Tuesday, June 25, 2019

DTAP and Independence

June 25, 2019

Dr. Isac Rosenberg saw Jonas this morning for his annual physical. As we walked down the dated hallway, memories floated up of walking that same hallway with a heavy infant carrier firmly grasped in my two handed grip. Now I was walking my 11 year old into the exam room, struggling again, but this time to keep up with his lanky, long legged stride.

Dr. Rosenberg's exam was remarkably different, even from last year's exam by Dr. Espe. He asked Jonas all the questions, including ones about smoking. At the end, he even did the gloved two fingered cough to assess for hernia, a word which Jonas knew. (I later learned that Ed had visited with him about the hernia exam the night prior so that he'd know what to expect.)

Though we see the pediatrician annually for physicals, our appointments are typically in the fall. This summer's appointment pre-empted the one already scheduled as Jonas needed a physical for Scout camp.

As one of his last immunization shots, Jonas received a DTAP. He asked the nurse to give him time to prepare, time to relax. I asked if he'd like to listen to Beethoven's Fur Elise to help him. (This is something he does night to help him fall asleep; it's a holdover from his nap times at Bright Horizons.) He agreed, though we got temporarily side tracked when the Youtube search turned up a dubstep version. He handled the shot without a flinch. No tears, no running screaming down the hallway.

As we left, the nurse handed me a paper that contained QR codes with links to more info. It spoke to healthy eating, drug and alcohol use, and sexual activity.

We stopped off at the cafeteria on the way out. Jonas' plate had way more food than mine. I'm surprised he didn't fix himself a cup of coffee.

In separate news from the other boy (they have separate experiences now), I walked him home from Oak for the 2nd day in a row. Yesterday was about showing him; today was about observing him. He passed. When I circled back from my car which I had parked midway home, he asked that I pick him up. When I said we were headed to the grocery, he balked. I persisted. At the store, which is 4 blocks from home, he announced that he would walk home. Alongside Wornall. Through busy intersections. All alone.

What to do? I watched him walk to the edge of the parking lot. He paused. I thought he might be reconsidering. But he wasn't. Then I thought he might be trying to cross a busy 4-lane in the middle and not at a crosswalk. I ran up to him, urgently shouting that he needed to cross at the crosswalk. He said, "Yeah mom, I was waiting to cross the parking lot so that I could do that."

That's when I decided to quickly do my shopping then get in the car to check on him on my way home.

Less than 10 minutes later, I looked for him on the walking path home. I found him at 72nd and Wornall, waiting to cross. I beeped the horn and waved as I drove past, then waited anxiously in the driveway while calling Ed to see if I'd made the right decision.

Sure enough, Gill walked up about 5 minutes later, red in the face and sweating. He was proud, and rightly so. I asked if he'd hit any snags. He admitted that he got "stuck" at that intersection at 72nd and Wornall as the button for a cross signal didn't activate. An older gentleman offered to help him, and Gill accepted. I worry about that as well but really, at the end of the day, it ended well.

Though I praised Gill for his independence and success, I also said that there would have to be a consequence for disobeying me. Ed doesn't believe that he should receive any punishment. What to do?

I predict that this is the child who will turn what non-gray hair I have left into silver.