Meeting Mo

Drew made a new friend today.

His name is Mo.

Dr. Mo Khan, that is.

Whoops! That's not Dr. Khan! How'd he get in here?!?! :)

Isn't it true that just when you think you're out of the woods *bang* you walk right into a tree? (Or something like that anyway.)

Drew's my healthy kid. A runny nose or cough every now and again, but really, he's hardly been to the doctor outside of his well-child visits. This is unlike Reed, as you know, who's been to the doctor any number of times, and came home with numerous medications at his last appointment.

I guess Drew thought it was his turn. Or time just caught up with him.

Into the doctor today, and out with five medications of his own.

Here's the long and short of it.

Saturday night Drew developed "sick eyes" (that sad, pale, droopy, kinda glazed over look) and had a fever of 100.1. He was exposed to a little girl that afternoon who was sick, but I thought it was a rather quick emergence of his fever to have caught anything from her. Anyway, he had a difficult time sleeping that night, but by the morning, his fever was gone. For the next few days, he just wasn't acting like himself. Extra moody, extra whiny, incredibly sensitive and easily upset (like crying-wailing upset), but no signs of sickness. He was really good at telling me that things were hurting him, but in the next second, he was behaving normally, wanting the regular things, and not bothered by whatever ailment he claimed to have. He didn't sleep well Monday or last night, and he began complaining (more like wailing) that his ear hurt.

I have to interject here that Drew is getting really good at telling stories. He's putting his imagination to the test, coming up with excuses and reasons why he can or can't do something. Usually one of the pains he claimed he was having arose when he didn't want to do something we asked him to do. So it was really hard to tell if he was crying wolf or if he really was in some kind of pain. Regardless, he still wasn't acting like himself, and his appetite was not at all his usual.

So, a call to the doctor and an appointment this morning proved that Drew wasn't telling any stories this time around.

Double ear infection, fluid/drainage in both ears, and a possible slight rupture in his left ear.

Yep. That explains it.

He was a trooper at the doctor's office (after telling me numerous times that he was "feeling good" and that he didn't want to go). He had a slight fever of 99.8, his blood pressure was high for a kiddo his age (102/63...attributed to being nervous about being there), and his weight was down from March (36.8 pounds today, 38 pounds then). I found that kind of odd, but neither the doctor or nurse said anything so I guess I'll attribute that to soccer. :)

Dr. Khan was super nice (Reed has seen him a handful of times, so I was familiar with him) and I think Drew thought he was pretty cool, too. He cleaned big hunks of wax out of Drew's ears (did you know excess hair and wax in ears is genetic? The boys have Brad to thank for that!), and he could see that both ears were red, infected, and had some drainage. Dr. Khan said a few times that Drew was a little old for ear infections, but that it does happen with kids his age.

So, that's where we are.

And here's Drew.

He spent the rest of the day in his jammies, curled on the couch with Teddy, either watching movies or half-heartedly playing his video game. He took a normal nap this afternoon, and had swings from feeling "good" to feeling miserable. All he had to eat all day was a half serving of mac and cheese, about three bites of toast, and one package of fruit snacks. With that kind of interest in food, I knew he wasn't feeling well.

Oh, and those five meds...

1) Antibiotic for the infection

2) Ear drops

3) Sudafed to keep him unplugged and the tubes flowing

4) Claritin to help him sleep at night

5) Motrin for pain

With that kind of regimen, he should be on the mend soon!

UPDATE: It's now Thursday morning, and Drew slept over 12 hours last night. That has to be a good sign!