I Call Uncle...or Another Sick Week

My poor son just can't stay healthy. He was back to the doctor this week. Once again he was diagnosed with strep and send home for the day with antibiotics to take for 10 days.

I don't think I've written about it here, but I have complained on Twitter. A lot. I'm so sick of this kid being sick. It's not his fault. We've treated it every time, but then he just gets sick again.

My son is 5 years old (almost 6). He has been the healthiest kid his whole life. Besides for minor colds now and then and a bout of chicken pox when he was a baby, he's not been sick. In fact until December, he had never been to the doctor for being sick. He had only had well-child checkups as needed.

I know we've been very lucky with him this far. But something changed this fall. He went from being home with me all the time to being away at school 5 days a week. Apparently the germs run rampant in Kindergarten. He had a few colds to star this fall. Then the bad stuff started.

About the middle of December Zachariah started complaining of an ear ache. My husband was worried right away, because he had a lot of ear infections as a child. He didn't want to take the chance. Well, within a day or so he had a fever. I knew then that we'd need to make a visit to the doctor. We came home with the diagnosis of an ear infection and antibiotics to start him on. He took the prescription for 10 days as instructed and the ear drops too, and he got better.

Then New Year's weekend he started acting tired, sluggish, sick again. But there was nothing major bugging him. After going back to school to a day or two (I already can't remember), he started complaining of a sore throat. The teacher called to let me know, and I set up a doctor appoint right away. By the next morning he had spiked a fever and that was making him throw up a bit. A quick appointment revealed strep throat.

He took the medication they gave him (same as first time) for 10 days as instructed and got better. But 5 days after that I could hear his throat getting "thick" again. His tonsils were swelling. He woke up in the middle of the night complaining that his ear hurt. We were able to get him to the doctor the next day to reveal another ear infection and tonsillitis. Different, stronger antibiotics were prescribed that time.

We did as instructed. 10 days of these antibiotics and ear drops. And wouldn't you know it...5 days after that he starts sounding funny again. His tonsils were swollen. I waited a few days, because he didn't have a fever and wasn't complaining about anything. We were hoping and praying he would get better. But no. By Tuesday afternoon this week his teacher had called. Zachariah had stopped in the school office first thing that morning to tell the secretary his throat hurt. She said his tonsils were big and throat was red.

I called the nurses at our pediatricians office to get some advice. I didn't know if I should bring him in, have a throat culture taken, or wait it out. There was no fever this time and he really wasn't complaining much. But it was obvious something was wrong again.

This is getting old now.


So after a consult with the doctor we ended up scheduling an appointment first thing Wednesday morning. I packed his backpack and brought it along fully expecting they would send him to school afterwards. He still had no fever and was acting and eating fine. This appointment was quick too. They could see his irritated tonsils, swollen glands and sore throat. A throat culture in fact revealed he has strep throat again! He earned himself another prescription (back to the one he had the first 2 times...a higher dose now) and the rest of the day off from school.

At this point he's been on the antibiotics for 3 days. He's feeling fine, back to school, and sounding better every day. He's acting good, sleeping fine and eating well. I have a sinking suspicion that in another week and a half he'll be sick again. I sure hope not, but that's the pattern this has followed.

My poor boy. I hope something finally works, and we can get him healthy again.

So many people tell me that their kids go through a lot of illnesses in Kindergarten. I hear that it does get a little better each year. What's your experience been? 

He's sick of being sick!