Doesn't that hurt?

TJ was sick this week. It started on Wednesday, when my mom reported he was 'acting weird' in the morning and skipped breakfast, but was fine by the time he needed to leave for school. But then he fell asleep watching Thomas videos. When he woke up, he still wanted to go to church, and had a great time at F.W. Friends (the program for preschool and elementary kids).

By Thursday, he wasn't eating at all. By that evening, I was suspecting an ear infection. He insisted it was fine, that there was just 'lots of wax in it'. But then a fever started.

So yesterday I called the doctor. He got to see the newest doctor in the practice. My mom took him, as I worked a half day. TJ was very nervous (remembering those shots he got in August!), but the doctor was very kind. She determined that not only did he have an ear infection, his ear drum had ruptured. Argh! That happened a year and a half ago too! TJ must have a really high pain tolerance, because he never really talked about ear pain. He just started acting very strangely.

So now he's on an antibiotic for ten days, and we have drops to put in his ear twice a day. He has to go back in two weeks to make sure the ear drum is healing correctly. He did finally admit he can't hear out of that ear. My poor, stubborn little guy.

Oh, in case you are wondering, he did still go to school in the afternoon. His fever was not over 100 at that point, and the doctor said if he felt up to it, he could go. And of course, TJ wanted to go! His class went on their first field trip! They walked to the Coopersville fire station, where they learned about fire safety. TJ didn't quite 'get it'. He came home and told me that if the smoke detector went off, he would wake up, and bring his hippo and his blankets outside with him, because he loves them. I tried to explain that what mattered most was that he was safe...we can always buy new stuff, we can't buy a new TJ.