Ear Infection

Last Wednesday evening, just before bedtime, my seven year-old mentioned that his ear hurt. He doesn't usually complain about things--he leaves that task to his older brother--so Ginger and I knew that it must really be bothering him.

First thing Thursday morning, I took Tristan to see the doctor. When the doctor walked in to the exam room, she took one look at Tristan and exclaimed, "How cute! I love little kids in glasses! They are so adorable!"

Tristan just stared at her with a blank look on his face, as if to say, "I am not amused. Do I look like I'm in preschool?"

When the doctor asked Tristan how he was feeling, he just shrugged his shoulders. She asked which ear was hurting; he pointed, still silent. "Well, how about if I take a peek?"

After examining the ear Tristan had indicated, the doctor said to me, "Wow. From the look of this ear, he should be in pain." She wrote out a prescription for amoxicillin, and we were on our way.

We went to the pharmacy. "Take 12 1/2 milliliters twice a day," said the pharmacist. He then handed me a ten milliliter measuring spoon and three small bottles. Two had medicine that was bright pink; the third had medicine that was orange. "Same medicine, two different manufacturers," he added.

As soon as we got to the car, I said to Tristan, "Let's give you your first dose now."

"Okay," said Tristan.

I took out the ten milliliter measuring spoon. "Let's see... 12 1/2 milliliters..."

Tristan said, "You could give me 10 and 2 1/2, or 7 and 5 1/2, or 6 1/4 and 6 1/4..."

We chose orange. It tasted "yucky." That evening, we tried pink, but it was just as bad. However, Tristan has been following doctor's (and Dad's) orders, and taking his medicine. Now, a week later, we only have three more days to go.