Parenting Work

The Plot Thickens . . .

May 7, 2021

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.

medical mystery
thankfully not painful!

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

  • Reply LDMN May 7, 2021 at 8:28 am

    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!

    • Reply Sarah Hart-Unger May 7, 2021 at 9:06 am

      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!

  • Reply Irene May 7, 2021 at 9:13 am

    Oh poor C! I hope it isn’t freaking him out. Fingers crossed for a fast resolution for all of your sakes!

  • Reply Gillian May 7, 2021 at 9:48 am

    Never a dull moment with kiddos in the house. But I am glad the school policy is reasonable!

  • Reply Lisa of Lisa's Yarns May 7, 2021 at 9:52 am

    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!

  • Reply Omdg May 7, 2021 at 10:56 am

    Could the ear thing be rheumatologic? Hope it gets better soon!

    • Reply Sarah Hart-Unger May 7, 2021 at 11:38 am

      Definitely a possibility but it does seem to have responded to the abx (or just tincture of time!)

  • Reply A. May 7, 2021 at 11:11 am

    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.

    • Reply Sarah Hart-Unger May 7, 2021 at 4:57 pm

      orbital cellulitis can be very serious! and periorbital not as bad, but still scary. glad he is okay!

  • Reply Riley May 8, 2021 at 6:51 pm

    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!

    • Reply Sarah Hart-Unger May 8, 2021 at 9:13 pm

      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!

    • Reply omdg May 10, 2021 at 9:24 am

      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!

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