NorthernToddler Visits the ER (Updated!)

Yup - ER does indeed stand for Emergency Room, and NorthernToddler helped his parents learn where that room is at the hospital. Toddler has shown his parents all around that hospital - from a tour of the maternity ward to the outpatient surgery area - but today he decided that he wanted to go where the action is: the ER.

The reason for the sight-seeing trip to the ER? A puffy ear. A Very Puffy Ear. (Sounds like the title to a really weird book...) A photo of said ear may be appearing later, but for now you can substitute an image of a bright red baboon's butt hanging off the side of Toddler's head.

See? Bright Red Baboon Butt! Sorry about the low quality of the photo - the cell phone was all that was available. (Not much time to swing past the house when you get called to the ER.)

The pediatrician's office wanted nothing to do with the baboon butt and called ahead to the hospital to set up the Northerns' tour. The ER staff poked and prodded and asked questions and probed and picked and asked even more questions. NorthernToddler was a good patient and sat quietly as the parade of medical students and docs did their thing. He even considered singing his version of "Dead Puppies" into the attending pediatrician's stethoscope, but passed when he saw the strange and scary tools in the doctor's pocket.

While the medical staffers were off in consultation land, the Northerns got the treat of hearing the patient on the other side of the curtain being treated. The short version is that this poor Puerto Rican grandmother is afraid of flying. She faced a multi-leg flight from Florida to see the family, and decided to ask her doctor down home for some Valium to soothe her anxiety. She took that, and then -for good measure- took some Xanax, some Dramamine, and a few other things. Shortly after takeoff, she experienced symptoms such as difficulty breathing, heart pains, and anxiety (really? after all of those meds?) She ended up in the ER, where the Northerns learned her story, and hopefully she will be better soon.

The consensus among the white-coat people is that NorthernToddler was bit on the ear by an insect of some kind. It appears that the bite is up under the crease of his ear where it curves over the top - impossible to see, but there is some fluid drainage from there, so that's the thought. A dose of Benadryl and time will tell.

Status Update: NorthernToddler's ear has gone back to its original size. Two or three doses of Benadryl and twenty-four hours have worked their magic. Best guess as to the attacking vampire is an unknown, unseen insect or spider in the strawberry fields we picked from the day before.