'Roid' Rage

We've been sick. And by we, I mean Beaux.

Beaux's allergies have got the best of her yet again and she is miserable. After a trip to the pediatrician last week, the rest of us weren't too happy either. After listening to her "black lung," sounding cough, he decided we needed to bring out the strong stuff. The doctor decided it was time for an oral steroid. As he said the words oral steroid a shiver went up my spine. Because with an oral steroid comes the side effects of an oral steroid. As he wrote the prescription he cautioned me, "Now I think you should know, this medicine in combination with her other drugs could cause her to become very excitable and anxious. The other most commonly reported side effect is irritability and weepiness." And then he smiled a devious smile and said, "Have a wonderful day."

We brought her home....we filled the dropper with the orange liquid....we waited.....

And then we experienced what life might be like if Mike Tyson lived in our home. One minute she was fine, and the next she was screaming and ready to brawl. She would break down in tears for no reason at all. She was constantly irritated. She was mean as a snake. There were moments of reprieve, moments when the world was right and life was rosy. And the next moment she was tearing her shirt off like the Incredible Hulk.

(A tad bit of an exaggeration but not too far from the truth.)

She cried for 20 minutes one afternoon because, "Eli is so stinky. I can smell him. He is stinky in our house. He smells so stinky." Eli and I just looked at each other and laughed. When you're clean your clean, and when your sister is crazy your sister is crazy.

We were 'juiced' for 5 long days. We all came through them alive.

With very little improvement to show for our week, we headed to the allergist this morning. He gave me a list of treatments, medications, and instructions. But I couldn't hear a word he said. My brain stopped when I heard him utter the phrase, "Let's continue the oral steroid 5 more days." I almost cried right there in the office, but then we're going to have enough crying around here for the next few days. It's time to baton down the hatches and hide the boxing gloves.