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Decision day and dentist visit

Posted on September 18, 2008 8:36 am by TheAngelForever

Tuesday was a day that I was hoping we could skip over. It was the afternoon that I had a dentist appointment for NHL and had made the much debated MMR vaccine appointment for JSL. I cried many nights over this. I did not want to do the vaccine just yet, but felt so much pressure from so many different sources. I basically felt I was damned if I did and damned if I did not do it right now. In the end, I got sucked into doing it now. With NHL in school and the rise in Measles all over I went for it. Now we must wait to see how he does. The doctor told me to give him ibuprofen 2 hours before, acetaminophen 1 hour before and rotate them every three hours after the immunization was given for two days.

The little guy conked out after the vaccine like I have never seen before. I am sure the trauma combined with no afternoon nap was the reason behind that. He seems to be doing really well. My guard is still up though. The reaction I had to the MMR was a week later. All of the information from the CDC even states that most reactions that happen will occur 7-12 days after the administration of the shot. So we are watching and waiting to see how things go.

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Before going to the nurse appointment for the vaccine, we went to NHL’s dentist visit. He really loves Dr. N and so do we! They called us in a few minutes early. Then a surprise was thrown our way. Now that NHL is five they like to do x-rays to check for adult teeth formation and cavities of existing teeth. Problem, the machine scared NHL and I had no warning to talk with him about it before this. That is my only beef with this office. If you know something new is coming next time at least tell the parents so they can get their child ready. NHL was close to allowing it, but we opted not to fight it this time around. He claims that next time he will allow it.

Everything after this went extremely well. When he got into the room he sat down in the chair and was asked what toothpaste flavor he wanted. Check out the choices:

The first time I saw this list I was shocked. I know that when I was little and went to the pediatric dentist we had possibly two choices – bubble gum or cherry (I believe). Now they have seven choices or may opt for no flavor at all. NHL selected grape this time around, but last visit he had cookie dough (that’s my boy).

NHL was very good at waiting for the hygenist to come into the room to clean his teeth. He watched the cartoons that were on the televisions right above his chair and played with a toy.

When the hygentist came in NHL did a fabulous job. He stayed still, kept his hands down, and was great at letting her clean his teeth. He was not a huge fan of the tarter removal, but who is really? When she was done cleaning his teeth I noticed that she got a small cup of slimy looking gel. She had a toothbrush and put it on NHL’s teeth. I assumed what it was, but had never seen it before. I was correct, it was the fluoride treatment. My how it has changed since my youth. I remember hating that part of the visit because of having the air in my mouth for 15-20 minutes and being bored with my mouth partially open. The hygenist told me that this new treatment is amazing, they only brush it on for a minute and the kids have to wait 30 minutes before eating/drinking and it is done. She checked and I was right, it was NHL’s first time and he had no clue it was done!

The dentist came in and confirmed that NHL has one six year molar almost completely in and the one above it has cut as well. She said that could certainly be why his hands are in his mouth more, but if that is the only sign we should not complain. Of course she said his teeth look great, but she is not 100% sure there are no cavitites since he did not allow x-rays. That was my chance to mention something about a warning before coming in with something new, but I was a little distracted. JSL was fussing and my mind was too worried about going across the street to our family practice for the MMR.

Hopefully if all goes well NHL will have his x-rays done at the end of March for his next visit.

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Needles or not?

Posted on August 28, 2008 9:02 am by TheAngelForever

Immunizations are a pretty hot topic these days. Whether you are a parent, in the medical profession, or watching the news lately you are likely aware of all of the controversy surrounding vaccines. Are there too many? Do they have a link to the increasing autism rate? Should they be spaced out more? Does the government have the right to mandate them for children? All of these questions and more are out there.

So as a parent what are we to do?

I am a firm believer in vaccinating children. In my mind the risk of diseases are far worse than the typical reactions to the immunizations. That being said my stance on a few things have changed. With my oldest son, NHL, I did the unreal vaccine schedule according to the CDC. Sure I questioned so many at once when he was itty bitty, but out of pure laziness I did not want to go back for a second trip at a later date to space them out. Since NHL was a baby in 2003-2004 a lot has changed. More and more people are suggesting to space out vaccines on newborns so as not to bombard their developing immune systems.

JSL is now 15 months old. Up to his 6 month vaccines we went mostly by the books. Then our world changed in February when he got sick, had a febrile seizure and stopped breathing. The last reading of his temperature before he seized was 102, quite low for a seizure. The little guy has a lower than usual body temperature, so 102 was very high for him. At that moment my thoughts changed. I remembered how NHL and most other children react to immunizations. Temperatures from 100-102 are common for a lot of children for a day or two after being immunized. NHL always had a fever after big shots and that worried me for his little brother.

At our 10 month visit we had a chat with our doctor. She agreed with me that we would be quite cautious about what we would give JSL in the future and split them up and drag them out. The doctor was on maternity leave when we went in for JSL’s 12 month well baby visit. The PA that was on for her did not see eye to eye with me. He pressured me into two vaccines that day and told me that by 15 months JSL had to be caught up. I was beyond ticked off. Why? His only rationale for telling me this was that I was not following the CDC vaccine schedule.

Excuse me? You have to be kidding me right?

No, he was quite serious and we left pretty annoyed at one another. In the end I went against my initial choice and allowed JSL to receive two vaccines. That was a BIG mistake. JSL had a horrible reaction not only on his leg, but had a fever to boot. Anything over 99 is a concern with JSL and we have to medicate. His temperature was around 101 and the number of horror in my mind is 102. Way too close for my comfort. I called and noted this on his file.

Yesterday we had JSL’s 15 month visit and NHL’s 5 year one at the same time. Our doctor was back from maternity leave so it was time to talk to her about my feelings on the MMR in particular. I believe that it is a very important vaccine, but I also know the extremely high rate of children that develop fevers over 101. This scares the heck out of me and I do not want to go into that territory at this point. Each month that goes by without another febrile seizure means we are less likely to have another, but we are far from out of the woods yet.

Much to my surprise the doctor is pushing the issue for doing the MMR and Varicella together within the next month. The only reason she would not do it yesterday is because JSL has a cold. I calmly explained that I had a bad reaction to the MMR when I was a child. It is a live virus and often results in pretty high fevers. That happened to me and I ended up with the measles. Her view is to medicate him before the shot and for 2-4 days after to keep the fever away. Not a complete solution in my mind.

To say that I am torn and confused would be an understatement. The memories of February are too fresh in my mind. No, that was not related to an immunization, but was caused by a fever. The MMR and Varicella are known to cause spikes in temperature, especially the MMR. I plan on giving him the MMR, but just am not sure if I want to do it within the next month. I know the risks of waiting, but I also know the danger of going ahead. I hate being put into this position and I resent it.

So why the rush on the doctor’s side? I asked her this. She said that he needs additional vaccines when he is 18 months and if the others are not done he will be behind. I understand that, but respectfully say – SO WHAT? There are people that will not vaccinate their children before their second birthday. I am not simply talking about the MMR, I mean any and all of them. They start to administer them at about that time. It has always been my plan to do the MMR between 18-24 months, but to see how the little guy is doing before making the determination. I thought this was acceptable with our doctor, but I guess not.

*sigh* I just do not want my baby in the hospital again like he was before.

That was the exciting part of what happened yesterday at the appointment, unless you count hog tying NHL for his two shots. I will update on the boys later on. Must go wipe a little nose again.

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1 Year well baby visit and vaccine woes

Posted on June 3, 2008 10:05 pm by TheAngelForever

JSL was supposed to head to the doctor on his actual birthday for his well baby visit. Unfortunately that morning of the office called to cancel. The doctor in the practice that the we bring the boys to see was in pre-term labor. We rescheduled for May 27th with the PA since that was the earliest we could get in. Our doctor had moved up the appointment hoping that she would see JSL, but it was not meant to be. The good news is her baby was born a week later (quite early), but healthy and 7 pounds.

On the 27th we went to see the PA in the practice. Since it was the day after the holiday weekend things were quite hectic there. They were down a doctor to maternity leave and making up for the holiday. The appointment was quite late – say almost an hour and a half. Thank goodness JSL was really good waiting.

When we got into the room the nurse was amazing. She started taking notes about things and checking everything out. JSL is 23 pounds 5.5 ounces (50%) and 28 1/4 inches long (~25%). All of these are down from last time. Since he was in the hospital in February JSL has actually only gained a pound. Nobody was concerned since he eats well and being a baby in constant motion will change weight gain. They immediately picked up on something being wrong with the height. I mentioned that last time the person that did the height had no clue what he was doing. He measured from head to toes (pointing down). That makes a huge difference and would easily account for the problem.

I told the nurse that I was not planning on doing any vaccines, except possibly the Chicken Pox one. With JSL’s febrile seizure not too far back I am scared of giving him too much, especially with some that always cause fevers. She was great and said no problem she would tell the PA.

When the PA finally came into the room he was quite rushed. He did not really listen to me. In recent years he has been very good, but this reminded me of the way he had been LONG ago. He noted the height mistake and was not concerned in the least with things. We talked about introducing milk. I told him about NHL’s milk allergy and how dairy was not an issue, only regular milk. He told me to try it whenever JSL was done nursing. I was told to keep doing what I was (nursing wise) and if I could pump some to mix with some cow milk down the road.

Then things got a little ugly. The PA was upset that I did not want to do certain vaccinations. . . specifically the MMR. I explained that Dr. B and I had already discussed this when I had JSL in about a month before. She agreed with me that waiting until he was 16-18 months was not an issue and perhaps even longer depending on how the other vaccines went before. He got a little snotty with me and asked why. I explained that I had a horrible reaction to the MMR when I was little and it resulted in a very high fever. Not sure if that was one of the times I had a febrile seizure or not. He insisted that it would have to be done by the time JSL was 15 months, and I calmly told him that was not an option and reminded him that Dr. B and I had already talked this over.

He eventually left and the nurse came back in. She noticed the tension in the room. She was so sweet and told me not to worry. I asked her what he was using as the basis for the by 15 months rule on the MMR. Apparently he goes by he CDC recommendations. Well that is all wonderful for some kids, but my child has reasons not to do it and I am not going to overload his delicate system at this time. I now wish I had spaced his earlier immunizations out more. She mentioned that we should do one other vaccine that day with the Varicella (Chicken Pox). It was the Prevnar and has almost no issues, aside from the usual topical reaction. I agreed to both of them with the knowledge that we would do Hib at 15 months and MMR even further down the road.

JSL was doing really great after the shots. He cried and was tired, but nothing horrible. By the next day he was a mess. His one legs was bright red, hot and swollen to the size of a grapefruit. He also had a fever and a rash was coming out. I immediately called the doctor’s office. They called me back later in the afternoon and noted the reaction on the chart. The leg was the one with the prevnar and the fever was likely from that as well. *sigh*

Thankfully both of the boys go back in August and will see Dr. B. NHL has his 5 year check up and JSL his 15 month. Both will need shots. I believe NHL his MMR, another Chicken Pox (*rolling eyes*) and possibly something else. JSL will possibly get the Hib at that point. The best thing, JL is going to go with me to the appointment!

More of JSL’s 1 year portraits can be seen here.

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Wordless Wednesday – Houston he has allergies!

Posted on April 16, 2008 4:45 pm by TheAngelForever

Passing the time by coloring

The results are in - he has allergies

Quick Note: This was done this morning. More information to come later.

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allergies doctor nhl Wordless Wednesday

More sickies, allergy testing, and the teething monster

Posted on April 11, 2008 10:58 pm by TheAngelForever

The following should have been my clue:

NHL never takes naps anymore. This is what JL and I found when we went to ask NHL a question while making dinner on Monday night. I had put on a movie for him to watch and minutes later it was very quiet. He went to get a pillow and snuggled up on the couch. The rest of us ate dinner and when NHL woke up he had something as well.

Fast forward to 9:40 when NHL woke up crying hysterically. For the first time in his four year life he told us his ear hurt. He was in agony and kept telling us. We took him to the couch and found no fever. Motrin was given to help the pain. I was concerned, but for once we may have lucked out. Earlier in the day I had called our doctor asking for a referral to a great allergist/ENT. I called to see when I could get an appointment while waiting. I just happened to bump into a cancellation for the next day – WAHOO! So all we had to do was keep NHL comfortable through the night and he was going to see the specialist in the morning.

It was a long night. NHL did not want to settle, but finally did in our bed. The next morning I took both of the boys to NHL’s allergist/ENT appointment. When Dr. K looked in his ear he yelped in pain. Sure enough infected again and on antibiotic. I believe it is the same ear that had fluid in it when he had the flu a few weeks back. We also talked about NHL’s congestion, snoring and other concerns about recurring ear infections. He told me that he would like to schedule NHL for an adnoid x-ray, allergy test, and hearing test.

We will go Monday for the x-ray where JL works. Originally we were going for the hearing and allergy test on the 25th. That was changed yesterday. They could not do the hearing test that day. That was changed to the 29th. Again I was SO lucky. I was able to score a cancellation yesterday to do the allergy test next Wednesday morning. The best thing, my mother will be home that day to go with us. I was dreading the 45 minute test since I know NHL is going to flip when he sees the panel coming at him.

With any luck next week we will have some answers and be able to help the poor little guy breathe a little better.

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Thursday I took JSL for his first official dentist visit. Yes, babies now are supposed to head to the dentist too. Our group likes to see them when they are 1, JSL will be one May 14th. He has been to the office before when we had the cysts in his mouth at 6 weeks old. Thursday we met the only dentist in the group that we had not seen. Dr. J was amazing. She actually has a little girl that is 11 months old. JSL was great and let her really get a good look.

I was right tooth #8 is SO close to breaking through. This sucker has been very pesky for weeks now. In addition to this she showed me some other fun news. Sure enough the poor little guy has three, yes three molars moving on up. *sigh* No wonder he has been so fussy lately. Dr. J said they may take a while to move and cut, but the pressure he has is definitely intense from all of this going on. She did not feel the eyeteeth yet, but those will come soon enough. In addition to this she said please to give him only Tylenol, not Motrin because you do not want an to stop the inflammation. Teeth move through an inflammatory process and by using Motrin you make it a longer time frame. So we will try to avoid it unless we need it for fever control.

Another comment she made floored me. Dr. J said to let him use his binky as much as needed. I had noticed in the last 2 weeks that JSL has become a binky addict. It all makes sense now. She said the binky sucking helps to relieve the pressure from the teething, so he wants to do that more. She told me not to worry and if we tried to take it away he would use his hands . . . and that is worse to try to take away later. So two of the three dentists in the group are pro-binky use if taken away at a certain age. Works for me.

As you can see the boys are keeping me busy, but they are so worth it.