From bad to worse...

Last week was hard. Exhausting. Frustrating. By Sunday evening I was sure we'd turned the corner. But Sunday night things were really just beginning. Evan was awake again all night complaining of tooth pain. Back to the dentist first thing Monday morning. They put him on antibiotics and told me to keep an eye on things - (as though I weren't). At the same time Pat had been diagnosed with Strep Throat and was a miserable mess. By Monday afternoon Evan had a high fever and a swollen face. Since he had just started the antibiotics I knew I needed to wait 24 hours, and worked on treating the fever.

The fever broke on Tuesday, but his face was still swollen. He still wouldn't eat and continued to complain of pain. I called the dentist again. This time they discovered it wasn't the new crowns bothering him, but an abscessed tooth on the bottom. It would have to come out. My heart sank, but at least we knew why he was still in pain. We scheduled the extraction for Friday to give the increased dose of antibiotics time to work.

For the next couple of days Evan was comfortable and happy enough as long as the Tylenol was working. When it wore off he was miserable. He was still refusing to eat - even ice cream - which should be an indication of just how miserable he was. I made his favorite smoothies and sneaked in some tofu for extra protein, and then I bought some Ensure (chocolate milk to Evan) to make sure he was getting the nutrition he needed to fight this infection.

Evan is a challenge on his best day, but when he isn't sleeping or eating and is in near constant pain the word "challenge" seems quaint. He was irritable, combative and prone to screaming tantrums in very public places. Despite all of this I maintained my patience and treated him calmly. I knew what he was suffering through, I have been through it all. It breaks my heart that he had to inherit my terrible teeth. It's unjust. I remember when I was pregnant being fearful to the point of tears that his teeth would be bad like mine. I know it was and is beyond my control and I know I have much to be thankful for. Both of my boys are very healthy, bright and beautiful. I have been very fortunate. As a child I suffered through dozens of dental surgeries and I survived. It wasn't fun or easy, but I got through it and he will too. I just wish he didn't have to. Especially given the aggravation and missed diagnosis of this past week. Despite all he went through he looked forward to going to the dentist and was a super patient.