Well, hopefully not too much!
The happy news: mid-day yesterday I received an email from someone at school who knew more about their current policies and was told that Genevieve can go to school and that Cameron could return once fever-free for 24 hours — no test required without multiple symptoms.
The weird news: we had noticed Wednesday that C’s left ear was oddly red. But yesterday he woke up and it was a darker red with swelling and warmth. So I ended up taking him to the pediatrician anyway, after all that! He is on antibiotics now for presumed cellulitis but doing okay. Hopefully it will improve because of course I had worst case scenario thoughts running through my head (mastoiditis = bad!) but he did not have pain nor did he appear terribly ill (despite lingering fever) so . . . not panicking. Yet, anyway.
SO, life is always eventful, I guess!
I had been feeling a bit under the weather from Tuesday to Thursday, but am back to normal today (whew). I treated my malaise with extra sleep, no workouts, and unlimited screen time (though did manage to keep away from Insta!). But today = back to normal. Many meetings & tasks on my list so I desperately hope C’s ear will look more normal when he wakes up!
12 Comments
It may not look better right when he wakes up… the blood is there while they’re sleeping horizontally. My son had cellulitis near his eye and the morning after he was diagnosed I absolutely freaked because it looked *worse* right away. I took him to the dr. again and by the time we were there (a couple hours later) it was looking better. Just a friendly heads up…. because I absolutely panicked! Hope it is better today!
You know what, when he woke up it still looked similar but now that he’s been up ~2 hours I can definitely see improvement! Hooray for antibiotics (or the spontaneous resolution of whatever it is – guess I’ll never know). OMG, what a roller coaster!
Oh poor C! I hope it isn’t freaking him out. Fingers crossed for a fast resolution for all of your sakes!
Never a dull moment with kiddos in the house. But I am glad the school policy is reasonable!
Glad G could go back to school and that you got clarification on the school policy! That ear looks scary! I hope it’s better fast! Yah for antibiotics!
Here’s hoping you have a much better weekend than last one. hopefully Josh is NOT on call!
Could the ear thing be rheumatologic? Hope it gets better soon!
Definitely a possibility but it does seem to have responded to the abx (or just tincture of time!)
My son had cellulitis to an eye, it was scary, so big, and antibio were absolute neccesity. They told us that 24h later, he would have needed to stay at the hospital for IV… So good call. But you are a doctor so, you are well trained for that.
orbital cellulitis can be very serious! and periorbital not as bad, but still scary. glad he is okay!
Primary care PNP here! It seems the medical comments are looking for zebras but my guess with unilateral ear swelling is a good old fashioned bug bite and the fever was something else (viral response to what G has). Timing of it getting better also works with histamine response resolution!
Yessss very possible (G didn’t end up getting anything though!). I could not see any bite but maybe it was hidden somewhere. He does get giant welts with mosquito bites sometimes!
Lol I asked about rheum as a question because I wanted to know, not because I think it IS actually a rheum issue! I am an anesthesiologist, so this is NOT my wheelhouse, and my query should NOT be construed as medical advice!