Monday, December 6, 2010

The Checkup.

flu vaccine

it's a needle, how dangerous can it be?

So my boys went in Friday for their well child checks. I cheat and schedule them both for the same time and day (because their birthdays are so close).

Before we even got there, Jacob started crying, "I don't want a shot! I don't want a shot!" .... who told him he'd be getting a shot? We told Brandon he'd probably be getting some .. (kindergarten shots)....

He calmed down, and we went in. The first thing they do, instead of weighing them, is give us a cup and point to Jacob, "he needs to pee in the cup" .. the child in question claimed he didn't need to pee. But ben took him anyway and convinced him he could try.

While we were waiting for the boys (Brandon decided he had to go too), Megan and I sat in the lab and they gave her a cute little Tinkerbell sticker.

They came out (the cup nearly overflowing - I thought he didn't need to pee!!! Thank heavens for lids), and Brandon realizes Megan has a Tinkerbell sticker, and he doesn't. I tell him he'll get a sticker if he's good, and we go to the exam room.

Both boys have to take their shoes off and get weighed. Somehow between leaving home and getting there, they had both lost their socks .... so it looks like I didn't put socks on them. *sigh* When they took off their shoes, I gave them a look, "where's your socks?" Neither claimed knowledge of socks ....

Weighing the boys was easy enough ... until Megan fixed her beady eyes on the nurse and gave her a puppy dog look. "Me next?" So she very patiently weighed Megan, just so she wasn't left out.

Weighing is naturally the easy part ... the Dr came in, with a student, so Jacob had to question her and figure out why she was there. he examined Brandon, had him jump, walk, and asked him questions to determine if he was talking better. Then he pointed at a slight indent, like a scar, and asked if we'd discussed that before ...

He explained calmly it's just a third nipple, not a scar, and it won't get any breast tissue, .... my 4 year old has a third nipple and I didn't know it? Cool!

Thankfully, other than that the physicals went calmly. But he said he'd send somebody in to test the hearing on both boys, and the vision for Jacob. But first, the flu shots! He offered the "flu mist," because it's easier and the boys haven't needed the nebulizer for a couple years. Crisis averted! Then the nurse came in and explained, .... "we don't have any more flu mist .... they'll have to have the shots . . ." Crap. Meltdown mode .... Brandon didn't end up getting the kindergarten shots, because they've updated what is needed so he needed two catchup shots. (That were added ....). The nurse came in and said, "oldest first!" Naturally, the oldest is the least likely to be a problem.

We put Brandon first instead, who was great (because he'd get ice cream after), then the first needle went in and he went hysterical. Jacob wasn't better. Megan cried for about fifteen seconds, then she was fine. (Girls are stronger!!!).

While the boys howled, the nurse came in to test their hearing, they had to raise their hand when they heard the noise .... yeah right. I was able to get Brandon settled down enough to listen, and he did fine. Then Jacob was still sniffing, and missed a few.

The eye test? She tried to use the shapes, but I told her he could handle the letters. Even upset, he's more likely to get letters right than "dinosaur, triangle ..." But he said them so quiet that I had to repeat what he said. I think she thought I was cheating ... but she didn't say anything.

Then the boys started crying because there were no more Tinkerbell stickers ... and by the time we walked out, (Jacob limping because his leg hurt SO bad ..) I'm sure they were glad to see us go. Funny, I was glad to be out too.