This past month has been rough for Brady. He seems to have perpetual cold symptoms....runny nose, congestion, and overall discomfort. He has been to the doctor at Kids First two times in the last month, and at each visit, the doctor has seen the onset of an ear infection - redness, inflammation, and fluid in the ear, but has asked that we wait it out and see if the ear will resolve on its own. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) together with the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) is now recommending that doctors not prescribe antibiotics to children for ear infections unless severe symptoms develop to help reduce antibiotic resistance. Poor guy has to tough it out.
Well, the crankiness continues and now a fever has developed, and so back to the doctor we go! I am almost embarrassed to be back to the pediatrician, especially when the receptionist pointed out the frequency of our visits. In all fairness, I do have three kids!
Anyway, the nurse checks Brady out first....asks mom the standard questions about symptoms, takes his temp, and gets his weight. Then Dr. Magargee comes in and examines Brady. She listens to his chest and then uses the otoscope to look in the boys ears. First, the right ear. I hate to say this, but I am really hoping he has an ear infection that warrants a prescription for amoxicillin! The boy obviously feels like crap! The doctor does a second look in Brady's right ear. I think to myself, "Whew! I have not brought the boy into the doctor for no reason. Our visit is justified." Now, the doctor says to me, "Can you hold him one more time, I need to get another look in that ear." Okay, now I am worried. What is growing in that ear?
The doctor looks at me with a puzzled look, and says, "I think it's a small, white bead in his ear." What???? Now I am really embarrassed. Calmly, and as if, a small, white bead lodged in the ear is normal, she asks me to hold him one more time so she can get a look in the left ear. She takes one quick look and nods, this ear is infected. I will fax in a prescription for amoxicillin to your pharmacy. Puzzled, I ask her, how does the bead get removed? It does get removed, right??
For obvious reasons, I am no longer worried about this pestering ear infection. Can we please just talk about the bead? Calmly and without judgment, the doctor tells me to make an appointment with the ENT (Ear, Nose, and Throat) doctors down at CHOP sometime in the next two weeks. Isn't this an emergency? "No," she replies. Almost, as an afterthought, she states, "It doesn't seem to be bothering him and does not present any immediate danger. The prescription should clear up the ear and he should be feeling better in a few days." End of discussion. She is back in a flash with our papers and is off to the next patient.
How am I going to explain this one. Now I feel incredibly guilty. Bud, now I get why you have been all "fuss, fuss, fuss" the last few weeks. I'd be cranky too if I had a bead in my ear, not to mention, an ear infection as well.
Some days are just hard being a mom!
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