Both Ends

This story actually begins with last Saturday. Our second child (we affectionately call her "Bug" - 7 years old) was sporting a little rash just below her neck. My keen mother sense went into overdrive and I started checking throats for signs of strep. Sure enough, Bug's throat had little white spots.

Hmmm, what to do? The after hours clinic was already closed, not urgent enough for an ER visit, so we just decided to go in to the clinic Sunday morning. I had all three kids swabbed just in case they share the germs better than they share toys. My mom (Oma) had a scratchy throat also, so she tagged along. I took the kids directly to the lab while Oma went in to see the on-call doc. All three came back negative! Wow - I was surprised. In the mean time, Oma had been diagnosed with sinus infection and the start of bronchitis - and she wasn't the one we thought was sick! Anyway, I still had Bug and Mr. Man (our 5-year-old) seen by the doc working with kids and she said it's just viral. Treat it with tylenol and cough syrup and be on our way. She was really nice and good with the kids, so I trusted her. Silly me.

So, Oma is on her power antibiotics, my kids are supposedly in the clear with just a little cough, so we decide to pack up and head to visit my Grandmother in the nursing home in Wahpeton and stay in a hotel with a pool. Fun! Bug was a little laid back, not swimming as much as the other two, but not too bad.

We stopped at Olive Garden in Fargo on our way home Monday and got a message from the nurse to call back. Finally at 3:30 (after we were home again) the nurse calls back and tells me what I knew all along that Bug's gunk had grown out into strep. They called in the prescription and I asked for pills since the kids learned how to swallow them this summer.

The end of the story??? Not by a long shot!

Since the medicine hadn't had a chance to work long enough for Bug to not be contagious, she couldn't go to school on Tuesday. I stayed home in the morning and Jon (my dear hubby) was able to work his schedule to come home at lunch time. It felt like playing hooky since Bug and I baked bars, played Uno and SkipBo, and had "salon time" where I did her hair - all before noon. She was feeling fine. Daddy came home, she took her third pill, some cough syrup and took a nap. We thought she was on the mend so sent her to dance class since she has a performance this coming Saturday. Between dance and piano lessons, we grabbed her a cheeseburger and pop. She hadn't eaten lunch, and then she only ate about half of the burger, but proceeded to puke at the piano teacher's house. Ewwww!

Jon and I were out at trivia night, so Oma picked up the girls from piano and got the kids to bed. Able to arrange for a sub, Jon stayed home with Bug Wednesday and he cleaned the house all day - what a guy!! By 9:00, Bug had thrown up again so I called the doc we had seen at the after hours clinic, but she was out until Thursday. Our regular pediatrician was out until Friday. I was able to contact another doctor who called in a prescription for the liquid amoxicillin which Bug had not reacted to previously. By evening, she was tired out, but no more pukes so we're in the clear, right?

Wrong! This morning she had a nice shower, cough syrup, the liquid meds, and a little cereal. So we're off to drop off Mr. Man at day care and she complains about not feeling well. She ended up running to the bathroom and throwing up again! This time we had the added fun of diarrhea too. We dropped Megs (9 year old big sister) at school, stopped by my office, and headed home. I'm starting to think she has my stomach for drugs. The last two times I had amoxicillin (supposedly a very mild and easy to take drug) I puked like five times after taking just the first dose.

She is scheduled to see yet another different doctor today at 12:50. I'll keep you posted with what we find out.

Update 2:30pm: We went in for a shot in the leg. The nurse said Bug did the best of any kid she's EVER had to give this shot to. Then she almost fainted. I guess the worry and hype of getting a shot was too much for her.