Sick Hamlet

After the turn of events yesterday, I almost feel guilty for detailing the grosser underbelly of being a parent. Little Hamlet woke up not feeling well. As the day progressed, the fever I attributed to teething began to rise quickly.  By noon he was running 103 despite my alternating tylenol and ibuprofen to bring relief. 

Although I love and trust our pediatrician, I feel as if she did not take my concerns seriously when I called. She didn't seem overly concerned with his fever or with the fact that he was rubbing and pulling at his ears. She attributed the fever to the shots she administered a full seven days earlier. Only because I pushed the issue was I granted an appointment for the next morning. 

Almost as soon as I hung up the phone with her, my Mom instincts kicked into high gear. I knew that something was wrong, and that waiting would be detrimental. Despite her request to just ride it out, I packed up Timmy and headed to our local walk-in Urgent Care center.

By the time the nurse examined Timmy, his temperature had risen to 104.2. He was a hot, sweaty, lethargic, and a miserable little mess! Thankfully it didn't take long for the doctor to diagnosis the problems.  Timmy has infections in both ears as well as strep throat. His ear drum on his left side was so swollen that it was on the verge of rupturing. 

After a lengthy consult with another doctor in the office, it was decided that I would be allowed to take him home. If his fever rose any higher or did not come down with the tylenol/ ibuprofen protocol, I was to take him to the hospital immediately. Wow, those parting words were a far cry from "it's probably his shots; try to not worry."

Last night I curled into a SuperMario sleeping bag on the floor in front of Timmy's crib, but there was little slumber for me. Within moments of settling in, I became acutely aware of my age. I am too old to sleep on the floor! This morning my back and neck feel like they have been beaten and I am exhausted from a lack of sleep. However, it is all worth it because I knew that he was safe and that I was close should he need me.

I am so thankful that I trusted my Mom gut over the doctor's advice. Timmy's temperature remained high through the night, but he is on antibiotics and hopefully on the mend. Hopefully he will be able to spend the day napping and recovering. If my schedule wasn't full of conference calls and meetings, I would join him!