Can't Keep a Good Auntie Down...

I have survived today.

*groans dramatically*

I've missed my past two appointments with the endocrinologist, one because of the Impossible Son's endoscopy, and the second because both the Impertinent One and the Impossible One were sick and I wasn't about to drag sick kids to the doctor with me!

I had originally rescheduled to December (groan), which was the next available appointment, but got a call last Thursday letting me know there was a cancellation on Friday, and on Monday (which was today). Turns out the doc wanted me seen before December. The appointment on Friday was at 2, which is too close to the time the kids get out of school, plus Austin traffic, nope... so I took the Monday morning appointment.

And completely forgot that the kids were off today.

*head-desk*

Got there just barely on time, and after making many dire threats to the kids to ensure good behavior, saw the doc's clinical nurse specialist to talk about meds and such. The kids stayed in the waiting room, and when I was done, I asked the staff at the desk rather nervously if the waiting room was still standing.

"Oh, your kids have been as good as gold!" said the nurse behind the desk with a big smile. "I wish all our patients' kids were as well behaved as yours!"

"Uh... you are talking about my kids... right?" I said, a little stunned. "Teenaged girl and a 9 year old boy playing on a Nintendo DS?"

"Yep, those are the ones!" He looked rather amused at my reaction.

And yes, they were sitting there quietly when I came out, and no one was shooting me murderous looks, or slightly stunned looks with disheveled clothing and singed eyebrows or anything... it was rather surprising and wonderful, to tell you the truth!

Should have known it wouldn't last.

It was as we were riding the elevator down that I realized Mr. Manzie felt somewhat warm to the touch. And then Miss Priss said, "Whoa... look at Impossible's arm!!"

I did and said very sincerely, "Oh, crap."

See, yesterday, Mr. Impossible was playing in the backyard, near the gate, and was swinging his Nerf sword at the bamboo there, and as he went through the gate, he got stung by a yellow jacket wasp. He's already sensitive to bee and wasp venom, so the Impertinent Daughter immediately snatched her brother up and hied them both to the house. I will say this, she may be freaked out, but she takes command well (and sometimes, much faster than her papa). She said, "He got stung by a wasp," and knowing there was a nest of red wasps in the bamboo, I immediately said, "Lemon juice."

It only took saying about three times for Miss Priss to dive for the fridge and grab the lemon juice so I could pour it on the rapidly swelling spot while scraping it to make sure the stinger was out. Why did I scrape it? Because both kids told me that the wasp had gotten stuck in his arm and he'd had to flick it off.

I gave him a Benadryl and an ice pack and shooed him off to lie on the couch. However... it kept swelling and hurting. Frowning, I said, "What did the wasp look like?" (yes, I know, that should have been my first question, definitely not one of my shining moments there), and he said, "Black with yellow stripes."

Uh-oh.

We've got a nest of yellow and reddish brown yellow jackets on one side of the house, and a nest of the black and yellow on the other side. I already knew that. But... I didn't know the black and yellow had a nest by the back gate.

Anyhow, you don't put lemon juice on a yellow jacket sting. You put a baking soda paste on it, or mud, or a paste of meat tenderizer and water, etc. So... I did that. And it finally started looking better. By last night, it just looked a little red, but he was feeling so much better, so I breathed a sigh of relief and relaxed about it. Should have known better, yeah.

Because, when the Impossible Son got off the elevator at the endocrinologist's office... it was swollen, red, and hot. His left arm was twice as big as his right arm. I called the family doctor's office on the way home and got him an appointment. Dosed him up with Benadryl again, put an ice pack on it, and took him in.

The upshot? He's fine, but... he was starting to wheeze a bit and he had a fever. Dr. W. said we already knew he was sensitive to stings, and it's not going to get better as time goes by. Well, I already knew that. To bring the swelling down and counter his allergic reaction, he's taking a six day course of steroids, and Benadryl, and... we're going to have to start carrying an Epi-Pen, just in case.

Yay.

I knew it was coming. *sigh* It was just a matter of time.

So, we started the steroids as soon as we got home. The steroids don't have dye in them, but the doctor warned me that they were going to make him a bit hyper.

She wasn't kidding.

*sags*

His mind is so quick anyway, but today, it's been exhausting just trying to follow his thought processes. It can be a struggle to not let my eyes glaze over because he's just going so epically fast mentally. It's dizzying.

Whew, time for me to go catch what sleep I can before he wakes up and decides to start talking again!!