So Small To Have Such Problems
Skipped a week! That week that I skipped? I went to the Minneapolis May Day Parade for the first time EVAR! And it was awesome. Cassius liked it, and Theia managed napping and nursing during the loudest, sunniest parts. I took many gorgeous photos. Seasonal things keep the world turning and the sun rising and setting, right?
This week? Is lots, I will sum up. Medical issues. Tea and kid-wrangling with friends back from the Peace Corps. Story publications and submissions ticking along nicely, writing less so. Vegan mac 'n cheese really just doesn't work, but I keep trying. Devoured the most recent three books in the Chronicles of Elantra in one gulp. Beautiful, refreshing bike ride along Minnehaha as part of MinnSpec writers group meeting. Homemade rye bread surprisingly tasty. Mother's Day--hey, I'm one of those! And now I have a new stepmother, and the kids have a new stepgrandmother (or would that be grandstepmother?), so there's that too.
This week--well, this week there has been a lot of dealing with stressful but not life-threatening medical stuff.
About two weeks ago, Fu Manchu got a shot of antibiotics and a cone of shame (Cassius: "Fu Manchu party hat!") to keep him from worrying at a skin irritation that had become a sore on his tummy. It was getting better. Then he figured out how to lick it *while wearing the cone*, and also how to use the cone to scrape at it to relieve itchiness. This made it get dramatically worse again. And we don't really have an extra $100 lying around for yet another vet visit this month. Managed to talk the vet into prescribing an antibiotic and a steroid magic healing pill for Fu Manchu, without another vet visit. Pills are cheap. We're gonna need a bigger cone, though!
We've been dealing with a new, unpleasant skin condition on Theia since a couple of days before we left for my dad's wedding, almost a month ago. It's as if her body thinks that once we get one medical condition cleared up (her blocked tear duct), it's time to add another one. Initially, it was diagnosed as ringworm--we had it looked at while we were out of town. We treated it as such for a couple of weeks, but although the distinct markings on the first couple of spots faded, new red splotches showed up all over her body. Took her to our regular clinic (but not, alas, our regular doctor*) and the doctor thought it looked like eczema but wrote us a prescription for a treatment that would cover both ringworm and eczema. Got prescription filled. Read prescription information. Saw "not recommended for under 17 years of age." Looked on internet and saw not recommended because it may cause growth problems. Said, "What the fuck? Not okay for my 5-month-old, and why didn't the doctor mention this when I asked him about potential side effects?" Planning on calling clinic on Monday and asking for second opinion from our regular doctor. In the meantime, busy being horrified and helpless in the face of red spots. We are (desperate and) hopeful that switching laundry detergent and going back to the Johnson&Johnson Naturals baby wash that we were using up until shortly before this developed will clear it up. Maybe she's just having a bad reaction to Aveeno? That would be much more manageable than steroid cream regimens and a potentially stigmatizing medical condition.
* I do not like the doctor we saw. I specifically scheduled an appointment with "the resident" because it was Not That Doctor. When he showed up in the clinic room I was like, "What the hell? I made an appointment with Not You." This doctor is the same one who didn't know to tell me that I should avoid dairy AND soy to see if that was causing Theia's bloody stools. And who at this visit was confused and dismissive about why non-cow dairy might also be an issue (it usually is, for a protein intolerance). I think this doctor is not very well-informed. This may also explain why he's always available for last-minute appointments.
This week? Is lots, I will sum up. Medical issues. Tea and kid-wrangling with friends back from the Peace Corps. Story publications and submissions ticking along nicely, writing less so. Vegan mac 'n cheese really just doesn't work, but I keep trying. Devoured the most recent three books in the Chronicles of Elantra in one gulp. Beautiful, refreshing bike ride along Minnehaha as part of MinnSpec writers group meeting. Homemade rye bread surprisingly tasty. Mother's Day--hey, I'm one of those! And now I have a new stepmother, and the kids have a new stepgrandmother (or would that be grandstepmother?), so there's that too.
This week--well, this week there has been a lot of dealing with stressful but not life-threatening medical stuff.
About two weeks ago, Fu Manchu got a shot of antibiotics and a cone of shame (Cassius: "Fu Manchu party hat!") to keep him from worrying at a skin irritation that had become a sore on his tummy. It was getting better. Then he figured out how to lick it *while wearing the cone*, and also how to use the cone to scrape at it to relieve itchiness. This made it get dramatically worse again. And we don't really have an extra $100 lying around for yet another vet visit this month. Managed to talk the vet into prescribing an antibiotic and a steroid magic healing pill for Fu Manchu, without another vet visit. Pills are cheap. We're gonna need a bigger cone, though!
We've been dealing with a new, unpleasant skin condition on Theia since a couple of days before we left for my dad's wedding, almost a month ago. It's as if her body thinks that once we get one medical condition cleared up (her blocked tear duct), it's time to add another one. Initially, it was diagnosed as ringworm--we had it looked at while we were out of town. We treated it as such for a couple of weeks, but although the distinct markings on the first couple of spots faded, new red splotches showed up all over her body. Took her to our regular clinic (but not, alas, our regular doctor*) and the doctor thought it looked like eczema but wrote us a prescription for a treatment that would cover both ringworm and eczema. Got prescription filled. Read prescription information. Saw "not recommended for under 17 years of age." Looked on internet and saw not recommended because it may cause growth problems. Said, "What the fuck? Not okay for my 5-month-old, and why didn't the doctor mention this when I asked him about potential side effects?" Planning on calling clinic on Monday and asking for second opinion from our regular doctor. In the meantime, busy being horrified and helpless in the face of red spots. We are (desperate and) hopeful that switching laundry detergent and going back to the Johnson&Johnson Naturals baby wash that we were using up until shortly before this developed will clear it up. Maybe she's just having a bad reaction to Aveeno? That would be much more manageable than steroid cream regimens and a potentially stigmatizing medical condition.
* I do not like the doctor we saw. I specifically scheduled an appointment with "the resident" because it was Not That Doctor. When he showed up in the clinic room I was like, "What the hell? I made an appointment with Not You." This doctor is the same one who didn't know to tell me that I should avoid dairy AND soy to see if that was causing Theia's bloody stools. And who at this visit was confused and dismissive about why non-cow dairy might also be an issue (it usually is, for a protein intolerance). I think this doctor is not very well-informed. This may also explain why he's always available for last-minute appointments.