The eyes had me this morning at "Mom, my neck hurts. If I move I get a shooting pain into my head." Youngest Son had a stiff neck after school yesterday, enough to say he couldn't practice driving yesterday and this morning he was in a full blown muscle spasm. I swear, if it's not one thing, it's another.
He tried to do school but gave up during first period. I didn't feel good making him go but he's missed so many classes this fall we have to be careful.
I picked him up at 8:15 and we drove to our nearby emergency room where the receptionist just about leaped over the counter to get a closer look at "the longest lashes I've ever seen!" Youngest Son felt complimented and not embarrassed which I thought was very mature of (and unusual for) him. He must have been in pain.
We registered where he got more sympathy from an older woman saying, "Such a handsome boy to have to hold your head so stiff." Gag.
The nurse who weighed him and took his blood pressure recognized him from baseball and added her personal concern for his dilemma with a "poor baby."
The nurse showed us to an exam room and asked YS to put on a tie-in-the-back smock. He loved it and thought it was comfy and convenient. You can tell he's never had to have an operation or walk down a hallway during labor with a bare ass hanging out.
The doctor finally came into the room. He questioned and examined him and spoke to both of us. I found myself almost falling forward from my chair - that man could mumble! And he had lazy lids - his eyes were only half open the entire time. I got distracted wondering how long it's been since he slept (thank you ER and soap operas for my vast knowledge). But I was snapped back to the present when he mumbled something about not believing it was meningitis so there wouldn't be a need for a lumbar puncture. That's when you should have seen YS's eyes! Buggin' out like Roger Rabbit!
Thankfully the doctor felt this is only a muscle concern and gave me three prescriptions for the poor baby. Oh and he had the nurse give YS a valium!!!!! Friendly nurse then strapped a foam neck support on YS and sent us on our way.
Ten minutes in the car and suddenly I had a very buzzed son. I know I shouldn't have gotten such a kick out of it but holy crap, he was so funny. He was worrying about them sticking a needle in his spine and giving him a lobotomy. He started babbling about words that sound the same but are spelled differently brought on by a joke he remembered - What did Cinderella say when she was waiting for her photos? Some day my prints will come. This was followed by quiet, private snickers. Then the munchies hit - four breakfast sandwiches, a cinnamon roll and large orange juice from McD's! Drifting attention was interrupted with questions, "why do my legs feel like noodles?," "are they going to give me more of those little orange pills?" and "Will you buy me a video game?" I'm sure that last question had nothing to do with the drug, just manipulation.
It took us quite a while to get to the pharmacy counter at C*S. So many interesting things along the way. I finally had to take his arm and escort him in the correct direction. The doctor ordered naproxen for pain and swelling, skelaxin as a muscle relaxer and hydrocodone for pain. We filled all three but I highly doubt he will be using all of them. Kind of seemed like overkill to me but I thought we should have these things on hand, just in case.
So now he is resting by playing a video game in the family room. Oldest Son is watching because misplaced his keys which caused him to miss his one class today and I am about to go find a quiet place to decompress. Wanna come?