#4

I didn't get to write my daily "grateful post" yesterday as I spent my afternoon at my daughters doctors office and at children's hospital. I got home and didn't really want to think for the rest of the night. However, the events of the day have reminded me of something I am grateful for.

I have a post already about how I am grateful for my children, but today I am more specifically grateful that they are here and healthy. Yes, my son has ADHD, my daughter has suspected aspergers and my other daughter has a speech delay and all of these things can be trying at times, but I know it is nowhere near what some parents have to face. I am also grateful for my kids' amazing pediatrician.

I brought Maggie to see her doctor yesterday because all three kids had come down with influenza on Christmas. It came on hard and fast with high fevers, coughs and tears. My older two got over it in the usual time frame. Maggie took a bit longer and seemed to be on the up and up when suddenly her fever returned. She became far more miserable, sleepy and just wasn't acting like herself. She was saying her tongue and cheek hurt and knowing that kids will often say those things hurt when it's really their throat, I thought she may have strep.

We got to the doctor and he said her throat didn't look bad and her ears didn't look bad. He noticed her tummy hurt on the lower right and as he has had many more cases of appendicitis lately he wanted to rule that out. He told me kids don't always present with appendicitis in the classic ways adults do.  Of course, the prospect of appendicitis was frightening to me.

I got to battle trying to get her to pee in a cup (and subsequently got peed on) to rule out UTI. When her urine came back ok we got to go over to Children's Hospital for a chest xray and ultrasound. Thankfully, her appendix is not inflamed and she doesn't have a hidden pneumonia. The need note some enlarged lymph nodes in her abdomen so they ordered some blood work. I am currently waiting to hear back about that. For now she is on some antibiotics.

I am so thankful we found an awesome pediatrician out here who is thorough. He wanted to be sure nothing was missed since she has had the fever for so long and there was no obvious reason why. He has always listened to me and often asks what my gut feelings are. I couldn't ask for a better doctor for my kids and am glad they are all pretty healthy.