So the tooth saga continues...
After seeing the dentist last week CJ's tooth pain seemed to be subsiding. He didn't complain at all about his tooth hurting this week until last night. And today, he made up for all his complaint free days with blood curdling screams all day. At one point his screams were so loud, Nicholas pouted up his lip and cried the saddest cry, some sympothy cry. This time his tooth pain was more on the side. Hindsight is easy...I should have just taken him to the doctor. But no, back to the dentist we went.
Usually getting to the dentist CJ makes a bee line for the video games, but not this time, he just sat in my lap and cried. He sat in the dentist chair, let the assistant look around, she couldn't see anything so he got re-x-rayed. They didn't get very a good picture because he was moving around too much and holding the thing on his tooth hurt too bad. Dr. Brent came and took a look. By the time he got there CJ was REALLY worked up into a fit and we actually had to hold him down so Dr. Brent could look at his teeth. I think CJ shares my claustrophobia, he HATES to be held down. Dr. Brent couldn't really see anything, but didn't feel they got good x-rays. So, he gave a prescription for an antibiotic. Meanwhile CJ's still screaming that his tooth hurt and now he just wants to go home. While I'm putting his coat on, he asks if he can have his prize. (they have a little prize basket in each room). The assistant looks at him and says, "Sorry, you don't get a prize today for that." I was speechless, what...the kid is in pain, you can't do anything to help it, but you still won't let him have a prize. A f'ing 50 cent plastic piece of crap? Now CJ's screaming because he doesn't get a prize, "but I always get a prize" he says. She looked at me and said, "Sorry mom". Bitch.
So, I basically had to drag CJ out of there, I'm sure we were quite the sight! I tried to talk him into letting me take him to the ER but he wouldn't have anything to do with it. So, we went home, he fell asleep screaming on the rug in front of the door. After much more screaming and negotiating we agreed we would go to St. Paul to see the Snoopy outside of Children's hospital and they would make his tooth all better.
So, off to Children's ER we went. Before we left he got some Tylenol, Ibuprofen, a dose of the antibiotic and some Orajel - which he hated because he said it was spicy. Actually I tasted it, and it is a little spicy.
He screamed for awhile on the way, and then fell asleep. By the time we drove by Snoopy, parked and got to the ER he was much calmer. The nurse right away said, his cheek and lips are swollen is it his left side? Gotta love an observant nurse! So, CJ got to have a head CT - she suspected sinus infection but she said an x-ray doesn't show sinuses very well in kids. Luckily it was without the IV contrast so they didn't have to start an IV. CJ LOVED the CT, and Children's was GREAT! They made the CT seem like this really cool rocket/space ship that CJ got to try out, there were little star lights all over the ceiling, she made a really big deal about how cool it was. I got to stay in the room with him, she asked if there were any chance I were pregnant - ah no, just been there did that! She even strapped his head in and he stayed perfectly still and said he couldn't wait to tell Dylan that he got to ride on a space ship.
And the best part - HE GOT A PRIZE AFTER HIS HEAD CT...BECAUSE IT'S NOT ABOUT THE DIAGNOSIS, IT'S ABOUT MAKING THE EXPERIENCE POSITIVE! NEWSFLASH!
So the diagnosis, raging sinus infection, he's probably had it for weeks. They didn't really know why his symptoms come and go, but now hopefully he's on the right track.
His mean mom (that would be me) opted for the antibiotic shots (yep, two - one in each leg) followed by oral antiobiotics for quicker recovery. She said otherwise it could take up to 3-4 days before he would feel better - yeah, no thanks, not doing this any longer than we have to.
So, I hope we can now put the tooth saga to rest. And I don't think we will be returning to Children's Dental Care in Lakeville...and don't send your friends either! Everything was really fine up until the prize shaft. It still ticks me off! I'm curious to find out if this is an office policy or a bitchy assistant...