Something In The Air

Poor Edward. He's still 80% insane so I took him back to the pediatrician who confirmed that his ear continues to look terrible despite the two rounds of antibiotics. She asked if his nose had been leaking that green junk for weeks and I said why yes it has and she diagnosed a sinus infection. I mentioned that his older brother has been battling the same thing for months (he has a new one now) and she said some people are just structured that way. I supose this is true but it seems odd to me. Steve just had his first sinus infection a few weeks ago. I have started getting about one a year. And now Patrick and Edward have one (well, two. one each.) Do you suppose there can be an environmental factor? A miasma? I asked Steve if thought our house might have a mold problem and he looked like I had just suggested he carries a particularly unsavory venereal disease.

"I have been inside the walls of this house," he said and when I asked if he might have spilled a lemonade or something while he was in there he challenged me to a duel.

Hence the sling (don't worry, he just pinked my shoulder) and my promise to never speak of it again but I dunno... COINCIDENCE? I think not. And! As an extra data point I was talking to a neighbor the other day and he said that he had been getting horrible sinus infections for the first time in his sixty-odd years and that he heard another neighbor had almost been hospitalized with one. Steve pointed out that our respective houses are separated by a couple of miles and that my need to find patterns is indicative of a ill-formed mind but for the record we all share a creek valley. So there. Actually, seriously, you always collectively know everything, do you think it strange that both Edward and Patrick have incurable sinus infections and is there a way to test for... whatever it is?

I called the ENT to bring Patrick back for a recheck and mentioned that I would like to bring our younger son to see her as well. The receptionist told me that our ENT's first openings were July 5th and that she was at office A in the morning and office B in the afternoon. So I scheduled Patrick for 11 o'clock at office A and then said that I supposed I could bring Edward into office B that afternoon. There was a long pause and then the receptionist said, "Ohhhhhh kaaaaaaay. But are you sure you don't want to bring them both in together? She could see one and then the other."

I just started laughing because, yes, that WOULD be easier wouldn't it?

So that's everything you need to know about mucosa and my family. Perhaps even more than you needed to know.

Stop me if I told you this before but when Caroline and Edward walked out of the building on their last day of preschool Edward paused on the sidewalk and spontaneously pumped both fists into the air, shouting "Whooo HOOO! Last day of pre'cool!"  As we drove away from the parking lot and Caroline suggested we turn left rather than right (she likes to direct me as I drive. it's... so charming) he said, "No Cayayine. That way's precool and we never going precool AGAIN."

I didn't have the heart to tell him about a little something for which I've signed them up. A little something I like to call: Summer Preschool. But it exists and they are going to do four weeks scattered thoughout the summer and I am quite certain that when Edward twigs to what I have done he is going to lose his deliciously rounded mind. 

In the meantime Patrick got out of school yesterday (he waxed philosophic: "First third grade's over, then fourth, and then the next thing you know... death") and I'm getting to enjoy all three kids together in undiluted wonderfulness. When I tell you that Patrick had bitten Edward (yes you read that correctly) by two o'clock this afternoon and by four I actually said "The next child who opens their mouth will be locked in the garage" it gives you a good sense of how the summer is going so far. Another few days of this and I swear they will all be in summer preschool plus summer pre-preschool and summer after-preschool. Even Patrick. 

We have a lilac bush that blooms a solid four weeks after every other lilac in the area and it has no scent and very little color. It's like a ghost bush. What is up with that? Should I fertilize?

Caroline shows off her summery bob... and split personality. Kai Lan? Or la femme Nikita?

 

Aaannnd... Patrick is now done with his tumbling open gym and I have sworn that I will no longer tinker with posts for days on end. Done and done. Don't forget the m-o-l-d.

PS Patrick and I have just finished listening to Sabriel, written by Garth Nix and read by Tim Curry. It was E-X-C-E-L-L-E-N-T. A well conceived, well written, well narrated tale. Although warning! warning! warning! it was very very dark. Extremely dark. Full of death and more death and animated corpses and eyes of flame and then more corpses. In this book when they talk about worse things than death they mean, really, things. worse than death - and they're not talking about rape, which I always thought was a particularly stupid male Victorian point of view. I mean really? Worse? But Sabriel. Not for the easily spooked child but - without ruining it - they don't shoot Ol Yeller and Bambi's mother doesn't die so it didn't bother me. We both enjoyed it and will be starting the second book in the series tomorrow despite the fact that I am going to have to drive all the way over to the civilized part of town where the librarians buy good audiobooks in order to pick it up.    

Comments

[AnnaN]

My sense of smell is slightly off. I have driven my husband bonkers and if I had a dollar for every time I have prompted him to shout, "Our house does not have mold!" I...I mean "we" would be rich.

So far, I have uncovered some mold in two places in the house, but never in a spot where it was likely to be airborne (in betwixt subfloor and vinyl flooring) and completely by accident. So, given the number of times that I have proclaimed mold infestation and the actual incidence of such, I believe I have given myself a phobia courtesy of all those home remodel shows I watch.

However we and everyone we know are suffering from horrid sinus infections this spring. I've heard that climate change is creating massive fluxes in amounts of pollen. I wish it would stop - I hate it.

[Lizneust]

I suffer from chronic sinusitis. I am otherwise healthy, but I would pay good money for a different nose. Allergies DO increase your risk of sinus infections, but you can also have physiological issues as well. Essentially, one I get a cold / allergic reaction / snoot full of dusty road, I'm a goner. My pipes and valves, if you will, were very poorly designed. Irritation leads to swelling leads to blockage leads to the ENT's office. Nasal lavage also helps, but you have to be religious about it - by the time things look gunky, it's too late. I would talk to the ENT about the prophylactic measures you can take. For me, it is flonase, mucinex, claritan and nasal lavage twice a day. However, I am probably going to have to go the surgery route soon - I'm 43 and I've become allergic to two separate antibiotic classes in the last 10 years. Boo.

Allergies have been horrendous this year throughout the country. I suspect your doctor will agree. Hopefully that explains Edward, if not Patrick. Good luck.

[Hetty Fauxvert]

I know, I know I start yapping about allergies every time I post on your (terrific!) site, but really . . . allergies are the poster child for producing sinus crap. (i.e., infections) The fact that your neighbor also has sinus crap going on really screams "pollen count!" to me. Look up the average daily pollen count for your area for the last month or two, and then compare it to last year's (or the same month in the last year in which Patrick was actually well -- boy, it seems like poor Patrick has been sick forever). If you see a big difference in the numbers, that could be it.

Also, as someone has said, do check out air ducts, registers, etc. Always good to have them cleaned out just in case. Check your windows to make sure there is not stealth mold growing at the edges of the panes as well. And chlorine bleach mixed with water and sprayed, then left to sit for a few minutes (one part bleach to 9 parts water -- it does not take much bleach to do the job, and actually does not work as well if you use too much bleach) will kill mold extremely effectively. (Be sure to wear appropriate gear to keep the bleach solution out of your eyes, nose, and lungs. Bleach in your lungs ain't so great. But it just goes gangbusters on mold.)

Poor Edward and his hated precool! Uh, what is it exactly that he doesn't like? Is this a red flag or just preschooler agin-it-ness?

Hope everyone feels well and happy again soon! :)

[cassey]

As a person who gets sinus infections often, once this one passes a daily antihistimene (excuse the spelling) helps a lot. You should look out for the series by Nix that starts with Mister Monday, it's great.

[Jan]

I also vote for increased pollen levels as a result of crazy weather this year and global warming, but if a mold test is not too expensive, why not check?

[Rebekah]

What you said about how much you are enjoying summer so far (wink wink) reminded me of something my mom told me last week. She ran a summer day camp for about 25 years, and said she learned to never be stressed out about the camp being full at the beginning of summer because after the first week or two of moms being home with their kiddos all day long? WHADYA KNOW ... the phone would ring off the hook and VOILA! The entire rest of the summer filled up. LOL!!

[Jan]

p.s. Adore Caroline's "blue skies" top. Those shades are particularly becoming on her!

[Emily Faulkner]

Just wanted to pop in and tell you we just returned from our first trip to Tyler Place, and we never would have known about it if not for you! So, thank you for changing my life. Hands down best vacation EVER, and my two Junior Midgets would agree (even though they both caught a nasty stomach bug that ran rampant through their group....). Not sure if you're going back this year, but we're already planning to return for week 2 next year. LOVE.

As for the sinus infections, I would test for mold. We've also had the worst allergies ever this year, so I dunno. But definitely sounds environmental. Hope everyone improves soon!

[Kathleen]

Try cutting out dairy...

[mizasiwa]

Im sorry to hear your not planning on going to that cool family holiday place - that was awsome, to read.... im not sure but we in our family collectively got serious sinus infections when they started to build down the road from our house = it was not conclusive but i have my doubts as to the clarity of the air with building around. I wouldnt put the idea out your head that with all the problems youve had with your house that this could cause sinus problems though? good luck for the summer of kids!

[Christina Pitt]

Just too say, 'Oooh, Sabriel! I liked those ones too' :) And good luck with whatever super-nasty bug you have to do battle with in your creek valley...

[Karen]

I am allergic to outside mold, dust mites and cats. Without allergy shots, every cold turns into a sinus infection. Just a thought echoed by your other readers.

[Shanna]

I am sorry if this is a repeat, I didn't read all the comments. Have your vents checked for mold or even heavy dust. Not sure if you have ever had the ducts cleaned on your system but it would be worth it to make sure that isn't the problem. Also if all this started after you cranked up the A/C, if you have that, the outside unit could have been full of spring crap and then sucked into the house. I had that happen one year when I had an A/C unit and the inside of the house looked like a bag of tree pollen blew up in it. Good luck I hope you get this figured out.
The lilac looks like the Miss Kim that I have in my yard that just finished blooming, about 3 weeks later then all the rest. Also no scent which disappoints me because what else is a lilac good for? ;)

[Beck]

Previously, you mentioned using the neti pot. Does it get cleaned between uses or is the whole family sharing the neti germs?

Personaly I stopped getting sinus infections when I started using allergy medicine.

[Jenn]

It took a couple of months of constant antibiotic taking to eliminate the sinus polyps that caused me to have recurrent sinus infections in my early to mid-20s. I know there are a lot of concerns about having kids on anti-biotics for a long time, but maybe a longer course of one anti-biotic is preferable to a series of shorter rounds of different ones?

One other thought re: allergies -- I know after the Caroline incident, you probably keep her windows locked, but do the boys sleep with windows open (even at the top or just a little) to let air in? If so, that might be causing some allergy problems.

We've found that if we leave ANY window open in the house at night, we are congested and itchy-eyed in the morning. We usually can leave windows open from late morning to early evening, but they are closed otherwise. It's a pain going from heating to air conditioning, but at least we can breathe clearly!

Meant to comment on an earlier post that mold is probably the reason your homeowners insurance company moved so quickly to "remediate" the basement after the ugly incident. Mold claims have caused insurers a lot of grief, so they put a high priority on getting any water damaged areas dried out, removing carpets, replacing wallboard, etc.

[lolismum]

Allergies babe. My younger daughter had 11 sinus/ear infections in 7 months and it turned out she is severely allergic to trees. She had tubes put in and adenoids out and it has made a world of difference. SHe is also on daily allergy meds. I don't know why she has allergies. My husband and I could both sleep in an oak tree with cats on our faces and not even sneeze yet our older one is severely allergic to cats and has asthma and the younger one is severely allergic to trees and has mucked up sinuses. I'd like to sue mother nature as well.

[KJ]

My son went through a similar phase of wanting to direct me while I was driving. We used to go on "adventure drives" after I picked him up from preschool where he could direct me however he wanted. We had a great time seeing seeing the area and wondering where we would end up.

[Txtingmrdarcy]

The Abhorsen trilogy is an absolute favorite, but the next two books get even creepier (if possible) yet even more epic. Patrick seems that he should be able to enjoy them, but a slight buyer beware.

Tim Curry reading it though? Genius!

I think I may steal Caroline's adorable haircut when I finally finish this wedding nonsense. Blech, the hair.

[Kelly]

Do you have central heat/ac? check for mold in your ducts. That is where it was hiding in our apartment. We were sick for months and months. sinus infections, nosebleeds, headaches. We thought we just had bad luck. Then we got a letter from an attorney representing a family that live on the other side of our complex. He told us there was a confirmed mold issue and asked us to be part of class action suit. I called him and explained we didn't see any mold but he told us to pull off the cover and look in the ducts. We were HORRIFIED at the slick black mold growing everywhere. To make a long story short, we moved but nothing came with us. Mold remediation company was able to salvage non porous items but not much else. The air quality in our house was HORRIBLE, the people cleaning our stuff were in hazmats suits. Fortunately our renters insurance covered the stuff and we did join the suit, we settled for a small amount and we happy that it was no longer our issue.

So yeah.. check those ducts. And also get someone to test the air quality in your home and outside it for comparison. It may be nothing but it could be something

[SusanOR]

If it is determined to be pollen/allergies, one tip is to bathe the children every evening to get the pollens out of their hair before they rub them all over their pillows...and essentially marinate in it all night.
As a back up, slip a sock over a hairbrush & make sure to brush the child's hair at night to pull some of the pollen out. Then just toss the sock in the wash each night.
No other words of wisdom here. Just empathy.

[Homeowner Insurance]

She's so gorgeous. LOVE YOUR POSTS! Good luck!

[Kizz]

I'm firmly in the allergy as evil camp. In case you were wondering.

[Allison]

Summer has not officially started for us -- last day of school is Thursday -- but I am scared. Very, very scared.

Good luck to all of us.

[Michelle]

I didn't read, so I don't know if someone else said it, but sometimes even the bacteria for those infections can be contagious. Are you guys passing it between each other? Just thought I'd mention the possibility.

[Sara]

I love Garth Nix' Abhorsen series, and am so glad you're enjoying his books! I didn't care much for the 7 book Keys to the Kingdom, however.

I lived in Australia for a couple years in my childhood, and a friend from those days had her son in school with his child (or children?) who I believe she described as pretty badly behaved. And when I just went to look up his biography, I realized that I went to the same primary and secondary schools as he did. I feel so cool now!

[H]

Nthing allergies and pollens, and wondering - do you have a lot of pine trees around? I've know folks in the past who are particularly affected by them (pollen/spores whatever), and if you've had the same wet and endless spring that we've had, they may be particularly troublesome this year.

Also, yes - please do the mold testing, esp. after recent water-related home events. Am guessing, though, that if your neighbors are suffering similar problems, it's more external than internal environment.

Sabriel is awesome! I'd forgotten about that series... hm.

[jen w]

don't you have cats? Could they be allergic to cats??

[Tas Wanita]

She's so cute :)

[corinne]

Doesn't your library system do inter-library loan? I can get books from other libraries (in our little area/system) delivered to my library. If you use the online hold system maybe? Just saying. Or maybe you need reasons to leave the house. With the children locked safely in the garage, though, that should be less of a need.

[Jjiraffe]

Lots of great feedback here. As soon as I read this, I thought of my family's experience living in a rental house. We all (me, husband and our twins) began getting bronchitis, pneumonia, sinus infections. My daughter began to have asthmatic symptoms. My husband, after six months, said (like Miss Clavel): something is not right. We hired mold inspectors who found black mold. The landlord refused to fix it, so we moved and now, a year later, my daughter's asthmatic symptoms are gone and no one has had more than a cold. Knock on wood. Good luck!

[jen w]

Yes, you can get books from any library shipped to yours, at least I can and I'm in Rogers, MN. I can get from any library in the cities.

[Jen]

Caroline for President. Seriously.

[carrie]

My husband had a horrible sinus infection that he never seemed to get over. He finally went to an allergist who said he still had a sinus infection, gave him 6 weeks of antibiotics, antibacterial cream to stick up his nose, a neti pot, nose spray and told him he was allergic (after a million shots on his arms according to my husband) dust mites.
He followed the doctor's instructions and we spent more money than I care to think about on mattress and pillow covers. Seems much better now. Or at least he is no longer making that annoying throat clearing noise! Oh yeah - I also get to wash the mattress pad, sheets and blankets in hot water every week.

[Heather]

Love Caroline's new haircut!!! Can't wait to hear Edward's reaction to summer preschool! And my daughter also just finished 4th grade. I think she's pretty happy about it. I can't believe this fall I'll have a 5th grader!!! I still remember 5th grade!

[Natalee]

Listen, all you need to find out if there is mold in your house is to pay for me to come to your house! If I get a headache and sinus pain within 24 hours of being there, you have mold. I'm that allergic. Seriously.

I'll also chime in that seasonal allergies are at an all-time high this year. I've had draining ears for almost a month now, and I know it's my allergies that are causing it.