Sick Sick Sick

Hopefully this post will be somewhat therapeutic for me since it will most likely sound like ranting, raving, and whining for everybody else. Its all about the sick James

James got a runny nose on Tuesday and it was no big deal. Runny nose and a little cough and fever on Wednesday, no big deal. More of the same on Thursday with a bit of fever and most of Friday. However, Friday afternoon after his nap he was pretty much inconsolable, which is soooo not like our mellow boy. We hemmed and hawed for a bit and then headed off to find an open urgent care clinic, since it was about closing time for regular Drs. We walked in and then right out of 2 because the lines were so long. We eventually ended up waiting for our ''preferred one" to open up. We waited it out at Wendy's where James decided that eating chicken nuggets and french fries wouldn't be soooo terrible :)

You want to know what the worst thing is about Urgent Care Clinics? PEOPLE WHO GO THERE ARE SICK!!!!! I spent the hour that we were waiting to be seen OBSESSING about how many MORE GERMS James was picking up by playing with the toys and being near other children. I seriously used hand sanitizer on that kid 3 times while we were waiting. We took him in because we suspected an ear/throat infection despite our valiant attempts at giving him children's echinacea in all his beverages. When we was seen, he was a perfect angel letting the two aides/nurses take his temp, oxygen saturation, height, weight, etc. (He is 44 lbs, 39 inches. yep, 21 months and 3 feet, 3 inches!) His oxygen saturation was low and the dr. wanted to give him a breathing treatment.

They brought in a little medicing cup full of some steroid and we just looked at them and said, "good luck" and gave a brief explanation of all our woes in giving James medicine. (I had already been thrown up on twice this week trying to give him some cough med.) They were nice, but they said they were going to 'teach us a good way to give him medicine'. Oh, PLEASE TEACH US! (bit o' sarcasm there). They laid him on his back, held his arms, squirted the medicine in the inside of his cheek and then blew on his face, "so he'd have to swallow". Well, that worked for a few seconds, and then he puked his Wendy's chicken and fries all over the exam table. (Confession: yep, I did feel vindicated and I did not feel badly that they had to clean up his puke.)

After that we gave him the breathing treatment and he was doing better and they prescribed him Albuterol and Pulmicort for us to give him breathing treatments at home with a nebulizer, zyrtec, (Which is actually over the counter now and sooooo much cheaper, hallelujah!) and an antibiotic. We tried to tell them that we wouldn't have much luck giving him the antibiotic but they expressed their 'full confidence' in us and sent us on our 'merry' way.

Aside: THANK HEAVENS FOR CHILDREN'S MEDICAID!!!!! I am NOT ASHAMED to use this program. I have worked many years and have been a decent part of society. Medicaid covers EVERYTHING!! His meds alone came out to over $300 not to mention the drs visit and previous hospital stays. YEAH FOR THIS PROGRAM!

Anyway, let me try to be more succint: Breathing treatments at home, no problem. Zyrtec hidden in grape juice, no problem. Azithromyicin or however the heck you spell it, BIG PROBLEM. We tried giving it to him in really sugary applesauce, would not eat it. Tried the oatmeal. Refused. Went and bought a slush from sonic, took one sip and would not anymore. Tried the grape juice. Would not take more than one drink. At this point we are sooo frustrated and Ben and I are not at our best either as parents or partners. When I googled "antibiotic suppository" I found a really snotty Dr's article about how parent's need to teach their children HOW to take medicine. Sigh. When James woke up he was once again inconsoable and clawing at his ear and face. We had to do something so we took him back to the Urgent Care clinic.

When we were seen, Ben and I both had diarrhea of the mouth trying to explain how sick he was and how now we were OUT OF ANTIBIOTIC and James had not taken any. She looked at us and said, "How about the shot? Do you just want me to give him the antibiotic shot?"

I really almost kissed her.

Heck yeah, we'll take the shot! I'm not one of those moms who feels bad when their kid gets a shot. I know that it is for their good and I know that it will stop hurting as soon as they get a sticker or a sucker. James got the shot and he was pretty ticked off, but we got him calmed down. Oh and by the way, he had now developed a raging double ear infection. We waited for a few minutes to make sure he would not have a reaction and then we left so relieved. I know there is a bit of controversy about the antibiotic shot, but seriously, WHAT ARE WE SUPPOSED TO DO????

Anyway, we went and walked around wal*mart for a bit, 'cause it makes james happy and we were even going to get him a Blue's clue's dvd, but they only had the one we already had. He is happier tonight, definitely calmer and so are the parents.

And Karla, I AM RIGHT THERE WITH YOU: James=the only child. How in the heck other mamas have more than one child is BEYOND ME.