Wednesday, March 12, 2008

I've been strep-throated*

Remember that sick-day reference I slipped into a post almost a week ago? Turns out that Scooter didn't just bring home some random virus from preschool. He brought home strep.

We went to the pediatrician a week ago. Scooter had complained that his throat hurt--and he's usually the kind of kid who could be bleeding with his arm hanging at a funny angle while saying, "I'm fine. It's fine. Don't look at it." So we headed down to Capital City (note to self: need to get pediatrician in Springfield). The doctor didn't think it looked like strep, but we should come back in a couple days if the fever didn't go away.

Well, the fever went away, but Scooter's been irritable and grumpy ever since. Trillian and I haven't been feeling too great either, but my sore throat had mostly gone away and I'd convinced myself I felt better, aside from the time change and a few early morning trips for appointments (also ignoring the near-constant headache I've had for a week or so).

This morning was another early morning trip, my first appointment with my new primary-care physician. We ran through my list of concerns and the various tests I needed, based on family history and my discussion with the nurse practitioner. Then she ran through the standard checks of ears, eyes, nose, throat. After the required "Ahhhhh," she asked if she could take a quick strep swab--it wasn't anything she saw, but apparently strep has a "distinctive smell" (news to me). And she was right.

Since Trillian is also one of her patients and I told the doctor that Trillian was definitely feeling worse than me, she wrote prescriptions for both of us. Then, instead of heading back home, I juggled getting my blood tests, convincing the pediatrician's office to call in a prescription for Scooter, getting the two prescriptions I already had filled--plus a quick trip to the party store and Trader Joe's while waiting for the pharmacy. Later on, a trip to the pharmacy in the Springfield grocery store for Scooter's antibiotics. But we're all on the mend now.

The funny thing is that I have been feeling like crap since she told me I have strep. I hadn't realized just how much I'd been propping myself up by sheer will. So if you'll excuse me, I'm headed to watch mindless television and sip hot drinks. I may stay here for a while.

* When we explained to Scooter that we had to pick up his medication and that he did indeed have to take it, despite his insistence that he was fine, because we all have strep throat, he responded, "I'm not strep-throated."

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Oh strep is the WORST. Hoping you are all feeling much, much, much better soon.

Aliki2006 said...

Oh, strep is BRUTAL. I hope you are all better soon...

Anonymous said...

If we can't convince Scooter to eat some yogurt....yeah, it's gonna get even more brutal around here. Mouse and I are much improved but still dragging. Thankfully, Scooter can go to school tomorrow, so we'll get a little down time for a nap.

moplans said...

You accomplished more in that third from last paragraph that I have all week, maybe all month.
hope you are all feeling much better soon.
That's the other thing I learnt this year - if you have an infection hope it is bacterial.

Mouse said...

Yeah, I suppose I should be happy that antibiotics will make a difference. We thought "virus" at first, but a week seemed a long time to be feeling just as crappy as before.

And I was exhausted after running around and tracking things down. So I have done much less today!