Yeah, we’re a little late this year. For some reason I was thinking we didn’t have to do yearly visits anymore… I tell you my brain is NOT the same these days. 🙂
The kids kept busy playing I Spy and messing around. I’m not exactly sure what they were doing here but they were having fun! The best part was when they thought they heard someone coming to the room, one would yell POSITIONS! and Katie would run to the chair and Owen would hop up on the table. 🙂
Height: 55″ — was 53″ at 7y Weight: 85# — was 85# at 7y
Owen, on the other hand, is always really nervous (he thinks everything will hurt) and then afterwards he says “That was easy!” This photo is obviously after he was done. 🙂
They got their cleanings done in the procedure room because it wasn’t being used…so they got a TV on the ceiling!
Katie is still a much better patient than Owen. He freaks out at the smallest thing—he said the hygienist’s rotating toothbrush hurt and then he was throwing a mini fit because he doesn’t like the taste/feel of the flouride treatment—he was whining a little and needed four glasses of water and looked like he was going to be sick; Katie just goes on like nothing even happened. 🙂
We took Owen to the doctor about three weeks ago because he had a bad cough. Today was just a recheck because he’s still coughing a little and I just wanted to make sure he wasn’t getting worse. He’s fine.
Owen has had a cough for going on 3-4 weeks now so we finally decided to get it checked out. (He’s never had a temperature or anything that made us think he needed to be seen. Google said to take him in if the cough didn’t go away after three or so weeks. He seemed to be getting better…but then got worse again.)
Sharing the iPad:
Owen relaxing on the “beach.”
Katie sitting in the “boat.”
There’s always a bow and arrow involved.
The doc examined him and said it sounded like something viral and thought a breathing treatment might help…so we did that. The doc said he’d look like a fire-breathing dragon. 🙂
The doc said it helped a little so prescribed an albuterol inhaler so it was off to the pharmacy, otherwise known as the seventh circle of hell. Today we had a screaming toddler sitting across from us…for about 45 minutes. And then…we all had to leave since there was apparently a small fire somewhere close. NOOOOOOO!!!!
First we moved to the hallway. Then we got moved outside. Then we got moved across the street. We had no idea how long it was going to take, but thankfully we were headed back inside within about 10 minutes (it was windy and freezing). And then had another 15 or so minutes to wait for the script.
We arrived at the hospital for a 9:10 appointment at 8:50 and were leaving the pharmacy at 11:20. Yeesh. And our fingers are crossed that the treatments help.
So last night, Owen was being Owen and dove into the big beanbag in the living room, but then…rolled off? fell off?…and somehow landed wrong on his arm. Tom missed it, I missed it, and Uncle Rob barely saw it so we’re not entire sure what happened. All we know is that he was complaining that it really hurt. Tom looked at it and moved it around and there wasn’t any screaming so we were pretty sure it wasn’t broken. So we iced it and gave him some Advil. Of course, Owen being Owen, he continued playing around and bumping it and saying it hurt, so we made him sit still in the chair. He seemed to be fine overall and making cookies for Santa took his mind off it so we didn’t think much else about it.
So this morning we opened presents and he still hadn’t mentioned it. I had honestly forgotten about it. But then he was trying to put some Legos together—and was complaining that he couldn’t because his hand hurt. Hoo boy. Tom tried to move it around some and it seemed more painful than it had last night, so we figured since he has a high threshold for pain it must REALLY hurt, so we decided to have Tom take him to the ER.
Thankfully they were the only ones there and the whole thing went very quickly. But he had taken his new Minecraft characters just in case. 🙂
Apparently when you visit the ER on Christmas you get to pick a toy!
He picked this for Katie! Awww!
And??? It wasn’t broken. Just a sprain with some bruising that Motrin should help. PHEW!
Owen’s pediatrician wanted to revisit his genetics results to see if any new information has been discovered in the past 2.5 years…so it was off to Bethesda to see a specialist.
In the waiting room, Owen made a beeline for the one kid he saw who was also using a tablet. 🙂
The short story is that there is nothing new regarding his previous test results and we don’t have to worry about revisiting them for another two years unless something changes drastically with his health or behavior. We also don’t have to worry about getting Katie tested.
I fully believe it’s something that could’ve been handled over the phone without actually seeing Owen in person but I obviously that would make things too easy. (Fortunately the drive there did not give me an anxiety attack as it has in the past—the traffic was fairly light and I left plenty of time.)
Remember, the pediatrician wanted us to get Owen’s hearing tested because he should have grown out of covering his ears at loud noises by now. But…everything is just fine with his hearing. The audiologist said he might just be one who is extra-sensitive and he still might outgrow it.
He did really great during the tests and I teased him about turning into a robot because he had wires coming out of his ears. 🙂
Because Owen is still having (to me) major food issues, I wanted to make sure there was nothing else going on. Yes, he could just be a very picky eater…but I would be wracked with guilt if something else was going on and my new food rules were creating more problems than I was trying to solve. (I still feel guilty about the whole pooping thing back before we learned he had a serious issue and I don’t want the same thing to happen with food.)
So I got a referral to see a Developmental Pediatrician again (the same type of doctor we saw at Lejeune who diagnosed him with autism) and crossed my fingers she’d just say “Oh yes, it sounds like he has eating issues, here’s a referral for therapy.” Ha. I should have known better. 🙂
Of course she had to do the whole background history, and during that discovery period, a few random other issues came out. They’re things that he’s always had/done that he hasn’t yet grown out of…which led her to think he might have ADD…or possibly autism. Sigh.
But that said, considering everything we discussed, she thinks he’s absolutely thriving and I’m doing everything right (in regards to meal times and food) so there’s no immediate concern. But she does want him to see an audiologist for a real hearing assessment (he still covers his ears with loud/annoying noises which she said should not happen anymore at his age), start OT for the food (and pooping) issues, and see a geneticist again (genetics has come a very long way since we got his results in 2012 and the doctor could potentially see something now that we didn’t see before—and we might get additional genetic testing done). The results of those appointments will determine if we go forward with actual autism testing.
She’s not worried but wants to cover all the bases. If it’s determined he can benefit from additional therapy, we will go through with the testing and an autism diagnosis will allow us access to tens of thousands of dollars in free therapy since it’s covered under Tricare. (This is the same therapy we qualified for the first time but we never went ahead with it because neither of us were convinced he REALLY needed it—especially compared to all the other SERIOUSLY autistic kids out there.) And she agreed that was an okay decision, but also told us that if there’s something we can fix NOW, it’s better to do it while he’s young, rather than wait and decide when he’s 10-12-14 and he could be MUCH more defiant and MUCH harder to work with. (Basically, young kids are much more pliable.) 🙂
She did a few tests with him and agreed that overall he was doing very well. But interestingly, one of the tests she did (I think it was having him repeat full sentences back to her) she said he tested at about an age 4 level. That really surprised me because I had been listening and I thought he did okay. However, I think it was more a point of him (not) paying attention—he started to fiddle with a crayon and wasn’t listening closely (hence the thought of ADD). She said he could very likely be extremely smart and his brain is just racing…and it’s hard to stop and focus because he’s already on to something else. (And actually, conversely, when he has laser-like concentration on something and spends too much time trying to be perfect.) I said that sounds like Owen on a regular basis.
I really liked her and feel comfortable with her so I feel okay. Of course it’s still a shock to think we might get an autism diagnosis again…but her main thought was that if he’s doing well and we expect (and get) good things from him, we’re on the right course.
The best part of the appointment? She asked him what his absolute VERY most favorite thing to do was. Of course, I was positive it would be Legos. But his immediate response? As in he literally didn’t even think for three seconds? “I like to go to school.” 🙂
So now I have to wait a few days to call and schedule the three appointments. Stay tuned!
Height: 50-3/4″ — was 47-1/4″ at 5y (greater than 100th percentile) Weight: 81# — was 66.5# at 5y (greater than 100th percentile)
This was our first time seeing this particular doctor, and she was very nice. She said overall he did well—his vision was deemed good, he has a very strong heartbeat “which should pump for another 100 years,” he answered all his safety questions well (What do you to before crossing the street? Do you always wear your seat belt? Do you wear sunscreen? Do you brush your teeth?), and he is still “off the charts” (over 99% for both height and weight—as a point of interest, he gained 15# last year—the same as the previous year). This year, however, I didn’t get lectured about BMI and exercise and feeding him vegetables—the doc was very nice and was happy he was enrolled in baseball, glad he liked sports, and was glad we keep trying to get him to eat veggies. I think she was happy to see that his BMI dropped since his last visit (in the fall when he was seen for something else).
Red is age 5.Green is age 6. BUT…after some research today, I’m not sure how I came up with a BMI of 30 last year (maybe they wrote it down wrong or I read it wrong).
Friends have expressed concern with his weight, but believe me—we are watching it closely. Tom and I both know what it was like to be a chubby kid and IN NO WAY do we want that for Owen. Just for shits and giggles I put his info in an adult BMI calculator and it comes up normal. So a tiny adult his size is fine, but an identical weight and height large kid is not. So I take the kid BMI results with a grain of salt. His face and belly are a bit chubby—but otherwise he’s just a big, solid kid.
The only somewhat sticky point of the entire visit was when I asked for a referral for a Pediatric GI. I briefly explained that we had had one before we moved here and we were currently on a maintenance regimen but that I’d like to have a doctor ready if we needed one. She said “Constipation? We can handle that here. A specialist isn’t necessary.” I reiterated that we had seen one for a year and Owen had been hospitalized for a cleanout—an again she said she could handle that. So then I told her that we’ve been dealing with this for over two years now, to include monthly to bi-weekly cleanouts, and the last time we had an issue a month or so ago, he had four ex-lax and about 12 doses of miralax with no results and I had to keep him out of school. THAT got her attention and she said “Ohhh! No, we’re not equipped for that. I’ll put in the referral.” 🙂
The most exciting thing for Owen, however, was learning that (aside from yearly flu shots) he’s done with shots until sixth grade!
He’s had a cough for the past month but it’s gotten a lot worse over the past week so today I took him in just in case it was something that could be fixed.
Unfortunately, it wasn’t. The doc said everything sounded fine in his chest and there really wasn’t anything definitive wrong. It was likely just random crud. He advised allergy meds to hopefully dry him out.
I took both kids in tonight—Owen for his regular 6-month checkup and Katie for her first ever visit. She loves brushing her teeth so I didn’t think she’d have any problems with it…but you never know.
They were both excited to go, and it started well with them playing in the waiting room!
Then we had a brief introduction with both the hygienist and dentist in their office and then it was off to the chairs!
Owen was first…
And Katie was intrigued.
And got closer…
I asked if she wanted to hold Owen’s hand and she said yes. 🙂
Owen did REALLY well (which I would hope, as he’s done this about four times), and then it was Katie’s turn!
“Look mama! Clouds!” (There were clouds painted on the wall!)
Glasses and bib—so far, so good.
She didn’t seem nervous but I asked if she wanted Owen to hold her hand and she said yes. 🙂
Katie seeing herself for the first time. I love the look on her face! 🙂
She was a total rock star. They were able to do a full cleaning (as opposed to Owen’s first visit at age four when they only got about three teeth done).
Then they both got seen by the dentist and were told they need to brush twice a day (instead of just once) and start flossing…and Owen NEEDS to stop sucking his thumb as his teeth are already out of place (Katie’s are perfect). She said this is THE time to stop as his bottom two teeth are still coming in and his top two are loose (I bet both will be gone by Christmas—one might be gone by this weekend) so the new ones will come in straight. (We’ve told him and showed him pictures of what can happen and he knows he needs to stop—and even catches himself—but it will still be challenging because he’s still just five years old.) Then they got their goody bags and were SOOOOOO excited about the toothbrush and stickers and toothpaste—and Owen got a toy truck and Katie got a little mermaid! They were in HEAVEN.
So overall they both did AWESOME and I loved the staff—we’ve had nice dental staff before, but you can see a difference in a regular dentist who sees kids vs. a pediatric dentist. 🙂
So over the past few days, Owen has mentioned that his ear hurt and that he had a headache (though not at the same time). We didn’t think much of it and just gave him Advil. This morning he complained that his ear hurt and his head still hurt…and still nothing clicked. Bad mom. It wasn’t until Tom got home (early) and we were talking about something and AHA! I thought he had an ear infection. I immediately called the sick clinic and got an appointment in an hour.
She asked if he’d been in a pool recently and I said just our tiny splash pool on the deck. She asked about any other water. Nooo. Then it hit me—AHA!—two days of the waterslide! But that was five days ago?!
Then she diagnosed him with Swimmers Ear—basically an outer ear infection. She said it could happen quickly (same day) or days later…which then it all came together…he’d been complaining for a few days.
So now he gets drops twice a day for 10 days. He doesn’t love them but he’s good about them.
We hadn’t been in a few months because Owen has been doing well, but we thought we’d better go for one last checkup before we move.
The kids amused themselves while we waited…
And then the doc examined Owen and said everything felt great—and was excited to get a good report on Owen!
I told him we were moving and asked what we needed to do and he said just keep doing what we’re doing—the Miralax every day, the P fruits, and cleanouts as necessary. I asked how long we needed to continue the Miralax regimen if things keep improving and—are you ready?!—he said at least another year or two. Maybe three. EEK! I guess it’s better than the alternative, though…
He also said he’s always here if we want to come back and see him, but he’s sure we could see someone up around DC if we really needed to.
Owen was excited about going to the dentist today—on the way in he was literally saying “I LOVE GOING TO THE DENTIST!” He got a cup of water from the water cooler. He brushed his teeth and went potty. He sat in the chair with no problem. The X-rays went fine. He even put the sunglasses on without issue (he’s always refused before).
Then when it came time to actually clean his teeth, he got shy (his words, of course). And not really a cute shy—but a grouchy/scared not-going-to-open-my-mouth shy. Sigh. It took a few minutes but I finally figured out he didn’t really want the tangerine-flavored toothpaste (even though he likes oranges) so once he picked raspberry he was fine. Kids!
He got his picture taken for having no cavities and got two stickers and got to pick out a toy! He was thrilled.
So, we had Owen’s autism re-evaluation today. The results? Not autistic in the least. Not even remotely close to ADHD, either (the only thing that was remotely close to the minor issues he has). So…YAY! The doc said he had obviously just been on the slow end of the curve for social/emotional stuff.
This rough graph is how the doc explained it: The yellow pie-shaped area is considered “normal” (between the 25th and 75th percentile). At age 3 he was below normal; at age 5, he’s jumped up into normal. The “issues” he has now are consistent with typical 5yo kids, but we need to watch the ADHD tendencies. (A specific ADHD questionnaire I filled out gave Owen a score of 1 out of 9—where a 6/9 is a clinical ADHD diagnosis.)
In fact, after testing Owen for a mere 10 minutes, the doc looked at me shaking his head and said “He’s not autistic.” But then he finished out the test just to get some hard (confirming) numbers.
As I expected, towards the end of the 50+ repetitive questions (“Which is the island? Which is the cliff? Which shows annoying? Where’s the mountain? Which one is the electrician? Where is the triangle? Which is the raccoon? Which is the walrus? Which one is the guitar? Which one shows sharing? Show me crying.”) he started to lose interest, wasn’t paying attention, and was staring off outside looking for the squirrel. (If you recall, this was the doctor that feeds a squirrel peanuts through his window—and Owen had remembered that when I initially told him about the appointment this morning…and he had put peanuts out but the squirrel hadn’t come to get them yet.) The doc eventually quit the test as he really already had enough confirmation that Owen was not autistic. He did the calculations and all of the results put Owen square in “normal for his age” range.
Just to put it in some perspective, they plan two hours for testing. The last time I think it took 1:30. Today we were done at 40 minutes.
Waiting for the squirrel:
Showing daddy and Katie how to feed the squirrel:
Katie drawing while we waited for the EFMP paperwork. Since Owen no longer has an autism diagnosis, we’re no longer eligible for the EFMP program.
The Doctor was printing our paperwork and the printer was making typical noises.
Owen: Excuse me? Doctor? Your printer is making funny noises.
🙂
So we’re happy. And relieved because, honestly, all this time since the original diagnosis, we haven’t really thought of him as autistic…and now it’s confirmed he’s just a normal little boy.
Owen has still had his low-grade fever and strep has been going around, so I took him to the doctor after school…just to make sure. So he got his first throat culture—and did exactly what I do (gagged and coughed) and he started to cry so I assured him he did awesome and that his reaction was normal! Thankfully it came back negative. The doc said it was likely just something viral that would last 3-5 days and be done.
He woke up this morning with a rash covering his face and neck…
And upon further inspection, his torso and legs (though not as bad). A cough but no fever. So it was off to the sick clinic.
After a few questions and a quick body scan, the doc said it was an allergic reaction to the amoxicillin he just finished (for his ear infection). The doc said there are immediate reactions (which can be quite severe) and delayed reactions—which this was. It’s not contagious and will likely look worse before it gets better. If it’s itchy we can give him Benedryl but thus far it hasn’t been.
So he was excited he got to go to school!
And he has the distinction of having the first drug allergy.
So he didn’t feel good the other night—enough so that he didn’t want dinner. So we took his temp and WOW it was 102°. So we gave him some Advil and an hour later he seemed back to normal. Par for the course.
He’s had the sniffles for a bit, too, but I just chalked that up to a cold or allergies making a reappearance.
And then yesterday evening I noticed his left eye was a little pink and goopy. With green crusties. Oh boy… So we cleaned him up and figured if his eye was dried shut in the morning I’d take him to the doctor. But it was perfectly clean. Not really even pink. And no temp. He mentioned his head hurt and pointed to his ear but I didn’t make much of it and gave him another Advil and an allergy pill.
So then it was off to school, where I did warn them about the sniffles and the eye so they could keep watch. And damn if when I picked him up they didn’t tell me he napped today and woke up with a green crusty eye. 😐
I called the doctor’s office from the parking lot and they said to come right in. Phew! A quick look and yep, the doc said he definitely has pink eye—and an ear infection! AN EAR INFECTION! His very first! (Apparently the same germs that give you pink eye can also give you an ear infection.) And then it hit me—his sore ear this morning that I brushed off as a headache or allergies was an ear infection. Of course I felt bad putting two and two together a little late…but now I know.
The doc was going to give him liquid but I stopped her and requested pills. It wasn’t until later when I started wondering about the size of the pills…because while Owen can take pills, the ones he takes are TINY. And of course, these turned out to be horse pills and I thought we might have a problem. So I broke one in half (which was still about 10x the size of what he’s used to) and handed Owen both pieces, telling him he can take one at a time—but he had already put both pieces in his mouth and was trying to swallow them! He wasn’t 100% successful as one piece fell out of his mouth onto the floor…but he picked it right up, put it in his mouth, and swallowed it. Just like that. Holy wah. What a rock star! He earned a piece of chocolate for that!
Unfortunately, the drops are another story. He hates them. HATES THEM. Even though he knows they don’t hurt and are over in a split second. He’ll get better with them over the next day or so, but in the meantime it’s frustrating.
Poor Owen.
But we promised him that if he’s a really good boy with taking his pills and getting his drops…that we’ll take him to the Lego movie Sunday. Of course we had already planned on it but hadn’t told him…so why not use it to our advantage?! Parents need to take an advantage when they can, right?
Thankfully, overall though, he’s in good spirits. Like usual. 🙂
Height: 47-1/4″ — was 45″ at 48m (greater than 100th percentile) Weight: 66.5# — was 51# at 48m (greater than 100th percentile)
The doc said overall he did well, but his vision is on the low side of normal (so watch that) and according to kids’ BMI charts, he is obese—he’s “off the charts” (over 99%). (Which, looking back and seeing he gained 15# since last year—HOLY WAH.)
I admit he could be thinner (even though he’s big for his age) but I honestly never thought he would be classified as obese. 😐
So, we need to start watching what he eats…but I’m guessing he’ll thin down a bit once summer rolls around and he’s out playing and running around more.
So we had another follow-up appointment with Owen’s pediatric GI this morning. He asked me how it was going and when I said “About the same—lots of poopy undies even after almost-weekly clean outs…” he felt Owen’s abdomen and told me he would definitely suggest another hospitalized clean out (he can still feel poop up too far). He basically said “What are you doing this weekend?” And I was honestly like a deer in the headlights because I DID NOT expect that.
I asked how that could be since I’ve been much more aggressive with the clean-outs—doing them more frequently and REALLY making sure he’s cleaned out (i.e. waiting until we get multiple instances of very watery diarrhea)—and he said I probably AM cleaning him out to a certain extent, but that there’s just too much in there so I’m getting (say) the first “chunk” (so to speak) but not the rest. So, if I KEPT going, I’d likely get more. Also, the doc said that since I’m still letting Owen eat during these clean-outs, that just adds more…
So…I said that this weekend really wouldn’t work because it’s hard to get a sitter. The doc suggested Owen was old enough to stay by himself—but sorry, even though we’ve been there once and he wouldn’t be unfamiliar with everything, there’s NO WAY I am leaving him in the hospital by himself. I told him Tom was coming home in a few weeks and asked if we couldn’t wait until then and he said that was fine—it took a year to get to this point, another few weeks isn’t going to make a big difference.
Owen didn’t seem to freak out at the thought of having to go again, but when I asked if he wanted to try a no-food clean-out at home to try and avoid going to the hospital, he said yes. Now, I’m sure it SOUNDS good, but when the time comes for him to only have juice and NOTHING else, he might be singing another tune. (He can have popsicles and broth, but he doesn’t like either of those.) He was concerned about what TYPE of juice he could have and when I told him he could have apple juice, he was happy. So we’ll see. I can call the doc’s office at any time to tell them we’re ready for the hospital…and in the meantime, I have to keep doing the same clean outs to keep him as cleaned out as possible.
Not much has changed…we have some good days and bad days, I still need to do the mini clean-outs every other weekend, and the doc said this is normal for three months post-hospitalization…and 6-9 months is the normal time frame before we HOPEFULLY start seeing more of the good days. It’s a marathon, not a sprint. (I hate marathons and sprints, but I’d rather do sprints.)
So anyway, we at least got updated stats:
Weight: 64.2# Height: 47.12″
EEK! No wonder his 4-5T pull-ups have been looking a little tight…AND why he’s in size 8s.
Helping—she handed him his shoes then tried to put them on with him.
Playing together while waiting for the nurse.
More waiting. It’s frustrating because the actual time with the doctor is about five minutes (which is fine and all we really need) but since it’s just him and one nurse, it takes 20 minutes for her to come back and schedule your next appointment since she’s in with other patients. We always get in on-time (if not early) so overall it’s not bad (and it’s still way better than having to drive three hours round trip to Wilmington) but it’s just slightly frustrating.
Anyway, they both did pretty good waiting and Katie loved looking behind the blinds.
Then some family fun…
I noticed that Katie was sticking her tongue out (no idea why) so we all did! This might just be my favorite picture of the month. 🙂
So when Owen switched from daycare to pre-k, no one told me he needed a new physical form filled out so I was a bit surprised when it popped up on the check-in monitor saying it’s overdue. I got the form from admin right then, went home, and used the doctor’s office web portal (as they suggest) to request an appointment.
Well, life is busy and I didn’t realize that they hadn’t gotten back to me in four days, so I called to schedule the physical—and of course they couldn’t get me in for another week, but whatever. So I show up yesterday and am told he’s already had his age 4 physical (that’s what the four-year well-visit is) and it’s good for a year…so if I go to the appointment today I will be charged since our insurance only allows one physical per year. They let me cancel so that part was fine, but I was still annoyed because had I known/realized that the well-visit check was the same exact thing as the required physical, I could have just dropped the form off TWO WEEKS PRIOR when I first got the warning message. So they tell me it will be two business days and I don’t give it another thought.
So this morning I drop Owen off at school and he’s super excited because it’s Halloween and he’s dressed as Thor and there’s a parade walk through the school scheduled and a party in the afternoon and it’s all just very exciting for a four-year-old. As I’m driving home, I get a phone call from the school asking if I had Owen’s physical, because if they don’t have it TODAY, he can’t be at school and I’ll have to come pick him up.
WAIT. WHAT? YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME.
Yes, today is the absolute very last day he can be there without the physical form on file. I wonder how I didn’t know this. To be honest, I know I didn’t look too closely at the “due by” date, but there was NO warning that he wouldn’t be able to attend without it. And today of all days?!?!
I WAS LIVID.
So, I asked why they didn’t tell us ahead of time that he needed a physical and she said they did. I would have bet my life they didn’t, though, because I know I went through EVERYTHING in the welcome packet and there was no “new physical form” in there. The first time I heard it mentioned was when the notice popped up on the check-in monitor and I [started to make] the appointment that day—but of course that didn’t go quite as planned so I did waste some time. She said if they could fax it today he can stay, otherwise he’ll have to go home.
So when I get home, I call the doctor’s office and explained what was going on…and nope, nothing they can do, they are super busy and mine was the last one turned in. I practically beg, saying I’m going to have to take my son away from his Halloween party at school, yada yada yada. Nope, sorry. She didn’t even sound apologetic, which was annoying. At least fake it. She said she’d put a note on it and would call me if anything changed, but I can guarantee that won’t be happening. It’s really annoying because all it is is transcribing a few notes from his file to the piece of paper and checking a few boxes. Sure, there might be a pile of them, but each one can’t take more than 5-10 minutes. And you’d think they’d have a heart…but no.
I was so pissed. And I knew it would kill Owen—if they don’t get it there today he can’t go to school tomorrow on PJ day, which he’s been looking forward to all week. I admit I cried for a minute. 🙁 Then my anger took over and I went on a hunt for the welcome folder (which I’ve been meaning to do anyway since I need to put Owen’s birth certificate back in the safe) and looked through EVERYTHING again. No mention of any physical in any of the welcome materials and, of course, no form. Had there been a form, I would have definitely seen it when I first went through it.
So I decided that I would go in and pick him up at 10:30 when I knew the parade would be over. We’d then have to skip the party at the end of the day because that’s part of school, too. So I first went to talk to the admin, just to clarify HOW I was supposed to have known about the physical. She started by saying she will let him stay for today and the party (which made me happy—though it would have been nice if she said that earlier to save me a trip into town) and was then surprised when I told her I went through the welcome packet but there was no form in there (I told her “That’s why I asked for the form the other day—because it was the first time I’d heard of it.”). She basically blew that off saying “Hmmm, well there should have been a form but maybe I missed it.” That’s it? I thought I deserved a bit more of an apology than that, since none of this would have happened if the form would have been in the folder. (Yes, mistakes happen, but there’s a difference between realizing it on Day 1-14 as opposed to Day 31 when you’ve been called on it.)
ANYWAY, I also suggested it would be nice if the popup warning actually said “YOUR CHILD CAN’T ATTEND WITHOUT THIS PHYSICAL” and she said one of the three warnings did say that. Wait. Three? I only got one. Yeah, turns out the first notice was the Friday he missed school for being sick (when Grannie and Papa were here) and the second one must have been a day they picked him up and couldn’t get the fingerprint scanner to work so the office staff checked him out. So, basically a perfect storm of events from Day 1.
She really is a nice lady, and I didn’t want her to think I was a crazy person (plus I have to deal with her for the rest of the school year!), so I apologized for being so confused and told her I’m really not this disorganized…but apparently a bunch of little things went wrong from the beginning that just made it all weird. She seemed to think I wasn’t a lunatic (or at least she was good at faking it!) so I think we’re good.
Of course, if the doctor’s office can’t promise to get it to the school by like 10am tomorrow, he can’t go to PJ day. I don’t hold out hope…so today I get to make a big deal about staying home with mommy for a PJ and movie day just in case. And then hope they have it ready at 8am Monday, otherwise he gets a day at home with Gramma Jean (which wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world)…
Owen didn’t want to go to the dentist and he was cranky for the first few minutes in the chair…but then after a promise of a special treat if he behaved…all was well.
And he didn’t have any cavities so he gets his picture on the wall and his name in a drawing for a Toys R Us gift certificate!
Katie’s 15m well-visit was today, and she passed with flying colors! He asked if she was eating her fruits, veggies, and meats (yes), if she could throw a ball (yes), if she knew five words (yes), and if she was walking on her own (yes, running!).
And for the sibling comparison, at 15 months, Owen was: Weight: 28lbs. 12oz (95th percentile) Height: 34″ (Above 95th percentile) Head: 48cm (75th percentile)
Katie has allergies and is now on a low dosage of Zyrtec. I’m sure that’s what Owen’s snot and coughing is about, too, but it wasn’t his appointment so the doc couldn’t really do anything official. But, Owen was allowed to get his flu shot…and holy cow was that a drama. Of course he didn’t want a shot and just about pulled the “stiff as a log you can’t move me” crap, but I managed to get him in the room and as I’m literally shoving him to lay down on the table and keep him from flailing about and he’s screeching and snotting all over, the shot was done and over and he was like “That was it?” Yes, you little shit, I told you it was no big deal. (He whined louder and longer than Katie and her four shots!)
Then Owen had his follow-up with the GI specialist next door. He was 60.2# and 46-1/2″ tall. Unfortunately, there’s nothing else to do besides keep on keeping on—it took a year to stretch out his colon so it can take just as long for it to shrink back. And in the meantime, we just have to deal with the messy undies and have him keep trying to poop. I do officially have to do a mini clean out every other week—hoping enough gets done over the weekend so it doesn’t interfere with school.
I heard Owen get up at least once to potty during the night and I was up myself at 5:30 but then we both slept in until 7! Wheee! Sadly, it was probably the best I’ve slept in awhile, the uncomfy bed notwithstanding.
We got introduced to our new nurse at shift change about 7:30 and it was funny—she said, “Hi, I’m Sarah, and I’ll be your nurse today…for a few minutes.” 🙂 She came back about 7:45 to remove his port and discharge us. Owen got special new Ninjago underwear for the day.
Then it was down the elevator! Also, notice the rug. 🙂
Walking out, he says “That was fun!”
Wait. What? He obviously was only remembering the past nine hours during which he was sleeping and watching TV…and not all the crying and whining and tubes and needles and general crankiness and pooping over the past two days.
On the way to the car I tried to have a conversation with him about how pooping was really important and how he really needed to keep up the good work so he didn’t end up back in the hospital…and he didn’t seem phased at all. I’m sure I’ll be having that conversation more than a few times in the coming weeks.
The only bad thing about getting discharged first thing was that I had been planning on going to Costco…but they didn’t open until 10. So I decided to waste time—we went to Trader Joes and Once Upon A Child. 🙂
Owen did pretty well [trying to] sleep with the lights and vital checks and trips to pee. I wasn’t super comfortable but it wasn’t awful. I turned my lights out at 10:30 and was up at 11:30, 12:30, 3:30, and 5:30—finally getting up for good about 6.
And even though he had strong doses of meds all night…he still didn’t poop (he did pee a few times). He’s a tough bugger, apparently. Or, rather, his poop is the tough bugger. 🙂
He spit up at about 6:15 but it was just phlegm. I had to call the nurse so we could change the bed and get him into a gown. His B also got a little wet so I just threw it in the Family Lounge dryer (I was going to pack an extra B and forgot). Bad mom.
An upset stomach (nausea) can be a side effect of too many meds, so they turned them down (they had been up to the max level). Then he vomited at 7:15 and the tube came out. Ugh. Which means we likely have to go through that torture again. We’re waiting to hear the official next step—though I’m sure it means the tube goes back in because he still needs the meds to poop. 🙁
At least I don’t feel bad for being unsuccessful with the Miralax regimen at home—if they can’t get things going with serious drugs over 12 hours…what hope did I have?
Yep. Another tube. And an enema. Joy.
But before that happens, here’s a happy Owen, cleaned up and in his second gown of the day.
“Mom, I’m gonna lay like this. This is great!”
Of course he’s happy now—he doesn’t know what’s coming. 🙁
Nurse: [Grabbing Owen’s toe.] I think I’m gonna eat this.
Owen: No! I need it! [Taps his toe on the bed.]
Nurse: So I can’t eat it?
Owen: No, toes are for walking, not eating.
It was four hours before he got the second tube. FOUR HOURS. This is walking with the nurse to the treatment room.
This is getting the drugs via the port.
This is Owen on giggle drugs (Versed).
This is putting the tube in. It was a different tube and was done in under 30 seconds this time. Phew.
After he calmed down, they have to blow a puff of air through the tube to see if they can hear it in his belly. Owen wanted to listen, so they let him.
The same as yesterday, we had to wait for an X-ray to confirm tube placement. The air puff can be enough confirmation at some places but here they want to make absolutely sure.
The same as yesterday, he was a hot mess as the drugs wore off. Fine one moment, crying the next.
He wanted to see what he looked like:
It took FOREVER for the X-ray confirmation. So long, in fact—well, at least to me—that I completely forgot about it and panicked and called the nurse (and when I couldn’t get him, snagged the pediatric liaison in the hallway) saying he wasn’t connected to his medicine. I blame lack of sleep.
Tom Skyped in and Owen burst into tears and did NOT want to talk to him. After we hung up, Owen was sad he didn’t talk to him. But didn’t want to talk to him if he called back. Stinker.
Owen finally fell asleep about 1:30 so I ran down to grab a quick bite (and they had a volunteer sit with him in case he woke up while I was gone). Then I took a half hour nap, too.
He can’t easily get to his normal left-hand thumb, so he adjusted. 🙂
They RE-started his meds about 2:30 and planned on doing the enema once he woke up.
As a side note, there have been a few machine snafus—nothing life or death—just annoying.
Of course we get the wonky machine that beeps when you unplug it (it doesn’t hold its charge, apparently) so it starts beeping immediately. That’s nice…especially in the middle of the night. Or when Owen is napping and some other random steady beeps happen. I just push whatever button it’s requesting to shut it up—then go find the nurse.
And I have yet to ask about the nurse call button. No one ever shows up when I press it. Luckily there’s not been a real emergency and I can find someone at the nurses station. (I’m not talking doesn’t show up immediately. I’m talking doesn’t show up after three calls in 15 minutes.)
So…turns out I was using the call buttons on the bed when I was suppose to be using the one on the remote. Yeah, that wasn’t told to me, even when I was talking to the first nurse the first night (about telling Owen not to push that one for fun). I asked some random nurse who was standing outside our room and she cleared it up for me. I used the right button and someone answered in a minute.
Which, oh yeah, Owen pooped! Just a mere 21 hours after starting the meds and 26 hours after being admitted. Hallelujah.
But of course he didn’t go on his own. I had to practically beg him to “just try.” Which he finally did…and then let loose. Yay! But he wasn’t happy—he was crying and drooling. 🙁 I assured him it was okay and that’s what we wanted to happen!! I’m hoping that means we won’t need to do the enema.
He had to pee about a half hour later so I said “Let’s try to poop since we’re already here.” More whining and crying. I almost had to force him on the toilet. Once there? More poop. I just can’t understand how he can hold that all in without feeling uncomfortable or like he’s got to go!
When the nurse finally made it in (he had been admitting a new patient) he was thrilled at Owen’s pooping and agreed we’d hold off on the enema. He said he’d have Owen try to poop while I went to grab dinner.
On the way down, I actually noticed the mat in the elevator. I’ve been in it at least four times since we got here.
When I got back from dinner, I found out from our awesome male nurse that Owen call(s)(ed) him a doctor because he’s male. This is odd because Owen’s pediatrician is a woman (but his GI specialist is a man…) so it looks like we need to have a little talk. Rodney got a kick out of it regardless. 🙂
As we were just sitting there:
Owen: I don’t like needles.
Me: Well you’re done with shots.
Owen: Phhhheeeewwww!! Complete with hand wiping across forehead move.
Me: [Laughing]
So I made Owen poop four more times and the last three were (for all purposes) clear so we’re just waiting on the final word from the doc to get the last X-ray! And he’s already off the meds!
If it was any earlier we’d get to go home tonight…but since it’s a bit of a drive we’ll stay and try to sleep and check out first thing in the morning. (Had he not barfed up the first tube, we’d be about SEVEN hours earlier in this process and surely headed home tonight.)
At 9:30 he was given a clean bill of health—and the okay to eat! Of course, I hadn’t brought ANY snacks (I assumed we’d just eat after he was discharged) but the vending machine had his favorite crackers!! So he was a happy boy!
And the tube should be coming out shortly! (I just wish that part wasn’t taking so long because it’s already WAY past his bedtime (it’s currently 9:45). I know this situation is a bit unusual, but still.)
The doc said he’d cancel the nightly vitals checks so hopefully we can both get some decent sleep…and when the nurse came to take the tube out a little after 10, she said fluids were done, too! YAY! So now at least if he has to pee, he can do it alone (though of course I’ll still hear him). He was excited that he could now potty alone. He still has the port in just in case.
But oh. Taking the tube out. He screeched and cried so much while she was just taking the tape off I was flabbergasted. I mean, I’m sure it didn’t feel great, but I thought his reaction was way overboard…which I blamed on him being overtired. The actual tube removal was nothing in comparison and he about ripped it out himself.
So…an eventful day. Hell, two days. Overall I’d have to say it went much better than I thought. And I really hope we never have to do it again.
