Medical Update

This week has been one for the record books.  Christian wasn't feeling very good over the weekend.  As in, the kid had no appetite.  Very unusual!  I was tempted to keep him home Monday but sent him on his way with my fingers crossed.  He made it through the day but was exhausted when he got home.  Tuesday I got a call at 3:10 he threw up and had a 102 fever at daycare and needed to be picked up and couldn't come back for at least 24 hours.  I stayed home with him.  He certainly did not feel good.  However, we already had his 5 year wellness appointment set up for the morning.  That's the appointment I wanted to talk to the pediatrician about his adenoids.  He had his hearing and sight checked.  I had to mark developmental skills that he can achieve on this chart.  I almost started crying (which - believe me - isn't saying much these days) I couldn't check anything on the fine motor chart.  I million things were running through my head, such as:  I'm going to spend the day tutoring this kid.
Just seconds after he grabs a piece of chalk and asks how to write mom.  He wrote MOM on the little chalkboard.  Then proceeded to write his entire first name on the chalkboard.  I said, "Now, don't touch that, I want Dr. Stang to see it."  I was tempted to check off can write the first four letters of his name on the fine motor list but the nurse already tok the dry erase marker.  Since Victoria just had her 5 yr check up not long ago I knew all the things he was going to ask Christian.  The kid came out like a lil' academic rock star.  As he drew a person with not 5 body parts, but NINE.  Drew and named his shapes, wrote his name again with a great pencil grip, answered all the verbal questions really really well.  I saw the dr. glance at the sheet I marked.  I said, "He never does this much!"  He assured me, what's important is that he's able.  Not necessarily when he'll do it.  I felt great.

Then we started talking about adenoids and his tonsils.  He said his tonsils were a 3+ from 1-4.  He wanted us to get into the specialist ASAP because not being able to breath when you're sleeping is not good for your health.

Christian was surprised by two nurses who each had a needle in hand to give him his kindergarten shots.  He began to freak out and scream so I held his arm and the nurse tried to reason with him and get him to relax his arm.  The screaming and crying continued so they stuck him simultaneously and it was all over.  All over, except for the screaming and crying that is.  That continued while I was putting on his coat, while he picked out his stickers, while we walked through the lobby, in the car while I called Mark, all the way to the gas station I stopped at to get him a donut.

I made the appointment right when we walked in the door and low and behold there was an opening the very following day at 8am.  It was with a different surgeon than we had a couple years ago but we couldn't see her until late Feb.

He and I went there yesterday.  Oddly they had an aquarium with no fish and a waiting room with a TV (Rapunzel was playing) and no books.  What kind of pediatrics is that?

We had our appointment.  I really liked the surgeon (a man this time) and when Christian lays back his tonsils are a 4+ out of 4.  They fully touch, therefore blocking his airway.  His adenoids also need to be revised.  Before we left we had scheduled surgery.

Obviously this needs to be taken care of.  I logically know thousands of kids have their tonsils removed safely every year.  However, this is my little boy.  Not only is he going to be so so so scared but the recovery sounds really really difficult.  I asked the surgeon how many days until he can go back to daycare.  He said one week minimum.  He will need 1 on 1 care from an adult 24 hours a day.  He will need pain meds every few hours and will cry every time he swallows for the first couple days.  Even just swallowing his own saliva when happens several times a minute.  He will need to stay over night at the hospital at least one night.  They suspect he will need oxygen through the stay.

I am that the last pregnant lady to make excuses.  I usually just keep on living as if I'm not even pregnant - however, this may just put me over the edge.  By the time we had it all scheduled, the pre-op, the surgery, looking at the days I'll miss more school, looking at it taking place the day right after his birthday, the post-op appointment.  I was actually dizzy walking down the steps when we were leaving.

We will have his birthday party next week.  I plan on making it extra extra special.

To top it all off, Victoria threw up last night so now she's sick and can't go to school.

When it rains it pours!  Thank God for good insurance!