Just When I Think I Have Him Figured Out

Riley has always had a very high pain tolerance. As a toddler he would fall while running full on and I’d know that it had to hurt and he would just get up and keep on going. He didn’t cry when he had shots, he got mad at the nurse for sticking him. It didn’t worry me much because I just assumed he took after me. I’ve always been a sort of suck it up and go on when it comes to being in pain kind of person. The same goes for when he gets sick. In fact I can only remember a couple of times when he acted like every other kid I’ve known when he was sick. Those were all when he was really young.

Over the years I’ve taken him to the doctor I don’t know how many times because a cold just seems to be lingering to be told he has a bad double ear infection or strep. All the while he’s never said a word about anything hurting, no fever, and just been a little off behavior wise. Nothing that would say take this child to the doctor now! He has gotten better at telling us something hurts but I’m lucky if he says it once in passing. The only exception to that is when he has a migraine. But even then you would never think its as bad as it is if you didn’t know him well. He will tell you it hurts and may almost get to tears and a few minutes later is trying his best to script or read books. We have to force him to try and sleep it off. Or when he’s faking. Yes, my boy has figured out if he is sick he can’t go to school. You always know when he’s faking because he will dramatically proclaim to the world he is soooooooooo sick.  Over the last year and half of episodes and things just being off and him struggling to explain it to us and we are sort of hyper vigilant watching to see what is going on. He has certain tells for when something is bothering him that we look for more than anything else.

A month ago he had a ear infection and bronchitis I needed to watch because they were concerned it could turn into pneumonia. I took him to the doctor just to be on the safe side as he just had a stuffy nose and a bit of a cough. I never would have thought he was that sick. So a couple of days ago he says his throat is hurting but it doesn’t look that bad. I really thought it was just drainage from his allergies. Fast forward a couple of days and the kid wakes up sicker than I’ve ever seen him. Coughing, stuffed up, throat the whole bit. Talk about pitiful too. Didn’t want to eat or do much of anything but snuggle in our bed with the iPad. Took him to the doctor sure I was going to be told he had at least strep and it’s a freaking cold. Every damn time I think I have got this whole Mom thing down the universe just laughs at me I swear.