A Week of Doctor Appointments

Warning!

This is a LONG detailed post!

Only read if you have time and care about the details of our past week!

Today was the 5th day in a row that I have taken someone to some sort of doctor! That explains the lack of posting for the last week, but let me explain in a little more detail what is going on around here!

On Thursday of last week Ronnie ran a fever. He was tired and sluggish, but only a fever. Friday morning Eli had the fever too and I braced myself for several days with 4 kids being down. I was thankful though, the only symptom seemed to be fever! On Saturday it was still just Ronnie and Eli, although they were both on the couch sleeping most of the day. Tylenol seemed to control the fever for about 4 hours and then they needed more. Ronnie began improving by Saturday evening, but I kept Ronnie, Eli and Maddie home from church with me on Sunday and we sent Nathaniel with Daddy to represent the family! Ronnie continued to improve throughout the day, but Eli got worse. His fever rose to nearly 104, but still no other symptoms! Monday morning Ronnie was ready to return outside and seemed much better! Eli, however, woke with a very swollen and red eye! I called and got him in right away (I love that about our doctors office) and as it turns out - He has pink eye!

None of the kids have ever had pink eye, but I guess there's a first for everything. He hasn't been in a pond or public swimming pool, and hadn't been to VBS in 2 months (the doctor's suggestions as to where he got it)- so the doctor wasn't sure where he picked it up. (I have my theory, but he didn't seem to care). The doctor also thought that the fever both the boys had was an unrelated virus (thankfully contained to only 2) So we returned back home with some meds and strict instructions to wash after touching his face (eye) and to be careful as the eye drainage was contagious! I'm very happy to report that now 4 days later Eli is much improved! His eye still doesn't open completely, but the drainage and redness is gone and he is feeling much better! AND it appears that we have contained the pink eye to only Eli!

Tuesday brought another appointment! This time for me. I was scheduled to see my orthopedic! If you haven't known our family long then you may not know that in '99 I had a hip replacement and then 3 years ago in '08 I had a revision. My doctor is in Ft. Wayne and he is fantastic! I would recommend him to anyone - he really is great! So we got some new x-rays and met with him. He said everything looked good and no change from my visit 2 years ago (which is great). He doesn't need to see me for 3 more years!

I ask him if he would check my hips to see if they were even - I explained to him that the past few days I had been having some incredible pain in my right leg (non-surgery leg) and I wondered if it was something with me favoring my left or something. He checked and I described the pain and he examined me. He finally said that he thought perhaps the pain I was describing was from a bulging disk in my back or some kind of nerve issue in my back. He recommended, and then referred a non-surgical back specialist in Ft. Wayne. He proceeded to have his office make the appointment. It made sense. Everything I do, from carrying 4 babies to carrying laundry baskets is done on my right side. I always favor my left although since my first surgery, I wouldn't need too! So we left his office thankful for the referral and hopeful that the pain didn't increase in a month before I could see the back specialist!

Throughout the day - and into the next few the pain did increase. So bad in fact that I was pretty sure I could not stand to wait for Sept 19th and my appointment. I tried to rest as much as being a mom of 4 will allow, but let me tell you it was serious pain!

Back now to Wednesday: Ronnie had a scheduled yearly physical. The two of us went together and as we climbed out of the van in the parking lot of the doctors office, I grabbed for his hand! He pulled back! I was taken back, but tried to not to let it show. I had done it more out of habit than anything. I always grab one or two hands when we get out of the van! However, Ronnie is not usually the only one with me. My little 8 year old is growing up so quickly. I guess I don't need to hold his hand in the parking lot anymore! Thankfully he is OK with me walking beside him! In fact when he bent down (once inside the building) to tie his shoe, he made certain to call to me to wait - he didn't want to be left! :)

Anyway, his appointment went well. He is still a very skinny but tall kid and probably always will be! At the end of the appointment I asked the doctor if she would watch him walk. Lately we have noticed that he is walking with his toes pointed in on both feet!

Background: When Ronnie was 3 he had surgery to lengthen his groin muscle. He was in a double leg cast for 6 weeks and had to relearn to walk, but we had gotten a clean bill of health shortly after his recovery. All of this was stemming from his traumatic birth. We left the hospital in MS (when Ronnie was born) and went to an orthopedic - his hips were not right! We got his first ultrasound of his hips then, but it wasn't until we moved to Circleville and got an orthopedic at Children's Hospital to look at him and do some MRI's that we found out he had 1 and only 1 symptom of Cerebral Palsy! His left hip/groin muscle would not allow him to stretch that muscle.

We were so thankful at that time and continue to be thankful that he only has this 1 symptom. Although the turning of the feet in and then the doctors response caused some alarm in this Momma! Our doctor suggested that he get some Physical Therapy to see if they thought they could help or if he needed to return to an orthopedic!

We left the Pediatrician's office and walked down the hall to the PT Offices and somehow we were able to get a PT appointment for the very next morning (Thursday). Ronnie was taking everything in. As we walked back to the van (he still didn't want to hold my hand), he was saying things like - "what will they do" and "what are all those machines for?" Then his final statement about the PT offices, "Mom, it looked like a lot of athletes would be in there!"

Exactly, that's it Ronnie - we're going where lots of athletes go - no need to be concerned!

So, Thursday morning we returned to Defiance Clinic and met with Ronnie's physical therapist, Brenda! She was great! She was kind and gentle and very detailed! She worked with Ronnie for a little over an hour and finally told me that his muscles were very strong and he looked pretty good. She noticed that he does point his toes inward and that his left ankle is a little week, but those were both things we could work on! He is in no pain so she did not think he needed to see an orthopedic at this time. She did say that we shouldn't expect to see improvement immediately, but that if in 6 months to a year there was no improvement or even some worsening symptoms, maybe then he should have an orthopedic evaluation!

Let me just stop right there and say - PRAISE THE LORD! I had been so concerned! Thank you Jesus for continuing to protect our little guy!

We were sent home with some exercises to work on everyday and we have another appointment next Friday! I'm not sure if these appointments will be a weekly thing (I kinda hope not), but hopefully we can continue to do exercises that will strengthen his muscles and we will see some improvement!

So that brings us to today! On Tuesday (after my orthopedic appointment) Ron noticed a small rash on my right leg that appeared to us to be some kind of poison ivy or something. It wasn't really itchy, but on occasion my whole leg was annoyingly itchy! Last night the rash appeared to be spreading, but not like any poison ivy I had ever seen. I was very restless last night and unable to sleep well, then this morning there was a lot more rash but only on my right leg! I called my doctor and they were able to see me mid-morning! As I walked out the door, Ron said that maybe I should tell him about all the pain in my right leg too, perhaps they were related in some way!

Let me stop there and go back to the pain. The pain has for sure gotten worse throughout the week. It was so bad yesterday that I asked Ron (only half joking) if he could just cut off my leg!! The pain was so intense at times. Sometimes shooting darts down my leg, sometimes up from my foot, sometimes all tingly and sometime just a very dull ache. Most of the time a combination of those pains - then on top of that I was itchy too! And all of it on this one leg!

I got into my doctor right away and he asked some questions about the rash. He looked at it (without getting too close :)) and then looked me in the eye and said, "have you had any pain?" I explained that only this week I had some leg pain that has been very intense and that I didn't think they were related because my orthopedic had referred me to a back specialist for some possible nerve pain, etc! But yes, I have had some serious pain, only in that leg. I told him it feels right now like I have run a marathon, but only on one leg!

He inspected the rash much closer this time and then said, "you have shingles".

"What?" I thought only older people got shingles! He explained how it is a form of the chickenpox virus and is always in your body after you have chickenpox and that in some people it reappears in the form of shingles!

I was filled with a lot of emotions at that point! 1) was relief that he had explained not only the rash, but this intense pain I was having too! 2) were the kids and Ron in danger of getting this? - The kids have been vaccinated, but Ron doesn't think he has ever had chickenpox!

The doctor answered some questions and sent me out with a prescription for an antivirus medication and a strong pain med. He said I could take the pain pill as needed every 4 hours, but that it would make me drowsy. If my symptoms (rash and pain) continued after a week of the pill then I would need to come back!

So after talking to the doctor, pharmacist and webmd - here's what I know!

In some people who have had chickenpox the virus can reappear as Shingles in those who have a weakened immune system (HIV), those over 50, those who have been ill (NONE OF THESE APPLY) or those who are under significant stress! (Hum, maybe the fact that we have had a little stress around here would play some part!).

The symptoms listed on the Internet seem to be all symptoms I have had this week and most of them that I continue to have!

As far as contagiousness - It appears that if someone were to come into contact with the fluid in the shingles blisters then they could get chickenpox! SO we are keeping a close eye on them now and watching for fluid or the blisters to break!

I say all of this in this VERY LONG post to say, I'm thankful! Thankful for medicine and medical doctors, but I'm so thankful for Jesus and for his protection over me and my family! I've been told in the past that I have a high pain tolerance - I'm thankful that He created me that way! I'm thankful that Eli is healing and that Ronnie is not slowed down by some toes that point inward. I'm thankful that Ron, Nathaniel and Maddie are healthy and praying that they remain that way! I'm thankful not for my shingles, but for doctors who have diagnosed and prescribed and that I can look ahead to next week when I pray this will all be behind us!