Again...

I got a call about 4 from the daycare on Friday. Arianna had a 103 degree fever, someone has to pick her up.

Leaving at 4 PM on a Friday is normally a good thing, only in this case it wasn't. If she was running a high fever like that she very likely has an ear infection and we'd need antibiotics, which means getting to the doctors office (30 minutes away) before they close for the weekend. This is a hard thing at the end of the work day on a Friday - everyone leaves. I, of course, got caught in traffic but managed to get into the office at 4:50, only slightly frazzled.

I like her pediatrician, we see alot of him. He's very frank and good at describing things to me.

We have a sick little girl. Her ear infection isn't gone, she has a sinus infection, possible bronchitis and possible roseola (due to enlarged lymph nodes on the back of her head??). So we've got zithromax this time. Good news, if there is such a thing in something like this, is that he believes we should keep the ENT appiontment on Tuesday as long as she doesn't get the roseola rash.

I'm sick and tired of her always being sick. My poor baby has heard the world, underwater, her whole life. My poor baby always has a stuffy nose. She is limited in the types of antibiotics she can take as we haven't completely ruled out Long QT Syndrome in her so we play it safe, nothing that someone with a positive LQTS diagnosis couldn't take. Her pediatrician doesn't like the fact that she gets so many infections and only has 3 types of antibiotics she can take, and neither do I.

I'm happy we can keep Tuesday's appointment because I'm hoping to get some answers from them. I asked the pediatrician if ear tubes would help. He told me he's not completely convinced that ear tubes actually help. Um... ok, that doesn't help us. He did mention that based on her history and facial structure she would be a good candidate for adenoid removal. Oh boy. This had crossed my mind but was surprised to hear someone say it. He did go on to say he doesn't think anyone would do it on someone so young.

Ok... so the only option, it sounds like will be ear tubes, which may or may not help her ears - especially since enlarged adenoids (if that's what she has) usually block the eustachian tubes negating anything the ear tubes would have done.

I don't like this options. So for now, the best option is to prevent the colds that are causing the bacteria, who's build up is causing ear infections and sinus infections. That means taking her out of daycare and keep her away from other germ balls. Problem with this is ten fold.

1. My mother, who generously watches her one day a week, is unwilling to watch her more days a week.

2. A home daycare may not eliminate this problem - still other kids around.

3. A nanny, although a great alternative, is very expensive compared to daycare. At $100/day and $400/4 days it would be 2.5 times what we pay for daycare now. Paying for such means that I would be working for $200/week. Hardly seems worth it huh?

We need to do something. I put Arianna on the scale anticipating 20 lbs, so we could turn around her car seat. Nope, 18 lbs. 4 oz. The same she weighed two months ago. All these colds are doing a number on her eating. She is not gaining weight like she should and this will affect her in many ways. I have to take her out of daycare... just don't know the best alternative right now.

Tuesday will tell us more. In a way I hope they tell us she'd be a great adenoid removal candidate so we can get it done and get her on the road to healthy, sooner.