One Week

I finally took Big Boy to the pediatric ENT on Monday so we could get to the root of the never ending cycle of ear infections and strep throat.   Well. the appointment was Monday and the surgery to have his tonsils and adenoids removed is a week from today.  Holy fast Batman!  Never once did it cross my mind when we walked in there Monday morning, would we leave with a surgery date being nine days away.

It's been an interesting few weeks to say the least.  In addition to the ENT, Big Boy has started seeing a new Pediatrician.  I just couldn't handle his old Pediatric Group anymore.  The practice was too big and I was tired of seeing a nurse practitioner EVERY SINGLE TIME we went there.  They told me I could see an ENT whenever I wanted and the first time I call for the referral, they gave me a hard time.  SEE YA!   We switched to a new practitioner who has a solo practice which translates to a doctor who will know Big Boy and not try to pass him off on everyone else in the practice.   She is fantastic and we have seen more progress with her in two weeks then the entire amount of time we were with the old practice.

Unfortunately, we have to cancel Big Boys appointment at the Specialized Hospital on the 8th because his surgery is the day before.  This is a real bummer since it takes so long to get an appointment there but like I mentioned earlier, I think the ENT would have removed his tonsils that day if he could have, ya know?  It seems like we are forever at doctor appointments lately but at least we'll get them out of the way before the summer comes.

Lastly, Big Boy is about to age out of the Pre-school Autistic program and at the recommendation of his teacher, we will be MAINSTREAMING him next year!   Yup yup yup, you read that correctly, Big Boy will be mainstreamed for part of kindergarten and will spend the other part of the day receiving speech and occupational therapy.  He's doing so well and  barely qualifies for services at this point but there is no way I will give them up.   The real indicator will be how he fairs in kindy because if I give up his rights to services and he can't handle a mainstream kindy, I'll never get him back in the program and then I just don't know what will happen.

So.....this is what's going on at the beach these days.  Everything revolves around Big Boy ( as usual) and once we get through the surgery next week we will be able to focus on his kindy placement and what  type of curriculum we can build specifically for him.   I think this blog entry may be the longest I've sat down and relaxed in the last week.

Please...No More

I don't think I can take another sinus infection. This has been going on since a week before Christmas and just won't stop. To add insult to injury, both Hubby and Big Boy are are dealing with this too. I don't know how to stop this viscous cycle and it's really starting to depress me.

Obviously getting sick is just a part of life, right? I would be shocked if we didn't pass something around during the winter but this year is just a mess. It started a week before Christmas and has never really gone away. Hubby had an awful case of strep which he then shared with all of us. Fine. We all survived and went about our business. Then came the sinus infections.... Not only do they seem to last for ages but the pain that comes with it is like nothing I have ever felt.

Three weeks ago, I actually wished I could drill a hole in my right temple just to relieve the sinus pressure. It felt like someone had my head in vice-grips and was pushing the palm of their hand into my cheek bone as hard as they could. Nice, huh? Finally, after a week or so the pain let up and I was finally feeling better. In the past twenty-four hours, all three of us have gone completely down hill.

I've come to the conclusion that I can drink orange juice and Airborne all day and it's not going to help one bit once this gets you. Looks like another trip to the doctor Monday. Super.

No Really, I Love Being Sick

I love it.  I can't get enough of being sick with this plaque which has been vacationing in my house for over a month now.  What I'm even more excited about, is which one of us is going to get it back now.    I'm thinking Big Boy is finally starting to feel better so my money is on him.   Hell, sleep is overrated anyway, right?

All kidding aside, I can't take much more of this.  Hubby got sick just after thanks giving and ended up with raging strep throat and bronchitis.  He was down for the count for over a week but once he was on the mend, all seemed well and it looked like BB and myself would dodge a bullet. 

WRONG.

About a week later, BB begins to show signs of being sick but nothing to panic over.  I come down with an awful case of strep throat and am just a mess.  I had no voice what so ever and had honestly, never felt throat so bad in all my life.  While this is going on, BB's pediatrician is being jerky about his meds but we finally get him on an antibiotic and go about our business.   Unfortuantly, neither one of us ever completely mend from whatever this was and poor Hubby has a relapse right on Christmas and ends up sicker than before.   He bounces back and we spend NYE all lying on the sofa trying to get BB's 104.5 fever down so we don't have to spend the New Year in the ER....

Jealous yet?  I thought you might be.  So here we are just one week into the new year and guess who's having an awful relapse of the plague that wouldn't go away?  Anyone?     That's right...ME!  I hate to bellyache but enough already.   My throat is a mess and combine that with a dry cough and this feeling like someone is sitting on my chest and well, I'm not very happy.   Anyway, all I can do is rest (fat chance) and hope this passes.

Should Be Interesting....

Tomorrow is Big Boys 4 year well check up with the pediatrician.  I used to get extremely over whelmed at the thought of these appointments but I'm actually looking forward to getting this one out of the way.  I have a ton of questions to ask her regarding BB's charming behavior.  I really want to get  her take on the H1N1 vax and if she thinks he should get it and if so...when?  BB also need to get his four year boosters which is such a bummer for him.  lastly, I'm curious whether or not we need to go back to the Specialized Hospital?

 In all seriousness, we do have to discuss what the Pediatrician thinks we should do about the missing coin.  Obviously, we are hoping we missed it and it's long gone but I'm thinking that isn't the case.  From everything I have read, the rule of thumb is after three weeks surgical intervention is required to removed the coin.   This is what his pediatrician has been saying but I honestly think she thought the coin would have been long gone too.  The thought of BB needing an endoscopy scares the daylights out of me but I don't think there are any other options?  I'm also worried the coin could be stuck in his intestines and I'm not even sure what type of procedure that entails.

Tomorrow is shaping up to be a pretty busy day and as usual, I just don't want to go to bed.  My mind is racing a mile a minute with questions, I'm worried about handling BB alone tomorrow at both the doctors office and the hospital.  Let's not forget all the other things I've got to squeeze in.  So I guess its time to catch some sleep.  Morning comes super fast and BB has built in radar.  He always know what days to wake before 6am.

Good times.

*Sigh*

My poor Big Boy is sick again.  We were at the pediatrician last week and she said he had an upper respiratory infection but nothing to be worried about and sent us on our way.  I knew something wasn't right since.  I know my kid and I sure as hell know when he is out of sorts.  Another trip to the pediatrician later and he has a double ear infection and the croup.  Poor thing.

I just feel so bad for him.  He missed the Halloween party at school and trick or treating at the high school.   I'm really hoping to be able to take him around to a few housed tomorrow but I guess I'll just have to wait and see.  Luckily it isn't the flu since it's just about impossible to get pediatric Tamiflu that isn't compounded from the adult capsules.  I don't know about you but it scares the hell out of me knowing the pediatric Tamiflu is on a huge back order and the pharmacies have been instructed to make the pediatric doses from the adult capsules.  I have to say it was pretty cool watching the pharmacists do it but really scary at the same time.

In other news, BB still hasn't passed the mystery coin which was swallowed three weeks ago.  I have to take him to his four year well check up on Tuesday and if he hasn't passed it by then I believe we will be sent over to the hospital for more x-rays an then make a decision from there.  I'd like to think that maybe we "missed" it but I highly doubt it.   I guess we'll just keep on waiting.  Between this coin and all the various illnesses he has had the past few weeks,  I think I've kept both his pediatrician and hte pharmacy in business. 

None of this was in the manual...

Nothing Yet

Big Boy still hasn't passed the coin he swallowed on Saturday.  We took him back to the pediatrician yesterday and she sent us over to the hospital for another series of x-rays.  Unfortunately, the coin still hasn't moved from his stomach.  His doctor is concerned so she consulted with a surgeon and the consensus is if he doesn't pass it by early next week we will move ahead with seeing the surgeon.  Even though the coin has cleared his airway, it seems to be taking a bit too long moving through the rest of his system.  I'm trying to stay as calm as I can through this but now I'm starting to get really worried.

I guess it's back to the waiting game.  

NOM NOM NOM

Yup.  I knew it was only a matter of time before we ended up at the emergency room with Big Boy.  Considering he made it just a few weeks shy of his fourth birthday is pretty impressive.   Once BB began getting in to everything and anything, I moved his two piggy banks into his closet.  I didn't want him to play with them or even worse, break them or swallow the coins.

Every time I'm hanging up his clothes in his closet, he always comes in and asks to play with the pigs.  EVERY TIME he is told no and we all go about our day.  Today while Hubby was in his closet for heaven knows what, BB asked to play with the pigs and Hubby said "sure!"    *sigh*    I was in the kitchen loading the dishwasher while this was all taking place so you can only imagine how aggravated I was to find the two of them playing on the living room floor with two piggy banks dumped out.  Hubby told me what happened and after I explain he has just been "worked over" by our four year old, he decided to have BB seperate the coins between the two banks so they could be put away...

I knew things were going too well today when BB started to cry uncontrollably and had his fingers shoved in his mouth.  It didn't take a genius to realize what had just happened and even though I never saw him put the coin in his mouth, I knew he swallowed one.    After a quick call to the Ped. we were off to the ER.  Luckily we were in and out of the ER in under two hours with a little boy and a coin in his tummy.  The x-ray is hysterical!  It really does look exactly like this picture (no this isn't his x ray).

Thank goodness the coin passed easily through his airway and was already in his stomach because the doctor told me had it been in his airway, he would have had to been airlifted out and have some crazy procedure done. This scared the heck out of me. Anyway, it really is amazing what can happen in the blink of an eye. Big Boy was pretty damn scared after he swallowed the coin and he knew exactly what we were at the hospital for. So for the next few days, I get to inspect poop...lucky me. I am curious though :)

Enough Already

This really isn't fair. I took my lumps two weeks ago and dealt with having strep throat. I finished the nine days of antibiotics and was happy to have the yearly plague behind me. Wrong again. I knew something was off last night when I was getting nauseated by everything and I could feel the all too familiar weight in my chest and tickle in my throat. I chalked it up to being exhausted from the time change and went to bed. Wouldn't you know it, I woke up this morning feeling miserable.

Ironically, I was supposed to go back to the doctor tomorrow night to have a repeat strep test. Apparently, strep throat in adults can be very dangerous and my doctor like to play it safe. No biggie, I left work (which I fell so guilty for doing) and went to the doctor today instead. The good news is it isn't strep throat. The bad news is I have tracheal bronchitis and another sinus infection. How the heck does this keep happening???

I know how....I work in a pharmacy surrounded by sick people all day. Big Boy must bring home a ton of germs from school and Hubby works in an office building. Combine all that with my weak immune system and what do you get...me. This is a real bummer though. I'm super contagious and now I missed another day of work today and will definitely miss tomorrow. I'm supposed to stay out the rest of the week but there is no way we can afford it.

What next? Well, I can guarantee BB will catch this. He was a little stuffed up today. I know this sounds terrible but I hope he can fight it off until he gets home from school Friday. I can't miss anymore work to stay home with him. I know my luck though....it will never work out that way. So here I sit, depressed about being sick and feeling lousy. Good times.

When Did We Get A Seal?

Just gotta love the croup. So, it looks like we will be going back to the Pediatrician today.

But Of Course, Perfect Timing

Big Boy strikes again. Tomorrow is mine and Hubby's five year wedding anniversary. Our original plans were to go to the city for the day and catch a matinee on Broadway. I had no idea there were no Friday afternoon shows. The next plan was to go and maybe hit the Museum of Natural History and then wander on down to the village for some Friday happy hour. Damn! That would have been fun. Alas, foiled again. Eventually, we decided to save our money( which we really didn't have to begin with but just wanted a fun day to ourselves) and work on our home projects.

A few weeks ago we found mold in the bathroom. After further inspection we realized we had to take off the wall paper, caulk the tub and pull up the floor. Good times. Right now my bathroom looks like a nuclear holocaust. The floor is pulled up, the sink is gone and all the wall paper has been steamed off. Obviously, we need a bathroom so this isn't a long term project. We decided after I dropped BB off at school, Hubby would work in the bathroom and I would try to deep clean at least two rooms and get some stuff boxed up and off to the post office. I have some some things of BB's from when he was an infant that at would like to ship out to a friend but seriously can't find the time to do it. Around one or two, we would head over to Lowe's and look at some new fixtures and pick paint samples and then go grab some lunch and relax. My sister in law is going to pick BB up from my Mom's after school and everything was set...

Guess who has a fever and a cough?





Wait for it....






BIG BOY! Perfect timing as usual. So depending on how he feels in the morning, it looks like all plans are canceled. I figure he'll probably get worse overnight which means we'll be at the Pediatrician in the morning. Of course after the Pediatrician, we have to stop at Toys R Us. Call it creative parenting, bad parenting, call it whatever the hell you want but by about noon tomorrow we'll all have cabin fever and be at each others throat so I think a new toy may be in order.

So right now everything is on hold depending on how BB feels in the morning. Unless he has a fever, is throwing up or has green snot coming out of his nose, he is going to school. I say that now but all he has to so is give me those sad sickly puppy dog eyes and he won't be going anywhere. Can't he put it on hold until Saturday? He can be sick all he wants over the weekend. He can even puke on me if he wants. Please don't be sick tomorrow!

They're Back....

Hot flashes. I don't understand. I was doing so well on the Premarin. Now it seems the night sweats have returned full force and I'm back to waking up three and four times. Maybe I missed a dose of the Premarin and don't remember. Hopefully it's nothing. I never realized how well I was sleeping until this started up again. I was actually hoping that maybe my doctor could lower the dosage over the next few months. Guess not. Damn.

That Is Really Gross.

Lately I've noticed, my ears feel really clogged. I went to the doctor yesterday and surprise surprise, I have yet another left ear infection. I'm averaging about one every three months. What thirty three year old woman gets chronic ear infections? So aside from the constant infections, my ears just felt stuffy. I remembered about eight or nine years ago using ear candles and I just happen to be near the homeopathic-apothecary store (as it's called) yesterday and was able to pick some up. I had completely forgotten how cool they are. Hubby was a bit skeptical of my "voodoo" as he so politely called it, but in the end, I think he was more into it than I was.

Now. the candles are made of beeswax and they look like a typical candlestick except they are hollow. Both ends are open but the one is tapered to a smaller opening to fit into your ear. At this point, common sense should tell you that this is a two man operation and I really hope no one tries to do this alone. Also, don't fforget you will need something to protect your clothes in case a few hot ashes come lose. We used a large piece of aluminum foil and pushed the candle through the center.

Now for the fun part! As crazy as it sounds, you put the tapered end in your ear and then you light the other end on fire. What is does is it creates a vacuum effect which sucks out all the old debris and wax. You usually burn the candle down to about three inches. It takes about sever or eight minutes per ear depending on ow fast the beeswax melts down.

Needless to say, it is pretty gross when you cut the thing open and see all the old trapped wax that has been stuck in your ear. I remember the first time I saw what come out of my ears, I thought I was going to be sick. When you think about it, you're not supposed to stick q-tips in your ear so I would think it's good to "flush" them out once in awhile right?. As soon as I finished the first ear, I couldn't believe how much better my head felt and I actually think I can hear better. It's probably all in my head but, oh well. Hubby was even so impressed by how much better his ears felt that he wants to pick another pack this weekend and do it again. I think I am going to turn this into a monthly routine. Hey, maybe it will help me cut down on what seems like a never ending ear infection.

Anyway....I say check them out. Even Hubby is down with the "voodoo ear magic." My next adventure is to try neti-pot. That scares me a little.

It Was Only A Matter Of Time

Before I had to call Poison Control. I'm impressed we made it three years. Big Boy decided to help himself to a few Tums in my purse. Sheesh, I can't even use the bathroom without some kind of disaster happening. Luckily, a few Tums aren't considered dangerous to a three year old.
Anyway, here is the number in case any of you Jersey folk find yourself needing it (which I hope you never do). 1-800-222-1222.

So Sleepy

Big Boy is sick. He will be three in October and this is the first time he has ever ran a really high fever. Naturally, I hit the panic button. He must be feeling awful. I called out of work tomorrow because the fact that he had a 104 degree fever earlier really scared me.

I am so tired that I am actually over tired and wired. I am scared if I fall asleep, his temperature will shoot up again. I know, I need to get some sleep. I'm going.

Kix

I guess it was inevitable that big boy would eventually try to stick something up his nose. Kix cereal, one in each nostril. At least he didn't do it half ass-ed and got both nostrils on his first try. He screamed and cried while we were removing them and not more than five minutes later, he tried sticking even more up there.
Once again, this is why children should come with an owners manual.

Stink Eye

Ugh, how on earth did my 40 year old husband get pink eye? I guess this means we all will be getting it. I tell ya, if its not one thing its another.

On a funny note, the pharmacy I work at filled a prescription for me today and shorted me ten pills. Nice. I really don't think I have to worry about them thinking I'm lying and selling the pills on the side. Last time I checked, there was no real street value for a hormone pill used to treat hot flashes. However, should there be...you know who to come see:)

Update...not pink eye! Still swollen and sore but not pink eye.