March 8, 2009
Ugh…
It just never ends. The illness, I mean. Just when I thought Dawson was feeling better, and wrote about it on this here blog, he woke up the next night at 2:30 in the morning, screaming that his cheek hurt. When I asked him what he meant by that, he said through tears, “I think a monster bit me…”
At first I thought he had a bad dream, but he was rubbing his left ear and cheek area, the same ear that had the infection. I tried to hold him on the rocking chair for awhile, hoping he’d calm down, but the crying continued and I began to worry. Ear infections suck, and I thought that the antibiotic was doing it’s job. I didn’t know what to do.
Dawson continued to whimper, and I gave him children’s Tylenol to ease the pain. At 3:30 a.m., he threw up all over the kitchen floor. After changing him into new pajamas and cleaning up the mess (which my husband woke up to help me with, thank goodness), I gave him a drink of water and laid down with him on the couch. He didn’t fall asleep, but instead threw up again, this time on the blanket. After tossing that in the washing machine, I tried my best to sooth him.
This little routine of crying, whimpering, and vomiting lasted for six hours. Somewhere around 4 a.m. I brought out the heating pad and made a makeshift bed on the living room floor. I told Dawson to lay on the heating pad and he fell asleep for 45 minutes. Finally at 8 a.m., I called the doctor’s office and made an appointment.
Luckily, we got an 8:45 a.m. appointment (and Dawson threw up twice in the car) and it turns out that Dawson’s ear infection was healing just fine, but there was a huge chunk of earwax blocking his ear canal and pressing into his ear drum, causing the pain. This totally confused me, because we found out about the infection last week Monday, and I would have thought the doctor would have noticed the HUGE chunk of wax when she stuck her otoscope in his ear at his first appointment.
I worked for an audiologist, and I’ve never known earwax to build up that quickly. Dr. Reed ordered her nurse to flush out Dawson’s left ear which was INSANE. Poor child had no idea why this person was sticking a fancy squirt gun filled with water in his ear. He screamed and cried and writhed. I was so glad my mom drove us to the doctor’s office (after being awake six hours I was too afraid I’d fall asleep at the wheel) because she had to help me hold my child down so we could remove this cerumen from Dawson’s ear canal. It was horrible. I cried and cried.
Then Dawson threw up and Dr. Reed listened to his stomach and determined that my child had a touch of the stomach flu on top of it all. Wonderul, I thought. Just great… That explains the vomiting all morning long.
After the appointment we went to get some Pedialyte. Dawson threw up again in Grandma’s van (thankfully, I had a plastic bag in the car with me) and then fell asleep shortly there after.
When I got home I put Dawson to bed and crashed on the couch. I was so exhausted and had a horribe (lack of?) sleep headache.
After three days of this misery, I’m feeling sick. I just hope it’s morning sickness and not the flu. I don’t think I can handle another round of puking.
Send good vibes this way. We need them…desperately.
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March 8th, 2009 at 11:20 PM, Christine Says:
I hope he’s feeling better soon. And hopefully you can both get some very needed sleep. Hang in there. Sending good vibes your way.
March 9th, 2009 at 10:44 AM, The Dana Files » And Then Zeus Struck a Thunderbolt At My Head… Says:
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March 9th, 2009 at 10:46 AM, Dana Says:
Thanks, Christine! We so need sleep. And good health. Le sigh…