Since the nightly Zyrtec hadn’t helped any, we scheduled a revisit with the pediatrician. We were there on time and put it a room at our appointment time, but the doc didn’t come in until almost 30 minutes later. BOOOOOO HISSSSSS. And on top of that, it was a substitute doc, which the nurse only told me about AS we were walking into the room. Not that it necessarily would have altered our decision to visit, but I think something like that should be known as ahead of time as possible in case there were issues. I was pretty irritated by that time, too, since it’s a small office and I knew no one else was there—so why the long wait? I know I can’t possibly know all the details, so it may have been justified, but I was still irritated. Also, it was Owen’s nap time but that had been the only appointment available that day. Had the doc came in on time—or even close to on-time—we would have been out of there before the crankiness attacked (keep reading).
So the doc comes in and he’s an older Indian guy and pretty nice. Unfortunately, Owen didn’t really like him—and it was nap time—and he pretty much cried and fussed loudly the whole time the doc was looking in his ears, listening to his chest, and looking at his throat. I don’t think Owen would have been that fussy normally, so I think he knew it was someone new (unfamiliar) and didn’t like it. Luckily the doc didn’t have to do anything too invasive so it was over pretty quick. Unfortunately, Owen didn’t calm down as quickly as he normally does (like after shots).
His determination? Basically, the gunk—a minor ear infection and congestion. One wasn’t the cause of the other, but they could affect one another. Or something like that. Whatever the case, I got two prescriptions—one antibiotic and a cough syrup. And I was to continue with the Zyrtec at bedtime.
Of course, Owen was sleeping in about two minutes, so I decided to swing by Walgreens to drop of the scripts, planning to pick them up when Tom got home. But the lady said it would only be 20 minutes, so I said I’d wait, figuring that I’d still be able to get Owen in the house to finish his nap since he wouldn’t have been sleeping that long. Except that it took about 35 minutes for the scripts to be done >:XX so that by the time we got home Owen had been alseep for about 45 minutes. It seemed he was going to fall back to sleep in the crib…but he didn’t. Which meant I then had to deal with a cranky and still-tired little boy. NOT FUN. I managed to give him his medicines with not too much terror.
He did take a good two-hour afternoon nap (which my sanity really needed). The rest of the night went pretty well, and then it was time for all three meds before bedtime. It was a MAJOR struggle getting him to take the meds and that was with me holding him down and Tom administering the stuff. But we did it and as soon as we were done, Owen was fine and went right back to playing. Then it was time for his milk, and that was going well, too, until…
SURPRISE!…the projectile vomiting of wonderfully-staining fruit [blueberries and strawberries from dinner], curdled-looking cottage-cheesy milk, and all three medicines all over me…and the couch…and the floor.
Talk about YUCK. XX(
After we got the basics cleaned up, he was just fine—happy and giggling and playing. Of course. After he went to bed, the major couch clean up started (I think it will survive) and the laundry started (I hope my pants survive).
So, from now on, we’re dropping the Zyrtec and alternating the antibiotic and the cough medicine (or dropping it entirely until we think he needs it). I am NOT going to do that again.