It's the end of another month (Nathaniel's 6th), which means that it's time to post the best photos from March. The highlight (and lowlight) of the month: teeth!
-Scott
Nathaniel:
Baby Deuce:
Baby Deuce:
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Friday, March 06, 2009
Nathaniel's latest illness
Nathaniel began showing signs of illness earlier this week -- again. I say "again" because he had just finished a course of antibiotics for a diagnosed ear infection a week or so earlier.
So, Wednesday afternoon Ann took him to the doctor (a new doctor -- Nathaniel's regular doctor had the day off), and sure enough, the diagnosis was a double ear infection. The doctor prescribed a stronger antibiotic this time than the 2 previous courses of amoxicillin.
Unfortunately, almost as soon as we got a dose into him, up it came, along with everything else in his stomach! The same thing happened the 2 times Thursday that we gave him the antibiotic. Needless to say, Thursday was not a happy day for Nathaniel -- he refused to drink anything, he ran a high (103+) fever most of the day, and large amounts of mucous and drool were oozing out of his head. By the end of the day, he was dehydrated... His diaper remained dry all night (which at his age is not a good thing).
Ill and asleep in the Jumperoo Thursday
Friday morning, I took him back in to see his regular doctor. She looked into his ears and pronounced them OK -- just a bit "dusky" colored. As I described his symptoms, the doctor speculated that he might have influenza, which is apparently just beginning to strike in this area. So, she ordered a chest x-ray (results OK) and a nasal swab for influenza (results pending).
In summary, the doctor was sufficiently concerned with Nathaniel's condition to suggest admitting him into the hospital immediately for "observation" and to treat his dehydration with IV fluids. I was less than thrilled with this option, because my coworker had just related the miserable experience her 17 month old daughter had in the hospital the previous weekend.
Before I was able to express my opinion about the immediate hospitalization option, the doctor offered another option: inject an antibiotic immediately, begin a different oral antibiotic, administer breathing treatments at home as needed, and try to force some fluids down his throat before 5 PM. She said that if his condition didn't improve by 5 PM, then he'd need to be admitted to the hospital Friday evening. We agreed to give this option a try.
So, while I waited for the nurse to return with Nathaniel's injection, I grabbed a bottle of milk and jammed the nipple into his mouth. He protested mightily at first, but eventually he began drinking, and before I knew it he downed 3-4 ounces! Then he received his injection, and we returned home around noon.
Nathaniel napped until 1:30 PM, and then I was able to make him drink another 3-4 ounces of milk. Unfortunately, he refused the oral antibiotic that I offered him. Then, I began to change his poopy diaper, and as soon as the air hit his bare skin, he proceeded to urinate all over himself, my hand, and the changing mat... I never thought that I would be so happy to get peed on!
For the next 2 hours, Nathaniel happily played in his Jumperoo and on his play mat. Around 4 PM, he was getting tired, so I grabbed another bottle of milk, and I was able to get him to drink all 6 ounces before he crashed! At that point, I called his doctor to report the good news, and we agreed to a follow-up visit with the doctor next Thursday.
What a way to spend my day off!
-Scott
So, Wednesday afternoon Ann took him to the doctor (a new doctor -- Nathaniel's regular doctor had the day off), and sure enough, the diagnosis was a double ear infection. The doctor prescribed a stronger antibiotic this time than the 2 previous courses of amoxicillin.
Unfortunately, almost as soon as we got a dose into him, up it came, along with everything else in his stomach! The same thing happened the 2 times Thursday that we gave him the antibiotic. Needless to say, Thursday was not a happy day for Nathaniel -- he refused to drink anything, he ran a high (103+) fever most of the day, and large amounts of mucous and drool were oozing out of his head. By the end of the day, he was dehydrated... His diaper remained dry all night (which at his age is not a good thing).
Ill and asleep in the Jumperoo ThursdayFriday morning, I took him back in to see his regular doctor. She looked into his ears and pronounced them OK -- just a bit "dusky" colored. As I described his symptoms, the doctor speculated that he might have influenza, which is apparently just beginning to strike in this area. So, she ordered a chest x-ray (results OK) and a nasal swab for influenza (results pending).
In summary, the doctor was sufficiently concerned with Nathaniel's condition to suggest admitting him into the hospital immediately for "observation" and to treat his dehydration with IV fluids. I was less than thrilled with this option, because my coworker had just related the miserable experience her 17 month old daughter had in the hospital the previous weekend.
Before I was able to express my opinion about the immediate hospitalization option, the doctor offered another option: inject an antibiotic immediately, begin a different oral antibiotic, administer breathing treatments at home as needed, and try to force some fluids down his throat before 5 PM. She said that if his condition didn't improve by 5 PM, then he'd need to be admitted to the hospital Friday evening. We agreed to give this option a try.
So, while I waited for the nurse to return with Nathaniel's injection, I grabbed a bottle of milk and jammed the nipple into his mouth. He protested mightily at first, but eventually he began drinking, and before I knew it he downed 3-4 ounces! Then he received his injection, and we returned home around noon.
Nathaniel napped until 1:30 PM, and then I was able to make him drink another 3-4 ounces of milk. Unfortunately, he refused the oral antibiotic that I offered him. Then, I began to change his poopy diaper, and as soon as the air hit his bare skin, he proceeded to urinate all over himself, my hand, and the changing mat... I never thought that I would be so happy to get peed on!
For the next 2 hours, Nathaniel happily played in his Jumperoo and on his play mat. Around 4 PM, he was getting tired, so I grabbed another bottle of milk, and I was able to get him to drink all 6 ounces before he crashed! At that point, I called his doctor to report the good news, and we agreed to a follow-up visit with the doctor next Thursday.
What a way to spend my day off!
-Scott
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
