I was sick quite a bit as a child. While it usually wasn't anything more serious than bronchitis, we were in there often enough for me to know the names of Dr Allen's kids and where they had just gone on vacation.
And every single time I went, I got a shot. Ok, there were a few checkups where I didn't get a shot, but some of them I did. I also got allergy shots, a gamma globulin series (which I remember being as big as my arm) and the other random sticks a child gets.
I also had a well deserved phobia of needles which lasted well into my 20's. I am better now thank you. I no longer have to be held down, or hyperventilate.
So as a child when I was sick my mom would ask if I needed to go to the doctor. Saying yes almost guaranteed a shot, so I had to feel awful before I would say yes.
Really awful.
In some ways, I am glad my kids don't have that fear because honestly its embarassing to be grown up and not be able to look at a needle. On the other hand, it is a very convenient indicator of how sick they really are.
Junior woke up this morning with a sore throat and he did feel warm - but that could be from being under the covers. Now he is currently bouncing around as usual, but at his age that means nothing.
Is he sick enough to go to the doctor? I don't know. He says he is, even with the possiblity of a shot - but since he doesn't remember ever getting a shot when he was sick that means almost nothing. So we play it by ear for a bit longer, see how he feels in a bit.
I really didn't want to start our summer like this.
Edited to add: Now his eye is swelling. great. I guess we will go to the doctor.
We were just there this morning. Dr. Glass knows J so well now that the first thing he says walking in the door is "no tongue depressors today". J hates that almost worse than a shot. Hope he has something easily treated that requires no shot!
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