To think it all started the day after he was born. I remember how the nurses came in to administer a hearing test, and saying that he failed, but that was likely due to a bunch of junk still being in his ears, and they'd come back later. It took two more tries to get a good test since one in particular was so gunked up!
Dex had his third ear infection this year, this past weekend. It started Thursday night. He went to bed fine, but was talking to himself for 2 hours. Finally I went in to see what he was doing, because it sounded like jibberish, and he really needed to sleep, and thats when I found he was burning up. He must have been hallucinating! So we changed him in to dry and lightweight jammies, gave him some Tylenol, and calmed him back to sleep.
School was closed for the holiday on Friday, so I had taken the day off anyways. He was up at 6am with a fever of 102. Tylenol again, and when it kicked in, he was fine, except he had no appetite. I finally talked him into going to get donut holes with me, in exchange to run some errands that I was planning on doing that day. We bopped around for a bit, but sure enough, 3 hours later, his fever was back complete with chills and the poor guy literally 'turned off' until the next dose kicked in. The whole day was like that, without any other symptoms.
Friday night he was up every four or six hours needing more Tylenol, and Saturday AM his temp got up to 102.8, and would only get down to 100 or so with it. But just like Friday, with it in him, he was his normal self. We got him to keep drinking, but we knew he was sick when he would want ice cream, but wouldn't actually eat it. We finally took him to urgent care in the evening after he threw up what little dinner he ate, and the Tylenol he'd just taken all over the dinner table.
Diagnosis? Another ear impacted with wax, and the other one was infected. Dan then had the task of finding the one 24/hour pharmacy in Rochester, while I hung with Dex on the couch. Even after all the poking and prodding, he zonked out, and was snoring like an old man, now that his sinuses had become all stuffed up. He was so tired it was really hard to wake him up to give him the antibiotics when Dan got home!
Sunday morning he seemed to be doing better, but he still had a fever of 101. And after taking Tylenol and his antibiotics on an empty stomach, he threw up all over the couch. We regrouped and cleaned up and took the morning slow. Dex's only request was to go to the mall, so we indulged him for a 1 hour visit where he was very well behaved, and even managed to eat some lunch. After a much needed nap, we stopped by Amanda's Memorial Day party, but had to leave early when Dex started feeling warm again. We got home and his temp was once again 101. Ugh. So the rest of Sunday night was spent just hanging around the house and keeping the Tylenol nearby.
Early Monday morning Dex woke up saying he had to go to the bathroom, and I was glad that he didn't feel feverish. He slept until normal time, and still didn't have a fever in the AM. His appetite was finally back, and he was back to his old self. However, while Dan was mowing the lawn, I set Dex up with a movie on the couch while I took a shower. When I came back down, he'd fallen asleep..and it was a good 2 hours before naptime. It all finally caught up with him. :)
Today we've also been using Debrox drops, to help wtih the impacted wax. We have a meeting with his teacher tomorrow about his 'behavior' which I suspect may point back to again having a hard time hearing/listening in class. I also have a doctor's appointment for me. Week 15!
It was frustrating that it was far from the relaxing holiday weekend I'd hoped for, but at least he's feeling better.
Here are pictures from the last 2 weeks!
