Another Doctor's Trip

Yesterday I took Nick to the Doctor again. I mentioned the fact that this 2nd round of meds weren't changing anything, and also that his ear was only slightly smaller than his head.

The Doctor looked at him. She looked in his ear but couldn't see anything because it was so gunky. She tried looking down his throat and when he clenched his teeth she said she understood my issue giving him medicine.

Finally she said she thought it was an ear infection gone wrong. In other words, sometimes the infection spreads into the face, into the skin and jaw bone. If this happens oral antibiotics will not help it.

I was given 3 choices... 1 - let her call Dr. Snyder. Not the pediatrician who works in NY, but the ear, nose, and throat guy who works around the corner and who could give an informed second opinion. 2 - Arrange for a CAT scan at the hospital and see what's what, or 3 - take him to the emergency room to see what they would do and give him a CAT scan there...

I chose door #1, and Dr. Snyder said he didn't even need to see Nick, based on the description he was pretty sure waht it was. Nick got not one, but TWO shots, simultaneously administered in the rear while I got to pin him down to the table.

But I think it worked. I gave him a mega-dose of ibuprophin last night, and as he slept the redness in his ear and the side of his head dissapeared. He sweat through his PJ's and through the bedsheets, and his fingers became almost cold. This morning the faver came back a bit, but not badly. HIs ear is still swollen, but not in that awful way. And he feels well enough to fight me about what shirt he is going to wear, and he keeps requestiong M&M's, so I think we're all going to be OK.