Turns out that Caroline’s majestic barfing on the flight back from Chicago may not simply have been a response to turbulence. Instead it might have been the precursor to something more problematic. Starting Tuesday, she’s been running a fever on and off, as high as 103.9–which isn’t as dangerous for an infant as for an adult, but still. And she developed a runny nose and cough. But her energy level was still up, and her appetite was fine. So we treated her with fever reducer, kept her fluids up, and waited to see if that would be enough to break what could be a simple flu.
But last night was hellacious, and she was crying in such a way that she seemed in genuine pain. And I thought, “Okay. Ear infection.” We took her to the doctor and, lo and behold…ear infection. Both ears. So now we have her on Amoxyl, a pediatric cure-all so universal that David Steinberg once did a bit as to what it would be like if a pediatrician were the President of the United States. (“Mr. President, what should we do about the Middle East situation?” “I’m thinking Amoxycilin.”)
She’s napping now, making up for all the sleep she lost last night.
Sometimes I can’t believe I’m 47 and doing this all OVER again.
PAD
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Ha! It just means that you’re a vet of parenthood. That’s a good thing.
As a kid I had some pretty nasty ear infections, or so I’ve been told. I *still* get one or two ear infections a year, and it can truly be a pain. I hope that doesn’t happen with Caroline.
Ear inaffections are the devil!
“I’m thinking Amoxycillin.”
Sounds like almost every college health center I’ve been familiar with — only with them it’s usually Sudafed. (They also, of course, routinely ask if it’s possible you’re pregnant. Even, I suspect, if you’re male.)
Glad that the problem’s been figured out, and hope Caroline’s on the mend shortly.
TWL
Enjoy the sleep as long as it lasts. Car rides will help if she is fussy and can’t fall asleep again.
I am a 44 year old mother of a 12 year old, and among my friends, I started late. If I became pregnant now it could only be because God hates me and needs a laugh. (I would name it Orphan)
On the other side of the coin, in a few years in which you will be older, she will still think you are the most handsome man she ever saw……
And a few years after that she will dump you for some teenage singing sensation you can’t stand.
…….But she’ll always love her Daddy,
Oh ear infections, the bane parenting. But BOTH ears… I wish you strength, Peter.
“Sometimes I can’t believe I’m 47 and doing this all OVER again.”
My parents are in their mid 50’s and doing it over again. They have 25 year old, a 23 year old, a 20 year old, and now they have two adopted kids ages 3 and 2 It may be crazy, but it’s definitely the good kind of crazy.
I feel your pain, my brother. Emily just went through a similar experience last week (minus the airplane). Sarah had no less than 8 ear infections last year… But this year, happily she has had none, so perhaps there will be an end in sight for you… Amoxycillian is the wonder drug! And kids even like the taste!
One of the first, and one of the most accurate, pieces of information I was given (by my dad) when I became a father was: when your child has a temperature, you’re the one that sweats.
All the best from all at Chez Budgie for Caroline’s speedy and full recovery, sir.
My daughter had recurring ear infections that turned out to be from kidney infections that were seeding her blood stream. Needed an operation to reimplant her ureters in her bladder to keep urine from flowing back to her kidneys. Took them a while to figure it out. Sick kids are so emotionally draining – we love them so much. You have my sympathy.
My first daughter Amanda, (who looked so much like Caroline does it’s almost scarey) went through this a lot. One advantage of being married to a doctor was that we could get powdered amoxcillian and just keep it handy. It was pink with a bubblegum like smell as I recall.
Amanda probably got so many infections because her parents were dûmbáššëš who let her fall asleep with a bottle (lessee…milk + baby saliva = more infectious agents than a Saigan whørëhøûšë).
She has survived so far and become a teenager but the damage to her ears may have been permenant. She is unable to hear certain things, like the phrases “Clean your room.” “Turn that down.” and “What did you get on the Social Studies test?”
And just think; Caroline will be in her early teenage years when you hit 60.
I suggest starting with a sword cane to intimidate her prospective swains, moving up to the every popular shotgun cane as warranted.
Ah, I remember that planet.
> Sometimes I can’t believe I’m 47 and doing this all OVER again.
You’re in good company. My Dad is 65 and my baby brother is about to turn 1.
Wow…the poor child, I hope she feels much better soon! Well, at least the second time around, you aren’t quite as shocked as you might have been if it was the first! I know it was quite a shock for me when I had to take care of my younger siblings when they were sick and had ear infections.
Seems there’s a lot of this going around (even internationally). A friend and I went up to Vancouver recently and within two days of getting back we were both in Ferengi-sized agony. Strangely, our independent doctors said it was purely co-incidental and for slightly different reasons… but so many people I know have had ear problems this year.
Wow, I thought it was bad to be 38 and doing it, but 47? Yeah, QCCBob is right, you are insane ; ).
sorry caroline is not feeling well
but i am glad she is on the mend
Yikes! Hope she feels better soon.
I hope Caroline is doing well. My mother recently had a hip operation, since she was having problems in walking, and now, for a few weeks, she’s got to be cooped up at home. She’ll be spending the whole time now watching soap operas from…Italy! To say the least, she’s taken to watching a lot of Italian television lately.
Caroline Update:
She is much more herself today. The fever has gone way down and she is babbling her baby babble again. She seems on the mend. Thank you for all your kind thoughts and wishes.
How well is Caroline dealing with the taste of the Amoxil? Working in a pharmacy, I hear people complaining all the time about how their kids refuse to take the stuff because it’s bubblegum flavor makes them gag (in fact, it got to the point where we now give the kids of having their scripts or OTC meds flavored to something more tasty… the amount of calls we’ve recieved saying how well our flavors mask the original flavor of the med is insane.)
Glad to hear she’s feeling better!
-eD
For me, the ear problems were LAST year. (I’m talking about just me, not any little one that just came). And that was combined with a nice little case of pinkeye…
But at least last year, I was able to take the Amoxyl in pill form (but the Tobrex ointment for my eye was its own personal hëll…). My only other ear infection, I had to take the liquid because I couldn’t swallow pills yet. But it was strawberry instead of bubblegum…
Good to see Caroline’s doing all right.
Peter and Kathleen, I feel for you and I’m glad she’s recovering so nicely. It sucks SO much when they’re too young to even tell you that their ears hurt. Sometimes they’ll pull the ears and such, but often there’s just no reliable clues until they’re in agony.
I felt like I’d finally reached the promised land when my son, now 3, was able to tell me an ear infection was brewing. He tells me the bugs are in his ears. We get to the doctor, get the Zithromaz, and get some sleep. Last month, he told us the bugs were there on a Sunday afternoon. I called the doctor, who then called in a prescription for a single day of antibiotics so we could start without delay. Monday, after an exam to confirm, we got the rest of the prescription. I don’t think the child ever got all the way to actual pain.
A nurse said to me when my daughter, now 6, was 2 weeks old: “Little kids little problems; big kids big problems.” I was a basket case for months after this, until it became clear to me that she was mistaken. It really does get easier as they get older. (Yes, I know I haven’t gotten to the teens yet, but allow me my sanity, such that it is, for now.)
Janice
Grandmother speaking here…both my kids had serious ear infections, so much so that the infamous “tubes” were considered for both. Now the grandchildren, ages 2 and 4, get them.
It don’t get no easier when it’s the second generation. Your heart still breaks for the sick little kiddies.
BUT, and you probably know this, once they hit two or so, the ear infections usually drop back dramatically, as their little necks actually get long enough for the drainage system we all have built in to work properly. The 4 year old is down from 7-8 ear infections a year to only one in the last nine months. The 2 year old had 6 last year. Waiting to see what happens this year. So far so good. She is spouting upwards and her neck is developing a definite length and shape now, like her brother’s.
So hang on! Keep Tylenol and Ibuprofen (our peds people tell us to alternate them to keep the fever down) and popsicles on hand.
Did you know that in England, they don’t treat ear infections at all with antibiotics, just symptomatically?
Grandmother speaking here…both my kids had serious ear infections, so much so that the infamous “tubes” were considered for both. Now the grandchildren, ages 2 and 4, get them.
It don’t get no easier when it’s the second generation. Your heart still breaks for the sick little kiddies.
BUT, and you probably know this, once they hit two or so, the ear infections usually drop back dramatically, as their little necks actually get long enough for the drainage system we all have built in to work properly. The 4 year old is down from 7-8 ear infections a year to only one in the last nine months. The 2 year old had 6 last year. Waiting to see what happens this year. So far so good. She is spouting upwards and her neck is developing a definite length and shape now, like her brother’s.
So hang on! Keep Tylenol and Ibuprofen (our peds people tell us to alternate them to keep the fever down) and popsicles on hand.
Did you know that in England, they don’t treat ear infections at all with antibiotics, just symptomatically?
Is Caroline all better yet? I was very sad to hear she was ill. I met Caroline at 2BeCon and my first impression was that she is a very sweet girl. Tell her that “Sally the Rag Doll” says “hi” and hopes she is all better. The only thing worse than being sick is being sick and traveling on an airplane.
Seems to me that Amoxycillin is what they also give people like me, whose first negative reaction to penicillin (during Navy boot camp) was so severe that testing for the allergy could kill me, when penicillin would be indicated for Ordinary Folk.
As to being 47 and starting all over — my brother, the SF author (at age 50 or so) went from no kids to three (a son that they finally managed to have themselves, and an adopted set of twin girls at the early-toddler stage…) in something like six months.
He’s gotten some grief from family and friends about how much fun he’ll be having when he’s a feeble old man in his sixties when the girls start dating.
Sounds as if you’ll be right there with him.
I, on the other hand, acquired at age fifty-three a sixteen-year-old step-daughter just in time to experience the joys of dealing with that sort of thing…
I’m 53, have kids (two sons) who are 5 and 7, respectively. I’m a late bloomer, obviously. Despite having gotten divorced last year, I wouldn’t trade any of the experiences I had in marriage, especially my two kids. The thing I worry about is getting old as my kids go through the teenage years.