My kids are always behind in pediatrician appointment and eye appointments and dentist appointments. Every time we go it's always a catch up. Story of my life. I actually put the kids on a different sort of shot schedule because I just don't feel right having them get SO many shots when they're so tiny (like 8 weeks and such) so they do get caught up by a year but they do them at odd times, and also I'm a little picky about which shots they get. I know there are so many controversies regarding shots in children but when it comes down to it I know I'd never forgive myself in the off chance that my child got Polio when I could have prevented it. I know someone with Polio, it hasn't been easy for her. I think parents who can do or don't get shots are still great parents and I don't condemn anyone.
Today we actually successfully caught up! Sam and Joe got their 5 year shots. 5 shots each. Lucy also got 3 shots (or 6 depending on how you look at it, since they mix vaccines), and Molly had an Echocardiogram (ECG/EKG)
I scheduled all the appointments at 9am, that way we would have plenty of time to get there before lunch/nap times and Jerry would be there and wouldn't have to run to school right away.
Last night we told the boys they were getting shots and they would REALLY hurt, but that they wouldn't have to get any more shots for along time (okay we said never) we discussed it, talked about the side effects (sore legs, grumpy, tired) and I promised I would give them the orange medicine (Ibuprofen) and we also talked about what could happen if you had no shots (polio, chicken pox) and by the end of the night they were okay with it.
When Joe woke up this morning he told us all the super power was out of his stomach and his shots were going to refill him. Okay, let's let him think that.
We all skipped off to the dr. right after breakfast (and starbucks) and I went in with the boys while Jerry waited with the girls. The boys were very comical. I think when I see them as little adults, answering questions and knowing what they are talking about I kind of overflow with pride and it makes me a little giggly.
The boys were instructed to stand at a certain line and try to read the eye test. Sam got them all right of course, he's a pro and has 20/30 vision (which they tell me is normal for toddlers) and next was Joe's turn. He stood at the line and they changed the chart to a shapes one, instead of letters. He isn't in preschool and unlike Sam he doesn't just absorb information. He didn't know the shapes. Octagon, Hexagon, rectangle etc. so I told her he knows his letters, because HE DOES. But when he looked at them in true Joe fashion he named all the letters as numbers. Letter F was "sefen" and letter E was "4" and then he got some letters right. By the end we were all laughing except for Joe who was completely serious. lol.
So we go into the exam room. We met our new pediatrician because Dr. G retired and the new pediatrician was a woman who was coming off of retirement. Her name is Dr. White. I admit it; I was expecting an old woman around 60 with gray hair in a bun and kind of a stickler. I did not expect a tall, maybe 40-ish looking african american woman. I'm not being racist. I just found it incredibly ironic that she wasn't white, as her name predicted. But she was still a stickler.
Sam always gets really overwhelmed and antsy and kind of obnoxious when we're out. He kept swiping his hand in front of my face while I was talking and trying to look in drawers and cupboards. Joe was on the table getting his heart listened to when Sam tooted VERY loud. Like a canon he told me. Joe immediately cracked up laughing and they were both giggling so hard that it made me laugh too. My brain was telling myself, "inappropriate, inappropriate" but I couldn't stop laughing. Especially since the pediatrician didn't even crack a smile. And then I swear for the next 15 minutes it kept popping back into my mind how stupid I looked and Joe's jovial giggling and I'd have to cough to try not to laugh. I think she thought I was insane.
The boys are very healthy. Sam is in the 46th percentile and Joe is in the 25th. They told me to feed him more fattening foods since he's lost weight since his appointment last year. HELLO he's bigger now! But still apparently skinny.
She asked the boys if they ride bikes and if they wear their helmets. Sam pipes in that he rides bikes all the time but never wears a helmet. NOT TRUE. They don't wear helmets because they don't ride their bikes. And so I say that and Sam says, "That's because my bike isn't very nice." ALSO NOT TRUE. We got him a really nice cool bike so he would be interested in learning but he wont ride it. Not my fault. She sent us home with a pamphlet on "Safe Playing".
By the time the nurse's brought in the shots Joe was bouncing on the exam table anticipating his "power shots". He was literally clapping as they pulled off the safety caps.
Jerry and I had switched rooms, not just because I hate hearing them cry but also because he really can't answer any information for the kids. He's present, but not always aware. lol. So I was in the next room when they poked Joe (5 times) in his legs and his horrible screaming and crying. It was horrible. I almost started crying myself! ESPECIALLY when I heard Sam crying. Him being a big five year old, he doesn't cry much. And the nurses told me he was crying and saying, "it's over now, it's over now" to comfort himself. He's such a sweetie. But they recovered quickly and went to the waiting room with Jerry.
Lucy is a whopping 17lbs 3oz. She only got 3 shots and will need 3 more at 9 months. She is 2 feet 2" tall! :)
The greatest news of all is that Molly's heart seems to be perfect. Her ECG was NORMAL. Her heart rate was a perfectly steady 114 BPM.
We've had EKGs about every 6 months since she was 8 weeks old.
They told us she would never be able to play sports, never able to be active and would have to take medication to control her tachycardia.
Nut now, she wont need another ECG. And she wont need a holtor Monitor. And she wont need to ever see the Pediatric Cardiologist.
Because her heart is healthy.
Comments
Post a Comment