Blake

so, the drug story on Blake.

Blake has been a snotty mess for years. He is allergic to, well, everything, and February and March are always difficult. The oak and pollen tear up him and Jeff and Jeffrey. We manage it well (as well as could be expected, I suppose) and are always looking and researching how we can best help him. Blake knows what he is allergic to and will ask if chocolate has peanuts in it or if he can eat something or not.

As the outdoor allergy season came close, we started taking him to an allergist. We put him on Zyrtec which has been a miracle allergy drug for a lot of people we know. We started seeing a lot of emotional break-downs - he would cry over every little thing and tell us "I can't help it." We wrote it off as a phase and a side effect to feeling lousy. If you have ever had an allergy - you know how the allergy and medicine can make you feel.

So, we were back at the allergist for a re-check last week and he upped his Zyrtec dosage. So the next few days the emotions get worse and he has this aggressive episode on the playground. This is not as surprising as his response. Blake is a sensative, kind soul who is the first to say he is sorry (he is know to apologize for Brantley on occasion). Not only would he not apologize, but it was like he had no recollection of the event.

All of a sudden, we thought about the increased medicine dosage and put a call into the doctor. Then I did the unpardonable parenting sin - googled the medicine and its side effects. As a former infertility patient, using google to find medical advice can be the most alarming thing you have ever done. There was story after story of kids who had aggressive behavior, depression, etc. The doc calls us back and tells us that it doesn't happen often, but they have been told that before - psycho type drug result. Fantastic. I feel like mother of the year on this one.

So, I take him to see his ped, who tells me that he has heard of it before and that he is not alarmed by it. We change up the medicine and move on. Blake is back to normal, happy, love- my-life Blake. The snot is better and summer is coming (the end of oak / pollen season). The ped actually suggested a week at the beach to get away from the pollen. 

Can our health insurance pay for that? 

Can I get a doctor's note?