Current mood:

hopeful

The Specialist
Drew's health problems have been no secret, but this time, I hope (with fingers crossed behind my back), I think we have kicked it - for now.  After Drew got the tubes in his ears in December, he continued to have fluid leak out of them occassionally.  The ENT doc said something has to be causing it, so in February she tested him for a bacteria.  Turns out he had strep pneumoniae bacteria, which is the number one cause of ear infections and other bacterial infections in children.  Untreated it can cause a ton of things like menigitis and pneumonia (duh).  She gave him an antibiotic for 10 days.  He took it, we went back to the doctor, and he still had the bacteria.  We went on another stronger medicine.  For 10 days, he took it.  Back to the doctor.  Had it ---AGAIN.  At this point I am so frustrated because about every 3 days or so, Drew would spike fever.  No other symptoms, but the fever as we all know affects this child tremendously, so I would give him alternate doses of tylenol and ibuprofen every 4 hours religiously with very little sleep for me :(  We tried this strong medicine again, but once again, the tests came back positive for the bacteria.  Now about the time of the last test, we took Drew out of day care.  And what do you know?  No more fever, no cough, not even one sniffle.  Hmmm.....  So we go see an Infectious Disease doctor last week to check Drew for the bacteria because this doctor can prescribe a very strong medicine that the ENT cannot.  The specialist exams Drew head to toe and declares that he is the healthiest child he has seen in quite a while.  He says that he thinks the last medicine worked and that the bacteria was being carried in the day care and that Drew just kept getting exposed it and picking it up again.  Well, what do you know?
And you know, despite all of this, I am not anti-day care or anything.  Parents need to work and thank God there are safe, government mandated places to bring your kids.  And let's face it, kids will get sick if not in day care then the very first week they start preschool - I assure you.  Kids have germs and spread them like wildfire, and this is just a fact of life.  IBut I think Drew just has a weak immune system and we need to work on that a bit before he gets exposed to other kids on a daily basis.  I am at total peace now with our situation, and I think (hope) we are on the road to recovery.