Friday, December 19, 2008


You know how unnerving things are funnier after the fact? I did something crazy/potentially harmful to my son. It started with something alien, grossly green, and liquefied coming out of his nose. It was the winter cold that quickly spread to one of his eyes a few days later. I remembered hearing something from The Famous Bakersfield Lactation Consultant (you may have heard of her) about breast milk maybe having antibody components and decided to squeeze some of my milk in Ezra's eye. Notice I did not say squirt! These are if you will the sad breasts of a third time around dairy cow on the 22nd month of her final calf. We aren't talking a constant, steady drip like that of an annoying leaky faucet, but more of a "trying to get the last bit out of a toothpaste tube" type of boob. Anyhow, when I thought maybe this old wives tale (sorry Lynn, I didn't mean you are old) was hogwash I ruffled through my medicine cabinet to find what I thought was a left over prescription to treat pink eye. I felt victorious thinking I would nuke it with the power of a napalm bomb. My first red flag was when he cried after the application, but I decided to ignore this intuition and go to bed. Minutes later I realized what I had done...did the bottle say OTIC and not OPTIC? Oh Crap! I just put numbing ear drops in his eyes...well what could the harm be? I couldn't fall asleep so I got out of bed, turned the computer back on and googled until I found warnings about the medication. Everywhere I looked I saw "Do not put in the eyes...flush immediately with water" Now I am panicking thinking my son will be blind by morning, so I get him out of bed and with a medicine dropper I repeatedly squirt water into his eyes..he is pretty pissed at this point! Then I pray..well actually that is a lie. My first thought is how am I going to cover this up if it damages his sight? Then I pray that God will protect those baby blues and that he won't end up with a walking stick. It is funny now that I rehash it, but I truly was worried. Now every time he nurses he says "eye" and wants milk in it. I can't because I gave Kati a hard time about Christian doing "eye" for so long! If you aren't in the loop about "eye" you want to be, it's hilarious, so ask her! I think I will stick with natural treatments from now on. I have yet to find a side effects label on these pair of tiny jugs.

5 comments:

~ Kati said...

Mel that is hilarious!! Only you...sorry, but it's true!! And "eye" did pass but Dylan still asks for "button" every now and then...oh the things we do for these little princes of ours!!

grammi said...

It seems to me that I was once told that in South America, in places where $$ is slim to none, that breast milk is the antibiotic of choice for conjunctivitis, i.e. eye goop ...and it's ok if you refer to my being an "old wife" - I've earned it - I survived not just Loren, but Kati, Rodney, and you too! Love ya Melli

grammi said...

oh, and by the way, I'm posting a copy of this in my office - we always need a good laugh :)

Cheri said...

Oh, you are too funny for words! :-)

Rachel said...

Oh Mel, I needed that laugh thanks for putting you life out for all to read it is a bright spot in my evening.