Damn You, Fever. Damn You.

So, Gage hadn't really been himself since Tuesday.
Fever off & on.

Mind you---the week before: pink eye.
So, we were JUST at the pediatrician's office.

Random fever---not to worry so much, right???
He had one of these a few weeks ago. Resolved in like 24 hours. {and yes, Susan, you rock for talking us through it all!}

So...when he woke up from his nap on Tuesday with a fever, well I dosed him with Motrin & started writing down the time & temps.
Fever Wednesday...kept alternating Tylenol & Motrin. But, Wednesday morning, he had no fever. No fever until evening time. So, I wasn't tooooooo worried.

But last night was long. Fever off & on.
During the storms he didn't sleep all that well, plus he was feverish, plus he had nightmares, so it was a rather long night.

Took him to Memaw's this morning---per our usual Thursday routine. When I dropped him off: temp of 102.8. She was outfitted with meds & a thermometer....so I went on to work. Got to work late b/c of the weather & weather-related traffic. I wasn't there an hour before I got the call that he was at 104.5, then 104.9, they were loading him up & going to the nearest ER. When they got him to the ER, it was just a little over 105. Bring on the cooling plans.

Fever down to 100.something by the time we left.
X-rays---good.
What hurts? "My tummy."
What's actually swollen: his tonsils. Tonsillitis & Pharyngitis. Rapid Strep was negative. Labs showed "a left shift" {whatever the f*ck that means}. Apparently it means that he's not dehydrated, although they gave him fluids & IV Rocephin before the labs were even back to indicate (or not indicate) dehydration. His WBC count is 15, which the doc says is normal up to 17, so...there's that.

So, today, I went from flying down the highway hoping & praying that my kid didn't have a febrile seizure, to leaving the hospital thankful that his fever was down, but still not really knowing what made my kiddo sick.
Pharyngitis Tonsillitis is hospital-speak for sore throat with swollen tonsils.

{Surely there's a salve for this somewhere.... throw a little salve on it; you'll be alright.}

So, Gage was feeling better, and suddenly requesting {and by that, I mean demanding} lunch. He tried to order some goldfish in the ER, but they weren't on the menu.

Oh! speaking of that.... so, I have routinely maintained my stance: KIDS ARE WEIRD. My kid---in the ER for fever/sore throat, but never once complained of a sore throat. My kid---given the choice of a popsicle or crackers while in the ER, chooses crackers {you know, since they don't readily stock goldfish with his wants and needs in mind}. Who wants crackers with a sore throat? What kid passes on a popsicle?
KIDS ARE WEIRD.

So anyway....we leave the hospital.
Mind you---we've all travelled in 3 cars: the inlaws in one, Hubby in his {from work}, and me in mine {from work}. So, the inlaws went home. Hubby went to the pharmacy, and Gage rode with me. We went through the Chick-fil-A drive thru.
Get home.
Eat.
Hubby returns to work.
About 20 minutes later----my kid goes pale. His lips go pale. He's shivering all over. "Mommy, my hands are making my body shake."
Oh.my.goodness.
So, we strip down. The heat from his little body is hurting the underside of my arms because he's so hot. Temperature----back up to 104.8.
Hello. We've been home from the hospital for like an hour! WTF?
So, Hubby turns around & comes back home.
I dose Gage with Motrin.
I hardly even turn around before Gage is asleep.
About 20 minutes later, I took his temp again & it was down to 103.9, so at least we were going in the right direction, right?

So, when Hubby got home, I ran to CVS to pick up his Rx of Amoxicillin. I stocked up on more Motrin & Tylenol. And---I bought another thermometer. I mean, what if mine at home is wrong? What if his skin was so freaking hot that it hurt my arms to hold him because his temperature was like 120 degrees? {see how my brain works here? I never claimed to be a logical person. Never.} So, I buy another thermometer. And this time I buy an expensive "good" one. You know---to double check my cheapie thermometer at home.

Yes---I am sure you can imagine my poor child as we were double-teaming him on the temp check: one under the arm, one in the ear. They both told us the same thing.
3:55 this afternoon: 104.3, cool bath.

Seriously---it's been a long afternoon/evening.

Hubby had words with the pediatrician's office. I'm not entirely sure how the conversation went, but I know it included "An hour to call me back? I don't have an hour to sit around and wait on you. I want some kind of answer here." Whatever happened---they've agreed to see Gage in the morning when their doors open. Oh, we'll be there. I'm sure we'll get to give them our co-pay only to have someone tell us "keep doing what you're doing." Or, we'll get there, and he won't have any fever at all, and we'll be there scratching our heads wondering if the events of the past few days have been a figment of our imaginations. You know the look---the one where you glance at your spouse with "I'm not crazy! ....am I?" written all over your face. Yes. We may be exchanging those glances tomorrow.

Kids are weird.
They just are.
We're not "new parents" in the general sense of the phrase....but you know---we're still fumbling our way through parenthood here. Fevers freak us out. That's all there is to it. Kids are weird & fevers freak us out.

Let's leave this on a happy note...
The good news: no febrile seizures today. No major catastrophic diagnoses. And----finally! His fever is down to 99.6, and he's wearing a plastic tool-belt as I type this. He's fixing his rocking chair that's not broken. Who knew a plastic saw could fix so much?

Thanks for letting me vent.
My kid seems to catch every bug in a 100 mile radius. Fevers still freak us out.