Feeling better!

Well, I think we figured out what was wrong with Nate. Last night my mom suggested I look up the side effects of the medicine he was taking. He had been getting prednisone, a steroid, for his lungs since his first night in the hospital. Well guess what--prednisone makes some people crazy! One of the side effects is increase in appetite. Yeah, Nate has been eating like 4 waffles for breakfast every morning, asking for snacks every five minutes, and last night as soon as he finished a big dinner, he asked for a snack. Poor guy, he gained half a pound in just a week. But other side effects include stomach aches, irritability, MANIC BEHAVIOR ... ! Oh my gosh, I had no idea. I talked to his doctor about it this morning at Nate's follow-up appointment, and he said that the increase in appetite is very common, and the behavior changes are certainly side effects but are less common. I said I never want Nate on prednisone ever again, now that we know how it affects him. He--and I!--have been miserable for a week and a half! In fact, I bet that was most of the problem when he was in the hospital too. I just wish someone had explained to me the possible side effects, because I'm sure there is some alternative to this medicine. We could have avoided all of this misery.

Anyway, Nate finished the medicine yesterday, and he is feeling better today. He still had his moments (in the truck, at a red light, screaming at the top of his lungs for me to GOOOOOO! If I didn't understand some of the reasons he acted like this, I would pull over and spank him, it's so rude and annoying.) but in general he's been pretty happy and acting like himself.

After hippotherapy, I had to run a couple errands. I had to go to Staples to pick up my bound thesis (yay!), and Nate screamed through the store, and even though I wanted to take him straight home, I still had to go to the post office and mail it. We pulled up, and I saw a long line. Yikes, this could be really, really bad. I decided to take the bribery route and tell him we would go for ice cream if he would be a happy, patient boy in the post office. And he was! Yay for bribery. I took him to McDonalds for ice cream, and he was so happy until the ice cream was gone. :) Then I carried him screaming out to the truck, but that tantrum was pretty easy to get under control. Sigh, it's been an exhausting week.

One cute thing about Nate--He used to be so very proper when saying "Yes." It was such a firm, polite little yes. Then out of nowhere he started saying "yeah." Which was still cute cause of the way he said it. Lately, he has replaced that with "uh-huh." And the last couple of days, it's gotten even less formal, as he answers with a very pronounced nod of the head. It doesn't look at all natural, and he pretty much has to move his whole body for this head nod, but it's hilarious. :)