This entry is placed in blog archives because while I think I will remember it forever, I realize from conversations with my parents that sometimes as you age, your mind plays little tricks on you. :)
For the past few days, Middle Child has complained of abdominal pain. He's not normally a complainer, fortunately none of our kids are, but with stomach pains it's often hard to tell what's what. Kind of like when people talk about having headaches....you can tell they are in pain, even though you can't "see" their headache.
Back last fall when I had an ovarian cyst to rupture, I complained about my back hurting prior to the event, which at the time I had no idea was a symptom. Anyway, a couple of weeks later, Middle Child said his back was hurting and asked did I think he might have a cyst too. :) I told him no, I didn't think it was a cyst, and it certainly couldn't be what I had, as "you have no ovaries, son". So, since Saturday, we've been going through all sorts of scenarios with him as to the cause behind this abdominal pain. He has had no vomitting, no sudden rushes to the bathroom (although he has been regular), no nausea, has not lost his appetite, has been eating every day like usual, even spicy foods, drinking milk, no food seemed to help or hurt for that matter. He described it as a cramping pain, like his stomach was twisted in knots. The only way he could make it feel some better was to lay on his stomach with his arms underneath him applying pressure to his abdomen. And even then, it still hurt.
The true test of knowing he was not kidding about the pain came early this week. On Monday he called before 9:30 a.m. needing to be checked out of school (I was unable to get him at the time, so he stuck it on out for the rest of the day) and then on Tuesday, he missed school completely. This may not seem like much to the average person but those who know Middle Child will appreciate it. You see, since beginning High School (our high school starts with 7th grade remember), Middle Child has loved every minute of his educational career. He never wants to miss. A far cry from his elementary days, where for years he tried to catch every cold, stomach bug, rotovirus, or pink eye that came his way to get a chance to stay home....he even went so far as to lay in the bed with his brother when he had the flu a couple of years ago begging him to breathe in his face, trying to get it. And when Baby Girl had mono and was quarrantined at home for weeks, Middle Child was happy to be the delivery boy for her snacks and drinks. Why? Because he would drink after her hoping to catch it to give himself a month off from school!!
Now, back to present day and the abdominal pain. Jokingly, one night I suggested maybe he was having menstrual cramps. Thinking he would know what I was referring to, and with his witty humor, I thought he would get a good laugh. Instead he said, "maybe I do, what's menstrual cramps?". Oy! So, after giving a brief explanation, we moved on to other suggestions for the pain. Middle Child is still the shortest guy in his grade, although he is growing, he is still smallish. However his big heart and personality take over so no one notices as much. But anyway, his father suggested maybe these were "growing pains"....stating that he might just be about to have a huge growth spurt and his abdomen was just stretching to get ready!!!! We all giggled and thought no more about it.
Which brings me to today. Yesterday afternoon and evening, Middle Child and I spent almost three hours in the doctor's office trying to get to the bottom of this pain. They were concerned as he had swollen lymph nodes in his neck even though he had no other symptoms at all except the abdominal pain. They chose to do labwork, urine samples and a belly x-ray to check for things like Mono, Strep, H Pylori, Hernia, etc.etc. I wish you all could have been in the small room with me when they came to take his blood, it was the ultimate viewing of complete shock if I've ever seen it. He had no idea it was coming and when the sweet lab girl strolled in holding a needle and 3 vials for his blood, he was speechless. I held his hand and he buried his face in my chest while she administered the needle and all was fine through the first two vials....then he loudly stated with some mild panic in his voice...."You're cutting off my CIRCULATION....I can't feel my arm, I tell you that thing is cutting off my CIRCULATION!".....never a dull moment while he's around. I explained the rubber tie at his upper arm was there to make the blood flow faster into the vials, if we untied it, the process would take longer and therefore the needle would have to stay in his arm longer. The sweet lab girl did oblige him and loosened it a bit.....for fear we were cutting off his CIRCULATION.....for crying out loud, abdominal pain was enough, he didn't want to lose an arm!
I am happy to report that his arm survived and all of the urine and blood tests came back clear. He had none of those infections they tested for and all they could see on the x-ray was some stool and gas in his stomach. They suggested we monitor him for the next few days, if any fever, vomitting, nausea or anything else arises we are to take him back down where they will administer a Cat Scan for a more comprehensive look at his abdomen. But for now, we are to increase his fiber intake and see if that helps.
Middle Child was happy he wouldn't be getting any shots. Happy he was fine and nothing major was wrong. If you've ever been around him for an ample amount of time, you know he can be just the funniest thing and has the quickest wit of anyone in any situation. In the car heading to the pharmacy to pick up some fiber gummies, he said, "hey mom, what's it called when something is you know, not human?" After failing to help him figure out what he was trying to convey on the first couple of tries, I finally came up with the word he was looking for "superhuman?".
Smiling brightly with his mouth and eyes he replied: "Yes, superhuman. I was thinking that whole time in the doctor's office, all those blood tests and my urine sample and that x-ray....out of all of that I was just sure they were about to come in and tell us that this was a case of "superhuman growth" and I would probably be 6'1" by Friday. And then all they did was come in and tell us it was a big ol' gas bubble......talk about a complete let down."
One day he may in fact grow to be 6'1", although it doesn't look like it will happen by Friday.
No comments:
Post a Comment