One Wish Granted

The last day of school, Brenden wasn't feeling so great. By dinner time he was lying on the floor, lethargic, and burning up. I packed him into the car, which he was extremely upset about, and headed over to the after hours clinic.

Thankfully it had just opened and was completely empty. We only waited a few minutes before we were walked back into an exam room. I was not at all surprised that his temperature was 103.3 and they immediately gave him some ibuprofen. However, I was definitely surprised they sent in a nurse that had obviously not had much experience in swabbing children's throats for strep. Not 5 seconds after he finished, and conveniently right after he left, Brenden started throwing up all over the room. The poor guy couldn't stop. I felt so bad for him!

It wasn't long before the results were back...positive for strep. Poor guy! Unfortunately for him (and fortunately for me) his doctor recommended a S-H-O-T (yep...she's smart and spelled it out) and I completely agreed. Ten days of oral medication to stop him from throwing up and then for the strep or one shot? He was not at all happy with my decision.

And now you're wondering why I titled this post "One Wish Granted". Don't worry...I'm getting there. :)

We decided a long time ago to never lie to Brenden when it came to what was going on at the doctor's office. I want him to trust me, even if it means he's going to be upset with me. And believe me, he was very upset with me. I decided that this rough day deserved a big reward so I pulled out the big guns. "Brenden if you can be brave and get this shot, not only will you feel better but I will order you a Hydro Bow."

The change in his attitude was immediate. "Really, mommy??? My very own? Um...okay."

He was still upset about getting the shot, but not quite as much as he had been. I think I was more upset that the not-so-experienced nurse was the one they sent in holding the syringe. (With someone to explain how to administer the shot...seriously?!)

I'm pretty sure I don't have to tell you just how awful that shot was...for everyone involved.

Five minutes later he was a different kid. He wasn't quite as feverish, he was smiling, and high-fived the nurses when they came back into the room. Somehow I even got him to agree that the shot was a good idea! He also wanted me to show them the Hydro Bow on my phone and made sure they knew he was getting it because he was "so brave!"

This weekend, he got his reward. :)

Worth it...