Thursday, July 24, 2008

Shot? What Shot?

Today was Luke's 2-yr Well Child checkup. It was certainly an interesting one! My child is so well behaved 98% of the time that those rare moments of tantrum are always shocking. He doesn't get away with it, but it's still shocking.

Enter the visit with the pediatrician today. We've been a number of times, of course, and while there have been moments of crying, he has always been good. He was great walking in today, played with one of the toys, was bright-eyed, seemingly fine. Then our nurse called us back.

Luke walked through the door, took one look around, and flopped to the floor screaming. I quickly scooped him up and we scurried into our exam room. I have VERY little experience trying to get a youngster stripped down to his skivvies while he's fighting back and still screaming at the top of his lungs, so it was an experience. I admit that I was laughing through it, though.

You would have thought the scale was something that was going to eat him! He was horrible! But it was managed and I expressed my shock that he's still a half-pound below 30 pounds. The boy has weighed exactly the same for almost a year! I am pleased to report that he stood still while we got his height, to the point he seemed slightly amused. Then it was back to the room with the screams returning to the very tall boy.

I did somehow succeed in calming him down, which was good. I don't have a clue how. Once our pediatrician came in he remained fairly calm. He stayed on my lap and cried a normal cry when she listened to his heart & lungs, looked at his eyes, in his ears, and checked his mouth. Still unusual, but better than the screams. He was completely beside himself when she asked him to walk, trying to drag me to a quick escape out the door. That didn't happen.

He needed one booster shot (we delayed all shots, so he's still lacking a few), so our wonderful pediatrician said "let's just do it now and not wait for nurse." No problem! This was his first to be received in the arm, I was sure he was going to hate me, despite the fact it's easier on kids in the arm (as opposed to infants who don't have enough muscle there, yet). BOTH of us were shocked when he not only watched (because he wriggled away from my hand over his eyes), but didn't twitch. Not even a peep! Nothing!

We got him dressed again and discussed the various questions & concerns that always come up. Luke did say he was sorry, thought about giving her a kiss, said "thank you" (which always leaves his mouth as "theeks!"), waved & said "bye." It was time to go. But he cracked everyone up as he walked down the hall to leave and showed EVERY single person he encounter his injection site. "Shot, shot, shot," was heard while he pulled up his sleeve and proudly displayed his Garfield bandaid. What a goofball!

He was rewarded for his stellar shot behavior with a trip to the City Park for a romp on the playground equipment. That lasted only about a half hour because it is so hot (and he was literally dripping with sweat), but it was enough that he smiled and was the perfect angel the rest of the day.

Two year olds. You can never tell what's going to happen! It'll be kind of fun to see if he's still so excited when his arm is a little achy come morning. I know that I'm not....

7 comments:

tristanjh said...

Not to rain on your parade, but the best is yet to come. Aiden has been my angel in terms of shots. Not a single tear escaped his eyes during the last three years of flu shots. When he cut his head open me and 3 nurses stood by to hold him down while the doctor numbed his head. He didn't even move. Not a sound! So when we go to get his pre-kindergarten shots, I'm bragging to all the nurses about how easy this is going to be. I should have known right then that the simple act of making that statement out loud would doom me. I'm certain that everyone in a two block radius heard him screaming. He actually kicked the nurse trying to give him the shots and I broke out in a sweat trying to hold him down. I was so mortified that I would have bought him every super hero figure ever made just to quiet him. You got off easy with a trip to the park! And it took four adults to hold Skylar down the last time he needed his throat swabbed!

Claudia said...

Welcome to 2. I thought I had an angel child - he ate his vegetables, followed directions, and was doing a good job starting to use the potty. Then we hit 2. I hear that 3 is really the new 2, and that the "best" is yet to come...
Hope your tantrum was an isolated incident.

Corbie said...

Well you had to know that irreverent me would make my way here to comment. I say drug em with benadryl until they can hardly speak and then sit on your porch and read a good book. Repeat this process nightly until they are 18 at which point, change the locks.

Jenn said...

That is so funny. Hated going in but LOVED the shot. Sorry to say but the 3 year check up isn't much better (at least in my case). Both Luke and Alita didn't want to stand on the scale. Luke settled down once he was promised a sucker. Alita we had to force and when it came to getting her height we had to do it the old fashion way. Layed her kicking and screaming on the table and marked it then measured it. Thank goodness Luke was enjoying spinning around on the doctors chair. That is until he fell off and hit his head on the table. Then it was time for shots. Alita didn't cry or complain at all she was just so excited to get her princess bandaid. Wish we would have done that first. Luke also let everyone know he got a shot on the way out. He got his in the leg and every time he stepped on that leg he would say, "ouch." It was kind of funny the whole way out. "Ouch. . . ouch. . . ouch!" I to had to laugh a little at his pain. Kids they are just so unpredictable.

Denise said...

I kind of like Corbie's idea....:)

Yup, our pediatrician also stated that she thinks 3 is worse than 2. Says her son is way worse than he ever was. Oh boy...

Thanks, Tristan. I'll have to remember to keep my mouth shut on things that go well!

Okay, off to the show. Hope to have some VERY cute pictures and good stories to tell! It's kind of weird that I'm never nervous when I show, but I can't even eat because of the butterflies I feel over my son's debut into the ring!

speedbump said...

It's been many years since I had a 2 year old, but I think every mother can identify with your experience. Your cousin Matthew was the worst. We tried everything when he had to get a shot. Holding him, not holding him, going in with him when the nurse would give him a shot and not going in with him. We tried bribing (I'm not opposed to this method when necessary)and we tried threatening (not my first choice). Once when he was about 5 (may have been before starting kindergarten) we waited in the outer waiting room because the nurse recommended it and then all hell broke loose! Everyone in the waiting room could hear this child screaming at the top of his lungs and we, of course, sat there like we didn't know who it was, even commenting how bad we felt that the child was so upset. Then the nurse came to the door and looked right at us and said "Mr. & Mrs. Thompson, would you please come back here and help us catch your son?" Seems he was giving them a run for their money (literally). There is hope though! Now that 34 year old is an RN! The irony!!

Denise said...

LOL!! That still sounds like Matt! But don't forget, he's a 34-yr old RN who's traipsing across Europe on foot right now. Rough life :)