The Force Field

Alex is quite a trooper. He gets sick – he smiles and laughs as long as Mama or Daddy are close by. Even spitting blood with Acid Reflux (it came to that before he was diagnosed most of you probably know) couldn’t keep the smile off his face…the little twerp thought it was funny when I freaked out about it. We progressed past that and every “well child” visit he’s had, it seems, has ended in the discovery of another ear infection. We couldn’t tell it by him cause he acts like he’s just fine, if a little more clingy than usual. So now we’re waiting him out to see if the fluid in his ears at the follow up from his last ear infection clears up without a new infection forming (diagnosed at 9 month check then follow-up ear check at 10 months during 2nd flu shot visit showed infection cleared up but new fluid in his ears). I say waiting him out but really the doc prescribed a new antibiotic that’s supposed to help prevent the infection while it dries up but it’s so infrequently ordered that no one (including UK) has it and it’s on backorder longer than the month we need it. So we wait….meanwhile, I’m pretty sure he’ll be going back to the doc in a few days as I’m pretty sure he’s got an infection – not from tips from his attitude, mind you, but from the green snot that is getting more frequent. He’s happy as a clam though…not a care in the world.

This brings me to his “force field” – that item he has that we’ve noticed makes it so that even if he falls down and probably does get hurt, he looks at us and then goes right on. The paci – we aren’t normally paci people. We used it initially but Ethan was done by about 3 months – only wanted it for the “popping” sound he could make pulling it out of his mouth (ok, maybe that was 4 months). Alex wanted it a bit longer which we think may have been his “self medicating” method – when he sucks, he gets slobber which soothed the reflux (yeah, I know – reading too much into it). Then he gave it up – cold turkey – didn’t want it – had no use for it. Until about 2 weeks ago when his brother found one and gave it to him. Alex looked at him and looked at the paci and kind of shrugged that look of “well, if my big brother gives it to me, I’ll take it” and took it. He now puts any paci in his mouth that he sees (which is a great improvement from picking anything else up and putting it in his mouth which was the case before the paci re-emerged). So he can walk a few steps then fall and hit his head on a hard toy or chair leg or anything – create a huge red spot on his head and look around to make sure we saw it and then go right on….IF the paci is in his mouth. The same thing happens without the paci and there’s no looking to see who saw, it’s instant tears. Somehow the paci in his mouth creates a force field making it impossible for him to be hurt – like some super hero that can only fly with his cape, Alex can only be hurt if he doesn’t have the paci. He doesn’t even necessarily HAVE to have it but if it’s there, he’ll take it.

So since these recurring ear infections may mean tubes are in his near future (almost a certainty if he currently has ear infection #5), I’m ok with him having that force field...of course if he really does get hurt (he is a rough & tumble boy after all), it's also nice to know that his small "blankie" with the satin backing can almost cure anything....the paci AND the blankie - well that's better protection than any superhero ever had.