Everything's coming up...pink

Noah has been fighting a cold, just like every other child in America right now.  He has croup again.  We first noticed that tell-tale bark sound the day after Thanksgiving while we were in Minnesota at that awesome waterpark.  So off I went to an urgent care clinic thinking Noah needed a steroid, since that's what has happened the 2 other times he's had croup.  The doctor exams Noah and says "Yes, he has croup but we don't treat croup".  Excuse me, what?  I promptly pulled mama bear out of my coat  asked kindly why not.  His response was that croup is a virus and Noah would get better on his own.  I'm sure he could see the bear claws frustration in my face because he then said that giving Noah a steroid would be treating him "prophylactic ally" and that's not how he does things.  Basically it was a wasted trip.  My barky son and I left sans steroids.

Fast forward to last night.  I picked up Noah from day care and almost fell over when I saw him.  His eyes were completely swollen and covered in that nasty matty stuff.  My first thought was "allergic reaction!  Save the airway!".  Then I backed off the freak out train and figured he's fighting a cold.  It's probably clogged tear ducts. No big deal.  Joel was working late so I got the kids home and fed, all the while wiping that nasty snot stuff off Noah's eyes.  The 3 of us started watching a movie and snuggling when Joel got home.  He took one look at Noah and said  "He's got pink eye!".  Huh?  Really?  Now let me just say this.  I've never had pink eye.  Hannah has never had pink eye.  I've never been around anyone with pink eye, probably because it's uber contagious so whoever had it was quarantined.  So upon learning that Noah may have pink eye, I did what any mother would do.  I googled  it.  Let me say something else.  I hate eyeballs.  Of all the gross things I do with my job, nothing grosses me out like eyeballs.  I can stick contact in my eyes every morning but the thought of anything else pertaining to the eyeball makes me cringe.  I learned very quickly last night that while google is great for many things, it's best at seeing close up pictures of nasty pink eye infested eyeballs.  Sure enough, Noah's eyes looked quite similar to many of those suffering from bacterial pink eye.  So I called the pediatrician's office.  They're open until 8pm and it was just after 7.  Surely they'd still be able to see Noah.  Nope.  The way-too-chipper-for-her-own-good secretary told me that yes, Noah should be seen tonight but no, they can't possibly see him.  Thanks.  That was helpful.  So off to urgent care I went.  Within a few minutes of being there we were ushered into a room and in came the doctor.  Yep, it was pink eye.  Then I thought...hmmm...I'm here with a doctor.  I'm going to mention the croup thing.  He listened to my tale of woe and right on cue, Noah barked.  I couldn't have planned it any better.  The doctor agreed that Noah also has croup.  But would he give us the beloved steroids?  Sure did!  According to this amazing urgent care doctor who is quickly becoming my new best friend, steroids aren't going to hurt a child.  Children don't build up immunity to steroids like they do antibiotics.  And if it helps Noah to breathe a little easier, what the problem? Yep, new best friend right there.  In came the nurse with the meds and I grinned from ear to ear.  She probably thought I was crazy.  The doctor also gave us a script for eye drops which has helped Noah immensely.  Since pink eye is so contagious, I'm fully expecting 1, if not all of us to end up with it before the weekend is over.  At least I know what urgent care doctor I would like to see :)