PneumoniaStarting Friday with a temperature of 102 F, Little Man stayed home from school with no other obvious symptoms. The fever continued through the weekend with bouts of joy when the Motrin kicked in and slumpy times when the Motrin wore off. Monday the kids had a snow day, so Lady Jane got to ride along to the doctor with Little Man. Strep test negative and no other symptoms besides a cough had the doctor sending us home.
Tuesday, still feverish. Gave Tylenol cold and cough and Little Man had fun playing on the computer. He started feeling sluggish in the afternoon again, so I popped in the thermometer. 40.6 C, oh did I mention the only thermometer I could find was our English one? Google converts that to 105 F!!! Bath, bath, get to the bath. Lady Jane, keep your hand in the tub and make sure it doesn't get too hot or too cold. Get phone. Dial exchange, doctor's office closed. I run downstairs for a popcicle and hand it to Little Man in the bath. Temperature is not going down fast enough. Pediatric nurse calls back. Lady Jane run down stairs and grab the bag that has the two boxes in it, while I talk on the phone and try to get Little Man out of the tub. Give Motrin. After talking she says we should head to the ER. Call Phil's mobile. No answer. Call Phil's pager with the 911 following. Get warm clothes out of drawers and socks for Little Man. Phil calls back (just finished his final). Inform him of where we are going and he'll meet us there. Bundle everyone up with Lady Jane's help. Grab blanket, Little Man's robe, and DSs and run out door. Roads slick. Someone had ran into our stop sign. I go slowly. Got in left turn lane. Crap that's not the best way to go. (Traffic) Turn right, carefully. Should I go to 270? Is 270 & 40 even open? Turn down road to Page. Last exit before 270, crap 270 backed up onto Page. Get off on exit and take New Ballas. Moving smoothly until everyone decides Ballas is good way to go. A block from hospital when Phil calls to see where we are. Pull into ER. Patient drop off area, do not leave vehicle unattended. F*** that! I have Lady Jane and Little Man bundled up in the back seat. I'm not about to have them walk across a parking lot and I'm not leaving them alone in the ER while I park. Phil is kind enough to park my car while I single mindedly work on getting Little Man checked in.
Life eases for a moment and the rush rush feel goes away. I've done as much as I can. I've gotten him to where he needs to be. The doctors examine him and detect a rattle in a lung. Order a chest Xray. Phil takes Lady Jane to the cafeteria and then to home. Little Man and I watch a Charlie Brown Special (Not It's Christmas Charlie Brown, but another one) then we watch Nova for a bit. The doctors come in and confirm it is Pneumonia. Yay! Oh, wait, that came out wrong. It's treatable, yay! They gave him a dose of antibotics and a prescription. We left the hospital around 9 and drove home by way of the interstate which wasn't so bad. Of course, when I got home, I had to call the friends with children who had been with Little Man this weekend. And then my mom. And finally went to bed.
He's feeling much better today and not at all excited by the stacks of homework he has. But he is doing better. So maybe tomorrow or Friday he can go back to school and then he's off of school for almost 2 weeks.
