds.  Regularly.  Sometimes twice a week.  Sometimes everyday; especially if it's extremely hot.  Sometimes both nostrils at the same time.  She's 7 now and still a bleeder.
When she was very young, we took her to Children's hospital once...with kleenex plugs in her nose--and the emergency doc looked at her and laughed.  He didn't do much for her.  He just told us to do what the first aid books tell you.  Well, the books also say that if the bleeding doesn't stop after 15 minutes, you're to go to the emergency!  The emergency doctors don't think so apparently.  We were sent home.

Some first aid courses and medical books say that you're supposed to pinch her nose and have her lean forward.  It doesn't work.  Her bleeding is below the place where you pinch.  And the blood backs up and goes down her throat.Yuck.  

The only thing that works is the kleenex plugs.  I pre-make hundreds of them and put them in a tupperware container and bring little baggies of them with me when we go out because you never know...

I think the plugs create a bit of pressure and help the bleeding stop.  I change the plugs until the bleeding slows down.

Twice a day since the age of 2, we've applied vaseline or some moisturizer (saline spray, gel spray) in both nostrils.  We've also tried premarin (I know...it's for menopausal women!)  I asked the specialist why a vaginal cream for the nostrils? and he replied it would help toughen up the tissue in her nose.  It didn't work.  We went through the whole tube--and nothing changed.  Meanwhile, I was worrying that she would sprout boobies at age 5 from the estrogen in her nostrils.
We went to Finlandia and the helpful lady told us to try Vitamin E oil.  She advocated Vitamin C and all the holistic stuff that I had already been giving Bebe.  She takes all that and omega 3 to boot.  So we tried the Vitamin E oil because you never know...and went through two bottles.  I eventually gave up because the difference from vaseline was negligible...and the bleeding still occurred.  

Some natural remedies we tried didn't work either.  We also employ an arsenal of things that help stop the bleeding once it starts:  we use ice packs on her, we have her drink cold water, we cool her down, we calm her down.  We place a cold towel on her forehead and/or on her neck.  You name it, we've done it.

I've even used acupressure on her and squeezed her middle finger at the first joint on the opposite hand of the nostril that is bleeding.  It might slow the bleeding, but it sure doesn't prevent it.
Apparently her skin is very thin in there and her blood vessels are close to the surface and rupture easily.  The specialist says she'll outgrow it eventually.  His preferred option is to put her under general anaesthetic before cauterizing both nostrils. I'm not too keen on that.  
 

You may think this is a bummer (and it is) because it's a bother to worry about a bleeding nose when you're at karate class, at gymnastics, or if you're just running around the playground.  She's often had to go to the office at lunch because it would start bleeding.  I usually equip her with kleenex in both pockets to ensure she can make it to the office without getting all her clothes bloodied.  She's a pro at bleeders and doesn't cry anymore.  She knows how to make her own little plugs.  You have to use them in her case otherwise you don't have a free hand to attend to her other nostril or hold the ice pack etc.

The poor secretary has called me at work to tell me it's been over 15 minutes…and I know I must sound like a callous mom on the phone when I tell her not to worry and I say it'll stop eventually.  I tell her to use a tiny kleenex plug and she says that's not the way they were trained in first aid.  I know.  I know.  But my family doc doesn't poo poo my method.  I've finally decided it's about time to get something done.  This is because Bib, who's now three and has had bleeders too since about 2 years old, is vying for attention by bleeding  just as much as her sis.  Between the both of them, I'm pretty busy plugging up nostrils.  Now you know why I need those darned plugs?  I don’t have enough hands to pinch noses, hold their heads forward and hold a kleenex under the nostrils to catch the blood.  It’s just so inefficient.  Especially when both of them are bleeding at the same time.  At least they usually have the decency to bleed at different times of the day.            
And yes, I do humidify my house when it's dry.  Besides, we practically live in a rainforest in Vancouver and it's always raining.  How often is it even dry around here?  That's obviously not the problem.

So no, I don’t stuff the cakeballs in their nostrils as my title may have had you wonder.  Nor do I feed them cakeballs to make their nose stop bleeding.  The cakeballs are a thank you to the kind secretary at school who frequently has to deal with a bleeder when she  a bunch of other work she could be doing. 

BTW, I am finally fed up and in a couple of weeks we’re going to cauterize.  My family doc is sending me to someone “old school” who cauterizes in his office under local anaesthetic and with a stick with some silver nitrate at the tip.    I have a feeling it’ll be a struggle to get them to allow a stick up their noses, but they’ve had enough things up their noses so they should be used to it!

For the recipe, you simply crumble a baked cake into a bowl (a mix or pre-bought is fine) add a dollop of frosting to it until it is moist enough to hold shape in your hands.  Mix well! then form balls.  Refrigerate.  Dip in Wilton candy melts.  Decorate before the melts dry.  Yum!

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