Raging Ear Infection

Well we finally know what is causing John to feel so bad, according to his pediatrician, whom we love, he has a raging ear infection. We had this confirmed on Friday while we were in town for other appointments. This is only John's second ear infection and the first one we never knew about until it was over. We figured it was this because at breakfast he took his ear out, gave it to me, kept sticking his finger in that ear and finally told us that it hurt. I imagine that it must have for him not to want his hearing aid in. Because we can't count on his absorption of medicines through his gut he got one huge Rociferin shot in his leg, he screamed, he cried and just like Dr. Beal said within 15 minutes not only was he over the shot but he was already starting to feel better and within the hour was ready to have his hearing aid put back in. I love it when medications work that quickly!

We had a nice conversation with Dr. Beal, he's been John's pediatrician since John was a little over a year old and we treasure him. He wrote John a prescription for his power chair and will also take care of letting medicaid know that it is really necessary for John to travel to Columbia for physical therapy because, go figure, there isn't a pediatric physical therapist here with access to a gym, which John needs. We talked a while about the disgustingly tangled web of red tape that government anything is and lamented that it looks like our country is traveling the path of universal health care. I still can't believe that thinking people can support this, after all one entanglement with medicaid, medicare or even worse the VA should let you know that you don't want these folks in charge of everything. Okay, off the soapbox and back onto the sweet boy.

We went into town Friday for John's first appointment with his new nephrologist, Dr. Groshong. This is the nephrologist of our dreams! He is kind, knowledgeable, actually has had several prune belly patients, takes the time to explain and answer questions, insists that all a patients doctors talk to each other so that they do not get at cross purposes and realizes that it's important that John get to be a little boy not just a patient. We are thrilled with him! He did tell us that while John seems to be in no immediate or even near future danger of kidney failure that these kids do have a tendency to outgrow their kidneys and we'd have to cross that bridge when we got there. He also told us that new research has shown that the big surgery that other doctors kept wanting John to have for his ureters and bladder are infective and do nothing at all in the long run for them. He is going to be monitoring John's blood pressure closely and we are looking forward to the next appointment with him in 4 months!

We went out to HuHot for my birthday and John was a hit with the wait staff as always. He was so cute trying his hardest to imitate Mark and pick up pad thai noodles with chopsticks. Today he is continuing to feel better, despite an ever snotty nose and icky sounding cough, but he had enough energy to take a walk around the block. His new favorite thing is for Mark to run in front of him and then he tries to run to catch up with him. It amazes me that this is the same little boy who not quite a year ago could barely go this distance with the seat in his gait trainer.

We are so very thankful for the blessings of improvement of health that God has brought into John's life. For the plethora of medical people who care for him and for everyone who loves him and prays for him. Each day we are amazed by him and never has Omi's phrase 'love you wonderful' rung so true as when Mark uses it for John, these are the things that makes being a mommy the most wonderful job in the world.