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Friday, February 10, 2012

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!

8 comments:

Jana said...

Poor little guy! He sounds like S over the past few years. We finally had her tonsils taken out because we were so sick of her getting sick (with strep) all the time.

Unknown said...

Thanks, Jana. That's what my mom said about all of us girls. I had my tonsils removed when I was 6 and my sisters did too. She said we were all so much healthier after they came out. I'm thinking it might come to that with Z, but it's not been discussed yet.

Melanie Payne said...

Poor little guy! My kids have been getting sick as well. we've just been going through one thing after another :( Bummer, hope he feels better fast! :)

Unknown said...

Poor boy and poor mom! Hope he (And you) feel better soon!

Nina Say said...

Poor guy! While I was pretty healthy in grade school I got really sick in High School. I kept getting strep throat and it was so horrible. I think it was just a phase for me because as soon as the doc said they would have to take my tonsils out if I got strep again...I never got it!

Paula said...

OMG that sounds miserable! Poor little guy. I don't remember my oldest getting sick that much in K. I bet my middle one will catch EVERYTHING, though, because she brings everything home from PreK with her. Sure hope this is the last illness you deal with this year!

Susan Heim said...

Kindergarten is definitely a "peak time" for kids to get sick. There are germs that the kids haven't been exposed to yet, and the kids usually aren't careful about where they sneeze, cough, touch, etc. It also sounds to me like he's close to a child who is a "carrier" for strep throat. Some kids harbor the virus but don't show symptoms. So, every time your son goes back to school, he's reinfected. You might ask the teacher to switch his seat in case he sits near a carrier. If it's someone he plays with regularly, it may keep recurring until he's out of kindergarten.

Julia said...

We had the same thing happen in kindergarten too. The twins missed alot of days, brought so much stuff home. My daughter had ear infections from the time school started till the end of the cold season. i had to take her to the ear specialist! Fortunately, he said they would clear up with the weather, sure enough they did!

I about went nuts because we also had a new baby in the house!
But we made it! They were hardly sick when they were babies/toddlers and I really think that had something to do with it!


Now, in 1st grade they (knock on wood) haven't missed one day of school! They had a couple colds over a weekend here and there but nothing major. I've been so thankful!

so be encouraged! 1st grade should be better! They wash their hands better and are more aware of germs too!