Randy and Mommy are sick

I took Randy to the doctor yesterday after work. I was going to just nurse his symptoms at home, but I remembered what the neurosurgeon said to me when he discharged him from the hospital from his last shunt revision. "If he gets sick, be very aggressive. Take him to the pediatrician." I told his pediatrician exactly what the neurosurgeon said. He chuckled. He understands how important it is that Randy does not get a shunt infection.

Randy added a new symptom each day: Friday-rash, Saturday-runny nose & sneezing, Sunday-cough & low grade temp. His ped listened to his lungs and looked at his rash. He said his lungs sound junky, but he did not think it was classic pneumonia. Instead he thought it was RSV and/or Mycoplasma (walking pneumonia). But guess what? His ears looked great. The ped gave him a Z-pack and told me to push fluids, rest, blah blah blah. He did say that I need to call him if his temperature spiked high or if he started wheezing. He also did a swine flu test that he sent to Children's Hospital. I should know those results in a few days.

So on to good news. Randy pulled himself to stand from his knees!!!! He was leaning like a plank against a building, but he did it! He only lasted a few seconds, but he did it!! Sorry I did not get a pic; it happened too fast.

So despite runny noses and coughs, we are all pretty happy over here with this latest accomplishment.

Streptococcus pneumoniae

What?! That's what I said. This is what Randy was diagnosed with on Tuesday. This is what has kept him sick with cold/flu/ear infection symptoms for almost a month. This is what was festering in all that ear drainage.

According to the CDC, Streptococcus pneumoniae (S. pneumoniae or "pneumococcus") is a bacterium commonly found in the nasopharynx (back of the nose) of healthy people. The presence of pneumococcus in the nasopharynx is referred to as "carriage". Most people have been carriers of S. pneumoniae at some point in their lives. Pneumococcal carriage is more common in young children, is usually transient and generally causes no illness. S. pneumoniae is an exclusively human pathogen and is spread from person-to-person by respiratory droplets, meaning that transmission generally occurs during coughing or sneezing to others within 6 feet of the carrier. Thus, carriers of S. pneumoniae, while generally healthy, are an important source of infection and disease for others.

Occasionally (Randy fits in the category), S. pneumoniae will spread from the nasopharynx of a colonized person into other parts of the body and cause diseases, including otitis media (ear infections), sinusitis (sinus infections) and pneumonia (lung infections). In addition, S. pneumoniae can sometimes get into places in the body that are normally sterile (free of bacteria) including the blood, causing bacteremia, or the lining of the brain and spinal cord, causing meningitis. When pneumococci get into these sterile places in the body, it is called "invasive" pneumococcal disease. A relatively small number of serotypes of S. pneumoniae account for most invasive disease. Invasive pneumococcal infections can result in serious complications or death.

So Randy is now on another antibiotic and is still using the antibiotic ear drops twice a day. He follows up with the ENT on Monday. He also gets a CT scan on Monday. I called the neurosurgeon's office and asked if this bacteria could penetrate the brain barrier resulting in a shunt infection. The nurse practitioner said it is possible, but unlikely. She said if his shunt were to get infected by this bacteria, the symptoms would be the same as any other shunt malfunction which is vomiting, irritability, lethargy, and possibly pain. I do feel better that he already has a CT scheduled just in case.

Any fluid from the ears indicates infection

Did you know that? I didn't. This is what the nurse from the ear, nose, and throat doctor told me today. It does not matter if it is clear, yellow, brown, or blood tinged.

You know that Randy has been battling this "cootie" for the last 3 1/2 weeks. Well his ears have been draining since about day 8 of the "cootie attack". I thought it was normal for a cold like when your nose runs or your eyes get that gook. I took him to the doctor after a week of the drainage and was given antibiotics. I then took him back three days later when he was not getting better and they gave him a stronger antibiotic. Well his finished the antibiotic on Friday and his ears are still draining. The pediatrician told me to call the ENT.

The ENT nurse told me to bring him in on Thursday morning and begin giving him the ear drops again. She said they will probably suction his ear and take a culture. Then I could have sworn I heard her say something like "...they may want to observe him...." I am pretending I did not hear that.

I can still clap even though I don't feel good.

Sleeping while being held makes me feel better!