Wednesday, June 02, 2010

In Which I Blog Like a 90-year Old Woman

So, did you hear? Did you hear? DID YOU HEAR? Myrtle got a new hip. MYRTLE GOT A NEW HIP. (That was me blogging like you were old too and couldn't hear me the first time...not funny, you say. OK, but I'm laughing.)

So, I will now recount my various encounters with medical professionals from the last 2 days. Tuesday morning the ENT's office called and there was a cancellation. There was no time for me to leave work and get home for it, so Mr. Long-Suffering took both kids with him to the ENT (and the blood draw lab). As an aside, I told MR. L-S where I have been hiding the Leapster for the last 4 months so he could use it to "bribe" Chip into being quiet during the visits.

The ENT said Bobo's ears looked clear and fine right now. Some of the blood work results were back (they have computerized medical records so she could view the results as can our pediatrician). Everything that had been run to that point looked within normal ranges except for liver enzymes (and I don't know which tests had already been run). Since Bobo has been on a variety of various and sundry medications in the last...oh let's say 3-6 months, I'm not that surprised. I'm sure something clears through the liver. Though, for the record, we never ever ever use Tylenol (or acetominophen). So, we'll repeat that at some point.

The ENT thinks Bobo is suffering from allergies and has recommended that we do the asthma treatment to our house (get rid of blinds, clean the carpet, put stuffed friends in the dryer for 30 minutes on high every couple of days). We'll see. Turns out the ENT takes her newborn to the same day care we just left. Hee hee. Anyway, the allergy panel blood draw is being sent to a special lab and those results aren't in yet (and we don't yet know whether they got enough blood to run the tests). We'll do the easy part of the allergy and asthma stuff (like putting munker in the dryer...munker is the name of Bobo's sutffed monkey), but I don't really know how you clean blinds. I understand the concept of dusting them (and do dust them). But the blinds in the kitchen need to be degreased and cleaned beyond dusting. Is there someone I can hire? Does Servicemaster handle this? I mean, if they can clean up a burst sewage line, they can clean blinds, right?

All-in-all, I'm not totally heck-bent on discovering why Bobo has been so uncommonly sick if taking him out of day care makes him better. If you know how to treat the problem, do you really need to know the root cause?

So, I spent the day today being a SAHM with both kids. They were good (although active and hell bent on injury and destruction). I gave each child one time-out (Bobo doesn't get it but I thought that it might make Chip realize that I dole out corrections to both of them). And I said, "Sit down" and "Put your bottom in the chair" and "No standing" at least six-thousand seven-hundred nineteen times. Standing on the couch (or in the chair or on the arm of the couch) is super huge big fun.

Cute child story and then I am going to bed: Chip can do math. He can add and subtract (no borrowing). So,8+8 is 16. And when asked what 80 plus 80 was, he answered, "Sixteeny." Bu-dum-dum.

2 comments:

  1. Every spring, my mom would pop the blinds out using the little tabs at the top of the window. She would fill the bathtub with warm water and pine sol, wade in, and scrub them. The water would turn a horrifying shade of gray after 1-2 sets of blinds. She'd drain the tub and refill until the entire house (like 18 sets of very large blinds) was done. She'd use beach towels to let them air dry or have one of the kids hold them while she used a beach towel to dry each slat. Then, she'd scrub the tub after all that.

    It was exhausting.

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  2. Switch to curtains that you can take down and put in the washer?

    I have fairly bad allergies and mild asthma. My allergies got a lot better when I did a course of shots back in grad school but I also spent some time and money doing the anti-allergen cleaning thing.

    There are places online that sell products aimed at asthma/allergy sufferers, and they sell some special cleaning chemicals that break down allergens. I never went that route, but I was tempted.

    What helps me the most:

    1. Allergen proof mattress covers and pillow covers. I used to have to buy these online, but Bed Bath and Beyond sells them now.

    2. Hard flooring.

    I used to also use a HEPA air purifier in my room. It is in Pumpkin's room as white noise now. I remember it made a huge difference when I was still living in a rental place with carpets.

    Also, some anecdotal evidence for you: I got sick A LOT more frequently before I got my allergies under control.

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