Augmentin and Bananas

The woman behind the counter at Burger King must have thought my three boys needed to get in touch with their feminine side, because she gave the three of them Mini Cabbage Patch dolls for their kids meal toys. I thought about exchanging them for boy toys, but I really didn’t want to wait in the lunchtime line just for that. I asked the boys if they wanted to give the dolls to Anna, Joe said yes. In the car, I gave out the dolls and the younger boys said they liked them. They will play with them for a day, then they will loose interest, like every other kids meal toy. Then Anna will have three dolls just for her.

I don’t know how, but Anna managed to get a second ear infection while taking antibiotics for an ear infection in her first ear. Her right ear has had several ear infections already, but how she got another one while on medicine, I don’t know. Yesterday, on the 11th day after the start of antibiotics, she went to the Dr. for an ear check. They looked in both ears and said she was fine. She looked fine to me too, and was happy, with no ear drainage, which had cleared up on the 2nd day of medicine.

However, yesterday afternoon, Anna would not take a nap. She nursed to sleep, but as soon as I put her in her crib she awoke. Then last night, the same thing happened. I brought her downstairs with Mike and I to watch a movie. She played for a while, and usually when she is with us, I can get her to sleep, but it didn’t work. I brought her up to her room, nursed her to sleep and went back down to finish the movie. Of course, when it ended and we came to bed, she cried again. I was too tired to sit with her in her room, so brought her to my bed to nurse. She tried, but cried a loud cry, and would not settle down. This went on, till Mike got frustrated and went to sleep on the couch. I got frustrated too, and went back to her room and tried to nurse her some more. Eventually, I just put her down in her crib where she cried for a while and then fell asleep.

This morning the ear drainage was back and she felt warm. I knew right away the infection was back, so called the Dr. I rounded up the boys and off we went to the Dr’s office, after a stern warning for them to be on their best behavior. They agreed, and we actually got a good parking spot today. I was really glad we did not have to park in West Bumbleland, as is usually the case lately at the Dr.’s office. Today is Saturday, so they were not as crowded. I am really glad the office is open on Saturday’s because I didn’t want to go though two more nights of crying.

When we got into the office and checked in, the kids went to the fish tank, and we got called in quick. The Doctor looked at Anna, and found that both ears were now infected. She was surprised that the nurse practitioner had found Anna ok yesterday. I told her she did look fine yesterday. So, the Dr. prescribed Augmentin, an antibiotic that works well on those who are antibiotic resistant. I remembered Anna using this once before, when the first amoxicillin treatment didn’t work. I mentally kicked myself that I had not asked for this in the first place 11 days ago when I brought her in with the first infection. But after all, they are the Dr’s, it’s their job to notice these things on her chart isn’t it? Now maybe I will remember this next time, I hope, but when we are at the Dr. I usually have at least one more child with me, and can’t always remember these things. And the Dr. has many patients to see, and probably doesn’t spend adequate time analyzing Anna’s history on her chart. So, I have to be her advocate.

The boys were very good at the Dr.s office. On the ride over, Joe produced a Dollar bill and a coin, and asked if we could get a Whopper Junior. I said maybe and took a mental note that I would bring them burgers after the apointment if they were good. So, after dropping off Anna’s prescription, we went over to BK and got three kids meals and I got a Whopper Jr., fries, and drink from the dollar menu. Joe was still hungry after he finished, so I let him go up to the counter and order another burger, and pay with his dollar and change, as I watched from our booth. The kids were good at the restaurant too, so the Saturday morning I was dreading turned out to be good. When we got home, Anna ate a jar of bananas laced with Augmentin, and she is happy. Hopefully by tonight, with two doses of medicine in her, she will sleep. Now, I have to go about folding and putting away laundry and dishes and all that jazz. Mike will be home for dinner after his day of Scout Leader training, and we can have a normal Saturday night. Hopefully, this will be Anna’s last ear infection of the season, and Spring will come soon. Now, about that laundry....