Why do they have to get sick?

So, my darling dear is sick. He started running a fever yesterday night. When Jacob gets a feverr, it doesn't matter if it's 101 or 104, his behaviour is the same. He resembles a wet sail. His eyes look glazed over and red rimmed, his breathing is shallow, and he's white as a sheet. All he wants is to be held, BY ME, and to doze in my arms. It's really very heartbreaking.

So, we called our family Doc to get an appointment, as the kiddo has no other symptoms other than the fever (he's not snurgely, no snot, no cough) and from past experience, this tends to mean he has strep throat. Not good. So, the receptionist, in all her sugary sweetness, informed us that she could squeeze us in sometime around January 14 or 15. Um, I have eggs in my fridge that will expire before then. No thank you. What's the use of having a family doctor if you can't get in to see her when your child is sick? Grrrrrr...

So, our remaining options were to go to outpatients, or go to the walk in clinic downtown. I hate the walk in clinic. I hate everything about it. I hate sitting under the flourescent lights, surrounded by dozens of sick, coughing people, holding my sick little boy who is MISERABLE, and watching other people do the same. It's heartbreaking and it's frustrating. I have never spent less than 2 hours waiting there to see my own frigging family doctor, or some doctor I don't even know. I guess I shouldn't complain. I know that there are plenty of people who wait 6 hours or more to see a Doctor in emergency rooms...The whole process just irritates me. I want my baby to feel better and I want to go home. It didn't help that between boughts of snuggling inside my jacket, Jacob would look up at me imploringly and weakly say 'Home, Mama, home. Go, Mama, go home. Peade?'.

Anyhow, we arrived at 6pm, were seen at 8 an out of there by 8:30. His fever was 40 degrees celcius at that point and so I guess the nurse and doctor kinda freaked out a little. I'm not sure what that is in farenheit...104 maybe? Anyhow, hubby had given him advil at 2 pm, so he couldn't have another dose until at least 8, and I had brought it with me, but the lovely nurse still looked at me and said 'He needs another dose! Why haven't you given it to him??'. What I wanted to say 'Yeah, lady, I like seeing my kid like this, so I withhold medication until the last possible second.' What I did say 'Well, they're supposed to get it every 6-8 hours. It's just now been barely 6 hours, I did bring it with me tho'. Her reply: "Well, you'd better get it into him ASAP!".. Yes, ma'am.

So, I gave him the advil. The Doc finally saw us and ordered another dose of tylenol for him and wouldn't let us leave until his temp started coming down. His ears are slightly infected. No throat problems, horray! Oh, and the best part was that the doc asked me to give him another dose of advil. That would be 6mL's in total!!!!!!! The reg dose is 3 mls! I reluctantly agreed after questioning the dose (he assured me that the proper dose for Jacob's weight was 6 mLs)and gave him what was left in the bottle. So, in total, he got about 4.5 mL's of advil and then another 5 mL of Tylenol. Holy DRUGS, Batman! His fever started coming down almost immediately, so we got the greenlight and busted outta there. I stopped by the pharmacy on the way home to pick up more drugs and discovered that the proper dose of CHILDREN'S ADVIL for a child of Jacob's weight is indeed 6 mLs. However, I was not using CHILDREN'S ADVIL, but INFANT ADVIL, which is concentrated and double the dose. I was preturbed, to say the least. Anyhow, after the pharmacist assured a WHITE FACED ME, that this wouldn't kill him, I was placated enough to go home. That's all I needed to know.

So, home I went with a perky toddler, who proceeded to eat two granola bars and promptly fell asleep....at 10pm. I contemplated drinking a bottle of wine to calm my frazzeled nerves, but resisted and made it up to myself with some leftover pizza and gingerale.

I know why mothers get gray hair. I only have one child. Is there any hope for me? I never shoulda let him stop breastfeeding. He NEVAH got sick while I was nursing him. It all went to pot once he stopped. Do you think they'd look at me funny if I went to school at lunch time to feed him? Probably. *SIGH* Why the heck do they have to get sick???

On a positive note, labs are over for this semester. YAY!