Pneumonia, Kidney Stones, Allergies, OH MY

What do all these have in common? Nothing, really except that this week our house has seen all three. Allergies are a given--- every year from April to at least July, and again in the fall. There are good days and then flare ups every now and then. Friday was my flare-up day. Still, it's not the worst thing in the world.

Then there is pneumonia. Yes, that is what caused our early morning jaunt to the emergency room the other night, except we were busy thinking it was appendicitis. Here's a saying they tell medical students regarding diagnosis-- "When you hear hoof beats, think HORSES not ZEBRAS." But here is a saying that is not so popular and should be also taught in medical school: "When a child has a severe stomach-ache in the middle of the night, think PNEUMONIA, not APPENDICITIS." It certainly would have saved us some trouble. I brought Wild Thing to his follow up doctor appointment two days after our ER visit, since he still was feeling terrible, and still complaining of a stomach ache. We brought him in, and after relaying the symptoms to the doctor who immediately suspected pneumonia, either because by virtue of being in family practice, they tend to know what is currently going around, or because of having appendicitis ruled out by previous e.r. visit-- or possibly because this doctor had learned the other saying in medical school. In any case, a chest x-ray cleared up the matter and we knew why Wild Thing felt so terrible. A bottle of antibiotics and we were on our way. The next day he was practically back to himself, a miracle of modern medicine.

No sooner had Wild Thing gotten back on his feet, than Busy Wood shop Hubby (BWH) had fallen ill. Naturally, since his symptoms seemed so similar, we thought he had pneumonia as well. However, when we brought him to the after care facility (we never seem to get sick during office hours), the doctor determined that a kidney stone was to blame. We thought it was an odd coincidence, but then again, stranger things have happened. However, after days of suffering and sifting (don't ask), no kidney stone materialized and BWH is finally feeling better. We still think that the after care doc was thinking Zebra when he should have been thinking Horse, but in any case, all is finally well in our household again. Well, except for those darned allergies. Two out of three isn't bad.

**EDITED March 7, 2009*** please click on this entry: Searching for another post regarding pneumonia and kidney related problems