Shots

One of the best things about moving to a town where my parents live - is that our search for Doctors, Dentists, Grocery stores and misc. referrals is made much easier. It has been so nice to be able to ask my mom for all sorts of referrals and ideas on the best places to shop, and the best Doctors to see. The week before getting situated in our house, I tried to make all of the apts for our family. Having moved several times, I am all to aware of that last minute phone call, to a new Doctor to get a last minute new patient apt. Things like that just don't happen, and a trip to Urgent Care or ER is the only other means available to see a Doctor. (Can you tell how utterly frustrated I am with the healthcare situation?)

I was shocked to call one of the Pediatricians on our list, and be able to get a new patient apt within a few days. I was extremely thankful as that meant I would have an extra set of hands to help me along. Taking two little ones to the Doctor to fill out countless pages of information sounds like a disaster waiting to happen.

We were both thrilled the the Doctors office is less than five minutes from our house, and in a brand new office. The place was beautiful, and everything ran so smoothly. There were no long waits, no noisy waiting rooms - just a beautiful new office with a huge fish tank. I was also thankful it wasn't filled with germ-covered toys! I am by no means a germ freak, but allowing my kids to play with toys in the Doctors office has proven to be a certain followup visit due to the germs they catch while there for a 'well-visit.'

Our new pediatrician came in and talked with Dan and I for over an hour. We were able to share and discuss any and all concerns with him, and he was able to share some new ideas with us on different issues. Without going into too many details, our greatest revelation was regarding Drew and his sleep issues. Unbeknownst to us, he suffers from Night Terrors. I was completely dumbstruck when he mentioned it. I have always heard about them, but never thought of them in regards to Drew's issues. As soon as I described them, he said I was describing classic Night Terrors. He then proceeded to ask Dan and I which one of us slept walked or talked. Dan turned his head immediately to look at me, knowing that I have dealt with those for years. Evidently Night Terrors and Sleep Walking/Talking are in the same family. Who knew? Thankfully our new pediatrician had three sons as well, one of which suffered from Night Terrors. He was able to give us some practical advice for helping Drew through this stage.

The first method which we are currently trying is to wake Drew up roughly an hour to an hour and a half after he falls asleep. This will hopefully reset his sleep cycle in the first sleep session - and therefore stop any night-screamings. So far, we haven't had a whole lot of luck, but it can take up to three weeks to set in.

The second method, which Dan is dying to try is to spray him with a squirt bottle while he's screaming as a means to wake him up. Again, the hope here is to reset his sleep cycle. I'm not so apt on this idea, but given another two to three weeks of waking ever two hours I may be more inclined.

The rest of the apt went well, until it was time for Nathan's shot. It has been a long time since his last shot, and clearly his memory didn't serve him well in remembering. He was quite terrified and it took Dan holding him down for the nurse to give it. Immediately after the shot, Dan looked at me completely mortified and asked," Are they always like this?" (ie. Are they always so heartbreaking?) "Yes, most definitely" I responded. On the flip side, they tend to sleep well afterwards!

The tears from the shot didn't last long when he realized he was able to pick a treasure from the treasure box. He had two choices: a bouncy ball or an airplane. He chose a bouncy ball. I was nervous that Drew wouldn't handle only Nathan getting a treat, but he did very well. He understood quite clearly that Nathan got a shot and got a treat. Drew didn't get a shot, and therefore no treat. I supposed Nathan did an excellent job showing how badly it hurt, and Drew didn't think the pain was worth a bouncy ball. I don't blame him, smart kid.

Now, almost a week later, both Dan and I have also had our yearly physicals. While explaining to the kids where Mommy and Daddy were going, Nathan has asked each time, " Are you going to get a shot? Will it hurt? Are you going to cry?" and finally, "Will you get an airplane for me?" Seriously, this kid has asked four times for an airplane now. I think he has 'buyers remorse' for choosing the bouncy ball over the airplane. The truth of the matter - each would have had the same time span - 1 day or less. Either lost or broken take your pick, that's about the lifespan of a small toy like that in our house.

While I didn't have to get a shot during my physical, Dan did. Evidently it had been too long since his last tetnus shot. Having just held down Nathan for his shot, the memory was all too real for Daddy. He was surely able to 'feel' for Nathan's pain as the tetnus shot was felt for days. Poor daddy didn't get an airplane though - just brunch with the family.