Caroline’s little finger swelled up and we brought her to the doctor, who informed us of what we’d already pretty much figured out: She’d suffered an insect bite, probably a spider’s. Tragically, all it gave her was a puffy finger rather than the ability to crawl walls.
Fortunately enough, children’s Benadryl seems to be reducing the swelling almost to non-existence. Unfortunately enough, the medication tends to knock her unconscious with every dose. But she’s much more her old self now.
Kathleen and Ariel are out getting tickets for a big Muppet weekend that’s going to be happening at a local theater. I’m sure she’ll be giving a detailed write-up in her blog about that. I’m busy working on rewrites for X-Factor #26 and a novel that Del Rey will be publishing next May that is so different from my previous work, I suspect a number of people wouldn’t recognize it as mine. Tentative title: “Tigerheart.”
PAD
• 
TIGERHEART. What famous character said the words “Tiger”? My guess is that Peter is writing the novelization of the death of Maryjane.
Oh, I am glad that Caroline is doing okay.
“TIGERHEART. What famous character said the words “Tiger”? My guess is that Peter is writing the novelization of the death of Maryjane.”
Del Rey doesn’t the the novels based on Marvel Comics.
Corey
(I meant to say “Del Rey doesn’t DO the novels…”)
I’m glad to read that Caroline is doing better.
I’ve been anticipating you putting up a comment thread on X-Factor #22 because I’ve got some thoughts on Huber’s stated plans. I’ll save them for that.
Good to read that Caroline is doing okay.
Unfortunately enough, the medication tends to knock her unconscious with every dose.
That sounds like such a good thing to me right now. If only we could knock ours out right now. Or at least between 2 & 7 AM.
Tentative title: “Tigerheart.”
Come on… Just a little hint…
Sequel to Howling Mad! 😉
Speaking of Muppets, the followingwill take you to an amusing 1966 Muppet presentation for LaChoy:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QQNg8vEStwQ
Always nice to hear good news about people you don’t directly knew. The modern news on TV just always tell some many sad things.
Thinking about X-factor 26 reminds me how close we get to Messiah complex right.
“Tragically, all it gave her was a puffy finger rather than the ability to crawl walls.”
That ability will kick in with puberty.
Rick
P.S. in what way is Tigerheart (or whatever title it ultimately has) different than your previous work? Is it different in terms of genre (e.g. “hard” military-style SF vs. “soft” SF), in terms of subject matter; in terms of point of view? Or something else entirely?
Oh my god…
It just dawned on me why it’s so different from his other works.
Tigerheart
It’s a romance novel!
Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
No, “Tigerheart” is not a novelization of anything, comic books or otherwise, and no, it’s not a romance.
PAD
Y’know, I was going to point out the “child gets bitten by a spider” and “child is offspring of writer of comics” connection. But, on thinking about it, I remembered that not EVERY family out there reacts to dire situations like mine, by cracking jokes. (Took a few harsh glares from non-family members to teach me THAT lesson.) I’m glad she’s doing better, and I also wish that my kid reacted like that to Benadryl. Give it to him and you’ve got Powerboy the Hyperactive until waaaaay too early in the morning.
When I give people (my sister, my girlfriend) Benadryl, usually I say: And thank god, it knocked them unconscious.
So weird to see someone say: Unfortunately. 🙂
Sean Scullion Said –
“and I also wish that my kid reacted like that to Benadryl. Give it to him and you’ve got Powerboy the Hyperactive until waaaaay too early in the morning.”
It’s weird how that can happen, huh? Personally any time in my life I’ve ever takes Ny-Quil I can’t get to sleep till the wee hours of the morning.
Sean Scullion Said –
“and I also wish that my kid reacted like that to Benadryl. Give it to him and you’ve got Powerboy the Hyperactive until waaaaay too early in the morning.”
It’s weird how that can happen, huh? Personally any time in my life I’ve ever takes Ny-Quil I can’t get to sleep till the wee hours of the morning.
Sean Scullion Said –
“and I also wish that my kid reacted like that to Benadryl. Give it to him and you’ve got Powerboy the Hyperactive until waaaaay too early in the morning.”
It’s weird how that can happen, huh? Personally any time in my life I’ve ever takes Ny-Quil I can’t get to sleep till the wee hours of the morning.
Sean Scullion Said –
“and I also wish that my kid reacted like that to Benadryl. Give it to him and you’ve got Powerboy the Hyperactive until waaaaay too early in the morning.”
It’s weird how that can happen, huh? Personally any time in my life I’ve ever takes Ny-Quil I can’t get to sleep till the wee hours of the morning.
doctor, who informed us … she’d suffered an insect bite, probably a spider’s.
He didn’t really say that did he? If he did I just hope he’s better at doctoring than zoology.
Right, because when I’m discussing my daughter’s health, what I *really* want is to be corrected on the exactitude of differentiation between insects and arachnids. Because real life, like comic books, must always take a back seat to No Prize-ish nitpicking.
PAD
“It’s weird how that can happen, huh? Personally any time in my life I’ve ever takes Ny-Quil I can’t get to sleep till the wee hours of the morning.”
Has there ever been an explanation for why some people react like that? Or is it just a Make-the-pharmacist-scratch-his-head-and-wish-he’d-majored-in-theoretical-physics? As for myself, the only time I take Nyquil is when I’m getting on my wife’s nerves, knocks me cold. And yes, I do tend to take it quite regularly.
Peter, I’m glad to hear Caroline is going to be OK.
And given everything that has happened to Peter Parker as the result of acquiring spider-powers, perhaps Caroline’s failure to exhibit similar powers isn’t such a bad thing. Plus, do you REALLY want a super-powered child? I understand they are much harder to manage.
Some Children’s Benadryl trivia:
*A friend of my girlfriend’s used to put a bit of Children’s Benadryl in her infant son’s bottle prior to plane trips. Her son would sleep through the trip, making everyone involved quite happy.
*A daycare provider in the Rochester, N.Y. area was arrested for spiking her young charges’ drinks with Children’s Benadryl to keep them calm. It’s OK to give Benadryl to YOUR kid (assuming you do it safely, of course). It is not at all OK to do it to other people’s kids without parental consent.
*I receive allergy shots on a regular basis, and per my doctor’s instructions carry Children’s Benadryl with me in case I have a bad reaction to the injections. My flavor of choice? Bubble gum, of course. I’m afraid I’ve never had occasion to take it, though.
Has there ever been an explanation for why some people react like that?
Maybe it’s like how ritalin, which makes most people alert, calms down kids with ADD. It also makes my wife swell up and itch, which is kind of counter-productive. Actually, she’s allegic to almost everything except me and our cats.
Bill Mulligan: “Maybe it’s like how ritalin, which makes most people alert, calms down kids with ADD.”
That’s not quite how it works, Bill. And I oughtta know. I’m an adult who is taking medication to treat Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, or ADHD (at some point they added a word to the name of the disorder — don’t ask me when, I wasn’t paying attention). I’ve therefore made a point of learning a bit about what I’m taking and why.
While the exact cause of ADHD is still unknown, researchers have found a correlation between ADHD and a deficiency of a neurotransmitter known as dopamine. Stimulants such as Ritalin amplify dopamine levels in the brain, which may explain why they, among other classes of drugs, help ADHD’ers maintain focus and reduce their tendency towards impulsive behavior.
Have no doubt, however, that Ritalin and other Central Nervous System stimulants will “jack up” children and adults with ADHD just as they will “normal” people. That’s why the dosage must be carefully monitored.
When I give people (my sister, my girlfriend) Benadryl, usually I say: And thank god, it knocked them unconscious.
Oh, the number of statements you’ve opened yourself up to with the “girlfriend” inclusion there…
Not from me, of course.
at some point they added a word to the name of the disorder — don’t ask me when, I wasn’t paying attention
I realize you were probably kidding, but they’re actually two independent disorders (ADD and ADHD), even though treatments are often similar. I’ve had students with each.
And while I already posted this on Kath’s blog, I’ll say it again here: glad to hear that Caroline is over whatever this was, be it a spider bite or something else. It’s always pretty scary when your child is down with something mysterious, probably with a fourth child just as much as a first.
TWL
It is good to hear that Caroline is doing well — no strange mutations.
I have nothing to add on the issue of medicine, but I couldn’t focus long enough