Well, it looks as if the third generation in my family is allergic to penicillin. Lil man is covered with this rash--head to toe. Not the best pic--but squint a little, you'll see it. He only started scratching today. Looks like I need to cut his nails again.I've had this same rash, and my mother before me.
This is probably a reaction to the amoxicillin given to him for an ear infection, and horrible fever that accompanied it. (i say probably because that's what the doctor said. She also said it could be a rash from the little cold he's sporting. But as he has never had a rash with a cold before, and as i have lived through this rash myself, and i'm fairly anti-Pharma, imma blame the drug.) The fever, I realize in hindsight, prolly had nothing to do with it actually, since I am recovering from the same fever without the ear infection. But after you kid is miserable for 4 days, what are you supposed to think?
Anywho, we did the traditional thing and took him to the doctor--his new doctor that I LOOOOOOOVE. She is young and sweet and autism knowledgeable/friendly. Our first visit with her was for an annual check-up and shots, and after gathering all the info she could about Ben, she listened to our vaccine concerns and gave us a solution we could deal with (we don't like to give Ben more than one shot at a time--we do vaccinate, just not all at once. It has never sat well with me, whether Ben were NT or not, to get multiple shots in one visit. We only like our multiple shots with liquor and action movies.) She didn't poo-poo our concerns, tell us it wasn't possible, or look at us like we're crazy and watch too much Oprah. You may gather from that sentence the myriad reasons why we left our previous doctor.
Of course, our previous doctor wouldn't even acknowledge that Ben had a problem. At least, not one about which he might get his knickers in a twist. Now don't get me wrong--he previous doctor was a very nice man, just not a very good doctor. Besides the fact that his staff was the worst--his nurse NEVER returned a call--he also wasn't up to date, spewing out the old info anyone could read in Baby 411. He was also the pediatrician for the kids of a good friend of mine, and botched their flu shots horribly. Like malpractice worthy. not kidding. Losing confidence in him after that, I drew the line when he referred to my kid as "troublesome" since he doesn't like getting poked and prodded and measured while he stands around nekkid in a cold office. troublesome. My kid. Gosh, maybe he wouldn't be so "troublesome" or "uncooperative" if he could COMMUNICATE, which is a little tough for kids with AUTISM. Yeah--that thing he told me not to worry about, because he's just a boy…
Our current doctor is actually our third doctor--but Karma and a little prep put her into our lap. After leaving the Asanine Enabler, I actually did a search of local doctors, and found one with outstanding reviews--one of the best pediatricians in the area. Wonderful staff! Amazing collegues! And we got to visit her once for a freak fever that wouldn’t end (sound familiar?) and she was wonderful and great and amazing and warm and all the things you'd like in a doctor. But more than that, the minute I mentioned the A-word to her staff, their demeanors changed, their sensory input decreased, and their patience knew no bounds. To this day Ben has been weighed and measured without screaming. If I hadn't left the previous quack, I wouldn't even know it was possible.
And a month after our visit, that wonderful doctor retired. crap!
Well, before Ben's annual appt, I call the office to make the appointment and when they ask which doctor, I tell them my situation and ask for the most autism-friendly doctor they have. The receptionist puts me on hold to actually FIND OUT, and sets us up with Dr. Kao. Yeah--I'll name her here. Anyone in the area would be lucky to have her as their child's doctor, NT or not.
My son yesterday, when told that we had to go bye-bye to the doctor yet again (we had been just the week before) gets up, jumps around, claps and says "Hello Dr. Kao!" And this woman has given him a shot and poked him when he wasn't feeling well. I think we've got a keeper this time...
