Monday, November 06, 2006
Our Take on the Flu Shot
No, none of us plan to get it this year. Our pediatrician didn't even offer, because he knew we were unlikely to get it and he didn't feel Parker needed it. I just don't see the point in adding yet another shot for something that may or may not be needed, when I'm at the same time injecting something into my children's bodies that may or may not cause harm. The efficacy and dangers are both not guaranteed. I've heard recently that flu shots use thimerosal as a preservative, even though there is a controversy over it.
Labels: health, vaccinations
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Friday, October 20, 2006
Well-child visits
We went to ours because I had concerns about Parker's "asthma" and his speech. He also "needed" booster shots, but I wouldn't have gone just for that. Also, I like our pediatrician, Parker & Kira both do, our health insurance covers it completely, and I felt good about taking him, getting him measured, and his eyes/ears checked, especially since he's not in school. Oh, I also talked to my doctor about other issues involving his receipt of steroids and the possible exposure to chicken pox we've been debating recently. There were a lot of reasons for us to go to it.
He is due for one again next year, so I'll see about then. I'd probably still go, but our pediatrician's office is pretty clean, and we never wait long -- in the waiting room, at least.
Still, I don't think you MUST go, you know? Nothing is mandatory really, there are exemptions and wavers for pretty much everything.
Even for schools and preschools and child cares. 
It is a great right of ours as Americans.Labels: health, Kira, Parker, reclaiming our rights, vaccinations
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We went for Parker's 5-year visit on Tuesday, when Jeff was up in Tally on his interview, and the beginning part went EXTREMELY well. Parker was more than happy to see Dr. Wyatt, and he was very cooperative and not scared at all -- this was the VERY FIRST visit of his that he did so completely well! He used to be filled with terror when he was littler, so it was very nice change. He weighed 38 pounds (50%ile) and was 41.5" tall (25%ile).
They tested his eyes (20/30 for both, which they said was normal at this age??) and his hearing (he also passed), we talked about his virus-induced asthma, and he said we could call it mild-intermittent asthma or respiratory airway disease or whatever, but the thing is that he does not need to be on any kind of maintenance meds, like the Peds After Hours (Pediatric ER in town) said a few weeks ago when we were in for steroid treatment), but just to be rescued if and when it became an issue.
We also talked about his accomplishments, and he was impressed with his reading prowess, but also followed up on my concern about his speaking ability. To try and assist me to get help for him, he wrote a prescription for speech therapy -- my friend who is also a Speech Therapist is going to do an eval on him next week, so we can know the best ways to get him to speak more clearly, and to get him to say his dipthongs (double consonant sounds like "th", "tr", etc.). I know he can make the sounds, but he doesn't do it much on his own, and doesn't use them in appropriate ways. He also still isn't saying "r"s well, and also has trouble with some "L"s in words. For example, for "yellow", he says "yeyow" -- KIRA already says "yellow!!"
Finally, the shots. Parker was due for 3 boosters: MMR (measles/mumps/rubella--German measles), DTaP (diptheria/tetanus/acellular pertussis), and IPV (polio). He was going to be brave, and then he saw the needles. Oh my goodness did he freak!! He was screaming and crying and hitting and kicking ... it was HORRIBLE!! Finally, I had to drag him out of the chair in a fireman hold, sit him on the table, and then pin him down with my body while the nurse gave the DTaP and IPV in the left thigh, and then the MMR in the left arm. It was HORRIBLE. He was crying out for help ("Somebody help me please!!!!!") and asking the nurse to stop ("Doctor please stop -- owwwwww!!!") -- it broke my heart.
Afterwards, he was in SO MUCH PAIN!!! Seriously, it was PAIN and not just upset ... I felt like the shittiest mother IN THE WORLD right about then. 
He needed me to hold him for a good 10 minutes, and wanted me to carry him out to the van. Well, I had Kira too, so I couldn't do that, so instead, I took Kira OUT of the stroller, put him in, and we left, with Kira walking holding my hand, and me pushing Parker all through the hospital. Left and right, people said, "Oh, he must've just gotten some shots" -- like it was written ALL over him!!! He wanted to go straight home, so we did.
Well, next morning, I notice that his leg is swollen up about 25% of his other leg, BRIGHT red over much of the thigh, and HOT-HOT-HOT!! Called the doctor, but they said it was a "normal reaction, to be expected. Keep an eye out for secondary infection."!! It is finally starting to go down. The night we took these pictures, we measured his leg circumference and took his skin temperature (we're little scientists over here
-- nerdy too!!) -- normal leg was 11.75" diameter and 95.5-F; injection leg was 13.25" diameter and 99.0-F!! Difference of 1.5" of swelling, and 3.5-F SKIN temperature increase.
_______________Labels: health, homeschooling, Kira, milestones, Parker, vaccinations
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