Monday, November 21, 2011

Snot Shoulder and Other Sicko Randomness

Anyone with kids, especially young kids may know the phrase 'snot shoulder' and what it entails.  You don't really have to have uttered the phrase before to know the all too familiar crustiness that encompasses one or both of your shoulders at any given time.

My baby girl has been sick for 6 weeks.  She started off with a cold the week she started daycare.  I would have suspected it was daycare related except my son had previously been sick, infecting me who in turn infected my hubby and daughter.  Families share everything, no?

Anyways, my son eventually rid himself of the bug, and the hubster, who had still been recovering from surgery luckily beat it quickly.  I was sick for over 4 weeks, with it changing every five or sick days to remove one symptom but add another, like a sick version of a Mattel game.  My poor pricess however has gotten the worst of it.  I *think* she had the same bug we all had, but has since picked up more by being in the company of other drippy nosed, touchy feely kids - it happens and daycare and school are the prime breeding grounds no matter how clean they are!

She eventually was dx'd with an ear infection, got Amoxicillin for that, felt better for three days and then the nose faucet started up again.  I took her back to the doctor once more when she just seemed to be getting worse thinking maybe the ear infection hadn't totally cleared but they said it was just a virus and that her ears and chest looked/sounded fine...that was two weeks ago.  This past Friday I picked her up at daycare and she had just woken from her nap in a feverish state.  She fought a 103 fever all weekend, with us alternating tylenol and advil every four hours each.  She had moments where she was happy but spent a lot of time laying quietly in our arms.  We got the snot shoulder on every shirt we wore...I stopped trying to avoid the inevitable drench.

By yesterday, the tylenol and advil were no longer reducing the fever and she was lethargic with her eyes rolling upwards now and then.  Not a febrile seizure, but almost like she couldn't keep her eyes open at all...and the light seemed to bother her.  Off to the ER we went (since no clinics were open).  We only had to wait a total of 2 hrs (which is pretty good) to be told that she is just battling a virus.  The dr didn't even look in her mouth or at her throat.  Of course it didn't help that they upped her tylenol dose when we'd gotten there and that little boost was all she needed to be the happiest acrobat baby in the ER, flinging herself upside down and smiling for all.  Yep...good old Murphy had shown up to show us that even though she was ashen and lethargic at home, bring her out and she's a little clown.

I don't think the doctor took us too seriously, but it didn't help that he was Dougie Howser who felt it appropriate to lounge back on the exam table (like a full lounge backwards into the corner, legs up and head against the wall reclined) while talking to us.  We got the impression that he felt we were just overreacting to a low grade fever which pissed me off - We've been around the block - we know the signs of when a baby needs some medical attention or at least a thorough exam.  Anyways, long story short, no diagnosis, it's just a virus.  And a LOT of snot.

The plus side...I normally try to re-wear things a couple of times if they are still clean, but lately I don't even have to check them...they all go into the laundry basket!

Happy wiping!

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