Blowout on I-55

Two weeks ago I walked into Sophie's school to pick her up and was greeted by a nice gentlemen who introduced himself. I'm sometimes bad with names and I must say I was hyper focused on that cute little girl hanging out in the swing to really pay attention to who he said he was, but soon after the introduction I heard "health department" and suddenly my ears did a double take. With letter in hand he begins to explain that there was a potential TB exposure within the infant program and that they are doing TB screening on all of the children in the program. Now, never having been through this sort of thing before, I realize that I'm not really sure what to do. So I look around, and notice the other moms whom have just been given the same spiel and have the same piece of paper in hand. One I know happens to be a nurse. Mental note, take cue from her, as I'm sure she has experienced this before...and if she is freaking out then I know better how to respond. No dice, she is cool, calm and collected. Ok, so that's a good sign, right?
Standing right next to me is my good friend whom I've just referred to start bringing her son to school with Sophie. This was his second day there after a bad experience somewhere else! Great! So, not only am I worried about Sophie but I'm also feeling somewhat responsible about subjecting him to the same thing. Hopefully we're still friends.
I think we both took the information in stride and walked out together. "So, yeah, um..."is the phrase that came out of both of our mouths at the same time. "Call you later". Fast forward a couple of hours and she's already done her own research online and I've talked to my sister in law who's called her pediatrician to get the 411.
The timing of this TB outbreak couldn't be better. We're supposed to be leaving the following day to visit family so I can't take her to get tested before we leave (because I'll need to bring her back in 48 hours later for the test to be read and we won't be back yet). And we won't be back on Monday when they are coming to the school to administer tests there. So I make an appointment for Tuesday morning. Great. While I'm at the doctor, I'll also ask him about her first cold that she's just gotten while we were away on our trip, recommendations about her teething and suggestions for her inability to go poo. Not quite. Never having been through a TB outbreak, I didn't know that Sophie's appointment was just for shots and that she wouldn't be seen by the doctor. (In hindsight this makes sense - especially after seeing 100 other kids in the waiting room on the "shot list" so that they can return to school). So the nurse tells me that I can see the lady at the front desk to make an appointment. Ok. So the lady at the front desk leaves a message for the lady who schedules appointments to call me. Ok. So four hours later she calls and says I can come back at 4:00pm. Ok. Hello, Dr. Laue! Have I got some news for you!
Poor kid. She went a good four days without having a bowel movement and this is not like her. I fear that I've passed on my "crippled digestive system" (what my gastrointernalogist diagnosed me with...that's a clinical term, right?) My aunt and I drove through a tornado to aquire some pear juice and I think this did the trick. The next day and three bowel movements in four hours later...Sophiebug was feeling much better ("blowout on I-55" takes on a whole new meaning :)
That night we slept at my sister's place and I slept on the couch right next to the pack and play. I heard Sophie sniffling. Sniffling? But she didn't appear to have any problem sleeping. Yet. The next morning she awoke with a mild fever and congestion. Her first cold! Wouldn't you know that all of this happens when I am out of town and my owner's manual, aka What to Expect The First Year, is at home? Luckily, I did have my mom who was super helpful...especially when it came to giving some TLC to Sophie on our long journey back home. Let's not forget our pit stop in Nashville to pick up my college roomy, Mon! Sophie was so patient in her car seat...and we all know how much she loves that!
It's been a week and Sophie is doing much better...her TB test was negative, her cold has almost completely cleared up and although she continues to be irregular, she has been going poo without intervention. Oh, and she's over 15 lbs. 7 ounces...so she's thriving! (In fact, the thought of her weight doubling before she outgrows her car seat makes my arms very sore!)
Now...to tackle that little teething problem...