December 16, 2008
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Over the last few days, Wade and I had noticed Henry having little spells where he was struggling to catch his breath. Alarming, yes, but also baffling, since they only seemed to occur when he was sitting peacefully, reading a book or watching television, not when he was playing full-court basketball, for example. But he has a wee heart murmur and who knows what else wrong with him, and last night Wade said, “I think we need to find out what’s going on.”
“Eh,” I said, “it’s just anxiety. Like the coughing — he starts coughing and then he’s thinking about it and he can’t stop.” I pointed out all the other things Henry has been doing recently that seem to indicate he’s anxious — biting his nails, talking to himself — but Wade insisted that we rule out anything physiological, which seemed like a good idea. I promised to call the pediatrician first thing this morning.
And then I Googled “shortness of breath” and “heart murmur” and nearly had a stroke. Because CLEARLY my baby was going to need a HEART TRANSPLANT!!!
Do not ever Google medical things. EVER. You’ll thank me.
I called the pediatrician at 10:50 this morning, because I had ten minutes to kill before my 11:00 conference call. The nurse said, “He can come in at 11:30 or 1:30.”
“Uh, 1:30,” I said, “I have a meeting at 11:30.” There was a little silence because clearly, despite the fact that I JUST told her my son was having trouble breathing, I didn’t care enough to cancel my meeting.
I picked Henry up at 1:00 and explained to him why he was leaving school early and where we were going. “You know,” he said, “I have that weird thing with my heart — what’s that called again?” Heart murmur, I told him. “Right,” he said. And then he thought. “Maybe I can’t breathe because I need an operation.”
I almost blacked out on the Hefner Parkway.
Henry whiled away the time in the waiting room taking my picture with my phone.
While we’re in the waiting room at the doctor’s office, my phone rings; it’s the school! the one I just left! calling to tell me that Charlie has crashed into another child and knocked his top three teeth loose.
“You know,” I say to the secretary, “those middle two were already loose.” I get that little silence, again. But really, those teeth WERE loose.
What?!?
I talk to Charlie, who sounds a little sad but not too bad, and then the secretary gets back on the phone. “Are you coming to get Charlie?” she says cheerfully.
“Yeah, NO,” I say, “I’m at the pediatrician with my OTHER child.”
“Oh,” she says. I may have rolled my eyes a little at that point. Because what am I going to do? Charlie’s teeth are still in his head, he says he’s okay, and somehow I mishear the secretary as saying that he isn’t bleeding (more about that later). “I’ll come right over when we’re done here,” I promise.
Henry and I go back and visit with the doctor; he is able to show her what it sounds like when he can’t get his breath, even though he’s breathing JUST FINE now. The fact that he can fake it confirms my sense that he’s just having some kind of anxiety issue. The doctor listens to his heart and his lungs and pokes him and looks in his ears and mouth and doesn’t see anything wrong.
Other than the fact that he’s anxious. Of course.
She tells him not to worry about his breathing, and tells me not to worry, and sends me away with a referral to a psychologist because clearly we need help (okay and also because I asked for one because CLEARLY WE NEED HELP).
I call Wade from the parking lot and report that Henry is fine but Charlie has knocked his teeth out. Sort of. I can feel him rolling his eyes because OH MY GOD HOW DOES THIS HAPPEN?!?
I’m wondering the same thing.
When I see Charlie I nearly fall over; his face is bloody and his lip is starting to swell up and he says, “LOOK MAMA!” and opens his mouth and his teeth are at the WRONG ANGLE. I had to close my eyes for a moment.
Otherwise, though, he’s fine.
We walk in the door and while the kids are taking off their coats and shoes, I call the pediatric dentist and tell them what has happened; the nurse says, “Well, you need to bring him in. When can you be here?”
“GET YOUR SHOES ON!” I yell at the kids. They roll their eyes at me.
Charlie has Xrays on his teeth — his top four front teeth are ALL loose, although they were clearly loose-ish before he collided with his friend. The dentist doesn’t want to pull them but he does want Charlie to take ten days of antibiotic to prevent any infection.
I told Charlie, “When you and Brock are in high school, you’ll think this is so funny.”
“What do you mean?” Charlie asked.
“You’ll tell everyone that when you were in kindergarten, Brock knocked four of your teeth out.”
“He only knocked them LOOSE, Mommy!” Charlie says, laughing. Then he said, “I wonder if Brock’s head hurts tonight. Because he knocked four of my TEETH LOOSE!”
I don’t know about Brock, but MY head hurts.
Posted by Susan @ 7:00 pm • Henry&Charlie
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December 16th, 2008 at 7:40 pm, Denise Says:
Wow…what a horrible day. {{{HUG}}} Im glad that your sons are ok and didnt need any scary treatments or teeth pulling. I hope tomorrow is better for you and your family.
December 16th, 2008 at 7:56 pm, Headless Mom Says:
I think that if I had had your day I would have had too many glasses of wine by now to be able to write that.
Hope tomorrow is better!
December 16th, 2008 at 8:12 pm, Kaleigha Says:
A chaotic day, but you recounted it wonderfully! Hopefully you and Charlie can look back on the day and laugh!:)
December 16th, 2008 at 8:25 pm, karen Says:
Thank you! It is very comforting to know that my two are not the only stooges who wind up loose-toothed and bloody from school.
December 16th, 2008 at 8:31 pm, Susan Says:
I am SO GLAD this shit happens to people other than myself.
December 16th, 2008 at 8:45 pm, Kristie Says:
Yes, but you look relaxed and very pretty in your picture.
My daughter, 5 at the time, knocked out my son’s, 4 at the time, two front teeth several years back. Pushing him into a door. Because she loves him like that. We rushed him to the only after-hours emergency pediatric dentist office we could find in the phone book …. in a really crappy part of town … which had a gas station next door … which was robbed … with GUNFIRE … while we waited on his x-rays.
But you’re right, we laugh about it now.
Hope tomorrow is much better for you — or, if not, that you can enjoy a good bottle glass of wine.
December 16th, 2008 at 8:47 pm, hollygee Says:
I think it is good that I’m not a parent. Ouch.
December 16th, 2008 at 9:11 pm, exile on mom street Says:
Purple Peacoat Sighting!
Also, my son is just finishing GETTING all of his teeth…I am so not ready for him to get them knocked loose. I don’t expect to handle such a thing with your grace.
December 16th, 2008 at 9:40 pm, Rhi Says:
I’m sending a case of wine. Except, Oklahoma probably is one of those states where I can’t ship wine. Okay, I’ll keep that wine for you here, in case you ever come to Portland (and you totally should).
December 16th, 2008 at 11:11 pm, Mark Says:
I get to visit that same waiting room tomorrow. The joy’s of little ones.
December 16th, 2008 at 11:45 pm, Annika Says:
I am so sure that this is not the part of the post I should be focusing on, but OMG THERE IS A FIVE YEAR OLD NAMED BROCK? That is simultaneously horrifying and AWESOME.
December 16th, 2008 at 11:53 pm, Camels & Chocolate Says:
This is why I’d make a terrible mother: I would have headed to the closest bar in lieu of the pediatrician (for myself, of course, not Henry or Charlie–though if they were really good, I might have let them eat the gin-soaked olives out of my martini).
December 17th, 2008 at 1:42 am, Jenn @ Juggling Life Says:
You’ve got the right attitude for raising boys. It’s not for reactionary wimps.
We once had an incident in the minivan where one of my kids accidentally knocked a friend’s tooth out and he swallowed it. Good times.
December 17th, 2008 at 5:07 am, jenB Says:
Oh sweetpea, this sucks. I hope you get some kick ass Christmas loot and lots of hug and kisses.
December 17th, 2008 at 8:57 am, RuthWells Says:
Parenting is why you can get vodka in a jumbo-sized bottle at the state store.
December 17th, 2008 at 9:01 am, Sue @ My Party of 6 Says:
As soon as the clock hits a socially acceptable time, I am totally having a drink for you. (Or maybe 4 - one for each loose tooth.) What a craptastic day.
December 17th, 2008 at 9:53 am, gorillabuns Says:
I wish I had read this earlier because I would have shared my Watermelon vodka with you.
I’m so sorry.
December 17th, 2008 at 10:15 am, 3carnations Says:
Ack! I hope today’s a better day.
December 17th, 2008 at 12:03 pm, Shannon Says:
Yeah, and I don’t know about Henry, but I am having trouble breathing after reading all that. I also feel quite anxious. Oh, and by the way, my 4 year old daughter as a wee heart murmur too. Kind of nerve-wracking, except I used to have the same thing, and I guess it went away.
Good luck! You have now had enough trauma and bad-kid-luck to last you at LEAST into the new year.
December 17th, 2008 at 1:50 pm, heather Says:
I have a five year old with anxiety and sometimes it is just so hard to be her mother. Sometimes I think she is just being her normal anxious self when she complains about some ailment or another. Well the other day she told me it hurt when she peed and two days later I thought well maybe we should get this checked out, well it turns out that she has a UTI, a double ear infection and pneumonia. Well I am glad I finally listed I had no idea she was so sick, I left the pediatricians office feeling like mother of the year. And she has also just started to see a psychiatrist because her anxiety is becoming well beyond my ability to deal or help her with. I have been a parent for 7 years and days like this make me feel like I have no idea what I am doing.
December 17th, 2008 at 2:45 pm, MJH Says:
Glad everyone’s alright. I swore off medical googling last weekend when webmd told me I have BUBONIC PLAGUE! Seriously. Even knowing better, I was in the Dr. office first thing Monday!
December 17th, 2008 at 9:42 pm, A. Berkoski Says:
Oh Lord I just said a quiet THANK YOU that my children are too young for things like this to happen.
December 18th, 2008 at 1:12 am, kat Says:
oh my. i don’t have kids yet but i imagine this is what i have to look forward to.
you have some of the best parenting stories.