Repeat after me.... "You are not a bad mom...."
I know I'm not a bad mom. I think I'm pretty standard when it comes to the scale. But for a few hours today I questioned myself, just a little...
The whole family is battling or recovering from a mean cold - and currently it's taking its toll on the hubs and myself. We went for a little drive around lunch time to just get out of the house and on our way home from our drive, Charlie and Wyatt both fell asleep in the truck. Since they only slept about 15-20 minutes, when we got home, I let Charlie play around for a little bit, have a snack and then I planned to put him down for a nap.
Charlie had different plans. :) Of course, 15-20 minutes of sleep is PLENTY for a little boy recovering from a cold.... In his mind. Nonetheless, I put Charlie in bed and sat in his room like I always do, just giving a little company and waiting for him to fall asleep.
**I've thought about leaving this portion of the story I'm about to tell out, but it's the truth and I know I'm not the only one this could happen to...**
Today, however, I decided it was time for momma to get a little catnap herself - maybe it'll help me recover from this cold... So I laid down on Wyatt's bed and told Charlie I was going to take a nap, too. I dozed off...
Ten minutes. Ten minutes is all. That's all the time that passed. But when I woke up, Charlie wasn't in his bed. Sigh.......... Where is that little rascal....
He wasn't in the living room. He wasn't in the bathroom. He wasn't in my bedroom. Then I heard him in the kitchen.... Probably just getting a snack.
I walked in to discover Charlie had pulled the kitchen table chair all the way across the kitchen and had climbed up and opened the medicine cabinet.........................
OHMYGOODNESS!!!! CHARLES!
He had opened a bottle of chewable antacids and had chewed up but spit out three or four of them. Then I noticed on the kitchen floor was an open bottle of allergy medicine. Open. Pills all over the floor. Oh no. Oh no. Oh no.
"Charlie, did you eat any of these?" "Yes!" "Charlie, how many did you eat?" Charlie starts counting "One, two, three!"
Now.... Charlie answer yes to a lot of things... and he starts counting to a lot of things.... You can't always trust a two year old.... Obviously.
I cleaned up the mess. Gave him a cup of milk, took him to the living room and turned on a show. I sat and wondered what to do.... Surely he didn't eat that medicine.... it's hard and I'm sure tastes awful.... Maybe I'll just give him 30 minutes and see how he's doing...... Maybe...
I decided I'd go on and call Poison Control. I explained the situation to a wonderful nurse, Rachel, and she explained that the allergy medicine he had isn't necessarily a dangerous medicine. IF Charlie did ingest any of it, it would sort of amp him up - he might get a bit hyper or even irritable or start shaking. Keep an eye on him and she's going to call and check on us in an hour and probably again later in the evening.
Thank the good Lord, Mr. Charlie is JUST fine. He has been my normal wonderful little Charlie and I could not be more relieved. I really have no idea what I would do if something ever happened to either of these boys.
Wonderful Rachel at Poison Control called to check about an hour or so later and then again a few hours after that. She explained the time frame for any possible side effects would be about two and a half hours after ingesting so she is very certain that we are in the clear.
I called my mom in the midst of the waiting and we tried to decide if I needed to relocate my medicine cabinet.... It has all been cleaned out - old meds trashed - condensed and placed on the highest shelf in the cabinet.
"You're not a bad mom....." If I hadn't dozed off.......... But me falling asleep isn't the reason Charlie was able to get in the medicine cabinet. I could have just as easily been using the restroom. We can't have our eyes on our children 110% of the time... But we can try to eliminate the dangers. I really didn't imagine Charlie could get into the cabinet. But clearly, I was wrong. Also surprising, the allergy medicine he had gotten into had a "childproof" cap on it. I've seen stories before showing children opening all sorts of "childproof" caps.... and Charlie clearly has this ability as well. So, don't trust childproof caps, parents.... Put the stuff up HIGH!
And in case anyone else gets in this pickle.... do not be afraid to call Poison Control. I've called them twice now in my time as a parent and I have been completely pleased with my experience both times. They are always so sweet and caring and definitely not judgmental at all.
I hated the experience this afternoon but the outcome was everything I could have hoped for. I have my handsome, happy little Charlie being his normal sweet self. And........ that ten minute nap seemed to help. Either that or the adrenaline after discovering my little rascal in potential danger....
Tomorrow is a new day. Hug your kids. Hide your meds. Even better than you think you need to hide them.
Showing posts with label hiccups. Show all posts
Showing posts with label hiccups. Show all posts
Sunday, March 29, 2015
Wednesday, July 2, 2014
Did someone say strep...?
Yesterday, my dad and I were scheduled to go on a secret mission to get a birthday gift for my mom. We had all the details lined out and were planning a 1:00 p.m. departure.
But life isn't that simple.
All morning, my beautiful Charlie just didn't seem quite right and he was a fuss. budget! He took a morning nap and when he woke up he felt like a charcoal briquette! I took his temperature around 10:30 to find he had a 103 degree fever. ?! Charles !?
The secret mission was being threatened! I had arranged for my mother-in-law to keep the boys after lunch - through naptime - until the evening when I returned. I texted her to tell her that Charlie had a fever - we both assumed he had an ear infection because he had been tugging at his ears for nearly two weeks. I didn't think a whole lot about it - he hadn't been overly fussy and he was sleeping fine - I just figured he was being 18 months old and touching everything. He has also gotten two molars in the last couple weeks so I associated any possible issues with the teeth.
Thank goodness for a mother-in-law who isn't afraid of a fever. May I add here - my mother-in-law feel off her ass and broke her ass several weeks ago... (It's okay that I say this... because she has said it before... :) ) So not only is she not getting around in her typical fashion - but she's going to watch my boys for me AND one of them has a fever. Bless her.
I dropped the boys off and had a wonderfully successful secret mission.
Later that night, I arrived to pick up Charlie, and he was a sad little sight. He was pretty tender, had just been laying around on Memaw for the majority of the time, and again, he was on FIRE.
When I got him home, I discovered he had 103.6 fever. OMgoodness!? I tried not to get too concerned - figuring it had been several hours since Tylenol. I gave him a dose of Ibuprofen and he fell asleep promptly at 8.
An hour later, I went in to check his temperature and was pleased to find it had already dropped to 100-101. I really had a sneaking suspicion I was going to find a 104+ fever and we were going to have to head to the emergency room - again..... (Still paying for the last trip, by the way...)
Charlie slept beautifully. He didn't make a peep all night and woke up around 9 in the morning. He was still just a little feverish but seemed to have a little more pep, and an appetite - thank goodness!
Still, I thought, we need to get this boy to the doctor to find out what caused this fever.
Fast forward to 3:30.
They tested for strep. Boom. Positive.
AGAIN!?
Turns out, the doctor thinks Charlie probably didn't completely recover from his last go-around with strep. Since the amoxicillin-serum-sickness-ridonkulously-dramatic episode not long ago, we've been using precaution with any antibiotics. She had prescribed azythromiacin for five days. Odds are, five days just didn't quite kick the strep.
I felt relieved knowing that we caught this early enough to treat and no longer be contagious for the upcoming holiday. That relief quickly faded to fear that Wyatt, Seth, or myself, would come down with strep just in time for closed doctor's offices and holiday parties.
Long story short....? Or is it too late for that...?
I am not typically this person. But. I called one of our family doctor's and asked if he could maybe prescribe antibiotics for the rest of us. Like I said, I wouldn't typically jump the gun and ask for treatment, but knowing my luck, one or several of us would wake up on Friday morning and have a fever and be getting this little fun-sucker. Also, Charlie and I just shared a popsicle on the deck a couple of days ago. ......
They said they could help me and they could help Seth, but they don't see patients under 16 so Wyatt was out of luck. They asked if we had any allergies, "No." and they called in prescriptions. Saved.
I made a mercy call back to the boys' regular doctor and explained, "I would not typically ask for this - I would wait for a fever or some other symptoms, but I'm just worried Wyatt will catch this just in time for a long weekend." Amazingly, and thankfully, they obliged and called in a prescription for Wyatt.
We killed our time by making a trip to Wal-Mart (also, I don't make a habit of taking my sick kid out in public... but we use a cart cushion and he really sat quietly sucking his sucker.... so stop judging.... you do what you can...) Wal-Mart at 4:30 is the death of me. I'm a 9:00 a.m. Wal-Mart shopper. We made it through our list in decent time and after the typical check-out line drama, we were free.
Off to the pharmacy.
Didn't I say long story short... Sorry, I guess I lied.
Giving four different names for prescription pick up confused the daylights out of people... They had received one for Charles, but not for Wyatt, Seth or Lindsey. Not long after, all of the prescriptions had been called in. As I sat, they called out the drive-up window and asked if I was allergic to Sulfa.
....... Yes......... "Well they called in a 'script with Sulfa for you."
$&#(%*Q!*#*)(%)(#*%)@($*%)@(#*%)(@$*
In my scatter-brained worry filled haze, I forgot to tell the doctor's office, "Yes, I'm allergic to sulfa."
Okay, I will have to call them tomorrow and ask for a different prescription.
Three different rounds of "It'll be 5-10 minutes" later, I had left with three prescriptions to protect my family from strep.
I was spent.
Final note on the subject - the doctor asked to see Charlie again in about 14 days, after he had completed his antibiotics, to confirm that we had gotten rid of the strep. So get excited, Charles Henry, two weeks from now you get another stick down your throat.
All because we love you... ;)
But life isn't that simple.
All morning, my beautiful Charlie just didn't seem quite right and he was a fuss. budget! He took a morning nap and when he woke up he felt like a charcoal briquette! I took his temperature around 10:30 to find he had a 103 degree fever. ?! Charles !?
The secret mission was being threatened! I had arranged for my mother-in-law to keep the boys after lunch - through naptime - until the evening when I returned. I texted her to tell her that Charlie had a fever - we both assumed he had an ear infection because he had been tugging at his ears for nearly two weeks. I didn't think a whole lot about it - he hadn't been overly fussy and he was sleeping fine - I just figured he was being 18 months old and touching everything. He has also gotten two molars in the last couple weeks so I associated any possible issues with the teeth.
Thank goodness for a mother-in-law who isn't afraid of a fever. May I add here - my mother-in-law feel off her ass and broke her ass several weeks ago... (It's okay that I say this... because she has said it before... :) ) So not only is she not getting around in her typical fashion - but she's going to watch my boys for me AND one of them has a fever. Bless her.
I dropped the boys off and had a wonderfully successful secret mission.
Later that night, I arrived to pick up Charlie, and he was a sad little sight. He was pretty tender, had just been laying around on Memaw for the majority of the time, and again, he was on FIRE.
When I got him home, I discovered he had 103.6 fever. OMgoodness!? I tried not to get too concerned - figuring it had been several hours since Tylenol. I gave him a dose of Ibuprofen and he fell asleep promptly at 8.
An hour later, I went in to check his temperature and was pleased to find it had already dropped to 100-101. I really had a sneaking suspicion I was going to find a 104+ fever and we were going to have to head to the emergency room - again..... (Still paying for the last trip, by the way...)
Charlie slept beautifully. He didn't make a peep all night and woke up around 9 in the morning. He was still just a little feverish but seemed to have a little more pep, and an appetite - thank goodness!
Still, I thought, we need to get this boy to the doctor to find out what caused this fever.
Fast forward to 3:30.
Don't confuse this look with joy. Momma is becoming a master in distraction.
Here I sit in the doctor's office with my child who hates going to the doctor. They said his ears didn't look too bad - but his throat looked awful! .................... My back slumped and I prepared for the hideous news.
Awaiting our test results.
They tested for strep. Boom. Positive.
AGAIN!?
Turns out, the doctor thinks Charlie probably didn't completely recover from his last go-around with strep. Since the amoxicillin-serum-sickness-ridonkulously-dramatic episode not long ago, we've been using precaution with any antibiotics. She had prescribed azythromiacin for five days. Odds are, five days just didn't quite kick the strep.
I felt relieved knowing that we caught this early enough to treat and no longer be contagious for the upcoming holiday. That relief quickly faded to fear that Wyatt, Seth, or myself, would come down with strep just in time for closed doctor's offices and holiday parties.
Long story short....? Or is it too late for that...?
I am not typically this person. But. I called one of our family doctor's and asked if he could maybe prescribe antibiotics for the rest of us. Like I said, I wouldn't typically jump the gun and ask for treatment, but knowing my luck, one or several of us would wake up on Friday morning and have a fever and be getting this little fun-sucker. Also, Charlie and I just shared a popsicle on the deck a couple of days ago. ......
They said they could help me and they could help Seth, but they don't see patients under 16 so Wyatt was out of luck. They asked if we had any allergies, "No." and they called in prescriptions. Saved.
I made a mercy call back to the boys' regular doctor and explained, "I would not typically ask for this - I would wait for a fever or some other symptoms, but I'm just worried Wyatt will catch this just in time for a long weekend." Amazingly, and thankfully, they obliged and called in a prescription for Wyatt.
We killed our time by making a trip to Wal-Mart (also, I don't make a habit of taking my sick kid out in public... but we use a cart cushion and he really sat quietly sucking his sucker.... so stop judging.... you do what you can...) Wal-Mart at 4:30 is the death of me. I'm a 9:00 a.m. Wal-Mart shopper. We made it through our list in decent time and after the typical check-out line drama, we were free.
Off to the pharmacy.
Didn't I say long story short... Sorry, I guess I lied.
Giving four different names for prescription pick up confused the daylights out of people... They had received one for Charles, but not for Wyatt, Seth or Lindsey. Not long after, all of the prescriptions had been called in. As I sat, they called out the drive-up window and asked if I was allergic to Sulfa.
....... Yes......... "Well they called in a 'script with Sulfa for you."
$&#(%*Q!*#*)(%)(#*%)@($*%)@(#*%)(@$*
In my scatter-brained worry filled haze, I forgot to tell the doctor's office, "Yes, I'm allergic to sulfa."
Okay, I will have to call them tomorrow and ask for a different prescription.
Three different rounds of "It'll be 5-10 minutes" later, I had left with three prescriptions to protect my family from strep.
I was spent.
Final note on the subject - the doctor asked to see Charlie again in about 14 days, after he had completed his antibiotics, to confirm that we had gotten rid of the strep. So get excited, Charles Henry, two weeks from now you get another stick down your throat.
All because we love you... ;)
Saturday, June 21, 2014
Poop and Chupe
Well this is a fun little post...
Yesterday I was getting ready for an evening out when I discovered that Mr. Charlie had a nice little diaper explosion. This hasn't happened in a long time.
There's nothing like having to stop getting yourself clean and pretty to go clean poop off of your child's back, legs and a pillow on your chair where the boy was sitting...
I believe the culprit was too much apple juice.
Today I was cleaning up in the kitchen after lunch and Wyatt asked for one of his candies that we bought this morning. He picked out peppermints...
I gave him a peppermint and went back to cleaning. Shortly after, I hear Wyatt crying in the dining room and he points to his mouth that he swallowed his candy. At least he wasn't choking on it!
He really started crying and then started gagging and next thing I know he throws up a decent-sized portion of his lunch and a little half-sucked peppermint.
He cried and said "Maybe I'm not old enough for those..." Little sweetheart.
I felt so sad for him. I got him cleaned up and the floor cleaned up and amazingly enough sat down to eat my lunch... I'm surprised at myself. If you know me, you'll understand why.
Just a glance into a couple days of life around this house...
Yesterday I was getting ready for an evening out when I discovered that Mr. Charlie had a nice little diaper explosion. This hasn't happened in a long time.
There's nothing like having to stop getting yourself clean and pretty to go clean poop off of your child's back, legs and a pillow on your chair where the boy was sitting...
I believe the culprit was too much apple juice.
Today I was cleaning up in the kitchen after lunch and Wyatt asked for one of his candies that we bought this morning. He picked out peppermints...
I gave him a peppermint and went back to cleaning. Shortly after, I hear Wyatt crying in the dining room and he points to his mouth that he swallowed his candy. At least he wasn't choking on it!
He really started crying and then started gagging and next thing I know he throws up a decent-sized portion of his lunch and a little half-sucked peppermint.
He cried and said "Maybe I'm not old enough for those..." Little sweetheart.
I felt so sad for him. I got him cleaned up and the floor cleaned up and amazingly enough sat down to eat my lunch... I'm surprised at myself. If you know me, you'll understand why.
Just a glance into a couple days of life around this house...
Sunday, June 8, 2014
Flashlights. Damn.
Several weeks ago, Wyatt and Seth had to weather a nasty storm in the cellar. Charlie and I were safe in the hospital dealing with his bronchiolitis. Wyatt definitely made some memories while being in the cellar with his Daddy and has been quick to share many of the details with anyone that crosses his path.
One day, shortly after the storm, Wyatt and Seth were in Casey's and bumped into some local farmer friends. Wyatt began telling his version of the events in the cellar. He explained to one farmer that the batteries in their flashlight were dead. The farmer asked Wyatt, "What do you say when your batteries die in your flashlight?" I'm not sure that Wyatt had an answer, but the farmer did. The farmer told Wyatt, "I always say 'Damnit' when the batteries in my flashlight die."
Thanks, Farmer.
Though, "fortunately", Wyatt already knew the word.... Apparently he learned it from his momma....
A few days later, Wyatt and Seth were in Casey's again and bumped into the same farmer friend. This time, the farmer gave Wyatt his very own flashlight. He informed Wyatt, "This is your damnit flashlight."
Why.... Farmer? Why....?
This was a novelty for quite some time. Wyatt kept his "damnit flashlight" in the shed and told every visitor that this was his "damnit flashlight".
Fast forward several weeks to a beautiful Sunday morning in church - Pentecost. We had a guest pastor who was also in charge of the children's time that Wyatt always attends at the front of the church in the middle of the service.
I should add - this guest pastor isn't just any guest in the church. He is a very treasured part of our church who has been there often and actually baptized Wyatt.
The guest pastor pulled out a flashlight.
Seth and I exchanged nervous glances.
The pastor asked the kids what it was he was holding. The kids were quiet for a few seconds until Wyatt - one of the youngest in the bunch - chimed in "a flashlight".
Whew..... Just a flashlight.
The pastor continued his children's sermon by demonstrating that the flashlight didn't work because it was out of batteries.
...............
Seth and I exchanged nervous glances and giggles. Oh. My. Goodness... Please, Wyatt... Don't. Talk.
Wyatt got chatty today at children's time and started sharing some of his experience with cellars and flashlights and explained that our cellar is dark and Daddy's flashlight ran out of batteries. He then asked the pastor if he could have that flashlight in case we needed to go into the cellar again.
Amazingly, Wyatt didn't drop a damnit in church today. But there couldn't have been a more perfect opportunity for him to share his colorful farmer language with the entire congregation.
Seth and I sat and giggled nervously through most of the children's sermon while several members of the congregation kept smiling at us while they heard Wyatt's take on the cellar/flashlight experience.
Maybe this kid has a filter and knows it should be applied at church.
Damn flashlights.
One day, shortly after the storm, Wyatt and Seth were in Casey's and bumped into some local farmer friends. Wyatt began telling his version of the events in the cellar. He explained to one farmer that the batteries in their flashlight were dead. The farmer asked Wyatt, "What do you say when your batteries die in your flashlight?" I'm not sure that Wyatt had an answer, but the farmer did. The farmer told Wyatt, "I always say 'Damnit' when the batteries in my flashlight die."
Thanks, Farmer.
Though, "fortunately", Wyatt already knew the word.... Apparently he learned it from his momma....
A few days later, Wyatt and Seth were in Casey's again and bumped into the same farmer friend. This time, the farmer gave Wyatt his very own flashlight. He informed Wyatt, "This is your damnit flashlight."
Why.... Farmer? Why....?
This was a novelty for quite some time. Wyatt kept his "damnit flashlight" in the shed and told every visitor that this was his "damnit flashlight".
Fast forward several weeks to a beautiful Sunday morning in church - Pentecost. We had a guest pastor who was also in charge of the children's time that Wyatt always attends at the front of the church in the middle of the service.
I should add - this guest pastor isn't just any guest in the church. He is a very treasured part of our church who has been there often and actually baptized Wyatt.
The guest pastor pulled out a flashlight.
Seth and I exchanged nervous glances.
The pastor asked the kids what it was he was holding. The kids were quiet for a few seconds until Wyatt - one of the youngest in the bunch - chimed in "a flashlight".
Whew..... Just a flashlight.
The pastor continued his children's sermon by demonstrating that the flashlight didn't work because it was out of batteries.
...............
Seth and I exchanged nervous glances and giggles. Oh. My. Goodness... Please, Wyatt... Don't. Talk.
Wyatt got chatty today at children's time and started sharing some of his experience with cellars and flashlights and explained that our cellar is dark and Daddy's flashlight ran out of batteries. He then asked the pastor if he could have that flashlight in case we needed to go into the cellar again.
Amazingly, Wyatt didn't drop a damnit in church today. But there couldn't have been a more perfect opportunity for him to share his colorful farmer language with the entire congregation.
Seth and I sat and giggled nervously through most of the children's sermon while several members of the congregation kept smiling at us while they heard Wyatt's take on the cellar/flashlight experience.
Maybe this kid has a filter and knows it should be applied at church.
Damn flashlights.
Thursday, May 15, 2014
Charlie and Amoxicillin: Our Experience
Let me start by saying - this may be lengthy. This may seem scatter-brained and a hodge-podge, collection of thoughts. However, this is the third time I've sat down to write and update this particular post. Each time with different information. So friends, I present to you, my experiences with Charlie and Amoxicillin.
Wednesday evening Charlie was very fussy... I figured maybe we were dealing with some teeth since the little one only has 7 - he's due for a few chompers. I was lucky enough to get a few hours out of the house to go see a movie, The Other Woman, hysterical. Exactly what I needed. I'd like to go to another movie right now. I probably only see one movie every two years...
Seth took care of the boys and mentioned that Charlie's belly was covered with several red spots. Charlie has somewhat sensitive skin so I didn't think much of it. When Charlie woke up this morning, I realized his eye was very swollen, he had several red spots on his face, and his trunk was almost entirely red.
Sigh. Now what...
Our doctor's office opens at 7 on Thursdays and we were able to get in by 8. I was expecting to hear that Charlie's bronchiolitis was just exiting his body through the form of a viral rash. I think I would have preferred that.
The doctor explained that these were hives and most likely caused by the amoxicillin Charlie is taking for his ear infections. I never imagined the amoxicillin would be the problem, since Charlie has been on it before. The doctor explained that often if someone will be allergic to something they won't develop the allergy until after the initial exposure. So first round of amoxicillin = exposure. Second round = highly attractive and uncomfortable red hives covering most of Mr. Charlie.
We will be discontinuing the use of amoxicillin and adding a nice little 1/4 tsp. dose of Benadryl for Mr. Charlie. Maybe I can at least get some really good naps out of this Benadryl haze Charlie might be experiencing.
I made a quick stop at the dollar store on my way home to pick up some additional supplies and decided to buy Charlie a little ball he had been eyeing. On the way home, it served as a snack. Good news: None of the ball was actually ingested.
Charlie took an excellent nap (thanks, Benadryl?) but woke up looking so much worse. He could hardly see out of his right eye and several of the hives on his belly and turned from red to purple. I had to go pick up Annie from the groomer so loaded the boys up and called the doctor on the way. Fortunately, Charlie wasn't having any breathing or swallowing issues, so we just needed to continue Benadryl. The doctor instructed that if Charlie was worse in the morning, we could come in for a steroid injection.
Unbelievably, Charlie slept all night. Though I woke up a few times to make sure he was still breathing... He woke up around 6:30 Friday morning still wearing his lovely amoxicillin mask. This boy doesn't look like my child. He's still beautiful, but in a pitiful way. He's acting almost completely normal, maybe just a little mellow (again, thanks, Benadryl...?).
Charlie seems pretty comfortable for the most part. He doesn't seem to acknowledge any of his hives until he gets sleepy and then he starts itching around.
I'm very hopeful that we will have a good day with several doses of Benadryl and hopefully start looking a little more normal by tomorrow. I've read that these hives can start to blister, so I'm praying that sweet Charles doesn't have to experience that.
Charlie went down for a normal nap Friday morning and woke up seeming very irritable. He was not looking good. His body was almost entirely covered in these spots and most were purple with a red ring on the outside. Still, he wasn't having breathing trouble or swallowing trouble, but now seemed uncomfortable. I decided to call our doctor. They got me in immediately, saying that they were told that if I called, to get me in immediately. 20 minutes later we walked right into an exam room.
At the doctor's office, we baffled most nurses. They could not believe these hives were purple and were not looking very reassured. I'm amazed I kept my composure. We saw our doctor and he also seemed concerned. He said "Hives don't turn purple". He put a call into the dermatologist to do some checking. Shortly after, he returned to the room saying he had left a message for the dermatologist but in the mean time, we probably need to head on to Kansas City or Columbia to the hospital. He believed we might be dealing with Stevens Johnson syndrome - which is a severe reaction to antibiotics that apparently means the skin is essentially burning, and can start to slough off. What..... Charlie's skin might start to come off....? He told me we were looking at at least one night, maybe two, in the hospital.
I cried most of the way home as I shared the news with immediate family members. Of course, I had to go home because I forgot my PURSE on the way to the doctor in the first place. I went home, packed a few things for Charlie and myself, Seth took over driving, Papa Jimmie picked up Wyatt, and off we went to Columbia.
We arrived at the hospital around 1 p.m. and finally a little before 2 p.m. were seen by 3 doctors who listened intently to our week long ordeal, beginning with the doctor's appointment last Thursday and ear infection diagnosis. The ordered blood work and several labs and informed us we would be seeing another dermatologist at some point.
The initial exam was NOT pretty. And I didn't think it would be pretty. I held Charlie as tight as I could while they checked his ears and looked for sores in his mouth. Thankfully, there were no sores in his mouth. The dermatologist was starting to rule out Stevens Johnson syndrome - as that apparently is fairly involved in the mouth and other mucous membranes. The dermatologist was then leaning towards Serum Sickness or Erythema Multiforme -the latter being the more serious condition. I actually now believe that Erythema Multiforme and Stevens Johnson may be somewhat related. I won't get too technical - because I'm not a doctor. I only know what I've heard and googled. On we go.
Around 3:45 p.m., another dermatologist came in and begin to really lean towards Serum Sickness. She explained the usually treat Serum Sickness as outpatient. Our mood began to perk. It continued to perk and she was the only doctor that Charlie did not mind having in the room. He let her look at his back and take pictures. I flipped him over so she could see his stomach and she took pictures. While he was laying on my lap, he unhooked his diaper and pulled his little Mr. Charlie out - and then began chitchatting with the doctor. This moment in time was hilarious and I will remember for the rest of my life, how Charlie finally didn't mind having a doctor in the room, but probably because he made himself comfortable and pulled his business out to show her and strike up a conversation... Unbelievable.
Things were looking up. She had mentioned Outpatient. She was going to send one more doctor in to confirm her suspicions about Charlie. In the meantime, she mentioned there would likely be no need for an IV. Thank GOODNESS the nurses hadn't jumped right on this. I was so worried about how Charlie would handle the procedure and then having the IV right there for him to fuss with and try to yank out!
A short 20 minutes later, a male doctor with the most beautiful hair (!! I mean, gorgeous hair, Seth agreed) came in and before the door had even shut behind him, he said, "That is Serum Sickness. No doubt."
Serum sickness is defined as an immune-mediated rash that is triggered by a viral infection and antibiotic use. Now, if you can remember WAY back up to the top of this post, I mentioned I was expecting to hear that Charlie's rash was just the virus escaping his body. I even informed a friend of mine, after his rash seemed much worse than I imagined from an antibiotic allergy, that what if this was a double whammy of a viral rash AND antibiotic allergy. Maybe I need to go back to school... because I. am. a genius. Totally kidding. Maybe only kind of kidding. Mother's intuition...?
We spoke at length about this and the doctor informed us that Charlie might not even actually have an allergy to amoxicillin. Yes, right now he has a sensitivity, but if there's some life threatening situation that Charlie encounters, we are most likely safe to give him amoxicillin. In fact, later in his life he might not have any trouble with it at all. This was just as he said, a combo of situations that overwhelmed Charlie's immune system and is exiting his body in this beautiful rash. That's what the doctor called it, beautiful. I don't know about beautiful but it is definitely impressive to behold.
He said we could go home. He said we didn't need blood work. He said this was a beautifully well behaved condition that he would not be concerned about at all. He prescribed the antihistamine hydroxyzine and said it would knock Charlie out - and make him really thirsty. We were going home.
We arrived home shortly before 7 that evening. Wyatt arrived home shortly after. We were all back where we needed to be. We dosed Charlie up, he passed out, and didn't move but once that night, to roll from his back to his belly. He awoke at 7:30 Saturday morning looking much more like our dear little Charlie. His rash looked significantly better. Charlie is back. His feet are still fairly swollen - they started to swell as soon as we got to the hospital. I really believe that in this whole rash roller coaster, our arrival at the hospital was the peak of the worst of the symptoms. Down we go and I'm ready to jump off this carnival ride.
Time for life to settle down a little. And by settle down - I mean as settle as it can possibly get when you're entering summer with a three year old and one year old. Time to get back to good. Days playing outside for the entire morning, lunch under the big shade tree in the back yard, afternoons splashing in the baby pool. Sign me up. I'm there.
Philippians 4:6 - Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
Wednesday evening Charlie was very fussy... I figured maybe we were dealing with some teeth since the little one only has 7 - he's due for a few chompers. I was lucky enough to get a few hours out of the house to go see a movie, The Other Woman, hysterical. Exactly what I needed. I'd like to go to another movie right now. I probably only see one movie every two years...
Seth took care of the boys and mentioned that Charlie's belly was covered with several red spots. Charlie has somewhat sensitive skin so I didn't think much of it. When Charlie woke up this morning, I realized his eye was very swollen, he had several red spots on his face, and his trunk was almost entirely red.
Sigh. Now what...
Our doctor's office opens at 7 on Thursdays and we were able to get in by 8. I was expecting to hear that Charlie's bronchiolitis was just exiting his body through the form of a viral rash. I think I would have preferred that.
The doctor explained that these were hives and most likely caused by the amoxicillin Charlie is taking for his ear infections. I never imagined the amoxicillin would be the problem, since Charlie has been on it before. The doctor explained that often if someone will be allergic to something they won't develop the allergy until after the initial exposure. So first round of amoxicillin = exposure. Second round = highly attractive and uncomfortable red hives covering most of Mr. Charlie.
We will be discontinuing the use of amoxicillin and adding a nice little 1/4 tsp. dose of Benadryl for Mr. Charlie. Maybe I can at least get some really good naps out of this Benadryl haze Charlie might be experiencing.
Note: Charlie still doesn't like doctors.
I made a quick stop at the dollar store on my way home to pick up some additional supplies and decided to buy Charlie a little ball he had been eyeing. On the way home, it served as a snack. Good news: None of the ball was actually ingested.
Charlie took an excellent nap (thanks, Benadryl?) but woke up looking so much worse. He could hardly see out of his right eye and several of the hives on his belly and turned from red to purple. I had to go pick up Annie from the groomer so loaded the boys up and called the doctor on the way. Fortunately, Charlie wasn't having any breathing or swallowing issues, so we just needed to continue Benadryl. The doctor instructed that if Charlie was worse in the morning, we could come in for a steroid injection.
Unbelievably, Charlie slept all night. Though I woke up a few times to make sure he was still breathing... He woke up around 6:30 Friday morning still wearing his lovely amoxicillin mask. This boy doesn't look like my child. He's still beautiful, but in a pitiful way. He's acting almost completely normal, maybe just a little mellow (again, thanks, Benadryl...?).
Charlie seems pretty comfortable for the most part. He doesn't seem to acknowledge any of his hives until he gets sleepy and then he starts itching around.
I'm very hopeful that we will have a good day with several doses of Benadryl and hopefully start looking a little more normal by tomorrow. I've read that these hives can start to blister, so I'm praying that sweet Charles doesn't have to experience that.
Charlie went down for a normal nap Friday morning and woke up seeming very irritable. He was not looking good. His body was almost entirely covered in these spots and most were purple with a red ring on the outside. Still, he wasn't having breathing trouble or swallowing trouble, but now seemed uncomfortable. I decided to call our doctor. They got me in immediately, saying that they were told that if I called, to get me in immediately. 20 minutes later we walked right into an exam room.
At the doctor's office, we baffled most nurses. They could not believe these hives were purple and were not looking very reassured. I'm amazed I kept my composure. We saw our doctor and he also seemed concerned. He said "Hives don't turn purple". He put a call into the dermatologist to do some checking. Shortly after, he returned to the room saying he had left a message for the dermatologist but in the mean time, we probably need to head on to Kansas City or Columbia to the hospital. He believed we might be dealing with Stevens Johnson syndrome - which is a severe reaction to antibiotics that apparently means the skin is essentially burning, and can start to slough off. What..... Charlie's skin might start to come off....? He told me we were looking at at least one night, maybe two, in the hospital.
I cried most of the way home as I shared the news with immediate family members. Of course, I had to go home because I forgot my PURSE on the way to the doctor in the first place. I went home, packed a few things for Charlie and myself, Seth took over driving, Papa Jimmie picked up Wyatt, and off we went to Columbia.
We arrived at the hospital around 1 p.m. and finally a little before 2 p.m. were seen by 3 doctors who listened intently to our week long ordeal, beginning with the doctor's appointment last Thursday and ear infection diagnosis. The ordered blood work and several labs and informed us we would be seeing another dermatologist at some point.
The initial exam was NOT pretty. And I didn't think it would be pretty. I held Charlie as tight as I could while they checked his ears and looked for sores in his mouth. Thankfully, there were no sores in his mouth. The dermatologist was starting to rule out Stevens Johnson syndrome - as that apparently is fairly involved in the mouth and other mucous membranes. The dermatologist was then leaning towards Serum Sickness or Erythema Multiforme -the latter being the more serious condition. I actually now believe that Erythema Multiforme and Stevens Johnson may be somewhat related. I won't get too technical - because I'm not a doctor. I only know what I've heard and googled. On we go.
Around 3:45 p.m., another dermatologist came in and begin to really lean towards Serum Sickness. She explained the usually treat Serum Sickness as outpatient. Our mood began to perk. It continued to perk and she was the only doctor that Charlie did not mind having in the room. He let her look at his back and take pictures. I flipped him over so she could see his stomach and she took pictures. While he was laying on my lap, he unhooked his diaper and pulled his little Mr. Charlie out - and then began chitchatting with the doctor. This moment in time was hilarious and I will remember for the rest of my life, how Charlie finally didn't mind having a doctor in the room, but probably because he made himself comfortable and pulled his business out to show her and strike up a conversation... Unbelievable.
Things were looking up. She had mentioned Outpatient. She was going to send one more doctor in to confirm her suspicions about Charlie. In the meantime, she mentioned there would likely be no need for an IV. Thank GOODNESS the nurses hadn't jumped right on this. I was so worried about how Charlie would handle the procedure and then having the IV right there for him to fuss with and try to yank out!
A short 20 minutes later, a male doctor with the most beautiful hair (!! I mean, gorgeous hair, Seth agreed) came in and before the door had even shut behind him, he said, "That is Serum Sickness. No doubt."
Serum sickness is defined as an immune-mediated rash that is triggered by a viral infection and antibiotic use. Now, if you can remember WAY back up to the top of this post, I mentioned I was expecting to hear that Charlie's rash was just the virus escaping his body. I even informed a friend of mine, after his rash seemed much worse than I imagined from an antibiotic allergy, that what if this was a double whammy of a viral rash AND antibiotic allergy. Maybe I need to go back to school... because I. am. a genius. Totally kidding. Maybe only kind of kidding. Mother's intuition...?
We spoke at length about this and the doctor informed us that Charlie might not even actually have an allergy to amoxicillin. Yes, right now he has a sensitivity, but if there's some life threatening situation that Charlie encounters, we are most likely safe to give him amoxicillin. In fact, later in his life he might not have any trouble with it at all. This was just as he said, a combo of situations that overwhelmed Charlie's immune system and is exiting his body in this beautiful rash. That's what the doctor called it, beautiful. I don't know about beautiful but it is definitely impressive to behold.
He said we could go home. He said we didn't need blood work. He said this was a beautifully well behaved condition that he would not be concerned about at all. He prescribed the antihistamine hydroxyzine and said it would knock Charlie out - and make him really thirsty. We were going home.
Bless his beautiful heart.
We arrived home shortly before 7 that evening. Wyatt arrived home shortly after. We were all back where we needed to be. We dosed Charlie up, he passed out, and didn't move but once that night, to roll from his back to his belly. He awoke at 7:30 Saturday morning looking much more like our dear little Charlie. His rash looked significantly better. Charlie is back. His feet are still fairly swollen - they started to swell as soon as we got to the hospital. I really believe that in this whole rash roller coaster, our arrival at the hospital was the peak of the worst of the symptoms. Down we go and I'm ready to jump off this carnival ride.
Time for life to settle down a little. And by settle down - I mean as settle as it can possibly get when you're entering summer with a three year old and one year old. Time to get back to good. Days playing outside for the entire morning, lunch under the big shade tree in the back yard, afternoons splashing in the baby pool. Sign me up. I'm there.
Philippians 4:6 - Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
Sunday, April 21, 2013
Potty Training, Poop and Hiccups
Adventures in potty training have begun at our house. Wyatt was just two in January so this seemed like a good time to start some casual training. After chit-chat with several friends, I decided to go straight to nice big boy underwear complete with the great Cars characters, Thomas the Train and all that jazz. Wyatt seems to have picked up on the idea pretty well and after a couple of accidents he is figuring out you can't just "go" anytime you want now.
Today, Wyatt was sitting playing near me and all of a sudden got a worried look on his face. "Toot.....", he said shaking his head back and forth. I asked if he needed to go potty and off we went! He was a little concerned... I think he thought he wasn't going to make it. SUCCESS!!! Wyatt POOPed in the potty! I was so tickled and made a fool of myself rejoicing in his success. As a reward, Wyatt got a sucker and a new little train for his set. Happy mom. Tickled.
A little later, I was feeding little brother Charlie and had been in the midst of getting everything ready for a trip to church and visit with my mom for the afternoon. Wyatt came into my room and had a little accident but not much, he was just a little wet, so I quickly put Charlie down and got ready to get Wyatt in the bathroom. Again, he was VERY concerned that he wasn't going to make it on time! So I pulled the big boy pants off of Wyatt and PLOP! Out came a nice fresh mound of, well, POOP. (Sorry....) OH!! NO!!! To make matters worse, Wyatt's little bare foot came right down on top of the POOP. OMGravy! So here sits little Wyatt on the toilet with a foot covered in POOP and a nice little pile on my bedroom rug. Accidents happen. It's part of the training process.
Whew. After all was said and done I went back to feeding Charlie. Little did I know that one of life's little HICCUPS was right around the corner. About 5 minutes later, Wyatt walked back into my room in his church clothes...covered in baby powder! He had pulled Charlie's diapering basket off of the changing table and apparently dumped powder all over himself. I, calmly of course, instructed Wyatt to go to his room and play while I finished getting Charlie ready for church. "Do NOT get into anything else messy!" Two minutes after that Wyatt came out of the bathroom carrying a bathtub cup (complete with a little dribbling hole) full of water through the house! We had some words... It is Sunday and I did pray for forgiveness.
In the end, we all survived. We all made it to church, on time even.
Today, Wyatt was sitting playing near me and all of a sudden got a worried look on his face. "Toot.....", he said shaking his head back and forth. I asked if he needed to go potty and off we went! He was a little concerned... I think he thought he wasn't going to make it. SUCCESS!!! Wyatt POOPed in the potty! I was so tickled and made a fool of myself rejoicing in his success. As a reward, Wyatt got a sucker and a new little train for his set. Happy mom. Tickled.
A little later, I was feeding little brother Charlie and had been in the midst of getting everything ready for a trip to church and visit with my mom for the afternoon. Wyatt came into my room and had a little accident but not much, he was just a little wet, so I quickly put Charlie down and got ready to get Wyatt in the bathroom. Again, he was VERY concerned that he wasn't going to make it on time! So I pulled the big boy pants off of Wyatt and PLOP! Out came a nice fresh mound of, well, POOP. (Sorry....) OH!! NO!!! To make matters worse, Wyatt's little bare foot came right down on top of the POOP. OMGravy! So here sits little Wyatt on the toilet with a foot covered in POOP and a nice little pile on my bedroom rug. Accidents happen. It's part of the training process.
Whew. After all was said and done I went back to feeding Charlie. Little did I know that one of life's little HICCUPS was right around the corner. About 5 minutes later, Wyatt walked back into my room in his church clothes...covered in baby powder! He had pulled Charlie's diapering basket off of the changing table and apparently dumped powder all over himself. I, calmly of course, instructed Wyatt to go to his room and play while I finished getting Charlie ready for church. "Do NOT get into anything else messy!" Two minutes after that Wyatt came out of the bathroom carrying a bathtub cup (complete with a little dribbling hole) full of water through the house! We had some words... It is Sunday and I did pray for forgiveness.
In the end, we all survived. We all made it to church, on time even.
Welcome.
After saying to myself, on more than one occasion, 'I couldn't make this stuff up'... I decided maybe it was time to properly document some things. So here we are. Be prepared to hear stories of poop and other little hiccups of life. Don't worry I won't be toooo disgusting. I will just share some of the precious gems from my parenting experiences. Welcome!
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