magic number 4

During the last four days, Jackson had four doctor visits and turned 4 months old.

Here is a shot from my phone when he wasn't feeling well.


He started sleeping a lot and coming down with a fever on the 23rd. I wasn't too concerned because I know babies get sick, but I called the advice line because his only other symptom was that he was pretty fussy and didn't like to be moved around. He would start to cry immediately when I'd pick him up or move him. No cough, runny nose, diarrhea, nothing else. The nurse thought he should be checked out, so we went in at 11am the 24th. She couldn't find anything else by just examining him, so she said to wait and see what it does and come in the next day. He continued with a fever and what I think are body aches till the 25th when we take him in again.

I still wasn't too concerned, just thinking it was a regular illness or possibly teething. We see a new doctor and once she hears and sees what is going on, she says "we need to find out what's going on, I want to do a catheter to get urine, blood work, a spinal tap, influenza test and a chest x-ray." ... now I got concerned, I started to cry. I was worried about him having a spinal tap. I've seen it done on adults and it worried me to have Jackson get one.

So a rough 4 month birthday, after...

• a tube in his penis
• swab up his nose
• needle in his arm
• needle in his back
• and in a strange contraption for the x-ray

...they started each coming back negative...good signs. Everything went smooth, no problems getting the spinal tap or a vein for blood. Two tests took 24 hours, but everything else was negative right away, so she gave two shots of antibiotics in his legs. We called the next day, Jackson was doing a little better, fever stopped for a bit but came back real low. They had us come back in and he got two more shots of antibiotics in his legs. Then the next day I took him in again for a check up and he was still doing a little better and she prescribed an oral antibiotic for the next 5 days and the other two tests also came back negative. So the doctor just thought it was a viral illness since she ruled out everything else. He's about 90% right now, doing so much better. He hasn't had a fever for at least 24 hours. Has been playing some, but a little fussy before naps still.