I just happened to sit on the opposite side of Punky than I usually do at the dinner table yesterday, and couldn't help but notice the quarter-size bulge protruding from the right side of her neck. She's had her share of illnesses, but I don't ever remember any swollen lymph nodes, especially to that degree. In true mom fashion, I immediately pummeled her with question after question in search of its source.
No, her throat didn't hurt, and the flashlight revealed no outstanding signs of trouble. Nope, no fever. No belly ache, no runny nose, no cough. She ate her entire dinner, plus seconds, without the slightest hint of discomfort when swallowing. No tooth pain either. Her ears didn't hurt. Her body wasn't achy. She was as active and happy and playful as always. So, I did what any mom would do: I called the pediatrician.
Given her lack of symptoms, the nurse thought it was fine to wait until morning to bring her in for a checkup. The doc virtually copied my examination the night before, then asked if Punky had been around any sick kids. I remembered a sign posted at the daycare earlier in the week indicated they had two confirmed cases of strep, so she decided to do the test even though no other symptoms were present.
Seven minutes later, we had a positive diagnosis. I immediately reminded the doctor that Punky had strep throat last spring, and it came with the same lack of symptoms. The only indication that something was wrong that time was a slight rash on her stomach. This time it was only one swollen lymph node. How could she have strep throat twice...with no sore throat? And no fever?
"Your daughter is an anomaly," she commented casually. "It's not common at all, but it does happen. Chances are, strep will always present itself in an unusual manner in her body, so be on the lookout if you know she has been exposed down the road."
I have to admit, it does concern me that she could have a fairly serious infection like strep without her body reacting with what should be its first defense: a high fever. For almost an entire year, almost three years ago now, she ran an extremely high fever for no apparent reason every few weeks on the nose. Doctors searched for the source but came up with nothing. When the fevers stopped as abruptly as they started, they shrugged it off as possible exposure to different viruses and the case was dropped. Now, when her body should have a high fever, there is none whatsoever. Go figure.
Is her thermostat broken? Did that year of high fevers alter something in her immune system? Why is her body working backwards?
Then it hit me... Medically, my body works backwards much of the time. A heating pad for cramps? No way, an ice pack for me. Heat would intensify the pain to an unbearable level, but ice would numb it right out of me. Yelling and screaming from horrific pain? Nope, my body says screw it and passes out cold. Any medicine containing ingredients that may cause drowsiness makes me so jittery I can crawl out of my skin. Non-drowsy formula? I can't keep my eyes open twenty minutes later. Even alcohol revs me up instead of relaxing me and lulling me to sleep. It clear my body's concept of stimulants is completely backwards. And pain killers? The stronger they claim to be, the less they seem to affect me. I've had enough toothaches to prove that theory over and over again.
So, maybe the anomaly didn't fall far from the tree? To the best of my knowledge, I've never had strep. Or have I? Maybe it went undetected, which is scary as hell since strep can have some serious long-term consequences if left untreated.
At any rate, Punky is looking at ten days of medicine but can return to school tomorrow. Twenty-four hours on antibiotics and no painful symptoms? Yes, she's definitely going to school.
On a side note, the highlight of her sick day was coming to work with me for a few hours today. After the doctor, and a quick run to the drugstore, I absolutely had to stop at the office. A sudden death in the family of a colleague left no one available to cover my job, so I needed to put out any fires and let everyone know how to contact me if needed.
Punky was well-behaved for the most part. She sat in a chair and drew pictures with my pens and highlighters, and soaked up all the attention she got from everyone who passed by my office and noticed her there. Some complimented her drawings, some asked how she was feeling, and others brought her treats, like candy bars and Hershey kisses.
But at one point, I had my door closed while I sorted paperwork to distribute. After about ten minutes of silence while I worked and she drew, she calmly approached my desk. "Mommy?" she inquired in her sweet little voice.
"Yes, honey?"
"Is this what you do ALL day?" she asked in a tone that implied I have the most boring job on the planet and she seemed really disappointed by the lack of action in my office.
While my job has it's fair share of hectic moments and high stress situations, she wasn't exactly wrong. Most days I feel like I have the most boring job on the planet. I have no clue what she thought I did all day, but maybe I should ask her and make it happen. I truly need a career change and I see it on the horizon for this year. At this point, I'm open to almost anything. How sad is that?
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