STREP...how I loathe you...
Here's the current state of our house right now:
Yep, you've guessed it. Strep has hit us!
It started with Peyton and a viral infection a week ago...then, he vomited after school last Friday, complained of a sore throat, and one look at his tonsils that were touching his uvula, I knew we were headed for a strep culture.
Paige complained of a sore throat and headache Sat morning, but I honestly didn't think she wanted to play soccer. I had left to get a culture as well, since I had a sore throat as well. She was crying to Peter that she couldn't play, felt horrible, etc. When I got home, her throat didn't hurt but she had a headache. I chalked it up to being rundown and over committed with activities. We cancelled all activities and had two full days of rest.
However, Sunday night when I put her to bed, she told me it hurt to urinate and had frequent feelings of having to go to the bathroom. I sent her to school and made an appointment early that morning for a urinalysis. When the dr heard we had strep in the home, she requested a strep test due to her red throat. What a process. She screamed, complained, pushed nurses away, and finally, after 40 minutes of refusing, three nurses came in and held her down, plugging her nose to get the culture.
The dr came back within two minutes and told us it was positive.
She never ran fever, no stomach ache, no rash, no sore throat (besides a dry throat Sat morning)...another child with atypical symptoms.
I'm convinced more now than ever that she a)is a strep carrier or b) has symptoms of PANDAS. The only way I know she has strep is by her anxiety. I was so irritated with her after the shenanigans at the dr's office (I can't stand to see my child held down, screaming, "Help me Mommy! Don't let them do this!!!" It brought back Hunter's EEG so vividly of that horrible 60 minutes of him held down by a papoose.). However, as soon as the nurses left the room, she ran in my lap, buried her head, and said, "I don't know what happened there. I don't know why I did those things." Sobbing, remorseful tears...and I immediately forgave her. She couldn't control the anxiety and she knew in that moment how much of a beast anxiety is to fight. It honestly broke my heart.
Hunter started Sunday morning off by getting upset with not getting electronics, and going to his room by our direction, taking his mattress off his bed, destroying his room, and then leaving the house without shoes and a short sleeve shirt (did I mention it's cold here?!?!) and walking to the end of the block. He was on Level 1 for the remainder of the day due to countless episodes of non-compliance and destructive, unsafe behavior. A few weeks ago, Hunter opened his windows (screen and all) and was sitting in the window sill (on the second story) after getting upset..so we put locks on the windows for him only to be able to open it 2 inches. It's the first time my fear of him hurting himself in his room came true.
So needless to say, we are ALL on antibiotics. Even Peter who never gets ill called in a script due to a scratchy throat. We are knocking out this strep once and for all. Although several kids have had it at school prior to us and after our family...so we need to be on guard for this upcoming sickness season!!
I wanted to share a few pictures though of how unbelievable Hunter was prior to the strep. He's been talking about joining a team for a few weeks now, how "everyone is on a team but him." He really wanted to play on Peyton's baseball team. Well, he asked the coach at practice this past week and he told him he could play (we were going to be missing 6 players). They talked to the opposing team, explained the situation, and agreed to let him participate. I wasn't able to see the game due to Peyton and Paige's illness, but a few friends took pictures and texted updates of the glory of the game..he played the entire game, not one major meltdown, and actually hit off the pitcher, scored a few runs, and made a play to second base from the outfield!! He was so proud of himself- and I can't tell you the happiness I felt inside.
This happiness was for Hunter, of course- but more for Peter than anyone else. I have felt bad so many times watching "normal" families go to soccer games, watch their boys wrestle on the sidelines, run and play tag and attend camps and just love sports. Peter was an incredible athlete, and his parents were at every game, every event, and supported him in so many ways. I know how badly Peter was looking forward to raising a son who would follow his love of sports- and that was cut short by a stupid, disastrous illness that never should have taken our son from us.
Peter, being the amazing person he is, has never once complained. Never once talked about the hurt of not being able to experience the sporting arena with Hunter. But as his wife, I just wanted it so badly for him. We even had him coach a soccer team when Hunter was younger in an attempt to get him to play- but Hunter would have rather run into traffic than be on that soccer field. Peter ended up coaching an entire season of soccer, with Hunter never playing in one game.
And last Saturday, he was able to experience baseball with Hunter. Not because we forced Hunter to do it- but because he WANTED to. He intrinsically desired to be out there with the other boys.
He wanted to be on a team. And this team, this amazing, accepting, selfless group of Cubbies, presented him with the game ball.
These pictures will always be a happy memory for us- and it makes me want to shove them in Autism's face.
We will not let Autism win.
This boy will be hitting home runs for a long time to come.
It started with Peyton and a viral infection a week ago...then, he vomited after school last Friday, complained of a sore throat, and one look at his tonsils that were touching his uvula, I knew we were headed for a strep culture.
Paige complained of a sore throat and headache Sat morning, but I honestly didn't think she wanted to play soccer. I had left to get a culture as well, since I had a sore throat as well. She was crying to Peter that she couldn't play, felt horrible, etc. When I got home, her throat didn't hurt but she had a headache. I chalked it up to being rundown and over committed with activities. We cancelled all activities and had two full days of rest.
However, Sunday night when I put her to bed, she told me it hurt to urinate and had frequent feelings of having to go to the bathroom. I sent her to school and made an appointment early that morning for a urinalysis. When the dr heard we had strep in the home, she requested a strep test due to her red throat. What a process. She screamed, complained, pushed nurses away, and finally, after 40 minutes of refusing, three nurses came in and held her down, plugging her nose to get the culture.
The dr came back within two minutes and told us it was positive.
She never ran fever, no stomach ache, no rash, no sore throat (besides a dry throat Sat morning)...another child with atypical symptoms.
I'm convinced more now than ever that she a)is a strep carrier or b) has symptoms of PANDAS. The only way I know she has strep is by her anxiety. I was so irritated with her after the shenanigans at the dr's office (I can't stand to see my child held down, screaming, "Help me Mommy! Don't let them do this!!!" It brought back Hunter's EEG so vividly of that horrible 60 minutes of him held down by a papoose.). However, as soon as the nurses left the room, she ran in my lap, buried her head, and said, "I don't know what happened there. I don't know why I did those things." Sobbing, remorseful tears...and I immediately forgave her. She couldn't control the anxiety and she knew in that moment how much of a beast anxiety is to fight. It honestly broke my heart.
Hunter started Sunday morning off by getting upset with not getting electronics, and going to his room by our direction, taking his mattress off his bed, destroying his room, and then leaving the house without shoes and a short sleeve shirt (did I mention it's cold here?!?!) and walking to the end of the block. He was on Level 1 for the remainder of the day due to countless episodes of non-compliance and destructive, unsafe behavior. A few weeks ago, Hunter opened his windows (screen and all) and was sitting in the window sill (on the second story) after getting upset..so we put locks on the windows for him only to be able to open it 2 inches. It's the first time my fear of him hurting himself in his room came true.
So needless to say, we are ALL on antibiotics. Even Peter who never gets ill called in a script due to a scratchy throat. We are knocking out this strep once and for all. Although several kids have had it at school prior to us and after our family...so we need to be on guard for this upcoming sickness season!!
I wanted to share a few pictures though of how unbelievable Hunter was prior to the strep. He's been talking about joining a team for a few weeks now, how "everyone is on a team but him." He really wanted to play on Peyton's baseball team. Well, he asked the coach at practice this past week and he told him he could play (we were going to be missing 6 players). They talked to the opposing team, explained the situation, and agreed to let him participate. I wasn't able to see the game due to Peyton and Paige's illness, but a few friends took pictures and texted updates of the glory of the game..he played the entire game, not one major meltdown, and actually hit off the pitcher, scored a few runs, and made a play to second base from the outfield!! He was so proud of himself- and I can't tell you the happiness I felt inside.
This happiness was for Hunter, of course- but more for Peter than anyone else. I have felt bad so many times watching "normal" families go to soccer games, watch their boys wrestle on the sidelines, run and play tag and attend camps and just love sports. Peter was an incredible athlete, and his parents were at every game, every event, and supported him in so many ways. I know how badly Peter was looking forward to raising a son who would follow his love of sports- and that was cut short by a stupid, disastrous illness that never should have taken our son from us.
Peter, being the amazing person he is, has never once complained. Never once talked about the hurt of not being able to experience the sporting arena with Hunter. But as his wife, I just wanted it so badly for him. We even had him coach a soccer team when Hunter was younger in an attempt to get him to play- but Hunter would have rather run into traffic than be on that soccer field. Peter ended up coaching an entire season of soccer, with Hunter never playing in one game.
And last Saturday, he was able to experience baseball with Hunter. Not because we forced Hunter to do it- but because he WANTED to. He intrinsically desired to be out there with the other boys.
He wanted to be on a team. And this team, this amazing, accepting, selfless group of Cubbies, presented him with the game ball.
These pictures will always be a happy memory for us- and it makes me want to shove them in Autism's face.
We will not let Autism win.
This boy will be hitting home runs for a long time to come.
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