Waxy Wednesday

Gabriel got angry with Alexander and bit his head. Yes, his head. Gabriel had a biting problem when he was younger. When I learned that biting is very satifying for sensory seeking children, it all made sense. We were able to transfer his biting problem to gum or a vibrating toy elephant last year. This year, the school wouldn't use his elephant and now the biting is back. Swell. At least the bite isn't visible and only removes hair. A large chunk of hair was removed from Alex's head and got worse. It didn't seem quite right to me. The hair didn't grow back and it was about the size of three quarters. However, Alex has my thick straight hair and you can't see the bald patch very well. I called for an appointment and took him in to the doctor. The kids insisted on getting measured and the nurse was kind enough to do so. Gabriel is 50 in, Alex is 46 in, and Lane is barely 37 in. He was diagnosed with a fungal infection. That sounds so weird and gross to me. He will take medication for 4-8 weeks. I asked the doctor to check Alex's ears because he is loud and doesn't always hear me correctly. I don't know if it's a behavior issue, inattentiveness, or a hearing problem. The doctor found a huge piece of wax in his ear. I actually saw it there too but he wouldn't allow me to get it out. The doctor attempted to get it out but Alex wouldn't stay still for that little procedure. Instead, the nurse had to wash the wax out. He thought the ear wash was hilarious and couldn't stop laughing. What a goofball. He also earned a one way ticket to the ENT next week. I guess we'll find out if he is hearing or not. It will be good to get all of this done before school starts so there aren't any questions about these simple things that can be checked now.

Boobie Check

I couple months ago I found 2 or 3 lumps in my left breast. I've noticed that one is getting larger. I went to the gyn yesterday after making an appointment. Since it was just a "boobie" check, I took the Princess with me.
For the most part, I like the office but there are a couple nurses who could use a personality makeover or a new career choice. I got one of those nurses. She took my weight and height - I measured 5'6" for the first time in my life. She also took a blood sample and did a urinalysis. I thought this was odd for my type of appointment but it's always good to know that my numbers are fine.
We got into the exam room and she started setting up for an annual exam. Ahhhh - that's why she thinks I'm here. I told her that I'm not interested in that type of appointment, I just need to discuss some lumps I found. She said, "but we have you down for an annual exam." I replied, "I didn't ask for one. I asked to discuss some lumps I found. I'm sorry if there was a misunderstanding on someone's part."
Clearly, I know what I called for and asked for... and I am not getting an annual exam with my 22 month old in the room. It's a small room and I don't know what I would do with her in there! The nurse finally left the room but she was visibly frustrated with me and my lack of compliance.
A few minutes later, another nurse with even less personality comes into the room and tries to talk me into an annual exam. What the heck is this? Bad nurse, worse nurse?! No, I'm not giving in, quit bullying me ! - this is screaming in my head but I keep a smile on and thank her for her time but I'm not getting another exam right now.
After a couple minutes with the dr, I'm asked to come back in a month for a recheck to see if the lumps are still there and for an annual exam. Guess they get their exam after all.

Audiologist

This is a photo of Laney waiting patiently for the pediatrician for over 45 minutes.

Lane is taking her time with her vocabulary. Her AEA OT and home teacher suggested taking her to the audiologist. I've been through this before with Gabriel and while I don't look forward to it, I don't mind going either. Unfortunately, Lane failed all three tests indicating a minor hearing loss. The audiologist thought her ear looked red so I was instructed to take her to the pediatrician for a follow-up and then go back after she was cleared medically. One big positive about living in a small city is that I can get into the pediatrician's office quickly on most days. Later in the afternoon, I took her to the Dr who determined that she did not have an ear infection or fluid in her ear. Her ear drums aren't responding appropriately. We have to take her to the ENT to see if more is going on with her hearing than an ear infection.