Today was L's 4-year check-up. After arriving ON TIME to our appointment with our favorite pediatrician in the group (which we had to wait weeks for...), I find out that they forgot to call to reschedule as Dr. Justice was on vacation today. Let me just tell you that this has happened before to me and to a friend of mine very recently. Long story short, I was all ready to pack our bags, take our records, and find a new office...until I looked over at my L who had already been asking about the shots he was afraid of getting. He had made his peace with the shots and was playing bravely. I couldn't do it to him...make him wait for another appointment with a strange doctor in a new place. So, I agreed to see the nurse practitioner (something I ususally don't do b/c my insurance is paying for a doctor...I'm paying for an MD...I want someone whose put in the long hours at med school, who took gross anatomy at school, who did peds rotations and possibly extensive internships...and has serious malpractice insurance if they screw up with my most precious treasures...just kidding on that last one).
I was most impressed with the nurse who did the orginal work-up. She came right in (she's our usual nurse when we come for sick visits with Dr. Justice), and made sure I was ok with seeing the nurse practitioner, spoke with the office manager on our behalf etc. Now that I vented to her, I was fine. L and C were playing well, we were making it. L wasn't even too stressed about the shots. C was all ready for her turn on the table (sinus infection won't dissapate, even after 2 weeks of antibiotics); we were cool. Then, to make matters even better, the office manager comes in, makes instant friends with C and waives our co-pay. Then, after hearing our story, does some internal research and finds out that the person who does the scheduling ( and happens to be on vacation this week, too ) didn't enter the doctor's vacation day correctly, those allowing us and others to be scheduled today. I get it, you know, mistakes happen and I was cool...and I liked the NP that did the exam a lot. She was thorough and great with the little ones.
I say all of this to set the stage for the moment that I was taken to my knees by the little guy. While having his exam, he's being more than cooperative and follows all the directions given to him by the NP. He's seeming to enjoy himself, you know, showing off for his little sister, etc. Then, the np has him lie down on the table to listen to his stomach and his heart again. As she's finishing up his tummy, she tells him that everything sounds good in there and she'll be listening to his heart again while he's lying down. Then, my baby boy says, "Oh, you're going to hear Jesus in there. He lives in my heart, you know." Enter the swell of my heart and the lump in my throat. God, does he really know you like that yet?? I pray it's true! Oh, what a day!
The shots (4) were awful, and came after the finger prick which sent blood spurting onto me, him, the nurse, the table and his little sister who was sticking her nose all around. (My kiddos tend to spurt blood on those finger sticks, like their Mutha!) But he quit crying sometime during check-out with some sticker support and cajoling by our new best friend, Debra the office manager. And...of course the promise of an icee and a new toy, a $20 Mater at Target...oh, well...at least the co-pay covered it!!
He told everyone at Target that he was very brave when he got his shots and he got 4 baseball sticker (round dot band-aids) on his arms. What he failed to say was that he got one shot on the table...with me strong-arming him enough to get one shot in, the second shot was given mid-air as he was trying to slide off the table...our nurse is good. The last 2 were given with me seated in a chair holding him in front of me with my legs wrapped around his legs and both arms holding him into position, and finished up with a nice hard smack to me on my leg out of his sheer frustration when it was over. Let me just say that C was poking her nose right in the way, chattering as if this whole wild, crazy scene was so ordinary. I also must point out that L is extraordinarily strong...especially for his little size (15% height at 38 1/4", 20 % weight at 34#). Whoa!
Another tidbit...the NP told me that L seemed pretty well above the norm in his cognitive abilities for his age...and that C seems extremely advanced (that chic's been talking in complete sentences since 18m...I kid you not). Well, of course! ;)
By the way, C is now on her nebulizer 3 times a day...let me just say that this is not fun!It's actually about 25 minutes of torture...for everyone in the house while said procedure is taking place. She doesn't like it after one treatment.
But, by far the highlight was what L said on the table about Jesus...I mentioned it to our children's minister at VBS meeting this afternoon. She told me that he may truly be getting ready...and that it is an answer to the prayers we've prayed for him to know Jesus at an early age.
Thank you, Lord, for my precious boy!
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