What's Next?

As I left work Friday afternoon I received a call from Nicky's preschool, telling me that he had a 103 degree temp!  They told me it came on out of the blue (about 4:30pm-ish) and he started to cry uncontrollably...and asking for his Momma (yay me!)(he usually cries for Daddy...).  I arrived at his school, and found him laying on some bean-bags with a wet cloth on his head.  When I got him in the car I asked him if his belly hurt - no; I asked him if his head hurt - yes; throat? - no, but inside the mouth did (ok, so that's a check for throat).  He also told me his teeth hurt, which I read on the inter-web-nets that it's possible for one's teeth to hurt when a virus is involved.  Being that it was late on a Friday, I called our doctor's after-hours line, and the nurse told me to keep an eye on him, give him Motrin, and if the fever persists to take him to the doctor on Monday.

Saturday morning he still had a fever, so we cozied up on the couch and watched some movies.  He took a good nap, during which time his fever broke (he woke up nice and drenched...ew!)(and as evidenced by the cabin fever that set in shortly after - man kids get hyper when they're sick!).  Daddy was home by this time, and he helped me look in Nicky's throat, where we saw the tell-tale white patches on his tonsils, and super-red throat.  Well, I say "we", but it was actually me.  Daddy didn't think there was anything there, but I figured we better figure something out because not only is it bad for strep to go untreated for so long, but calling in sick the day after Super Bowl was probably a no-no.  Plus, given the fact I was a carrier for strep when I was a kid, I know how misreable it can be.  Maybe I should be a paramedic...they are doctors you know?  (said with much sarcasm...poor Kris and the heck he endures on shift!)

Sunday morning we took him to the doc-in-the-box to see the PA - just over an hour later, we left with a prescription for Penicillin, a strep throat diagnosis, with a bonus diagnosis - a soft-sounding Systolic Ejection Murmur.  Ok, so what's next?  Although murmurs are fairly common in children and typically disappear by the age of 5, there are those that are not so innocent.  Our plan of attack is to take him to his pediatrician (next week - he's due for his 4 year check up anyway...yikes!  4?!  already?!) and see what she thinks - possibly run a few tests - and go from there.  After the PA first told us, she asked about any childhood illnesses, which may have been a contributing factor.  Hmm...now that would be some good info to have, but sadly, we don't have much other than he's "flat-footed, had a seisure at 7 months, and had an upper respiratory infection" (things on his medical history report we received).

Sheesh!  Never a dull moment in the Johnson house!

ps...man - look at that hot chick in the picture with Nicky...not a line on her face...no way is that his mother!  thank you, Uncle Brent, for the awesome camera - it has a "facial re-touching feature on it...not that I need it...but maybe someday! :)