It started almost 2 weeks ago when Q4 came home saying K4 had poked her in the ear with a green stick. Can't really figure out if that really happened, but she complained of it the next day as well. And her ear hurt. And they were playing doctor.
Fastforward to last night, a spectacular wake up with screaming crying etc. and claims of an earache.
I went to work in the am, but came back after doing what needed to be finished, and took her to the doctor, figuring the green stick and the ear problems COULD, if unlikely, be related to the stick in the ear. So we went for a check. And waited, and waited and waited. Q4 was very good, enjoying the room and the books and the spinny chair. Then somebody came by and told me they had forgotten us, and we'd be next. Then our doctor forgot us AGAIN! (I'd chosen Dr. D. so our girls could go to a girl doctor. Plus, the other doctor there today was the old doddering one of whom I am not fond.
Eventually Dr. D came in. The ear that didn't hurt was perfectly fine. The ear that did hurt ... was filled with wax. So the doctor couldn't see.
Last time we were there Q4 had to have earwax scraped out with the little pink spoon ... and she remembered how much she didn't like it. I had to hold her arms and head so the doctor could scrape. But she couldn't didn't get it all, and we decided to try the debrox route, rather than torturing Q4 any more.
In the meantime, the nurse came in with swabs for a throat culture (because Q4 had also been complaining that her chest hurt. But when asked where on her chest she pointed to her lower throat. Which was red. So, throat culture. Which Q4 decided was NOT going to happen, and promptly covered her mouth and screamed at the same time. So we laid her on the table. I restrained her legs and body. The first nurse held her arms over her head, and a second nurse wiggled and pried those swabs in through lips that were as firmly sealed as Q4 could manage.
She did it. When she was done Q4 leaped into my arms crying, screaming. But it wasn't over. The debrox. I had to hold her sideways, pull her hands off her ear (both hands), keep her legs from kicking, and keep her safe. While the nurse poured wax softener in her ear. The doctor walked by and shut the door so as not to disturb the other patients.
After a great tussle, we did acomplish it. Then Q4 had to lie like that for 10-15 minutes. That was not fun. Then we had to get the ear wax flushed. They put a giant paper apron on Q4. Then a towel. Then an oilcloth. Q4 looked like a little volcano with a girl's head. I went over the tools with her, and when Dr. D. returned so did she. And Q3 was fine. Upset that she STILL got wet, but fine.
The doctor managed to sneak another look in Q4's ear. Still a little wax, but no redness or obvious preforating. But she wanted to do a hearing test because of the trauma from 2 weeks ago.
THAT was a no go. Q4 rejected the possibility right off, covering her ears. Dr. D. offered tomorrow as an option, which Q4 took and ran with. Tomorrow! Tomorrow! Tomorrow! Not that I thought it would be any better. I tried telling her it was like wearing the headphones when listening to music, which I thought it was, and she thought that sounded OK, and agreed to try. But then the nurse came in with a little instrument that looked like the ear light again! Uh uh. More screaming and ear covering and yelling Tomorrow! and then Dr. D. said something about Saturday and Q4 picked right up on that. Saturday!
I got her to calm down and asked her if she'd like to earn something. The thought for a moment. Yes. What treat would you like, I asked. Candy, said she. So I offered TicTacs, Starburst, and then peanutbutter cups and at that her face brightened and she agreed to try for a peanutbutter cup.
I would too, frankly.
But when it came down to it, she couldn't allow the nurse to put the thing in her ear. It just wasn't going to happen. So we scheduled for Saturday and left it at that.
But the rest of the day has been lovely.
