Ground Round

What I need is some sort of generic Patrick-Is-Sick-Again post that I can slap up here at a moment's notice, perhaps utilizing a nifty shortcut key (ctrl-P for plague, something like that.) Although I consider Patrick to be a fit child, robust even, a portrait of good health, all cherry lips and bright eyes, it should be acknowledged that he has been felled by a cold every other week since he started preschool. And each cold has gone pretty much exactly like this: runny nose and glassy eyes one afternoon immediately followed by a terrible night in which he and I are up four or five times due to fever and general crumminess. Then two to three days of congestion and irritability rounded off by a week or more of minor and sporadic coughing. This particular bout was made notable by two things: the first was that he developed a red spot in one eye that quickly took over until both his eyes looked like they were filled with blood (tres disgusting, although not pink-eye which I am sure is what you are thinking); and the second was that my concern over his horrible eyes led me to actually bring him into the urgent care on Thursday where they confirmed that he had an eye infection (duh!) and went on to diagnose two infected ears as well (huh!)

So, I ask, snippily, what is the deal with antibiotics these days? My understanding has always been that most childhood illness are viral and therefore resistant to antibiotics so you can just skip the unnecessary and ineffective doping and run with the juices and the motrins and the soups and time heals all et ceteras. BUT, my housewife's handbook continues, ear infections tend to be swampy bacterial messes and when one (or two) is (are) spotted you break out the amoxicillin (or penicillin, back in my day of continuously infected, shell-like ears.)

The pediatrician we saw did, indeed, give us an amoxicillin prescription as well as some antibacterial eye drops (although he said that he did not know whether the eye thing was viral or bacterial but he suspected the former so what is with the eye drops which are, may I add, VERY VERY hard to administer to a three year old?) and Packy is supposed to be on them for a week and five days respectively. Which is fine. But Friday night we threw an enormous party (did you hear it? did we keep you awake? excellent! after years and years of throwing terrible parties Steve and I are inordinately proud of this one, it was HUGE and RAUCOUS and QUITE FABULOUS, if we do say so ourselves) and it was attended by, well, let us just say every physician in the country because that it what it seemed like when they all launched into a vituperative argument in my living room about whether Baby Blood Eyes should or should not be given antibiotics for this or that or anything, really, ever.

Up until that point in the evening I had been very good, conscious of the warning that my increasingly scratchy throat and the slight pressure behind my eyes was issuing. You are getting siiiiiiick, they said, go to bed with a booooooook, they urged. So I compromised with my better self and was staying up but just drinking water. Then the Machaon Posse starting yelling at me and each other and I began to doubt the very underpinnings of my maternal instincts and someone magically appeared with a bottle of red wine and an empty glass and, looking deeply into my eyes, murmured, "It's not like you to refuse a small glass of wine, Julia." I am pretty sure it was the devil, now that I think about it, but I agreed it was not like me to refuse a teensy splash of wine with an old friend and subsequently awoke yesterday morning with both a crushing hangover and the full gale force of Patrick's virus.

Always one to look on the bright side, today was a thousand times better. I now have a fever and a pounding sinus headache and I can only breathe with great effort BUT I am no longer hungover. So, yay me.

I am going back to bed. Patrick seems to be getting better but his eyes still look like he went through a windshield. My abdominal wound (thank you for the thoughts on it) has finally scabbed over but I am uncertain about its long-term prognosis. It will be Ugly, most certainly, but that doesn't bother me so much as the possibility that it will continue to be as sensitive as it is right now. I rolled over on it this morning and screamed. It felt as if I had been knifed (no, no, not infected, just sore.) Steve said I am just like the Little Mermaid only for me it will be belly dancing rather than walking. Anyway, heeding the excellent advice of a blog comment, I have scheduled an appointment with a dermatologist (for about five years from now- my god, but dermatologists have extraordinary waiting times for new patients.) I do not have any pressing concerns (apart from this scar) but I find it likely as Caspar the Friendly Freckled Blogger that I will probably have more skin weirdness in the future and I think an ongoing relationship with a specialist is advisable.   

Holy Hippocrates, I just read this over and I am blushing hot (or perhaps my fever is back.) I sound like I am about eighty years old. Any other ailments I can talk about? Would you like to hear about Patrick's bowels? Steve's bad knee? Shall I tell you about how this reminds me of my grandmother's mother, no, not Willie, that was her step-mother, I mean Zona, who died during the Influenza Epidemic of 1919, no no, wait, it was 1918, no... no 1919, that's right because Wilma turned 20 the year R.B. had all that trouble with the schoolmaster's daughter....      

Comments

[jessica_deva]

How can you be so charming even when hungover AND ill? I wish you both a speedy recovery...

[Cricket]

Sorry for the all sickness.

Not sure how you're trying to do the eye drops, but we have luck around here using the method of one of my mother's past employers, an opthamologist.

I know none of this is easy with a little one, but make Patrick lay completely flat on his back. Get him to close his eyes - relaxed, if possible, not scrunched. Fill up the inner eye areas with puddles of medicine and get him to blinkblinkblink his eyes while still laying flat.

My son got pink eye a lot when younger, so we've done this many times around here. For just doing one eye, make a puddle, then roll the head while opening the eye, so it streams right in.

[MFA Mama]

Yes, absolutely, to Cricket's eye-drop trick above. Last year (as opposed to this year, when we infected them with RSV) we infected a family Thanksgiving's worth of guests with pinkeye, and that trick not only saved my sanity (and my son's eyes), but also (according to my aunt) worked pretty well on my middle-aged uncle. The eye thing may perhaps be viral, but to determine that it is not bacterial would probably involve some sort of swabbing and culturing, which would be traumatic (and also annoying for Patrick) and cost money, time, etc. so I think drops are a prudent route to take. Either way it'll clear up eventually (and I'm not a doctor or a nurse, although I have recently completed two residencies, HAHAHAHAHA, and can now insert an NG tube if anyone's interested).
Ctrl-P for Plague. Love that, and will steal it in casual conversation and pass it off as my own. I need some kind of instant "the baby is at the hospital again" shortcut, but I don't know what the hotkey for that would be--certainly I have lost all ctrl. Maybe one of the F keys. As in Fme.
I can't believe you had a livingroom full of physicians and didn't break out your wound. You have more restraint than I, my friend.

[tree]

You made me smile as always. Congrats on the awesome party!
We're going through the flu, here. Me first, then Caleb and Liam (poor baby!). Now we're just waiting for Aidan and Jim to get it. BLECH. And it's going through the family so s l o w l y. By the time it's got everyone, I'll be ready to catch something new and fun to pass around!
Ooooh I love cricket's eye-drop administering tip.
Get well soon!

[Toni]

With daughter #1, I had to sit on her and practically open her eyes with a vice to get those danged drops in. Daughter #2, I've learned the secret (see Cricket's secret). It does work at lot better - less crying and struggling on both sides.

So sorry to hear your sick (the plague part - not the hangover part - hangovers usually mean fun was had at some point)...but in the words of my 80 year old grandmother "This too shall pass". She also cuts the faces of 'ex' wifes/husbands/boyfriends from family pictures when they've left. So maybe don't take her advice.

[Kristine]

Sorry you're sick, but so glad to see it has not affected your endearing sense of humor. I wanted to let you know I tried your corn and chicken soup this weekend. It was soooo fabulous- until I let it get too hot. Then it looked all chunky and funky. But it's not like you didn't warn me about the delicate coconut milk. I'm gonna eat it anyways.

[Lisame]

I am a drunkard old hag that tends to forget that contacts should be removed to avoid bacterial infectons. I am 42 years old and tend to get eye infections twice a year from stupidity. I was sober for eight years of college; I have the right to party myself stupid. Cricket gave splended advice about the drops. I have to do that to myself.

Corn graten? loverly! I suggest it.

[Alexa]

It has been my experience that schoolmasters' daughters are nothing BUT trouble.
Anyway, we all missed you on Saturday--though of course we are glad not to have been infected with whatever god awful disease you have contracted, it sounds miserable and I do hope you feel better soon. Cricket's eye drop tip is much better than mine, as I have only given eye-drops to cats, but in any case I have found that the key is to keep ALL FOUR PAWS under control.

[TB]

Way to try killing the bug with alchohol. Always a good first choice. If you're going to feel poorly and have to stay in bed, you might as well enjoy yourself first.

[victoria]

I love reading about your dermatological adventures.

[Diane]

I'll have to try the cricket eye-dropping technique. Mine seems more barbaric. Lay him flat on the floor and then sit at his head, straddling both legs around his head (his head's in your crotch), pin both arms with your legs. He can't move and you can do whatever needs to get done.

[Lisa C.]

I am also of the impression that antibiotics should be used sparingly. In order to follow through with this (because the pediatricians sure do throw 'em at you) is to use a little homeopathy to relieve some of the more painful/uncomfortable symptoms to see if the infection will clear up on its own. I'm still learning myself, the and the best way to learn is from a classical homeopath, so if you're interested, look for one in your area. The internet is also a good resource.

We've treated with antibiotics a few times, but for simple illness I find either nothing or homeopathy is a good front line defense.

I hope you and Patrick feel better soon.

[Queenie]

You can also do the eyedrop trick from the outside corner of the eyes. Just have Patrick tip his head to the left, then put the eyedropper right at the outside corner of his right eye and squeeze. The little drop should go right in, and gravity will slide it across his eye. Then switch sides. Either way, using the corner is FAR, FAR easier than trying to stare upward and pry one's eyes open and drop things in them--that's just not natural, I'm convinced.

[MFA Mama]

Okay, I must have been having a moment of stoopidity during my last comment, because I ruminated on it and then remembered that when my middle child got pinkeye and an ear infection at the same time last year (it was during LAST year's Thanksgiving round of contagion) the pediatrician said he didn't need drops because the antibiotic he was on for the ear infection would also kill the pinkeye (for the recond it was Augmentin, not Amoxicillin, and this was the OLD pediatrician, but the pinkeye did in fact clear up without the drops). So it might be worth calling and asking if Amoxicillin will do the same thing, or if you can switch Packy to Augmentin, and spare yourself, er, I mean, the baby, the trauma of the drops. Just a thought (and yes, I know Augmentin has GI side effects, but my kids get them from Amoxicillin too so there might be nothing to lose here).

[carrie]

Delurking to say thank you for writing when you aren't feeling well. Hope you are all 100% soon.

[jill]

You must have missed the memo on this -- it's not called preschool, it's called "the petri dish." My 3 kids came down with every damn virus and contagious disease you could imagine during those preschool years. You might want to try giving Patrick some Airborne and having him wash his hands the second he leaves the building. And re eye drops and squirming kids, the other technique is to have him gently pull his lower eyelid out by the lashes (gently being the operative word here)until it makes a little pocket and then drop the drops right in. Works like a charm for me and my kids.

[honestyrain]

so charming and coherent indeed. stop being superior while sick and drunk. you're making the rest of us look lame.

and also, please feel better from an occassional reader.

[Belinda]

Yes--if you write this well hungover and sick, then you didn't get drunk/sick enough! In any case, best wishes for a more-than-speedy recovery, and a respite from plague for Packy.

[Sarah]

Thank you, thank you! I remember seeing those tea sets at Adiago, and a personal recommendation was all I needed to buy 6 sets for gifts. (Some ordered on behaf of my mother.) :o) I've been sick for 2 1/2 weeks, so this makes my shopping list much better!

[Cori]

Hello, I'm afraid this may be a random and possibly even unwelcome comment at this time. I was reading about your loss last year after seeing a heartbeat and I'm really sorry. I'm currently pregant with #14 and we have 1 living child. I have had 2 full term pgs. Our first was lost during the delivery. Anyhow, I am now being treated with lovenox eventhough I don't have an official blood clotting disorder. My history of pre-eclampsia in both full term pgs and my recurrent pg loss has allowed me to try lovenox. So far so good so I'm really hoping this is the answer. I didn't read all of your blog but have you ever tried heparin or lovenox? I would have never dreamed this was my issue and a doc at OHSU is convinced this is our answer and I want to believe him. Good luck to you.

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