Pook has had croup thru the winter since he was only a few weeks old. Nebulizers and albuterol fill most winter nights in our home. A couple of times there have been emergency room trips to the hospital, but overall nothing that wasn't handled. Most recently, Pook was diagnosed with asthma. Although he was started on Singulair in the hopes that we would not have to give him a stimulant (as if we want Pook jacked up any more then he normally is), it didn't work. So, Pook had to start Advair (an inhaler that is a stimulant). The pulmonologist told me that I could regulate his dosage, as long as I did not exceed the maximum dose.
At first, we were able to use it just once a day but his coughing/croupy episodes begin to come more frequent and lasting longer. So, in addition to his nightly nebulizer treatments, he was also getting his inhaler twice a day and a cough syrup to boot. Still, no relief for his cough. So, after three weeks of nightly coughing, I took him to the doctor. He hadn't been running a fever and the only thing he'd complained of was his head hurting during the night. Since he suffers from migraines, and was coughing so much, a headache would seem "normal" under these circumstances.
Upon the doctor's exam, it was discovered that he had an ear infection. The doctor said she was surprised he didn't complain about it. I got the impression he must've had it for a while. The doctor also seemed surprised that he had not had a fever.
It didn't surprise me that Pookie hasn't complained of pain. I've seen that boy take falls that would make a grown man cry. He didn't bat an eye, just jumped up and kept going. Not running a fever though, this concerns me. A fever is a sign that your body is fighting off infection. Does this mean then that his body isn't fighting off infections? With no real sense of pain, and no fevers, how will I ever know that he is sick?
I got to thinking about it; Pookie can't regulate body temperature either. In the winter he gets so cold, so fast that he feels frozen. In the summer he gets so rapidly overheated that his face is the color of a lobster with chalk white rings around his eyes and mouth.
If he has issues in this area, could this keep him from running a fever?
As always though, I'll look at the bright side. IF I ever put him in public school, at least he'll not get absences due to fevers! ;-)
OK, so now we covered Pook's current ear infection. But of course, that's not the end of the story. It appears that his increased inhaler use, nightly nebulizer treatments, cough syrup and his new antibiotic has resulted in his being even more active then normal. The coughing fits are really starting to upset him. This morning he woke coughing and the first few hours he was awake were horrible. He managed to throw all our VHS tapes on the floor, run about 50 laps thru the house (it's in the shape of an 8), beat up both his older siblings, and trash his room I'd straightened up the night before. Once he calmed down and was occupied, I went to jump in the much needed shower. However, on impulse I decided to cut my hair. Not much of a difference then before. I went from this......
to this......
Nothing major, right?
WRONG WRONG WRONG. Pookie walked into the bathroom and screamed at the top of his lungs........
"What did you do to your hair?"
He then proceeded to run thru the house, screaming and yelling while demolishing everything in his path. Now, when I attempt to talk to him, he looks at me like he has no idea who I am or why he should even think of listening to me. Each time he sees me, he gets this look in his eyes like its all he can do to maintain.
I should have known. The same thing happened when I changed my hair color. It happened when his "Bubba" had his hair cut shorter then normal. It happens when he gets new shoes or we go someplace new. Yep, change and Pook don't go hand in hand.
It could always be worse. The first time he discovered that hair could be colored, he insisted that everyone in the family have blue hair. Blue is his favorite color (and the only color he recognized his first 3 years of life). If my hair could be red, why not blue? He hounded us for days, even putting his bathtub paint that was blue in his hair and streaking thru the house to color all our hair also.
Who knows, tomorrow maybe he'll forget my hair was longer.
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Footnote: While putting in the hyper links to the text, Pook got scissors and started to cut his hair. I asked him what he was doing and he said he wants hair "just like Mike's". Mike is the pastor at our church who married us. Only thing is..... Mike is bald.
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Update: Pook was sincere in his desire to look like Mike. He grabbed his kid safety scissors and made three significant cuts to his hair. Straight to the scalp and right in the front. Only choice was to cut it short. Soooo, he went from this.....
to this......
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