Double Unhappiness at the Doctor's Office

Emma has been fighting a rash on her face for weeks now. She finished her second round of antibiotics last week and sure enough, it came back this weekend. Back to the doctor for her.

Ryan has a constant runny nose. I know he must have allergies. But this weekend he began to develop a deep cough and was drooling like crazy. This morning he was running a low grade fever and very lethargic. To the doctor for him too.

You think they would give me the 2 for 1 special, but no such luck. Neither one of them was feeling well but Ryan was the sickest. He wouldn't do anything but lay around before we went. Once we got there all he would do was cry.

Emma's rash is a mystery to the doctor. She suggested eczema or allergy. I told her no, although Emma did have eczema last winter I didn't think this was eczema because it went away with antibiotic and comes back a few days after she goes off. Not to mention her eczema just didn't look like that. She thought perhaps it might be strep because she gets a runny nose with it and her throat looked really red. Her ears looked a little red too, even with the ear tubes.

Ryan didn't have an ear infection, even though he had been poking at his ears. His throat was red with a lot of drainage. He had a cough but they didn't listen to his lungs. The doctor and nurse practitioner in training decided that Emma probably had strep and gave it to Ryan. Too bad neither tested positive for strep.

In any case, we had a nifty discussion on Ryan's prior immunizations in China, my refusal to start a new series from scratch, their inability to figure out what titers to draw to determine immunization levels, etc. The doctor made a comment that immunizations were necessary to prevent diseases and if everyone didn't vaccinate their child -- like me-- then more children would be sick. Mind you I was dealing with TWO crying children in each arm during this discussion, but I did point out that I wasn't against immunization, I was against my son getting 4 shots 3 months apart for the next year when it was most likely unnecessary. I didn't see the point of putting him through that yet at the same time I wasn't willing to accept his immunization record. Ultimately we decided that he would get 3 boosters between now and the time he starts kindergarten in 3 years.

I also brought up Ryan's melamine exposure. I told her I was positive he had been exposed to it. He came to me with a bag of Sanlu formula that he supposedly drank at morning and night. His orphanage has had children test positive for kidney stones. The doctor kept asking me if I still had the formula. I told her no, that I had thrown it away in China but that I KNEW he had been exposed to it. She had no idea of the side effects. I told her kidney stones. She she told me she would research it. I suspect she forgot.

In the meantime, as I mentioned, both children were crying. Sometimes just one, sometimes both on rare occasions neither. At one point I just began to laugh. They were both so miserable and upset and there was nothing I could do for them.

Ryan's settled down here and Emma's upset.

Ryan's now the upset one and Emma's calming down. Imagine this going for an HOUR. I had spent most of the time carrying both of them in my arms, bouncing them up and down and singing Yo Gabba Gabba songs and of course the all time favorite, especially for Emma, the name song. Its their name to the Wiggles tune Mashed Potato, Mashed Potato. Emma Linh, Emma Linh, Ryan LongLong, Ryan LongLong. Emma laughs Ryan looks at me like I lost my mind, which I had by the time I left. These photos were taken when I set them down to give my arms and back a rest.

When we left, we had an unclear diagnosis but antibiotic for both. Emma's is the same antibiotic, for a shorter dosage time and a smaller dosage. I think we'll be back for a visit in a couple of weeks.

Mommy was a good girl at the doctor so she rewarded herself with Starbucks which is right next door to the pediatrician. Thank goodness I don't have to go through that everytime I get a Starbucks. If I did, Starbucks would go bankrupt!