Doctor's diagnosis "You are not dead"

The other day my 16 year old was complaining that she was having some odd pain in her chest when she left volleyball practice. I asked her a bunch of questions like "Did you spike the ball hard? Do you think you pulled a muscle? Could it be gas?" She said it was not a normal pain. After about 2 hours I felt like we had better get it checked out, just in case. Off to Urgent Care we went. I told Chardie we should go ahead and get her knees checked while we were there since she has been suffering from knee pain for some time now. We were so glad that we were the only ones in there and was able to be seen within 5 minutes. Wouldn't you know that the pain stopped? Yep, no more pain. Classic. Long story short~ the nurse checked her vitals and did an EKG. My daughter has a problem with anyone touching her. She is VERY ticklish. I mean even if I try to give her a simple manicure she will go nuts with laughter.

Flashback- When Chardie was 6 months old she fell off the bed while I had my back turned to grab a diaper and powder. I was frantic and she was on her back laughing heartily. She has never changed. Whenever she falls or runs into something you will see tears streaming down her face. This is not because she is in pain but it is from laughter. Yes folks, my kid laughs when she gets hurt. You can never tell if she is okay or not.

Now back to the doctor... He walks in to let us know of any findings from the EKG. He let us know that her problem had nothing to do with her heart. It was more than likely from her physical activity that she irritated her chest muscle. He said that if a 16 year old was having a heart attack that they would not be able to survive. He then tells us that the good news is that she did not have a heart attack and she did not die. I could not help but giggle. Every time he tried to touch Chardie, she would start laughing. The doctor said maybe it's a good thing she is that way. He said if she is alone with a boy and starts to giggle then we would know that he better back off of our daughter. He then attempts to touch her knees. Of course we all know how that went! He told us that knee pain is the most common problem in teen athletes and recommended she take Ibuprofen. So the end result is that she is fine, just as I suspected. Thank goodness! We keep cracking jokes about her not being dead. That doctor was crazy but we really liked him and will surely go back to him again :)

Getting an eye exam

Yesterday afternoon I booked an eye exam appointment for the husband. I have noticed that he has been having a very hard time focusing and squints a whole lot every time he is on the computer, Blackberry, reading or even looking at everyday things. We both grew very concerned that there was a possibility he might need eyeglasses. Enough was enough so off we went to get his eyes checked. Funny thing that it turns out that his vision is perfect. Isn't that something? Dwayne was just suffering from eye strain. The doctor wrote a prescription just in case for night time eyeglasses but did not see the need (right now) for him to wear glasses. This was really good news. So now it is all about making some adjustments to help ease the eye strain. First thing I made him do was buy some sunglasses. I am a firm believer in wearing them at all times when I am outdoors, even when it is overcast. The next thing will have to be less time of the computer since he has to be on it all day for work. I think the smartphone is a culprit as well. I am just glad that we took the time to have his eyes checked to be sure. After all, we only have one set of eyes for life and we better do what it takes to keep them healthy.

Have you ever suffered from eye strain? What steps did you take?

Quick update...

Wow, it's been a while since I last posted. I have been living in the moment with the family being home so the computer has not been a priority. I took Brie to see an orthodontist yesterday for a consultation about getting braces. The doctor said she will have to wear them for 3 years because she has some interesting things going on with her chompers. One thing she has done for years is chew her tongue. How she does that and enjoys it is beyond me but it is her source of comfort since I took the pacifier away from her when she was 3 months old. She also chews when she is excited or concentrating. William is trending to be in the same boat as Brie since he is also a tongue chewer. Well Brie will be getting her braces on Thursday and she is so excited. There will be some oral surgery she will have to get in a few months that will help correct a tooth that is growing where it shouldn't. She will be going through a lot for the next few years but I am so sure it will be worth it when she has the awesome smile she will be so proud of. We are all so happy for her. Oh, they are going to cost a fortune. Seriously we could buy a car with that kind of money. She is worth it though :)

Does anyone have any advice for someone getting braces?

So much for a break

I am sure that in most places it is officially winter break (from school). I went and has this really smart idea of scheduling dental and doctor appointments since school is out. Apparently everyone else had the same idea. The physician's offices have been jam packed and the wait has been lengthy. I feel like I have been busier than when the girls are in school! I have not even been updating my blog. I have another full day today and tomorrow but I do plan to rest a bit on Thursday and Friday. I might do some last minute shopping (strictly for bargains). I have not even planned any big spread for Christmas. I am going to cook something very simple and less formal. Once Sunday hits I will be ready to tear apart all signs of Christmas so my house can be clean and ready to ring in the new year. I hope you all are having a great week so far :)

WTH Wednesday

I went to the doctor's office today and sat in waiting area like usual. I noticed there were two very adorable little girls (about 3 & 5) playing in the corner with the magazines on a little table. It seemed normal, for the first two minutes. I sat there looking around to see where the parent might be. There were not too many of us in the room so after ruling out that none of those people were the girls parents I got a little scared. I was chatting with another lady that was sitting next to me and we were both wondering where the parents were. She told me that the girls has been there since she got there at 9:30. By that time it was 10:40. Long time. Eventually at 11:25 the mother comes strolling out of the back office. Get this, her husband was right behind her. WTH?? Now you mean that both parents were there and they left these little girls alone to wait for you for 2 hours?? Oh the scary things that could have happened to those little girls. I just don't know how anyone could do that.

William's 2 year check-up

Dwayne and I took our big boy to the pediatrician for his 2 year well visit. He was a little wild but for the most part more entertaining than anything else. He was not as cooperative this time around with the physical examination. I think he is a lot like me when it comes to people touching him, um no thanks. He only needed one shot and one toe prick to capture some blood for a hemoglobin check. That came out fine, doc wanted that done since he does not eat a lot of meat. She wanted to be sure his iron levels were up to par. Overall the doc was happy with his health and development with the exception of his weight. he has only gained 2 ounces since his last check-up. This was the same thing at his last appointment. She says he does not look healthy or overly thin but she would like to see him gain more weight. She gave me a chart of things that I can give him to increase his caloric intake. William's growth seems to be very much like me when I was little. I was 82 pounds at graduation and I did not make it above 100 (with the exception of pregnancy) until I was about 25. I really think William is just a light weight, no big deal to me. I am not going to make a fuss about giving him loads of fat. I used to have to take medicine to make me eat as a child so I could gain weight and that did not work. The doctor has asked that I bring William back in 4 months so she can monitor his weight. Hey, I should have told her to come spend a day in my house and watch him. She might then see why the boy does not gain any weight! Can you say ACTIVE??

Briahnna update

I posted a couple days ago about taking Brie to the doctor for her headaches. As I expected, she did not have any signs of headache in the doc's office. The doctor checked her blood count and pressure and both checked out perfectly. She changed one of her allergy medications to Periactin. She says it is an antihistamine and is also used for a variety of ailments in children including chronic headaches. The downside of this medication is the sedative effects and it increases appetite. The doc says her body will get used to it and she will not be drowsy after a while as well as she should not have any significant weight gain. Poor kid walks around like a zombie and eats like a football player. I guess I will just have to keep some fresh fruit on hand and stock up on some relatively healthy snacks. Bless her little heart she is determined to deal with it and so far her headaches have been mild to non-existent. I just want my child to be well. I have breathed many of deep sighs in the past weeks. Thanks to everyone who showed concern and gave advice. What would I do without my blog buddies?!