The Ear Ache

Today marked the second morning Valerie awoke with an ear ache. (At least I hope it was only the second morning. My days tend to run together.) Making a mental note of the complaint, I helped the kids get dressed, teeth brushed, hair combed and tummies fed.

My most insightful moments often occur while driving the car. As I returned to pick Valerie up from school, I remembered I should probably call the doctor to schedule an immediate a sick visit to check Valerie's ear. I would hate for her hearing to be negatively impaired from an ear infection. So, off we tromped to the pediatrician's office.

Arriving at the doctor's office, the nurse began by asking, "So how can we help you today?"

To which I responded, "Valerie, can you tell the nurse why we came for a visit?"

Valerie shrugged her shoulders and smiled shyly with that childlike blank stare, "I dunno."

Me: Do you have any aches or pains today? (thinking, I must look like an idiot parent, but I don't want to always respond on behalf of my kids as though they are mutes)

Valerie: Ummmmmm - maybe because of my ear? (Right on, sister!)

Me: Does your ear still hurt? (or did I drive us here to appear like the resident nutcase?)

Valerie: I think so.

Me: Can you tell us which ear hurts? (hoping she would pick the same one as earlier)

Valerie: I dunno.

Pause

Valerie: I think it's this one? (pointing to the left ear)

Me: (Phew, at least she was consistent!)

As we waited twenty minutes for the doctor to arrive and check the ailing ear, I wondered if I jumped too quickly by making the doctor appointment after only two days of complaints. Valerie has not had a fever yet. She has cried "wolf" enough times in our four year tenure together that it might be possible she just awoke on the wrong side of the bed again this morning.

As the doctor ambled into the examining room and thoroughly checked out Valerie's medical condition, I worried that I wasted the physician's time. Am I one of those overly cautious parents that just likes to waste doctor's time? Whatever the pediatrician diagnoses is going to have a pro and a con: either she's sick (bad) and I was right (good) or I was wrong (bad) and she's well (good).

The doctor determined that, in fact, Valerie has an ear infection and needs to start antibiotics. On the bright side, I am glad I followed my intuition and was not exposed as a lunatic.

Unfortunately, getting her to ingest the prescribed thick and chalky antibiotics is the worst part of the diagnosis.

Maybe tomorrow, I can hope that for improvements in the taste!?!?! Or my stunted brain cells will discover a creative antibiotic recipe to serve.