Sunday, June 17, 2007

Flashback

When we arrived home from the beach last weekend, Kendrie started complaining that her stomach hurt. I figured she was tired and out of sorts from the vacation (and a little bit of a whiner) and that once she got a good nights rest she’d be fine (and quit whining). She was still complaining about it the next day, and the next. I started to wonder if perhaps she had swallowed too much ocean water (maybe when I fell on her and trapped her entire head underwater because I was laughing so hard I couldn’t get up?) or that maybe, she really *was* a big ole’ whiner.

When she was still complaining on Friday, I started to take her seriously. I didn’t think it was appendicitis because her appetite was fine and no nausea or vomiting. I knew she wasn’t constipated (no need to explain, but, well, I just knew) and by the same token, no diarrhea or fever, so I wasn’t sure if it was a virus. (You’re really glad you checked in today to hear about all these bodily functions, aren’t you?)

But six days is a long time for a child to consistently complain of stomach pain, so I figured even if she WAS the world’s biggest whiner, it was time to take her to see a doctor. Naturally, I made this decision at 2pm on Friday when her regular pediatrician had no appointments left, so they sent us to the local Med-Stop.

I felt a little silly explaining to the nurse, “No, her appetite is fine, her activity level is normal, no fever, no vomiting, no nausea, no diarrhea … just complaining of a stomach ache.” It didn’t help any that Kendrie’s lips and tongue were electric blue from the Push-Pop she had just consumed and she was carrying a soft drink, and I’m pretty sure the nurse attributed her stomach ache to all the crap I obviously let her eat.

Then the doctor came in and wow! Talk about good looking! With exclamation points! I was so distracted, staring at his piercing blue eyes and dashing, rugged looks that I almost forgot why we were there. And on top of being a total babe, he was kind to Kendrie, and gentle, and did I mention how good looking he was?

He turned to me and said that her colon felt slightly full (What? She just pooped at Wal-Mart, right before the Push-Pop, I swear!) and that he wanted to test her for strep throat.

And I thought, “Oh, my beautiful, beautiful vision of manliness in scrubs …. You are obviously not very bright. It is her stomach that hurts, not her throat. I guess it’s a good thing you’re so pretty, since I don’t think you listened much in medical school. In the meantime, would you like to take me out to dinner or let me have your babies?”

But what do you know … the kid had strep. And he said he’s seen several kids this past week who have complained of stomach pain, which they get when the strep slides down their throat and into their gut and leaves them with a little ulcer or gastritis (or something scientific like that … once I found out he was right, I was too busy admiring God’s perfect combination of Beauty AND Brains to really pay attention.)

Anyway, he sent us home with prescriptions for Miralax once a day for the constipation, which Kendrie took while she was on her cancer treatment, and Zantac, twice a day, which she also took while on treatment. She’s also on antibiotics, three times a day, for the strep and once again, it looks like an Eckerds threw up in my kitchen.

You might remember that when Kendrie would take her nightly chemo, this is the face that greeted us each evening for over two years of therapy:




I should say, she’s really grown since then … matured …. developed a much more stoic and calm manner.

I *should* say that, but I’d be a bold-faced liar, since we’re right back to the fussing and complaining and whining every time we tell her it’s time to take medicine. It’s going to be a loooooooong 30 days. But hey! Grandma Betty will get stuck with the last half, so looks like I got off easy!

The Zantac, especially, she hates. It’s peppermint flavored, and she despises it. With big, pathetic crocodile tears. Which I guess it’s good to know that she won’t be sneaking fifths of Peppermint Schnapps into Sonic Route 44 jumbo cups of Sprite when she’s in high school (not that I would know anything about that … ahem). And in the meantime, she’s got 48 hours worth of antibiotic in her so we can once again leave the house without worrying about her infecting the entire community. Thank goodness, since we have an exciting, exciting day planned tomorrow. Um … yeah, exciting. I’m only taking the kids to see Surf’s Up, but at least it will get us out of this house, and for two brief, glorious hours I won’t have to listen to her whining about taking the medicine. And yes, that IS exciting.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to go scatter some banana peels about my kitchen floor and accidentally slip on one and sprain my ankle so I can spend the rest of the evening gazing at my new doctor at Med Stop. Wonder if my insurance will cover drooling???

23 comments:

Anonymous said...

Where exactly is this beautiful speciman of a man located? You crack me up with all your post. I hope you all enjoy tomorrow and Kendrie feels better soon.
Bubbles in NC

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the laugh! My insurance company has a "doctor find" program where you can enter in specifics like ... how close to your house, male/female, language preference ... too bad there isn't a HOT doctor locator, haha! I'll be thinking about you guys for the next 30 days hoping you don't have any medicine drama in your house! Hopefully Kendrie will feel better SOON! Have a great week :) Jen in Texas

Anonymous said...

Oh yes, know the "zantac face" well. Marielle knows the zantac syringe from across the room and believe me, I try to covertly give it any way I can, even adding chocolate syrup to the syringe after loading the zantac.

Marielle will take just about any other med without arguement but not zantac. (Ok, I admit it, colace was such a fight that we gave up on it and moved to miralax, too.)

Marie
www.caringbridge.org/visit/marielle

Anonymous said...

I think I'm feeling a little under the weather today. Did you happen to get this hot doctors schedule? LOL My doctor is a middle ages overweight woman. She very nice but not so easy on the eyes.
I hope you enjoy Surf's Up today. My husband is taking our boys to see Fantastic Four this evening.
I have a book suggestion for you too, "You on a Diet; Guide to Waist Management" by Dr. Oz & Dr. Rozimen. I have lost 44 pounds since 1-1-07. I feel so much better these days and I'm loving having to get new clothes.
Please wish Blaine a belated Happy Father's Day.

cakeburnette said...

Okay, I love how everyone is asking where exactly to find Dr. Hottie...but I have this summer cold with this cough that has been lingering for 5 days and since we live in the same town, I could REALLY use a good (er, hot) doctor at the moment! Is the the new one over on Lake Joy & Hwy 96?

BTW, Austin is suseptible to strep--tell Kendrie no kissing on him Wednesday. Of course, the chlorine will probably kill off all the strep anyway... :)

Anonymous said...

Instead of Gray's Anatomy, it's Kristie's Anatomy; the new hot show with her own Dr. Hottie?

I learned that strep can affect the stomach after LaRae threw up on the way to the doctor to be diagnosed with strep. It can also go another direction and hit the brain as Kody in FL is finding out. He's got some pretty bad tics because of it.

Enjoy the movie! We still only have one car so I'm home bound until tomorrow when Danny goes to CO to close on the house and bring back his car. Better get my painting done because I may abuse my new found freedom!

Schnapps and hot chocolate was great before our 8AM class on cold winter mornings in Grand Forks!

Hugs,

Anonymous said...

Feel Better, Kendrie.

The Traveling Yogi said...

Sorry to hear that Kendrie has strep. It seems to be going around. Hopefully those antibiotics will kick in soon and she'll be back to normal. Hey, at least you had a hot doc to treat her.
Briana

Anonymous said...

You also should read the Sweet Potato Queens. Hilarious along with yummy (aka fattening) recipes and great humor.

Amber, Mansfield, OH

Anonymous said...

Must be nice to get a really good looking hunk of a doctor. That would make me feel better much faster. My five year old granddaughter's friends from her school in Atlanta gave me a great present last week. They gave me the gift of strep throat. Maybe I shouldn't offer to volunteer when we are in Atlanta. I could hardly swallow and eating was out of the question. Of course, I've been on penicillin for almost ten days and have made up for the eating which I missed. Hope that Kendrie is feeling better!

Liz from Maryland

Anonymous said...

Great post- I love it!! My kids too always complained of a stomach ache with strep. Now its the first thing I suspect when they complain of a stomach ache.

Unknown said...

Hope she is feeling better soon..You crack me up

Unknown said...

Hilarious! Reminds me of the time I went to get a checkup, and suddenly realized the hottie doc was old enough to be my peer. Almost died when he saw my weight. Sigh. Hey! Another book recommendation: Marne Davis Kellog's "Brilliant"- hilarious summer read of a jewel thief that likes to eat (and cook). Great summer read. Cheers-

Frapper said...

I'm so glad your trip to the doctor had a happy ending and that Kendrie's feeling better soon. I never knew that strep could give you a stomach ache--and I'm a nurse! I'm glad also that once you found out it was strep and nothing more serious you were able to enjoy the presence of the "hot doctor"-I always find that the cuter and younger the doctor is, the more embarrassing my medical problem will be.

Marysienka said...

hahaha thanks for the laugh! I love hot doctor stories :o)

Hope Kendrie feels better soon!

Renee (in Canada) who knows about hot docs :-DDD

Amy said...

Shwoo! So glad it's strep and not something more serious. Sorry you have to take the meds Kendrie, but buck up girlfriend after what YOU have been through this is nothin'! You are a strong little munchkin and you'll be back up and running soon!

HOT DOC?!?! I'M the single one here Kristie, move it over sistah!

Amy
www.itsmypartyillcryifiwantto.blogspot.com

scanmom said...

When I was pregnant with my 19 year old daughter Caitlin, I had hyperemesis pretty bad...(that means I puked my brains out for weeks on end and lost 20% of my body weight in a one week period and back then it was a big deal..now I could lose 20% and it would be like dropping a deck chair off the Queen Mary, but I digress)...My doctor was dark haired, dark skinned, green eyes and pretty much the most gorgeous man I had seen up to that point or any point since. He was Greek. But I cannot remember his name. I think he was so cute he made me puke more and I ended up in the hospital for 5 weeks with a tube up my nose into my stomach. I remember distinctly him patting my back as I threw up with a tube in my nose, not one of my finer moments. But I was in heaven. He was FINE!!!!

Ellen

Anonymous said...

Poor babe! I hope Kendrie is feeling better soon! We give the Zantac with a "chaser" of bubblegum to get the horrible taste out of the mouth quickly. Sometimes, a butterscotch dumdum sucker works too. We tried having the pharmacy put grape flavoring in the Zantac, but that was worse. It smelled like grape scented peppermint. Ewwww.

Sue (from ALL-Kids)

magicfingers said...

I know what you mean. I also appreciate a good looking man. I had a dreamboat dermatologist a couple of months ago. I know my mouth feel open when he walked in.
OMG drop dead gorgeous.
I have been married a long time but I'm not blind. I don't want to be with another man, but MAN I do like to look.

Anonymous said...

Ah, yes. The stomach ache that's really strep. I was enlightened to this over the winter. The news was delivered by a mortal doctor though, not your Lucious Hunk Of A Doctor. Bummer.

Re. the Zantac. We had to switch to Prevacid because Finn couldn't keep the Zantac down. Might be an option. She can either swallow a tiny capsule or you can open it up and sprinkle the tiny little balls inside into applesauce.

Love, your friend in all things medical,
Natalie

Anonymous said...

Oooh - my mom did the medicine in applesauce trick when I was little. I swear I can still taste medicine when I eat it - and it's been almost thirty years!

Julie in Madison, WI

Anonymous said...

Kriste,

Alex had Strep symptoms like that when Katie was almost 6 months into treatment. Weird. Freaked me out because all he had was a sore tummy and fever - I started to think he had Leukemia too. I am glad to hear it was only Strep.

I hope you guys have an amazing trip. I am looking forward to see the pictures

Sue

Lea White said...

I just discovered your blog because I was trying to find an "answer" as to why my 5 year old who is on round 3 of her maintenance treatment for A.L.L. would be losing her hair again and she is complaining a little bit of a store tummy.

I'll be reading your story now that I found it and I just love the photo showing the taste of the medicines. We get most of ours in tablets with the exception of the co-trimoxazole which Bianca gets 3 times a week to prevent a certain type of pneumonia, and I don't think it tastes bad - well, she doesn't pull a face... :-).

Lea White (mum of Bianca)
http://whitesinnz.blogspot.com
http://bravefighters.blogspot.com