Fear and Frustration

So, this story may be getting old, but my dear Evan is sick again. This time I got a call yesterday afternoon from the daycare informing me that he has a fever of 103. I run down to get him, call the pediatrician and head into their office. Both doctors look him over and, aside from the fever of 103.3, can't find a thing wrong with him. He's obviously suffering side effects from the fever and is in and out of delirium. As the second doctor came into the room I overheard her asking the first doctor, "... in room 2 is the one you're worried about?" We were in room 2. When she walked in, Evan was laying limp across my lap with his eyes rolling around in his head. It looked like he was trying not to fall asleep (or pass out). He was burning up and totally listless. He was also making this odd sound when he inhaled - like the noise your throat makes when you have a gas bubble stuck or something - and his belly was very distended. He almost looked pregnant. Needless to say, I was terrified. She spent a good deal of time listening to his chest and back and couldn't find any congestion in his lungs. She told me that his heart rate was increased, but that was a side effect from the fever. His eyes, nose, ears and throat were all clear. Basically, aside from the fever (and it's side effects) and a dry cough, he was perfectly healthy. I'm told to treat the fever aggressively and prescribed a cough medicine/decongestant. I explain how worried I am that he keeps getting sick, week after week it's something new. They decide to send him for some blood work.

I'm relieved that he doesn't have some horrible illness and that all the things I was worried about were brought on by the fever, but I'm frustrated that we don't know what's causing the fever or why his immune system seems to be so compromised.

This morning I took him to the lab to have his blood drawn. I tried to rope my mother into going with me so I wasn't alone, but she wasn't going to suffer with me. I did my very best at pretending not to be nervous so he wouldn't pick up on it. Since he's so out of it, it wasn't hard to pull one over on him. I have to say, Quest was wonderful today. I walked in, waited about 2 minutes to be able to sign in, waited another 2 minutes to hear Evan's name called and was immediately called back into a room. I spent more time waiting to sign in than I did having his blood drawn. Evan didn't fight and didn't shed one single tear. They drew 3 vials of blood I think. They're running a CBC, checking his lead count and running one other round of tests that I can't remember. They told me that our doctor should have the reports by Thursday.

Here it is, the end of the day on Tuesday. Another day or two to wait for results that may tell us nothing and no more clear on what's wrong with our little boy. The decongestant has caused a runny nose, but it's clear, so still no sign of infection. His cough is still present, but not as bad. However, it appears to hurt him when he does cough now. Aside from that, and the here and there spiking fever (Motrin and Tylonol seem to be keeping it mostly at bay) he's not acting as sick as yesterday. He is far from himself and very fussy and clingy, but he seems to be past the delirium at this point.

Fingers crossed that we figure this one out, that it's no big deal and that it's the last illness we have to face in this house for a long, long time!